Throughout his composition, How Soccer Is Ruining America: A Jeremiad, Stephen H. Webb, a well educated and respected professor of religion and philosophy, employs a strategic process of rhetoric in order to present his argument. Quite ironically, Webb decides to begin this piece presenting facts as though he was directly against the organized sport of soccer. He goes on to present every argument that the audience would expect to see when reading a piece with such a title. Through the first two pages of How Soccer Is Ruining America: A Jeremiad, Webb portrays himself as a harsh opponent to the sport of soccer, but by the final page, makes clear to his audience that his true opinion is quite the opposite.
By putting himself in the argumentative point-of-view of his opponent, Webb attempts to make a mockery of the arguments that go against his beliefs. Throughout his writing and the portrayal of those opposing arguments, Webb comes across as snarky and snide to his audience. No doubt a risky technique, as he is risking potential abatement of his ethos, or credibility, by addressing his audience with such a tone. Within this piece, Stephen H. Webb utilizes a tone that could be accurately described as sardonic or farce, in order to take facts that would support the argument of soccer being bad for people of America, and use them in his advantage. Rather than avoiding the topics that could potentially weaken his argument, Webb addresses them head on, and takes it a step further by making them the heart of his writing.
In the first two pages of How Soccer Is Ruining America: A Jeremiad, Stephen H. Webb mimics the arguments of someone who believes that the sport of soccer is leading to the demise of this nation, but he does it in an unprecedented amount of detail. Webb introduces all of the negative aspects of the sport, including but not limited to: The fact that the sport restricts you simply to the use of your feet, a body part that in its religious connotation, is considered vile and abhorrent, the fact that it was introduced to the United States by European nations, and finally, that it simply neither requires nor instills any skill whatsoever. Following further detail for these arguments and others, Webb reveals the ironic truth and purpose of his writing. He explains that despite the arguments he has previously made, all of his children play the sport, both competitively and recreationally, and admits that following a day full of soccer, his family always seems to have a sense of content about them.
Perhaps more interesting than the actual facts that Webb presents, is the detail and articulation that he puts into backing up a claim which he does not truly believe! It seems strange that such a well educated, knowledgeable man would put so much effort into developing an argument that directly opposes the one he is actually trying to make. So why does he do it? Clearly it is not out of oblivion, but rather dexterity and finesse. Webb chooses to acknowledge the opposing side’s platform, and then further use it to “implode” them, leaving them with nothing more to develop an argument off of.
By putting himself in the argumentative point-of-view of his opponent, Webb attempts to make a mockery of the arguments that go against his beliefs. Throughout his writing and the portrayal of those opposing arguments, Webb comes across as snarky and snide to his audience. No doubt a risky technique, as he is risking potential abatement of his ethos, or credibility, by addressing his audience with such a tone. Within this piece, Stephen H. Webb utilizes a tone that could be accurately described as sardonic or farce, in order to take facts that would support the argument of soccer being bad for people of America, and use them in his advantage. Rather than avoiding the topics that could potentially weaken his argument, Webb addresses them head on, and takes it a step further by making them the heart of his writing.
In the first two pages of How Soccer Is Ruining America: A Jeremiad, Stephen H. Webb mimics the arguments of someone who believes that the sport of soccer is leading to the demise of this nation, but he does it in an unprecedented amount of detail. Webb introduces all of the negative aspects of the sport, including but not limited to: The fact that the sport restricts you simply to the use of your feet, a body part that in its religious connotation, is considered vile and abhorrent, the fact that it was introduced to the United States by European nations, and finally, that it simply neither requires nor instills any skill whatsoever. Following further detail for these arguments and others, Webb reveals the ironic truth and purpose of his writing. He explains that despite the arguments he has previously made, all of his children play the sport, both competitively and recreationally, and admits that following a day full of soccer, his family always seems to have a sense of content about them.
Perhaps more interesting than the actual facts that Webb presents, is the detail and articulation that he puts into backing up a claim which he does not truly believe! It seems strange that such a well educated, knowledgeable man would put so much effort into developing an argument that directly opposes the one he is actually trying to make. So why does he do it? Clearly it is not out of oblivion, but rather dexterity and finesse. Webb chooses to acknowledge the opposing side’s platform, and then further use it to “implode” them, leaving them with nothing more to develop an argument off of.