"It just sucks"
OK, you win, I am overwhelmed by the incontrovertible logic of your argument.
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[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Penetration_Guru wrote: [/QUOTENAME]"It just sucks"
OK, you win, I am overwhelmed by the incontrovertible logic of your argument.[/QUOTE]
No, you came up with pinball logic... and six (how many?) points for a touchdown.
any scoring = great game
Or do you just love watching pitcher duels? The NHL thought low scoring ties were so boring they installed shoot-outs. It's not just me that doesn't like 1-0.
Why not make more ways to score in soccer? Or show the rest of the field (not just the middle of it) for 90% of the game?
OK, you win, I am overwhelmed by the incontrovertible logic of your argument.[/QUOTE]
No, you came up with pinball logic... and six (how many?) points for a touchdown.
any scoring = great game
Or do you just love watching pitcher duels? The NHL thought low scoring ties were so boring they installed shoot-outs. It's not just me that doesn't like 1-0.
Why not make more ways to score in soccer? Or show the rest of the field (not just the middle of it) for 90% of the game?
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Penetration_Guru wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]artemismoon wrote: [/QUOTENAME]The only reason the NFL only has four months in a season is because it's a high contact sport. In other words, when you have 250 + lbs men hitting each other on a weekly basis, it will take a toll on your body. The career of an average NFL player only last about six years. One severe injury and your career is over.[/QUOTE]
Rugby is equally high contact, played year round with minimal padding.
And your last sentence applies to any sport and many other careers too.[/QUOTE]
I understand your point of view, but football players and rugby players have different builds. I'm not saying rugby players aren't great athletes, they are. They can put me to shame any day, of course I'm not an athlete. Football players tend to be bigger than rugby players. And the bigger they are, the harder they fall, hit, smash. Compared to every other sport in the US, NFL players have a shorter career. Get what I'm saying?
Rugby is equally high contact, played year round with minimal padding.
And your last sentence applies to any sport and many other careers too.[/QUOTE]
I understand your point of view, but football players and rugby players have different builds. I'm not saying rugby players aren't great athletes, they are. They can put me to shame any day, of course I'm not an athlete. Football players tend to be bigger than rugby players. And the bigger they are, the harder they fall, hit, smash. Compared to every other sport in the US, NFL players have a shorter career. Get what I'm saying?
Me and a friend of mine who was here studying from Scotland last year were talking about this over MSN a few days ago. We both came to the same conclusion:
The US doesn't like soccer because the talent pool is low here. Because soccer is something that only people younger than 18 play (and invariably yuppies under 18 at that) there is no encouragement to develop talent. Why is there no encouragement to develop talent? Because of advertising/sponsorship/demand. Soccer doesn't bring in the kind of money or provide the kind of advertising time to make big names want to sponsor it, and thus increase demand more talent. (The time thing could work to their advantage though: since there is so little time in games to advertise, only big names could afford it...that would instantly win people in, but that's another point). So why don't companies want to sponsor? Because there isn't enough demand to make it profitable for them. Why is that? Again...no talent pool. Can anyone name me 5 great soccer stars from America? Nope...they are all from South America, or Europe. Maybe Beckham with his fame could crack the thing wide open and draw more fans, which would in turn draw more sponsors, which would help the sport grow. Maybe not.
Scoring is a moot point I think. Hockey is a popular sport, and it is low scoring. American football can also be low scoring...and personally I'd rather see a close, low scoring game than a game you can call in the first 20 minutes because the score winds up being a blow out.
The US doesn't like soccer because the talent pool is low here. Because soccer is something that only people younger than 18 play (and invariably yuppies under 18 at that) there is no encouragement to develop talent. Why is there no encouragement to develop talent? Because of advertising/sponsorship/demand. Soccer doesn't bring in the kind of money or provide the kind of advertising time to make big names want to sponsor it, and thus increase demand more talent. (The time thing could work to their advantage though: since there is so little time in games to advertise, only big names could afford it...that would instantly win people in, but that's another point). So why don't companies want to sponsor? Because there isn't enough demand to make it profitable for them. Why is that? Again...no talent pool. Can anyone name me 5 great soccer stars from America? Nope...they are all from South America, or Europe. Maybe Beckham with his fame could crack the thing wide open and draw more fans, which would in turn draw more sponsors, which would help the sport grow. Maybe not.
Scoring is a moot point I think. Hockey is a popular sport, and it is low scoring. American football can also be low scoring...and personally I'd rather see a close, low scoring game than a game you can call in the first 20 minutes because the score winds up being a blow out.
...and there's no talent pool, because there is simply no profitibility in playing or being involved in soccer. Like one big circle, eh?
