[extropy-chat] italian football victory

[Heartland]

> Please offer me some insight if you have one.  It appears that Italian
> Americans are proud to be Italian, but French Americans are not proud to be
> French.  Why is that?  Those two countries are neighbors, genetically the
> people are about the same, they have similar population and standards of
> living.  Why the asymmetry?
>
> spike

Perhaps it's because it's not cool to be French in US after Iraq war started. Or 
maybe it has to do with the recent history of this French team. In 1998, France won 
the World Cup for the very first time. They also won European Championship two 
years later. In other words, in two year span they have accomplished everything 
there is to accomplish in international football. This team had nothing to prove 
anymore, and since then, perhaps the French public hasn't been as hungry for 
success as before 1998. Contrast that with Italians who haven't won the World Cup 
since 1982. Their recent success was not expected, therefore, probably more 
exhilarating for the Italian public so they were more likely to share that joy with 
others than the French.

But the French should be proud of this brilliant team. IMO, they played the best 
football in this tournament and only bad luck prevented them from winning again.

H.