Games Kill British Football
Well, games and foreigners. At least that’s what a group of British soccer managers announced on Tuesday. Northern Ireland’s Lawrie Sanchez (traditional Irish surname) explained why there aren’t nearly as many UK-born footballers as there have been in the more racially pure and leaner days of yore:
“When we all grew up, we didn’t have Playstation, or PS2 or 24-hour TV….so we played football (soccer). If my son played football (soccer) as much as he does with his Playstation, he’d be a better player if ’s a fact of life.”
Yup, that’s it. There’s no doubt that kids play video games these days more often than they did 40 years ago…when there weren’t any video games. And there’s no doubt that games and TV keep kids from running around kicking balls and being active and healthy and living longer and junk like that, but let’s not get crazy. The “good old days” when kids kicked a ball around because there was nothing else to do isn’t exactly paradise – arguments could and have been made that video games make today’s kids smarter, better at problem solving, hone their manual dexterity (and certainly improve their marksmanship). Ok, that might be a little thin, but so is bewailing the world’s changes simply because they make you uncomfortable.
And the managers’ rant might have more to do with national pride and a jigger of xenophobia than with any apt cultural critique. Speaking of Brazil, Sanchez noted:
“They have 180 million people, it’s their religion and you can find 11 decent players out of that 180 million. It’s their passion. Unfortunately, it’s not a passion any more with the majority of the kids in the British Isles.”
I suppose that’s a shame for the older generation of British footballers. Let’s just hope they don’t ever get video games or television or movies in Brazil…
Video games, foreign players hit soccer in Britain [Yahoo]
[Via: VE3D]
tiny dancer
Posted to Video Games on 13 December 2006
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: all i want for christmas is a Brazilian, brazil, Brazilian genius world cup champions, british football, i love Brazilians, please may i have a brazilian, soccer
I love it when people talk about how good it was in “the good old days”, as if things aren’t a million times better today. Better food, better health care/medicine, better everything.
The “good old days” consisted of treating women like property, government sanctioned racism, and treating homosexuality like a mental disorder.
Face it, the “good old days”, weren’t.
Ah well i think this article, while being football balanced, ecompasses more than that. I think Sanchez does have a point. Overall young people tehse days spend more time in front of a TV and/or games console/PC than just 10 or 15 years ago.
I think it is quite important for kids to go out and not only excersise physically, but also interact socially with other kids.
If all kids do is sit at home and play games or watch TV, their social skills will not develop too well (even if they play MMOs hehe) and they will end up fat and lazy :)
Obesetiy in children is a large problem in europe and the US.
I think saying “ahh the good old days!” is wrong, for sure, but so is dismissing the impact that TV and gaming has on our society these days.
As with everything a good balance is key i’d say.
As for better food, Shin Gallon, well i’d disagree ;) you might have more variety and choice, for sure, but also you are bombarded with more fast food, preservatives and artificial flavouring – if thats better i don’t know :)