The same thing happened to golf about twenty years ago. Remember those classic duels with Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, etc? Neither do I. They were supposed to be the next great ones. It took something really magical to inject golf. And now, it looks like there's some fire in these other golfers. They actually are starting to trash-talk Tiger.
Now some idiot thinks Beckham is going to do what Tiger did, only this time for soccer. Puh-lease! Sorry guys, soccer is doomed in the US. Tennis may be headed that way, too. I loved McEnroe, Connors, Borg... wanted to be them when I was a kid. What do we have now? Federer, Nadal, and a bunch of spares.
Knock the NFL all you want, but it's pretty much the model that all other sports try to be. Believe me, if Soccer could take hold in The States, they would be hiring off all the NFL execs to run it. It just can't and won't take off. Gary Bettman & David Stern praise the system and want to take their sports to that level. Baseball? Well... get a commisioner WITH a head and he'd say the same thing.
But I really was just wondering if you die hard soccer fans are idiots like us and keep track of how YOUR player does. Sounds like all soccer fans do is sit around trashing other sports and wonder why there's isnt on TV.
The same thing happened to golf about twenty years ago. Remember those classic duels with Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, etc? Neither do I. They were supposed to be the next great ones. It took something really magical to inject golf. And now, it looks like there's some fire in these other golfers. They actually are starting to trash-talk Tiger.
Now some idiot thinks Beckham is going to do what Tiger did, only this time for soccer. Puh-lease! Sorry guys, soccer is doomed in the US. Tennis may be headed that way, too. I loved McEnroe, Connors, Borg... wanted to be them when I was a kid. What do we have now? Federer, Nadal, and a bunch of spares.
Knock the NFL all you want, but it's pretty much the model that all other sports try to be. Believe me, if Soccer could take hold in The States, they would be hiring off all the NFL execs to run it. It just can't and won't take off. Gary Bettman & David Stern praise the system and want to take their sports to that level. Baseball? Well... get a commisioner WITH a head and he'd say the same thing.
But I really was just wondering if you die hard soccer fans are idiots like us and keep track of how YOUR player does. Sounds like all soccer fans do is sit around trashing other sports and wonder why there's isnt on TV.
Exactly!! It's a huge circle.
But like you said, Golf was the same thing. Nascar too. Both of them are huge now. (Though I have no idea why....golf is second only to baseball as the most boring to sport to watch IMHO and the only reason I occassionaly catch Nascar is because my parents like it and there are a few good looking drivers).
I think soccer has everything it takes to rise to a more prominent spot...it just needs to be cracked open. Can Beckham do it? I don't know. He's the only one in a position to even think about it right now though.
You know...upon further thinking about it, maybe the reason soccer is so huge everywhere else than here is because it started in Europe, and the countries that are so HUGE into it now outside of Europe were countries that had a great and recent amount of influence from Europe via the era of Colonialism...where as America has been free from European colonialism since the 18th century, as opposed to places like India, Africa and South America that had influence and culture sharing right up into the 20th century? Food for thought, huh?
But like you said, Golf was the same thing. Nascar too. Both of them are huge now. (Though I have no idea why....golf is second only to baseball as the most boring to sport to watch IMHO and the only reason I occassionaly catch Nascar is because my parents like it and there are a few good looking drivers).
I think soccer has everything it takes to rise to a more prominent spot...it just needs to be cracked open. Can Beckham do it? I don't know. He's the only one in a position to even think about it right now though.
You know...upon further thinking about it, maybe the reason soccer is so huge everywhere else than here is because it started in Europe, and the countries that are so HUGE into it now outside of Europe were countries that had a great and recent amount of influence from Europe via the era of Colonialism...where as America has been free from European colonialism since the 18th century, as opposed to places like India, Africa and South America that had influence and culture sharing right up into the 20th century? Food for thought, huh?
Definitely played a role.
And probably the fact that Basketball, Football, Baseball, etc. were more recent "inventions" that traditionalists refused to recognize as sport.
That would certainly explain the soccer fan's hardline approach:
"The NFL is not a sport blah blah blah"
"The NBA is not a sport blah blah blah"
Count me out on that. I'm not going to go out back and hurl the discus or toss the javelin.
... and the only curling I do requires a mug.
And probably the fact that Basketball, Football, Baseball, etc. were more recent "inventions" that traditionalists refused to recognize as sport.
That would certainly explain the soccer fan's hardline approach:
"The NFL is not a sport blah blah blah"
"The NBA is not a sport blah blah blah"
Count me out on that. I'm not going to go out back and hurl the discus or toss the javelin.
... and the only curling I do requires a mug.
