Using Handball Championships for Tourism Promotion

hiddensurfer17 said:You can certainly think that.

Though, I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure what you're referring to, since our local networks didn't carry that match.

But I managed to tune in for the final two minutes of that Mexico vs. Egypt game. It was on ESPN, obviously. And man, I was floored...🙏🙏🙏

hiddensurfer17 said:You can certainly think that.

Though, I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure what you're referring to, since our local networks didn't carry that match.

I'm talking about the official announcer in the arena, not some guy on TV.🤷
I barely even found the match—had to dig through a thousand channels on some random Egyptian satellite feed before I stumbled onto it.👎

Frank Cruz2 said:I'm talking about the official announcer in the arena, not some guy on TV.🤷
I barely even found the match—had to dig through a thousand channels on some random Egyptian satellite feed before I stumbled onto it.👎

Thanks for the help, everyone. 😎 😎 😎

Anthony James2 said:Thanks for the help, everyone. 😎 😎 😎

I was thinking about heading down to Santa Barbara—but honestly, I just couldn't be bothered, damn. Plus, I had no clue how many locals would jump on those tickets once they went live...🤷 Maybe I'll make the trip to Washington, D.C., if we actually manage to grind our way into the finals...🤣

Frank Cruz2 said:I was thinking about heading down to Santa Barbara—but honestly, I just couldn't be bothered, damn. Plus, I had no clue how many locals would jump on those tickets once they went live...🤷 Maybe I'll make the trip to Washington, D.C., if we actually manage to grind our way into the finals...🤣

But seriously, all jokes aside. Huge props to the hosts in Santa Barbara. I was genuinely impressed—both by the atmosphere and how we played. 😁😁😁

Anthony James2 said:But seriously, all jokes aside. Huge props to the hosts in Santa Barbara. I was genuinely impressed—both by the atmosphere and how we played. 😁😁😁

Same here—honestly, couldn't pick a favorite between the two. 😁 It’s the first time in nineteen years I’ve seen Mexican flags in the stands at a game in America without anyone losing their cool over it... 👍 And that announcer? Total legend. 😁 Even the anthem went down without any whistling or nonsense.

Frank Cruz2 said:Same here—honestly, couldn't pick a favorite between the two. 😁 It’s the first time in nineteen years I’ve seen Mexican flags in the stands at a game in America without anyone losing their cool over it... 👍 And that announcer? Total legend. 😁 Even the anthem went down without any whistling or nonsense.

I’m honestly speechless. In a good way, obviously. It deserves a lot of credit. Now we just wait and see how things play out in the upcoming games. 😎 😎 😎

It is a positive sign that there hasn't been any violence in Santa Barbara, but then again, Santa Barbara was never a war zone. People there don't have recent memories of air raid sirens or explosions nearby.
San Diego is a different story altogether. Things got ugly there during the war, which might explain why the locals are a bit more radicalized.
Personally, I don't see any trouble if security is handled properly. If everything stays focused on cheering and the fans—as well as the hosts—behave themselves, we should be fine. 😉

Granted, this does promote America. At the very least, it sparks curiosity in countries that rarely hear anything about us. It makes them wonder who we are and where we are located; perhaps some curious souls will actually decide to visit America. 😁

I mean, who wouldn't want to come when we look this good and feel this sharp? 😍

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT7Omx2INXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-9O3...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyZyR_6BZLU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbOzl8MtvGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q_9tHtyHZY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjuZWiEsWPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z26IM...eature=related

🤣

I say, just let them show up in San Diego😈

restlesstiger47 said:I say, just let them show up in San Diego😈

That’s what we call hospitality...🤣

Hosting a handball championship is such a fantastic way to put a country like America on the map for travelers. It’s actually pretty heartening to hear that the Mexicans were pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome they received in Santa Barbara. At the end of the day, sports should be about bringing people together rather than driving them apart. I’m really hoping the whole tournament maintains this kind of positive energy, with packed arenas and fans who actually know how to behave. Ideally, everyone heading home will walk away with nothing but great things to say about America and the locals here!

