Are you an American exceptionalist to football?
Jun 16th, 2006, 05:42 AM
#103
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So this is a sports related thread, what with the World Cup dominating all of life everywhere in the known universe except in the US, and many posts are people who feel they must tell us "I hate sports and everything about it, they are for the 'simple minded' or the 'plain' folks".
Plain folk make this world work, elitist big-ego wankers (you know who you are) stand in the way.
One wonders what satisfaction is had by posters who hate sports, posting about how they hate sports (and by extension, anybody who likes sport) on a thread about sports. My guess is the satisfaction of demonstrating their superiority.
A common element is that we 'have no life'..... makes me wonder who is in need of a little life.
My advice: Start your own 'Sports Stink' thread please instead of polluting this otherwise fun discussion.
Plain folk make this world work, elitist big-ego wankers (you know who you are) stand in the way.
One wonders what satisfaction is had by posters who hate sports, posting about how they hate sports (and by extension, anybody who likes sport) on a thread about sports. My guess is the satisfaction of demonstrating their superiority.
A common element is that we 'have no life'..... makes me wonder who is in need of a little life.
My advice: Start your own 'Sports Stink' thread please instead of polluting this otherwise fun discussion.
Jun 16th, 2006, 05:43 AM
#104
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Jun 16th, 2006, 05:52 AM
#105
Lol Bennie, but I think maybe in 50 years or so the Hispanic population may have reached a level where soccer does become more widespread.
Certainly an American based friend of mine has commented that there is more coverage available of the world cup this time round - in previous years he has needed to find spanish speaking bars to watch the games.
Certainly an American based friend of mine has commented that there is more coverage available of the world cup this time round - in previous years he has needed to find spanish speaking bars to watch the games.
Jun 16th, 2006, 05:53 AM
#106
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Reprobate: Part of the problem in the US (one I didn't want to get into) is that soccer is seen as an elitist sport -- something Europeans can't really believe until/unless they see it here. The "plain folk" here are the ones saying football (ours, with the elliptical ball), hockey, NASCAR racing, etc. are the "real" sports, and to them soccer is just what snobbish, upper-middle-class, new-rich Yuppies and Yuppie-spawn care about.
If you try to tell a member of the "plain folk" here that soccer/futbol is the sport of their counterparts around the world, they don't believe it.
If you try to tell a member of the "plain folk" here that soccer/futbol is the sport of their counterparts around the world, they don't believe it.
Jun 16th, 2006, 06:09 AM
#107
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I can believe that.
If American youngsters are out in the street, what would they play as a general kick-about (?"pick up game"?)....? The basics of soccer are, after all, the simplest things possible with the minimum of equipment ("jumpers for goalposts - marvellous, eh?", to quote a favourite TV comedy show), which makes it open to anyone with the use of their legs: that's one of the reasons for its being the primary game in so many relatively poor countries.
If American youngsters are out in the street, what would they play as a general kick-about (?"pick up game"?)....? The basics of soccer are, after all, the simplest things possible with the minimum of equipment ("jumpers for goalposts - marvellous, eh?", to quote a favourite TV comedy show), which makes it open to anyone with the use of their legs: that's one of the reasons for its being the primary game in so many relatively poor countries.
Jun 16th, 2006, 06:13 AM
#108
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Those of you who think football is dulll and not a thing of great beauty - get to a TV right now and watch how the Argies are playing - quite simnply some of the best football I have ever seen (bloody scary to think of England facing them)
Jun 16th, 2006, 06:24 AM
#109
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Did you really say American sports have not exported well to the rest of the world?
I've got news for you: Basketball is creeping up on soccer as THE international sport. (Mind you, I like soccer and sometimes find basketball boring, but the facts are the facts.)
And here's the real problem with soccer in the US: It is mainly played as game organized by adults for children. American kids rarely play pick-up soccer, and until they do, the sport will never really catch on.
And sometimes I think the Economist tries a little to hard at "analyzing." Americans lack of love for soccer translates to isolationism? Gimme a break.
I've got news for you: Basketball is creeping up on soccer as THE international sport. (Mind you, I like soccer and sometimes find basketball boring, but the facts are the facts.)
And here's the real problem with soccer in the US: It is mainly played as game organized by adults for children. American kids rarely play pick-up soccer, and until they do, the sport will never really catch on.
And sometimes I think the Economist tries a little to hard at "analyzing." Americans lack of love for soccer translates to isolationism? Gimme a break.
Jun 16th, 2006, 06:34 AM
#111
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I would guess that in terms of numbers playing and watching that the biggest team games in the world would be Football, Cricket, Basketball in that order. Basketball is quite popular in the old eastern bloc countries but the rest of us aren’t interested.
Similarly to football in the USA it is quite a popular game in school, but people don’t keep it up afterwards (maybe because very few of us grow to be seven feet tall).
Similarly to football in the USA it is quite a popular game in school, but people don’t keep it up afterwards (maybe because very few of us grow to be seven feet tall).
Jun 16th, 2006, 06:47 AM
#112
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Basketball is very popular in Spain. I would say, second after football (soccer). At school, children play basketball and handball usually because there's not place enough for a soccer playing field (even a concrete one !). So football is played as a leisure activity..not a school one.
Jun 16th, 2006, 08:14 AM
#113
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I think the fans are much more interesting than the sport itself! Last night, I walked past our "local" just after England scored its first goal and watching the fans' exuberant reactions was far more entertaining than the endless replays of the goal.
