2011 Gold Cup..

I want to start off with telling you that I am very proud to be latina.   My great-grandfather's name is Pantaleon Vasquez and I just recently found out that he was born in Zacatecas, Mexico.  Up until then, I honestly knew very little of my maternal ancestors.  Now that I know where my "roots" are from, I can't tell you how good it feels to actually know.  I don't know much other than that...I'm working on my geneology, and I haven't gotten very far, but that is my goal this year.  So anyway, being latina of course, means: great food, awesome music, beautiful language, beautiful art, George Lopez (!)....yeah.. I LOVE my culture.  But I respect every other culture there is also.  Absolutely!  Every culture has their beauty, art, music and food all their own to be proud of too.  I have had very good friends from a variety of nationalities and I learned so much from each and every one of them...................Well, recently there was a little soccer game played between Mexico and the United States.  Ok, so it wasn't so small....it was actually the 2011 Gold Cup.....or the CONCACAF.   Mexico won 4-2 and I want to congratulate them!  They played an awesome game and won.
However, I also want to let my feelings known on how upsetting disappointed outraged I am at the Mexican fans.  First of all, not that it matters much, but this huge game was American hosted and was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  Yes, right here in the USA.  There were 93,000 people there.  It was HUGE.  For the record, I did not watch the game.  Don't hate me but I am not a fan of soccer, although Armando is.  And he did watch it.  For any game, but especially an event of this magnitude, one would expect professionalism and just good sportsmanship.  Not just from the teams, but from the fans as well....right?
And had Mexico hosted the game, the American team and fans would be expected to behave professionally and respectfully also.  And if the United States were to have won, I imagine the awards ceremony would have been performed in Spanish (because they would have been in Mexico), with a translator/interpretor for the Americans.

Well, that didn't happen...unfortunately.  I saw the news report of how the Mexican fans hissed and boo'ed pretty loudly during the United States National Anthem!  How shocking is THAT??!!  I'm sorry, but there just is no excuse for that type of behavior.  I watch the Olympics and have never seen such behavior during the medallion ceremony, no matter which country is being honored.  I felt horrible just HEARING about this.  Had I actually been there and seen it first-hand, I would have gotten up and left.  There is no way I would have wanted to be associated with that behavior.  It was also reported that the Mexican fans hissed and boo'ed pretty loudly whenever the US team had the ball.  WHAT??!! That is ridiculous!  And the award ceremony was performed in Spanish!  Yeah!  I don't know who allowed THAT!
Now, I know that soccer is a HUGE sport in latin countries.  And the fans are true die-hard fans.  But still.  I am really sick about the behavior shown at this game.  I'm probably going to have lots of people mad at me....but, that is how I feel.
The worst part?  It didn't really make the news like it would have, had the situation been reversed.  So yes, I congratulated Mexico on their win.  And they deserved it.  But moreso, I also want to congratulate the United States team AND the US fans.  Way to go!  You demonstrated excellent sportsmanship!!  You make me proud!  And you totally deserve to be congratulated on this too!  I am latina, but I absolutely DO NOT condone this behavior.. shame on them.

What are your thoughts on this?  Isn't sportsmanship expected at any game..whether it's little league or pro sports?  Geez Louis!!!!!