Rabu, 04 Februari 2015



Few would argue that football is the planet's true global game. From Baghdad to Buenos Aires it is watched, played, argued about, loved and hated with an intensity that no other sport can match.

Its ubiquity also brings a tremendous amount of power. Dictators and politicians have long tried to harness its ability to inspire unity and national pride for more nefarious political purposes -- be it Argentina's junta who used the 1978 World Cup to inspire the kind of loyalty that its regime had failed to do, to current Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who feared and respected football's power to spark change in equal measure.

"[Football] has caused at least one war and many battles, often tragic, off the pitch," wrote Melvyn Bragg, nominating the 1863 Rules of Association Football, the football's first official code, in his "Twelve Books That Changed the World."

But sometimes a single match has been at the center of huge social and political changes. Ahead of the start of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, CNN gives you some of the games that changed the world.


Secretary's XI versus President's XI (1864)

When 22 men gathered in Battersea Park, London, in the winter of 1864 for a game of football, no-one could imagine the worldwide sporting revolution that would follow. This was the first game played according to the Rules of Association Football, written by the embryonic English Football Association and the first attempt to unite and codify football's different, not to mention competing, strands.

The forward pass hadn't been introduced yet, there were no such thing as crossbars and the offside rule was still three years away from being introduced, but the British Victorian need for imprimatur and order meant that the simplified, slimmed-down rules -- just 13 laws -- were easily exported. Which the British did with a proselytizing zeal throughout its colonies and the rest of the world.

One such football missionary was Charles William Miller, who in the mid-1890s took a copy of the rules and a football to Brazil, from where it caught on like wild fire.

"A Brazilian taxi driver told me that Charles Miller had invented football. In other words, he's a legendary figure [in Brazil], but no-one is quite sure what the legend actually is," explained Josh Lacey, author of "God is Brazilian," a biography of Miller.

"In Sao Paulo, there is a square named after him. It's the square outside the stadium where Corinthians play."

And the match itself? The Secretary's XI won 2-0, with both goals scored by Charles William Alcock, who would himself go on to organize the very first international fixture, between England and Scotland, seven years later.


West Germany versus Hungary (1954)

Post-war Germany was a haunted, broken and divided place. Although it was devastated financially by the folly of Nazism and the split between east and west by the emergence of the Iron Curtain, Germans were in a soul-searching funk over their role in the Second World War. The singing of the national anthem was actively discouraged and the country's new, unloved flag was rarely seen. And then came the "Miracle of Bern" at the 1954 World Cup, held in Switzerland.

"It was a kind of liberation for the Germans from all the things that weighed down upon them after the Second World War," German historian Joachim Fest wrote.


Despite being trounced 8-3 in their first match against Hungary, West Germany made it to the final of the World Cup to face the same opposition. The team was made up solely of amateur footballers, while Hungary -- the best team in the world at the time -- boasted the likes of Ferenc Puskas. No-one gave them a chance, but they won 3-2, sparking scenes of jubilation back in West Germany and the first positive, collective nationalistic outburst since the war.

"July 4, 1954 is in certain aspects the founding day of the German Republic."

From there West Germany boomed economically, becoming the leading nation in Europe. As newspaper Der Spiegel pointed out before a united Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup: "In one 90-minute match against Hungary, modern-day Germany was born."


Rangers versus Bucks (1966)

Robben Island is infamous for its most revered prisoner: Nelson Mandela. But the jail, which held what the apartheid South African state viewed to be the most dangerous political prisoners, also gave birth to an unlikely football league.

Scores, leagues, disciplinary records and even the results of disciplinary hearings from on-pitch indiscretions were kept, although no record exists of the score between the Rangers and Bucks in the first-ever match.


The Makana Football Association was set up by a group of prisoners desperate to break the monotony of prison life. Every week from 1964 onwards a prisoner would ask for permission to play football, and then be punished by the authorities as a result of his temerity. But by 1966 the prison warden relented and a football league was set up based on one of the only books in the prison library: the FIFA rule book.

As well as giving the inmates hope during desperate times, the Makana FA had a more important impact: honing the administrative skills of South Africa's future leaders. Jacob Zuma, the current President, was a tough-tackling defender for the Bucks and a future Makana FA referee.

"It taught them administration ... Robben Island created the new generation of people that struggled for freedom," explains Professor Chuck Korr, author of "More Than Just a Game: Football vs. Apartheid."

"And those men thought football was very important in maintaining their sanity and hope for the future. By definition, football is absolutely essential in the way the struggle for freedom is won."

The Makana FA, although long abandoned, was given honorary FIFA membership in 2007.


Dinamo Zagreb versus Red Star Belgrade (1990)

Yugoslavia was already on the brink of imploding by the time Serbia's Red Star Belgrade played Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb at the latter's Maksimir Stadium. Pro- independence parties had already won recent Croatian elections. But the events that unfolded on March 13, 1990 are regarded by many as the opening salvo of the most vicious European war since the Nazis were defeated in 1945.

During the match, future AC Milan and Croatia captain Zvonimir Boban launched a kung-fu kick at a policeman who was attacking a Zagreb fan. Riots broke out between Zagreb's "Bad Blue Boys" ultra group, and Red Star's "Delije" -- led by the brutal war-lord Arkan.

