RNPI

Las Regiones No-unidas de la Peninsula Iberica. Phil Ball, the always excellent commentator of Spanish football for ESPN.com has an insightful article on the Spanish psyche relating to la seleccion. You can read the rest for yourself, but found within the article is an underlying, or evident, commentary on the divisive nature of Spanish football. In discussing Raul's lack of participation in the nat'l side, it also mentions his brand of cheerleading for the nation in such a way that bothers- que les molesta- the other players from other regions. Spain is a nation very divided. The Basques, Catalans, Gallegos and others often want to play for their own national side, think Scottish and Irish nat'l teams as well as England, instead of a UK team. Raul represents the old-school, Francoist, RealMadrid version of a unified Spain under the thumb of Madrid. The post-Franco modern Spain is one of several satellite regions coexisting very tenuously. I would gather that the US was more like this, say, pre-70s. Or maybe before. At one time, New England, the South, the Midwest, Cali, the Northwest seemed all different, distinct. Now we have one big amalgam of McDonalds, Wal-Marts and freeways.