The rats are already leaving the ship

Well, the 2010 World Cup is over for the USA team and the news certainly reflected that. Take a look at the following headlines:
Ghana eliminates the United States in the 2010 World Cup
Ghana with the Win II: a sorry sequel
Africa soaks up Ghana's World Cup win over the USA
Ghana: Black Stars Cruise Into Q-Final, Play Uruguay Friday

What frosts my cookie is headlines like these, and the image they portrait:
Americans Have No One to Blame but Themselves
World Cup Soccer Dreams End Saturday
US needs creative touch to reach next level at World Cup

... and my personal favorite:
Loss shows US not ready for soccer's big time yet 

I mean, come on. The author of this last piece (Nancy Armour) has to be kidding. This type of vapid reporting about the game in the US is one of the issues, I believe, with the game not reaching its full potential. Take a look at her bio. Wow, she is a figure skating writer too. How much real experience does she have with the game? Or for that matter, any of the sports she writes about?

Contrast that with someone like Grant Wahl (bio) who has been around the game and, in my opinion, actually takes the time to understand what is going on. Take a look at his blog here. This is great stuff. Insightful. Hard hitting. Asks the right questions generally. In short, he and SI care about what is going on.

This is not to call out any particular reporter (it just worked out that way), but to make the point about how incredibly fickle the United States is to the game, and in particular the international game. There are a number of issues here beyond the press that include, FIFA, US Soccer, US Youth Soccer, MLS, WPS and the performance of the teams, the US press, how we are seen in the world, and yes, us as referees. Any one of these acting alone will not get the US on the world stage, and keep us there as so many of us want to be, but rather it has to be a team effort with all of these forces acting in concert, knowingly or not.

This particular rant just touches on how in general it would seem the US press are like a bunch of rats, now leaving the SS World Cup as the USA exits from the tournament. What concerns me more is those in the press who never got on the ship in the first place.