Arkan's Tiger's, the paramilitary group he ruled during the war, recruited heavily from the Delije. Arkan himself was indicted by the United Nations for war crimes, but was assassinated in 2000 before he stood trial. Later, Boban explained what was going through his head.

"Here I was, a public face prepared to risk his life, career and everything that fame could have brought, all because of one ideal cause: the Croatian cause."

For the rest of the soon-to-be-non-existent country, it was a symbolic moment. "It was the most important match in Yugoslav history," explains Dr. Neven Andjelic, author of "Bosnia-Herzegovina: The End of a Legacy."

"It has political implications and is a clear sign of the forthcoming violence and war that this unfinished match provided to the population."

The war went on to rage for five years, with the International Center for Transnational Justice estimating that 140,000 people were killed. Its effects are still evident today, not least outside the Maksimir Stadium, where a statue depicting a group of soldiers stands. On it is the inscription: "To the fans of the club, who started the war with Serbia at this ground on May 13, 1990."


Iraq versus Saudi Arabia (2007)

Younis Mahmoud ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with the handful of fans that had made the long journey to the vast, half-empty stand in Jakarta's Bung Karno stadium.

Back in Baghdad, tens of thousands of Iraqis poured into the streets, firing celebratory bullets into the air, with many clutching something that had not been seen in numbers since the fall of Saddam: the Iraqi flag.The captain of the Iraq national team -- a team of Kurds, Sunni and Shia Muslims -- had just scored the only, decisive goal in the 2007 Asian Cup final on July 29 against Saudi Arabia, but it meant much more than the first piece of major silverware for the "Lions of Mesopotamia."

Football had achieved what no politician or general had managed to achieve: a semblance of national unity. According to the U.S. military, there were 1,700 sectarian attacks in Baghdad alone in June 2007. That had almost halved after the final, to 960 by the end of August.

But the victory came at a price. Minutes after Iraq had beaten South Korea in a penalty shoot out in the semifinal, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of cheering fans, killing 50 people. At the Asian Cup, the victorious team sat, stunned, in the dressing room and contemplated pulling out of the final. But then the players watched the carnage on television.

"One of the victims was a 12-year-old child," recalled Mahmoud to the press afterwards. "His mother, when his body was laid in front of her, she didn't weep, but she said: 'I present my son as a sacrifice for the Iraqi national team.' We have to win."

They chose to continue, and the rest is history.