Jun 16th, 2006, 08:30 AM
#114
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The two goals I got to see ARG score today were beautiful. Even I could appreciate the skill and finess of that second one.
A theory I've heard before about why some sports are more popular to watch than others is that we want to see somebody do something we are not capable of. Women's basketball in the US struggles mostly because the game is played below the rim and the viewers figure they can do a lot of the same shots themselves. Football also gives the appearance to the unintiated that a lot of the goals come somewhat at random on broken plays and are more the results of luck than of skill. The NHL is suffering from this as well since defense has taken over the game.
On an unrealated note can someone explain to me why there is an offsides rule in football (soccer)?
A theory I've heard before about why some sports are more popular to watch than others is that we want to see somebody do something we are not capable of. Women's basketball in the US struggles mostly because the game is played below the rim and the viewers figure they can do a lot of the same shots themselves. Football also gives the appearance to the unintiated that a lot of the goals come somewhat at random on broken plays and are more the results of luck than of skill. The NHL is suffering from this as well since defense has taken over the game.
On an unrealated note can someone explain to me why there is an offsides rule in football (soccer)?
Jun 16th, 2006, 08:37 AM
#115
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cadillac1234
<<The NHL is suffering from this as well since defense has taken over the game>>
You obviously haven't seen any NHL hockey since the lockout. Try Saturday night's Game 6 and you will see.
<<The NHL is suffering from this as well since defense has taken over the game>>
You obviously haven't seen any NHL hockey since the lockout. Try Saturday night's Game 6 and you will see.
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:01 AM
#116
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cadillac,
the offside rule is indeed in place to prevent random goals and to increase the need for tactics and brains in the game.
If it weren't for the offside rule, it would be possible for a striker to just keep lingering near the opposite side's goal and easily score at some point. Whereas with the offside rule in place, the strikers (or any other player for that reason) are forced to keep moving along with the flow on the pitch and it is feasible to increase the chance of scoring by playing an extremely intelligent pass.
Great fun to watch actually. And that's why even a 0-0 draw can be so inspiring and gripping, given that the teams also have a chance to install an "offside trap", i.e. intentionally moving forward at the moment the opposing sides looks to play a pass and thus bringing their forwards into an offside position. Brilliant - and (at least for an intellectual low-life like me with a passion for football and - some of you guessed it HSV in particular) absolutely mind thrilling.
P.S.:
For those of you finding footbal an "idiocy" and offend people getting a thrill out of it by telling them to "keep grunting", I can only recommend Nick Hornby's classic "Fever Pitch" (and I mean the novel, not the baseball adaption from Hollywood). It is quite safe to assume that one of England's premier novelists is not necessarily mentally handicapped.
the offside rule is indeed in place to prevent random goals and to increase the need for tactics and brains in the game.
If it weren't for the offside rule, it would be possible for a striker to just keep lingering near the opposite side's goal and easily score at some point. Whereas with the offside rule in place, the strikers (or any other player for that reason) are forced to keep moving along with the flow on the pitch and it is feasible to increase the chance of scoring by playing an extremely intelligent pass.
Great fun to watch actually. And that's why even a 0-0 draw can be so inspiring and gripping, given that the teams also have a chance to install an "offside trap", i.e. intentionally moving forward at the moment the opposing sides looks to play a pass and thus bringing their forwards into an offside position. Brilliant - and (at least for an intellectual low-life like me with a passion for football and - some of you guessed it HSV in particular) absolutely mind thrilling.
P.S.:
For those of you finding footbal an "idiocy" and offend people getting a thrill out of it by telling them to "keep grunting", I can only recommend Nick Hornby's classic "Fever Pitch" (and I mean the novel, not the baseball adaption from Hollywood). It is quite safe to assume that one of England's premier novelists is not necessarily mentally handicapped.
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:25 AM
#117
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I can't be offended that easy, because our position on the subject is shared with the vast majority of people on the planet 
. Only few fail to see the fun and entertainment there is in this game. It's their problem.
Go Deutschland GO!!!
. Only few fail to see the fun and entertainment there is in this game. It's their problem. Go Deutschland GO!!!
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:45 AM
#119
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logos,
with the guys playing that well, I currently do not care for much else either. "Was schert es die deutsche Eiche, wenn die Sau sich an ihr reibt? - What does a German oak tree care if a hog rubs itself against it?" as they say....
I still wanted to point out that football is not necessarily hazardous for the mind.
Weltmeisterliche Grüße!
with the guys playing that well, I currently do not care for much else either. "Was schert es die deutsche Eiche, wenn die Sau sich an ihr reibt? - What does a German oak tree care if a hog rubs itself against it?" as they say...
.I still wanted to point out that football is not necessarily hazardous for the mind.
Weltmeisterliche Grüße!
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:52 AM
#120
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There is no definition of "sport" that everyone agrees to. Some think that competition mano a mano is a requisite feature. Others feel that strength, or speed, or endurance are necessary.
Is driving a sport? Many think not. How about golf? Again, there is no consensus.
If anyone is pleased to call any item on my list either a sport or non-sport, that is their prerogative. Each of us, after all, lives in a totally subjective universe.
Is driving a sport? Many think not. How about golf? Again, there is no consensus.
If anyone is pleased to call any item on my list either a sport or non-sport, that is their prerogative. Each of us, after all, lives in a totally subjective universe.
