Gera's Squad Robbed by Poor Officiating

Ok, I know this blog isn't for sports lovers, but I must say the fair inhabitants of Burnapest's home country, Hungary, were subjected to one of the most humiliating defeats since Trianon. The national football team, which had enjoyed a recent inspirational surge thanks to a younger team, were forced to accept yet another defeat, this time from a FIFA referee.

The team's captain, and perhaps the best player, Zoltan Gera, was thrown out of the game for being a human tackling dummy for Turkish Linebacker, I mean keeper, Hakan Arikan. Gera was deliberately tackled after he poked the ball to the aggressive keeper's left. The keeper took out Gera like he should have ,yet instead of the referee, Stuart Dougall, awarding the well deserved penalty kick, he decided to send Gera off for a dive (keep in mind that the Turkish player, Belozoglu Emre, dealt a concussion to Hungarian keeper, Marton Fulop, just minutes earlier with no call). Gera had already accumulated a yellow card in the match.

First of all how many players are sent off for diving? Italians, French and even Turks may be famous for this... but the Hungarians? It was one of the worst calls ever made, and nobody will ever care because it involves a team that has no chance, that nobody cares about, a country that was passed up to host the very European championship that they were trying to qualify for.

The real test begins now. With a youthful team of talent and passionate leadership, i.e. ex-alcoholic Zoltan Gera, there should be no excuse. It's not like the great thinkers, sportsmen and philosophers of our time ever let a little bit of adversity get to them. Carry on, and continue to improve Magyars!

By the way, as soon as the video is up on the Web, you'll see it here.

It's Official, the Brown Shirts are Back

Unfortunately, the biggest news coming out of Hungary is dark, very dark. Bloomberg wrote this article about the swearing in of the Hungarian Guard, a militia that smacks of pre-World War II fascism.

While a majority of Hungarians are disgusted by the xenophobic ramblings of the far-right Jobbik party, there has been little in the way of public protest against it. The group has gathered a small yet vocal following by holding bullhorn rallies in public squares throughout the country. The main gripe: the country is being destroyed by "bloodsuckers" who feed on the country's socialist handouts. Who are these evil and malevolent bloodsuckers? The militia suggests Jews, homosexuals, immigrants and gypsies, to name a few. Sound familiar?

In reality, there are problems with Hungary's tax system. Many pay only a fraction of their obligation, which has strained the country's once great health care system. But to say these people are to blame, that these people take jobs away -- Hungary enjoys one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU -- is just plain scary.

The only solution, organize a counter protest. It's a worthy cause and the Hungarians are capable of it -- Budapest staged one of the largest Critical Mass rides in the world. Austrians pulled together years ago when Jorg Heider brought back Nazi ideology, so too can Hungarians. It's time to stand together, Burnapest is with you.