Last week I posted an item about the World Soccer Weekly radio show and the hosts. I noted that they were giving the Arsenal the business and I pointed out that fans of Chelsea should probably find someone else to pick on. Well one of you forwarded my item to the hosts Nick and Steve. Steve (the Chelsea fan) sent his reply to me. Here it is with, of course, MY COMMENTS IN ALL CAPS?
Rick…someone from the Gooner nation forwarded me the piece you wrote on Arsenal America and was concerned that we had pissed you off some how as if you are David Dein or Arsene Wenger or Roman Abromovich (NO, I?M A GUY WHO HAS ACTUALLY HEARD OF YOU). This is my response to your posting on your site. All is fair in love and war (STEVEN, I HOPE YOU MEAN THAT).
[Steven Cohen] ??If I got concerned every time someone has something like this to say I would go out of business.
He (Rick) should appreciate that in this country which knows nothing about this game (THANKS FOR PATRONIZING YOUR LISTENERS, I?M SURE THEY APPRECIATE THAT) that there is a forum for this discussion and he should get a pair of balls and call and defend the virtuous reputation of his beloved Arsenal (LIKE I?VE DONE ON NUMEROUS UK-BASED TALKSHOWS).
He should also know that Nick and I have put our hearts, minds and money into this business and did the Arsenal trophy tour back in March. Adrian Ford and Adam Hillier at Arsenal don’t seem too upset with us so I am not going to get all concerned over Rick Liebling (AH, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT RICK LIEBLING IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE, AND HE HAS INFLUENCE, ALBEIT SMALL, OVER OTHER POTENTIAL AUDIENCE MEMBERS).
Get involved (YOU MEAN LIKE STARTING A SUPPORTERS? CLUB?), enjoy it…this is football…stop being so offended (STOP BEING SO OFFENSIVE). Football unlike most American sports is adult entertainment. It is about loathing one team and loving another, it is about gloating that we have all the money etc…and taking the piss about anything you can re: teams you hate (YEAH, THAT SOUNDS REAL ADULT).
If this is all too much for Rick he should stick to nice sterile sports like gridiron, basketball and hockey (LET?S SEE MY FAVORITE BASEBALL TEAM IN THE RED SOX, NO, NO HEATED RIVALRY THERE. AND DAN WINKLER ABOUT MY FAVORITE HOCKEY TEAM AND HOW MUCH BETTER THEY ARE THAN THE AVALANCHE).
You worry too much…we will continue to pick on Arsenal because it is fun, it is my show (HEY, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO GIVE ARSENAL THE BUSINESS, AS YOU SAY, IT?S YOUR SHOW. BUT AS CONSUMERS WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT WE WILL AND WON?T LISTEN TO.) and when Rick has his own show(s) he can do what he likes…(and we offered him an Arsenal show and he has not got back to us.) (TRUE, THEY HAVE) I never claimed that I would be objective. I hate Liverpool and I hate Arsenal and maybe the reason I hate Arsenal and pick on Arsenal is because my club does not seem able to beat them…as he so correctly says. Why not just lay back and enjoy. (ISN?T THAT WHAT BOBBY KNIGHT SAID A WOMAN SHOULD DO IN THE CASE OF ATTEMPTED RAPE?)
I have stopped picking on Liverpool because they are no threat to Chelsea (GOOD POINT, PERHAPS WE SHOULD STOP WORRYING ABOUT CHELSEA AS THEY CLEARLY ARE NO THREAT TO US)…take that for what it is so I need someone to pick on… but seeing as I went to school with all Arsenal and probably know more about them in their natural habitat than most American turned English football fans I am not going to get all concerned that we might have offended some Arsenal fans here in the US. (RIGHT, WHY WOULD YOU BE CONCERNED ABOUT OFFENDING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS?)
My hatred for Arsenal goes way back… and yes one of my favorite Arsenal moments is your FA Cup Final loss to Ipswich back in the 70’s. Sorry! (AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS WAS WHEN KANU SCORED A HAT TRICK IN THE LAST 15 MINUTES AGAINST YOU TO WIN THE GAME. SORRY!)
You Arsenal fans are weird…it is just like your obsession with Tottenham…they are no threat to you yet you go mental for them. Arsene Wenger, Patrick Vieria and most Arsenal fans that I can tell are so defensive that they could have a punch up in an empty bar. (DEFENSIVE? YEAH, WELL WHEN THE BITTER, PETTY JEALOUSY OF CHELSEA FANS WITH ACCESS TO A MICROPHONE IS SHOVED IN OUR FACE, WE TEND TO FIGHT BACK)
3 Responses to “A Blood Feud is Born”
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November 6th, 2003 at 10:02 pm
Rick,
I thought you said these guys were alright. Seem to me they’re a couple of poor professional clowns. I have yet to listen to the bigsoccer radio show and it looks like that’ll remain that way for now.
November 6th, 2003 at 10:12 pm
They’re really not bad guys at all. They are fans, not professional broadcasters (nor do they claim to be). They were their hearts on their sleeves. That’s fine, but if they think they can run Arsenal smack on their show and not feel the wrath of Arsenal America they are sorely mistaken.
November 7th, 2003 at 11:01 am
You’re an intelligent guy, take them up on their offer for a show or even a guest appearance. If you can’t do it, then bollocks to them.
It’s a sign of our success that fans take a pop at us. The time to worry is when we are ignored. Like Tottenham.