World Cup: USA’s American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
Do you realize that I’m currently on my longest-ever mammal streak? Three weeks and counting. I’m sure it’s bound to break any day now, so let’s continue enjoying the mammals from the 32 countries competing in the World Cup. Today it’s my own home, the USA, and the American badger, which I admit I picked because I regretted that I already drew the European badger and therefore couldn’t assign it to England. Thanks to The Wind in the Willows, badgers are quintessentially English to me. But just like the USA has conquered England in the World Cup, so we shall conquer their badgers in the World Cup of Mammals!
Okay, so the USA didn’t actually conquer England in the World Cup. But we did tie them, which is amazing. Look at this Daily Show segment about how ridiculous at least some English people think it is that we even have a soccer team:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| World Cup 2010: Into Africa – Two Teams, One Cup | ||||
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Before the match, CNN reminisced about the long-ago time (1950) “when U.S. postmen and miners humbled England,” President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron made a friendly wager (when they could have been talking about, I don’t know, British Petroleum or something), Katy Perry wore a goofy dress (and I would point out that it’s half the Union Jack, instead of half the St. George’s Cross, which it should be, am I right?) because she’s engaged to an Englishman, and look at this English tabloid front page, in which they parody how we Yanks talk:
The Sun, June 12, 2010
After all that, it was a draw, which was satisfying enough to the USA and especially humbling to England after their goalie allowed a really embarrassing goal. (You can see the match reenacted in Legos here.) After that, Comedy Central changed its tune. Stephen Colbert is pretty merciless here:
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| America’s Strained Relationship With England | ||||
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Tomorrow morning, Group C will be decided after the group’s final two games. If England beats Slovenia, they will go on to the Round of 16. If the US beats Algeria, they will. If the US and Algeria draw, the US needs Slovenia to beat England or also draw. By the time you read this, it will probably already be settled. How exciting!
(Oh yeah, the badger. It eats rodents and will sometimes team up with a coyote to hunt, which I think is pretty fascinating. American badgers live in western and central Canada and the United States, and western and northern Mexico.)
GREAT drawing, Jennifer! The badger looks like it’s looking up at me — I really like this one.
And I’m SHOCKED to find out badgers and coyotes hunt together. I mean, HUH?!? I’ve never heard of two different species cooperating like that before — except maybe that crocodile bird I learned about at the dentist as a kid.
Thanks also for the World Cup updates. I’m really starting to get into this whole World Cup thing, and it’s because of your enthusiasm and your terrific Mammals of the World Cup series! Keep it up!
Good looking badger. Congratulations on setting a record of 3 weeks. I think you can keep it up for a good while longer! I hope so because I am enjoying it very much.
You go, girl! I am enjoying the world cup so much–thru Daily Mammal! Clips of of Jon and Steve are a riot, plus that heart-breaking US goal–I don’t enjoy sports as I feel So Sorry for the other guys…still, I hope we whip England, with the Pelican team in mind.
Thanks, Ted, Grace, and Kate! It certainly helps me keep going when people like to read it! Well, we won our group, and England came in second, so take that!