Americans are now lording over Mexicans in sports too? -The iPINIONS Journal

Ordinarily I would not bother to comment on a regional soccer match between the United States and Mexico. But I feel obliged to do so after such a match became a proxy for this week’s critical debate in the US Senate on comprehensive immigration reform.

Although, it would have been comical if this debate were not so serious to listen to Americans wax political about soccer. Especially since most of them are not only clueless about this sport; they didn’t even watch the US defeat Mexico 2-1 to win the 2007 Gold Cup on Sunday before a sold-out – predominantly (illegal) Mexican – crowd in Chicago.

Nevertheless, what I gathered from this proxy match is that those in favor of immigration reform regard Mexico’s loss as a bad omen. After all, according to their missionary logic, the fact that Mexicans can’t even beat Americans in soccer – having lost eight-consecutive matches since 2000 to estos gringos in Mexico’s national sport – only dramatizes their lives of irredeemable desperation. And this, immigration supporters fear, will actually strengthen their opponents’ argument that chronic poverty and despair will compel Mexicans to continually cross the border in droves – regardless of what the Senate does to assimilate the millions already living in the US illegally.

Whereas, those who oppose reform regard the US’s win as manifest destiny. After all, according to their feudal logic, if Mexicans can’t even help the US field a more formidable team for the Olympics of soccer – the World Cup in 2010, then they really are worthy of being nothing more than indentured servants to be lorded over by Americans in perpetuity….

Of course, all such political inferences from this soccer match are complete rubbish! But if you’re a sports fan, even if you couldn’t care any less about soccer, you’ll no doubt appreciate the following analogy:

The US dominating Mexico in soccer is rather like Argentina dominating the US in basketball! [ALH ipinions]

Therefore, the outcome of Sunday’s match resonates with me only to the extent that it insults Mexico’s already injured national pride.

NOTE: You can be forgiven for wondering if I intend to ape the pack of self-righteous hypocrites who’ll be fulminating with indignation on TV about today’s coverage of Paris Hilton whilst going on and on about it themselves. (Are your ears ringing Bill O’Reilly?!)

Therefore, click here and here to read all I intend to say about her for the rest of my life!

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