this is precisely why everyone should NOT get a trophy (7/9/14)
So Brazil got creamed by the Germans and rather than praise the team that played with exceptional skill -- even artistry -- people are all in a tizzy about the possible repercussions of Team Brazil losing this match: the mental stability of the Brazilian players, the employment prospects of the Brazilian coach, the re-election prospects for the Brazilian president, and the stability of the Brazilian stock market.
Seriously?
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it until they rip the microphone from my cold dead hand: somebody ALWAYS has to LOSE. And if you can't handle that, then sports, work, politics, relationships, and LIFE IN GENERAL are going to be extremely difficult for you.
How patronizing it is to predict the implosion of the entire Brazilian infrastructure because of the outcome of one football match when:
Win or lose, the favelas are crippled by poverty.
Win or lose, a generation of Brazilian children face a future of living on the streets, drug addicted and sexually exploited.
Win or lose, extreme gang violence and political corruption are the standard in Brazil.
Win or lose, Brazil really couldn't afford to host this tournament in the first place.
Win or lose, since long before the matches began, some Brazilian citizens have been protesting in the streets, demanding that their government prioritize social issues above a sports tournament.
Some people suggest that Germany should have pulled back, maybe only score 3 goals rather than 7. Well first of all, don't assume they didn't. They played hard through the end but they definitely could have played harder. While it may have been uncomfortable to watch them score more, I don't believe it would have been unsportsmanlike for them to do so. They didn't taunt their opponent. They didn't flop to provoke yellow cards. They didn't overtly play keep away with the ball to run down the clock.
I'm against mercy rules in principle and particularly for professionals. If you want a multimillion dollar contract to step out on a playing field, I expect you to go hard or go home. By the time they get to World Cup, these young men have been exposed to a lot: training, injury, groupies, endorsements and perhaps even the occasional racial epithet and projectile banana. So why should they be shielded from the agony of defeat?
The glory in sport is in rewarding exceptional ability, not apologizing for having that exceptional ability. There's too much emphasis these days on rewarding mediocrity, and from that springs entitlement. Look at American Idol. Simon Cowell gives real critique; contestants call him an asshole. J-Lo tells every contestant they're Grrrrreat; they tell her she's awesome. It's a sickening cycle: if someone hadn't rewarded JLo's mediocrity she wouldn't be sitting there paying it forward. All the contestants therefore expect to win, so when they don't, they throw tantrums. But that's OK too because it makes for "good TV".
I don't believe Team Brazil was outstanding in ANY of their matches. I believe they were riding the wave of being the home team and having a history of excellence. But this team wasn't as good as the hype and they were defeated, decisively. Team Brazil needs to deal with that, and Nation Brazil needs to deal with the real problems plaguing their country.