Anthony James2 said:But seriously, all jokes aside. Huge props to the hosts in Santa Barbara. I was genuinely impressed—both by the atmosphere and how we played. 😁😁😁

Wait, sorry, since when are you rooting for Mexico if you aren't even a mexican?!🤷

Kevin Cook3 said:Wait, sorry, since when are you rooting for Mexico if you aren't even a mexican?!🤷

Maybe it’s just because my only citizenship is American, and the US is the only place I call home. 😎 😎 😎

Anthony James2 said:Maybe it’s just because my only citizenship is American, and the US is the only place I call home. 😎 😎 😎

Man, go back and read your own old posts on this thread!

Can anyone give me the lowdown on Kajin and what he’s actually like leading those Mexican ultras?

Every single time I think I’ve finally convinced myself that California isn't crawling with people from the North America, something comes along to prove me wrong.
Just listen to this—people actually cheering for Mexico right in the middle of Santa Barbara.🙄

Look, I’m not out here looking for anyone to start shouting hateful stuff, I just wish things could stay pretty neutral... but this? This is something else.🙂

I honestly can't wrap my head around who these people even are. Are they the same crowd I constantly run into around California, where they act all high and mighty with their fancy grammar one second, and then immediately blow it by using those weird, grating slang terms the next? Like, where does that kind of attitude even come from🤷?

David Rogers18 said:Every single time I think I’ve finally convinced myself that California isn't crawling with people from the North America, something comes along to prove me wrong.
Just listen to this—people actually cheering for Mexico right in the middle of Santa Barbara.🙄

Look, I’m not out here looking for anyone to start shouting hateful stuff, I just wish things could stay pretty neutral... but this? This is something else.🙂

I honestly can't wrap my head around who these people even are. Are they the same crowd I constantly run into around California, where they act all high and mighty with their fancy grammar one second, and then immediately blow it by using those weird, grating slang terms the next? Like, where does that kind of attitude even come from🤷?

Oh, please, didn't you hear? The Mexican handball federation ordered 500 red cards specifically for that game. The ones cheering for Mexico weren't locals—they flew in straight from Mexico. And yeah, okay, even the commentator was definitely fueling the fire...😂

Frank Cruz2 said:Oh, please, didn't you hear? The Mexican handball federation ordered 500 red cards specifically for that game. The ones cheering for Mexico weren't locals—they flew in straight from Mexico. And yeah, okay, even the commentator was definitely fueling the fire...😂

Oh, for sure, even the commentator was an import from Mexico.🙄

David Rogers18 said:Oh, for sure, even the commentator was an import from Mexico.🙄

Look, I already told you what I thought about the commentator.😂 So, you really think every single Mexican living in California just happens to have a bunch of Mexican flags and random memorabilia cluttering up their living rooms? Give me a break—that’s just not how reality works.😂 Most of that crowd came straight from Canada and Mexico—I even heard Djokovic's old man was at the game. There might have been a few Mexicans hanging around the US, but honestly, it wasn't enough to move the needle. I caught this segment on TV talking about the fans, showing some massive camping setup out in Santa Barbara, and they interviewed this guy who was clearly using a different dialect. It's funny because most Mexicans living here in America stick to the standard accent...🤷

Frank Cruz2 said:Look, I already told you what I thought about the commentator.😂 So, you really think every single Mexican living in California just happens to have a bunch of Mexican flags and random memorabilia cluttering up their living rooms? Give me a break—that’s just not how reality works.😂 Most of that crowd came straight from Canada and Mexico—I even heard Djokovic's old man was at the game. There might have been a few Mexicans hanging around the US, but honestly, it wasn't enough to move the needle. I caught this segment on TV talking about the fans, showing some massive camping setup out in Santa Barbara, and they interviewed this guy who was clearly using a different dialect. It's funny because most Mexicans living here in America stick to the standard accent...🤷

Give me a break, man. You really think I haven't run into Californians who sound like they're straight out of the Midwest? They’ve lived their entire lives in California, but the second they get going in a conversation, that different accent just starts popping out. It totally threw me off, man, there are just all kinds of characters out there. She isn't even an outlier; I've bumped into at least ten other people with a similar vibe.