SOURCE : CNN

Minggu, 01 Februari 2015

Game memang menjadi teman setia kita disaat bosan, sedih, marah, ataupun bahagia. Bermacam-macam game terus bermunculan disetiap tahunnya dan kita pun berlomba untuk memainkannya, tapi apa kamu tau dampak baik dan buruknya bermain game itu? Tidak semua jenis game berdampak buruk, tapi ada juga jenis game yang berdampak baik, contohnya jenis game adventure yang sarat dengan penyelesaian puzzle-puzzle yang membuat otak kita berpikir lebih cepat, jenis game sport seperti sepak bola misalnya, bisa membuat kita menjadi lebih pintar dalam mengatur strategi untuk mengalahkan lawan main.
Namun tidak sedikit pula jenis-jenis game yang memang kurang baik, misalkan jenis game Fighter yang terlalu banyak kekerasan dalam permainanya, dan juga jenis game war/perang yang mungkin kurang baik untuk dimainkan anak-anak dibawah umur 13 tahun.
Agar lebih jelasnya mending kamu baca aja nih dampak baik dan buruknya bermain game dibawah ini.
~ Dampak Baik Bermain Game ~ 1)  Membuat orang pintar Penelitian di Manchester University dan Central Lanchashire University membuktikan bahwa penggemar game yang bermain game 18 jam per minggu memiliki koordinasi yang baik antara tangan dan mata setara dengan kemampuan atlet.
Dr. Jo Bryce, kepala penelitian menemukan bahwa hardcore gamer punya daya konsentrasi tinggi yang memungkinkan mereka mampu menuntaskan beberapa tugas.
Penelitian lain di Rochester University mengungkapkan bahwa anak-anak yang memainkan game action secara teratur memiliki ketajaman mata yang lebih cepat daripada mereka yang tidak terbiasa dengan joypad.
2)  Rajin membaca 
Video game dibuat bukan untuk menggantikan buku. Jadi, keluhan soal bermain game yang dapat menurunkan budaya membaca tidaklah beralasan. Justru kebalikannya. Psikolog di Finland University menyatakan bahwa video game bisa membantu anak-anakdislexia untuk meningkatkan kemampuan baca mereka.
Begitu pula gamer yang hobi memainkan game berjenis Role-Playing Game (RPG) di konsol modern. Dialog-dialog dalam RPG-RPG kenamaan seperti Final Fantasy dan Phantasy Star dapat memacu otak untuk mencerna cerita.
3)  Membantu bersosialisasi Beberapa profesor di Loyola University, Chicago telah mengadakan penelitian dalam komunitas Counter Strike, game First Person Shooter PC yang telah dibuat versi Xbox-nya. Menurut mereka, game online dapat menumbuhkan interaksi sosial yang menentang stereotip gamer yang terisolasi. Sama juga dengan komunitas game RPG EverQuest dan Phantasy Star Online. Game-game ini menyediakan sarana interaksi sosial di kalangan anak remaja.
4)  Mengusir stres Politikus dan orang tua meributkan kekerasan akibat video game. Sebetulnya, mereka tak mau mengakui kalau game itu salah satu cara yang tidak berbahaya untuk mengusir stres. Pertempurannya virtual, senjatanya palsu, dan darahnya juga bohongan. Bahkan “first-person shooter” yang paling keras pun serba digital. Para peneliti di Indiana University menjelaskan bahwa bermain game dapat mengendurkan ketegangan syaraf.
5)  Memulihkan kondisi tubuh Game terbukti dapat digunakan untuk pasien yang sedang mendapat terapi fisik. “Biarkan mereka main” kata Dr. Mark Griffiths, psikolog di Nottingham Trent University. Ia melakukan penelitian sejauh mana manfaat game dalam terapi fisik.
“Latihan fisik yang berulang-ulang dan membosankan agak sulit menyembuhkan seseorang akibat luka parah.” Pengenalan video game dalam terapi fisik ternyata sangat menguntungkan. Beberapa game digunakannya untuk membentuk otot sampai melatih anak-anak yang menderita diabetes sebagai pelengkap pengobatan medis.
~ Dampak Buruk Bermain Game ~ 1)  Membuat orang jadi bodoh Profesor Ryuta Kawashima di Universitas Sendai`s Tokohu menyimpulkan bahwa “sound” dan “vision” game-game Nintendodapat merusak sebagian otak, walaupun tidak menstimulasi bagian lain. “Kami cemas dengan generasi anak-anak berikutnya yang main video game” ujar Kawashima.
“Kegiatan ini berdampak munculnya kekerasan di masyarakat. Anak-anak itu akan berlaku yang lebih buruk lagi kalau mereka cuma main game dan mogok belajar matematika atau tidak suka membaca.”
2)  Membuat terisolir Dulu pernah terjadi kematian tragis gara-gara game. Shawn Woolley, fans berat EverQuest tewas setelah bermain game online. Kini ibu Woolley mengelola OnLine Gamers Anonymous, grup berbasis Web untuk orang-orang telah terisolasi dan terbuang akibat game. Jumlah anggotanya sekarang mencapai 650 orang (data terakhir tahun 2003).
3)  Bikin ketagihan Orang tua, pasangan suami istri, dan sejumlah ilmuwan mengamati fenomena yang disebut “ketagihan video game”. Fenomena ini sering terjadi di kalangan penggemar game berjenis Massive Multiplayer Online RPG (MMORPG) seperti Ragnarok Online, Pangya, atau serial klasik EverQuest. Mereka jadi malas bekerja, bersosialisasi dengan teman, bahkan kehilangan nafsu makan.
4)  Mengganggu kesehatan Kritik bermunculan seputar pengendali (controller) yang bisa menimbulkan rasa sakit di jari dan tangan. Pada tahun 2002, Jurnal Kesehatan Inggris mempublikasikan artikel tentang seorang anak berusia 15 tahun yang mengalami radang jari tangan setelah mainPlaystation selama 7 jam non-stop. Dokter-dokter menganalisa kalau anak itu menderita “sindrom vibrasi lengan” karena terlalu lama memegang pengendali (controller).
5)  Menimbulkan kekerasan Kalau boleh dibilang, ini adalah salah satu alasan terbesar mengapa video game dianggap buruk. Kontroversi ini muncul tahun 1993 ketika senator Joseph Lieberman berkampanye menentang serial Mortal Kombat, sebuah game pertarungan yang penuh adegan kekerasan dan banjir darah. Ia juga menarik penayangan serial tv anak, Captain Kangaroo.
Udah tau dong sekarang gimana baik dan buruknya bermain game itu!! Bermain game hanya untuk melepas stres, penat, dan mengisi waktu luang mungkin itu tidak terlalu berdampak buruk bagi kita, asalkan jangan bermain game terlalu berlebihan.
<sumber : DetikInet, Eko Ramaditya Adikara, www.ramaditya.com>
Pendapat saya sendiri :
Memang dampak buruk dari game itu sangat merugikan. Apalagi sampai ada yang rela bolos sekolah dan bahkan mencuri hanya untuk sebuah game. Tapi tidak selamanya game berdampak buruk, ada juga seorang milyarder sukses hanya karena game, tapi kebanyakan dari orang - orang kaya atau keturunan dari orang kaya. Jarang sekali ditemukan orang (maaf jika lancang) berasal dari keluarga sederhana/miskin yang sukses karena game (mungkin OP warent). Maka dari itu untuk kita, anak yang masih minta uang jajan dari orang tua untuk lebih bisa mengendalikan diri terhadap game yang kita mainkan. Cukup hanya untuk sebuah hiburan semata, tidak perlu berlebihan tapi jika sudah bisa mencukupi kebutuhan sendiri terserah anda. MAAF MALAH CERAMAH.
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