LOL
Old sports aren't all that bad...for example Greek style wrestling is very athletically demanding (and a LOT of fun for girls to watch, too **grins**). Of course, I also think that the most gifted athletes are ice hockey players.
I'm actually looking forward to my friend Chelsea taking me to a soccer game this year and explaining to me how the rules work so I can understand and appreciate the game more.
Old sports aren't all that bad...for example Greek style wrestling is very athletically demanding (and a LOT of fun for girls to watch, too **grins**). Of course, I also think that the most gifted athletes are ice hockey players.
I'm actually looking forward to my friend Chelsea taking me to a soccer game this year and explaining to me how the rules work so I can understand and appreciate the game more.
One thing I'm wondering at the moment...
For soccer/football fans, is there a reverence for history as far as great players, matches, venues? I'm not talking Pele, or others of that era. I'd like to hear about earlier times than that. I imagine there is, but I just never seem to hear of the soccer's Babe Ruth, Yankees, Vince Lombardy, Jackie Stewart, etc.
As an American, I am fully aware of the history of baseball and football. I know of the worlds great auto racing traditions, tracks and drivers. This is one thing that even basketball could stand to see. If there was a push by the NBA to promote the sports history, the reputation of the game may be salvaged.
Mike
For soccer/football fans, is there a reverence for history as far as great players, matches, venues? I'm not talking Pele, or others of that era. I'd like to hear about earlier times than that. I imagine there is, but I just never seem to hear of the soccer's Babe Ruth, Yankees, Vince Lombardy, Jackie Stewart, etc.
As an American, I am fully aware of the history of baseball and football. I know of the worlds great auto racing traditions, tracks and drivers. This is one thing that even basketball could stand to see. If there was a push by the NBA to promote the sports history, the reputation of the game may be salvaged.
Mike
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]HistoryGirl wrote: [/QUOTENAME]I'm actually looking forward to my friend Chelsea taking me to a soccer game this year and explaining to me how the rules work so I can understand and appreciate the game more.
[/QUOTE]
Bring a book or a magazine.
I was actually going to see my first live game a couple weeks back. I had tickets to the Galaxy/FC Dallas game. Because I didn't pay for them, I decided NOT to go like everyone else. Sure the game sold out, but the stadium didn't even reach 1/4 capacity.
[/QUOTE]
Bring a book or a magazine.
I was actually going to see my first live game a couple weeks back. I had tickets to the Galaxy/FC Dallas game. Because I didn't pay for them, I decided NOT to go like everyone else. Sure the game sold out, but the stadium didn't even reach 1/4 capacity.
Actually Chelsea played soccer when she was younger, and coached it as an undergrad, so she knows what she's talking about.
And I'm sure I'll keep plenty occupied...we are going to a guy's game :-)
And I'm sure I'll keep plenty occupied...we are going to a guy's game :-)
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]HistoryGirl wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Actually Chelsea played soccer when she was younger, and coached it as an undergrad, so she knows what she's talking about.
And I'm sure I'll keep plenty occupied...we are going to a guy's game :-)[/QUOTE]
please make my day and say the match you two are going to is in scotland lol :-]
And I'm sure I'll keep plenty occupied...we are going to a guy's game :-)[/QUOTE]
please make my day and say the match you two are going to is in scotland lol :-]
"*Draft - a room full of nerds wearing oversized jerseys (even though they're size small) discussing who is the better tight end."
At least you can have some time discussing one of your favorite subjects. It can't hurt, even if you consider them to be nerds.
I think part of the sports thing is the shared experience. It's like, I would rather watch a movie in the theatre, where I can hear lots of people reacting.
At least you can have some time discussing one of your favorite subjects. It can't hurt, even if you consider them to be nerds.
I think part of the sports thing is the shared experience. It's like, I would rather watch a movie in the theatre, where I can hear lots of people reacting.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]joxerthepinkmohawkpirate wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]HistoryGirl wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Actually Chelsea played soccer when she was younger, and coached it as an undergrad, so she knows what she's talking about.
And I'm sure I'll keep plenty occupied...we are going to a guy's game :-)[/QUOTE]
please make my day and say the match you two are going to is in scotland lol :-][/QUOTE]
Sorry Marv....it's a CMU soccer game we'll be heading to. But if they are still playing over there in December, maybe I'll have to catch a game **winks**
And I'm sure I'll keep plenty occupied...we are going to a guy's game :-)[/QUOTE]
please make my day and say the match you two are going to is in scotland lol :-][/QUOTE]
Sorry Marv....it's a CMU soccer game we'll be heading to. But if they are still playing over there in December, maybe I'll have to catch a game **winks**