This is the purest good news I've heard in ages.
Iraq Soccer Team Qualifies for Olympics
Iraq's soccer team qualified for the Athens Olympics on Wednesday, less than three months after the country was reinstated by the International Olympic Committee.Iraq beat Saudi Arabia 3-1, and then clinched the third and final Asian qualifying spot when Kuwait held Oman to a scoreless draw.
God bless 'em.
Good; here's hoping that they'll beat the pants off of us, assuming that we somehow managed to scrounge up a team capable of qualifying...
Posted by: Moe Lane | May 12, 2004 at 11:14 PM
I know it's not very kind of me, but I think I'm most happy that they beat Saudi Arabia to get there.
Posted by: Edward | May 12, 2004 at 11:17 PM
Yeah, cry me a fragging river about that, too.
Posted by: Moe Lane | May 12, 2004 at 11:26 PM
beat me to it ... insert obligatory anti-Saudi gloat here.
Posted by: asdf | May 12, 2004 at 11:40 PM
Reminds me of the stories of athletes being beaten under Hussein.
Personally, I hope they never face us in competition. That will foster the worst parts of both sides. Many extremely unfortunate things would be said and quoted.
I hope they make it far and in every game there are a crapload of Americans there to cheer them on.
Posted by: sidereal | May 13, 2004 at 12:56 AM
The U.S. team was eliminated in the preliminaries. (A shocking disappointment, considering the progress that the national program has made in recent competitions.) So, with a nod to sidereal, let's all get behind the Iraqi selection this summer.
Posted by: nagoya ryan | May 13, 2004 at 01:29 AM
Gooooooooooooooooo WORLD CUP!
Posted by: Anarch | May 13, 2004 at 02:33 AM
It's called football, Edward.
Posted by: James Casey | May 13, 2004 at 03:34 AM
"It's called football, Edward."
Naah; you call it football. We call it soccer, when we don't call it...
(Sound of man running and tackling sitting figure; there is an 'oof!' sound and humorous clanging noises, plus one of a rolling plate)
The Management would like to apologize to pretty much the entire planet for that barely-averted commentary on the sport called 'soccer' in the US and 'football' everywhere else; the poor fellow involved is home sick and undoubtedly not completely rational. We've put him to bed, so put away the pitchforks and torches. Please.
Posted by: Moe Lane | May 13, 2004 at 08:19 AM
there is an 'oof!' sound and humorous clanging noises
They were pretty funny, I'll give you that.
Posted by: James Casey | May 13, 2004 at 09:08 AM
JENNY: I don't know what it is about football that does it for me. I mean, it lacks the, the grace of basketball, the, uh, poetry of baseball. At its best it's unadorned aggression. It's such a rugged contest.
GILES: Rugged. American football. (laughs)
JENNY: And that's funny because?
GILES: No! (laughs) I just think it's rather odd that a nation that prides itself on its virility should feel compelled to strap on forty pounds of protective gear just in order to play rugby.
JENNY: Is this your normal strategy for a first date? Dissing my country's national pastime?
GILES: Did you just say 'date'?
JENNY: You noticed that, huh?
My favorite TV series ever.
Posted by: Jesurgislac | May 13, 2004 at 12:42 PM
Anyway, yes! Good news.
Posted by: Jesurgislac | May 13, 2004 at 12:45 PM
"My favorite TV series ever."
Abso-fragging-lutely, although I'm exempting Bab5 from the competition (it was actually a very long miniseries, you see). I think that's fair.
Moe
Posted by: Moe Lane | May 13, 2004 at 12:52 PM