Discussion: Watching Pt 2

I watched the second half. That was def not the most enjoyable soccer for me. For one, I was anxious. But the bigger issue is that I don't enjoy "prevent" defense, be it soccer or otherwise.

That was a great bet!!! I never saw your game so can't comment, but I think we're all happy.

I rarely gamble.

In Stockholm I went to the horse track (Solvalla) 3 or 4 times. I'd spend no more than about $15. I figured that was what I could lose and chalk it up to a reasonable amount for a few hours of entertainment. If I won a little bit, that was just a bonus.

I bet on myself at 25 Manna one year. "Myself" is the team I was running on. I ran a late leg and managed to pull us up to the lead. But the last few runners dropped back. It'd have been cool to win (and it would have returned a pretty good payoff). But it was cool to get to be in the lead of a big relay, also.

I don't recall ever gambling in the U.S.

First time I went to Nevada (Las Vegas), I put $1.30 in slot machines and lost it all. My friend put in $1.30 and got back $2.00.

That's my kind of gambling - low bet and low loss or wins.

The problem with the games this week is that they are the last game of group play. Thus, in many of the games there is one team simply playing to protect their current position in the standings and/or some goal differential. This leads to games played in almost just half of the field. If you are routing for the attacking side, it can be exciting. If you are routing for the protecting side, it is frustrating (for me anyway). I think this weekend's games will open up as everyone has to play to win again.

In today's Argentina vs Poland game I was experiencing both because I was routing for each simultaneously, while also routing for Mexico who were playing at the same time and part of the same group. The Polish goalie, though he lost the game, was a badass.

It was a different era: betting on a race that one is participating in would now be in breach of IOF rules at an IOF event, and probably in breach of national rules in a lot of countries.

I don't disagree, but I've always felt that there's a big difference between betting on yourself to win and betting on yourself to lose.

Yes in one scenario you poison all your competitors.

Ghana v Uruguay......best game so far. Probably due to everyones scenarios during the last 10 mins.

One of the things about the World Cup is the way it can generate long-lasting grudges between otherwise more or less totally unconnected countries, and Ghana-Uruguay is fairly high on that list.