How Jordanian Bloggers Are Gonna Hate Me This Month

(…as if they really needed a reason) πŸ˜€

apologies in advance if the following sounds a bit cruel…

I’ve already expressed my opinion on my catching World Cup fever, or lack there of and meanwhile, back home, it seems everyone on Jordan Planet is a football fanatic. The cruel irony here is that most of these bloggers are struggling (like most Jordanians) to watch these games, especially today the opening day, because ART has the rights to airing them and you have to pay for a subscription (which is a good way to make some money but a great way to be hated by the entire Middle East).

Meanwhile little ol’me gets to watch them for free on my rusty old TV. What’s worse (irony wise) is that I only get 27 channels and if you minus the useless ones like “home shopping network” and “the woman’s channel” and “PBS” and two “weather network” channels and two local “French Channels” and that channel that shows you what’s showing on other channels…well it comes down to like 12 channels. And I’ve always complained because I don’t have cable TV or a satellite. But to my surprise (and discovery) one of those channels shows only sports and they’re showing the World Cup.

Meanwhile, back home, people with 500 satellite channels are frustrated with ART. And I’m reading all their posts on Jordan Planet and throwing my head back and bellowing out my best evil laugh at the top of my lungs (which my landlord upstairs wasn’t too crazy about). WAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

But after I calmed down I started feeling bad. Now I feel like I’ve been given some sort of super power and I have a social obligation to watch the games because so many cannot.

And truth be told I really enjoyed the Germany match. They did kick some serious butt. So I think I’m getting into this. Sorry guys but remember, I’m doing this for all of you guys who can’t watch it.

p.s. the World Cup commercials they’re showing totally rock. if i can get my hands on any of them i’ll post them because they’re north american.

p.p.s I do however miss the Egyptian commentators that scream Ò??GOOOOOOOOOAL!!Ò?. Instead IÒ??m stuck with some monotonous old British guy. Better than nothing I suppose.

13 Comments

  • If you get Univision you can hear those crazy commentators from Latin American yelling GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. I had there for a few minutes but was frustrated I couldn’t understand anything they were saying.

    I usually hate anything Disney, but thank god for ABC and ESPN. With them showing the NBA Finals and the World Cup I am in heaven. I enjoyed the second game and the Pols losing. Could you believe they hit the upright and post. They really had bad luck today. I am on the underdog bandwagon this year….but of course cannot let my beloved Brazil down so they get my full support.

  • Luai, yeah i saw that goal post rejection! that was very dissapointing. Yeah I think i’m the same, I’m a sucker for the underdog and then when they all get eliminated and its starts getting serious I support the big team: i think it’ll be Germany for me this time around.

  • Nas dear, I’m corssing out the guy’s name at the top of my enemies list (can you imagine, he’s a bus driver, not a cabbie,I’m surprised) and having your name right there πŸ˜€

    Anyways, you are in Canada right? No wonder it’s free. Like good luck winning the rights to broadcast The World Curling Cup to the ME! Lol

    Yeah, I’m not really into the thing, I lost interest after greedness got into it! And since I don’t have time. Though ART is charging a lot, considering their programs quality and the income of most Arabs. Football used to be a game for all people, rich and poor, I mean all you need is a ball (can be anything, even a soda can, if you know what I mean), kids (we have lots of these), and some space. Meanwhile Basketball requires a ring,a huge court, tall guys,fancy foot gear etc.

    Yeah, ART is actually mad because Jordan has put giant screens for people to watch the WC2006. Someone should blog about this.

    PBS! lol, maybe C-Span is showing the thing?Actually I’m curious is it a local Canadian channel or is it a local American TV? How much does cable cost in Canada (basic bundle, one that can get you most American shows and sport events like the WC?

    Now should we discuss how your antenna looks like?Is it one of those “artsy-fartsy” coat hangers?
    I’m sure your landlord is just too scared to talk to you or ask you what are these weird noises he keeps hearing

  • Firas, lool i get the number one spot now? cool!

    it’s not exactly PBS, ya3ni its the canadian version of it but its basically the exact same thing…includes Seseme Street and the Muppets. i dont know about the cost. I think the lowest is a 30 channel package which i think is for 40 dollars (20 jds)….but i have a little wire that runs from the back of the tv, out the little hole in the window, all the way upstairs to my landlords tv…so its free πŸ˜€

    the tv is from the early 70s or something with those vhf/uhf knobs and one of these antennas

  • loool I think I love the World Cup!! I’m so into opening ceremonies in general and I totally loved yesterday’s. Germany did great in the first match, especially Lahm (I was interested in names too, to my surprise) πŸ˜€

    BTW I paid nothing, parents did :-D, there’s no way I’ll pay 1100 AED only to watch World Cup’s games! And yes ART sucks, they had the guts to threaten those who accused them of monopoly and being anti-Arabism by taking it to the court. They said that it’s just that the FIFA pumped up their prices (also, nothing is for free these days, that’s what the man said, literally), which is funny because no one is mentally challeneged not to see clearly that ART paid enough for an exclusive broadcasting and this is how prices pumped up and not vise-versa.

  • Hahahahahaha.

    With all due respect guys, but most of the bloggers pay about 800JD for ADSL, and wouldn’t pay 300JD for an ART subsription? I realize it’s a rip off, but it’s worth it 3n jad.

    It’s like they have 9 channels especially made for the world cup, and they cover the matches and games from all aspects.

    But like what you said Nas, the commentater is annoying, so we watched the game on another channel (that’s not even ART). lol.

  • Not a foorball fan:D

    Bas we have this channel that gets the games, bas mish ART, dunno what it is πŸ˜•

    Tennis rocks, Roland Garos was amazing!

  • Congratulations man, am not a big fan for football but when it comes to world cup its a different story, my father was looking at me yesterday like I was a freak or something especially when I cheered and get exited for Costa Rica :D.
    But still I’ll try to catch up with free matches as much as I can, and keep that channel a secret , u donÒ??t know maybe sheek sala7 kamel absr sho will track u down l2nak ma7soob 3l middle east .

  • hey nas

    i got many channels on ASTRA SAT where fans can watch,but with non arabic commentators,u can have the radio on for arabic comments and mute the tv. πŸ˜€

    I got to watch online on ESPN,some kind of tvplayer site,which was ok,since i got high internet speed

    yes we pay for ADSL,and we have the money to subsribe but we hate the idea of ART depriving less fortunate fans from watching.

    I got some channels on my blog πŸ˜‰

  • luai i watched the opener on univison although my spanish sucks but it was hilarious listening to the commentators especially when ramirez tells jesus “hablame jesus” πŸ˜€

  • Shaden, maybe he’s right…nothing is for free these days…which is kind of sad because this is one of those events that everyone should be able to watch for free.

    Pheras, yeah but its 800jds a year right? as opposed to 300jds for one month? and you’re really not going to benefit much from watch all the channels for the analysis πŸ˜€

    ohoud, tennis?! (next you’ll tell me golf)

    theone, lool

    mala2e6, lool isnt it weird how people have to go to so much trouble in the year 2006 just to watch a damn football match!?

    hareega, lol @ hablame jesus πŸ˜€

  • Tennis is basic :rolleyes: (its always been listed as a favourite sport in addition to football and basketball)*

    *I’m the source on that:p

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