What sports teams do you absolutely hate?

[mdl]

1. Pittsburgh Steelers.  By FAR my most hated team in all of sports

2. New York Giants

3. Washington Redskins

4. Philadelphia Eagles

5. San Antonio Spurs

6. Detroit Pistons

7. Boston Celtics

8. Boston Red Sox

9. NY Yankees

Ha.  You only say that about the Steelers because the truly most hated team in sports is yours, the Cowboys!

[Slice of Life]

Ha.  You only say that about the Steelers because the truly most hated team in sports is yours, the Cowboys!

That would definitely be the Yankees.

[boogielicious]

The concept of a "moving blue line" is probably one of the main reasons North Americans don't "get" soccer.

I coached youth soccer for a dozen years.  This difference in offsides really confused parents, especially hockey parents.  And it is actually a bit different than a "moving blue line" as well.

I do agree that profession soccer is rather dull.  It is a world sport because it can be played anywhere with very little equipment.

[Ernest Jones]

I coached youth soccer for a dozen years.  This difference in offsides really confused parents, especially hockey parents.  And it is actually a bit different than a "moving blue line" as well.

I do agree that profession soccer is rather dull.  It is a world sport because it can be played anywhere with very little equipment.

I don't watch soccer, because it IS boring as ****, so I am by no means an expert but isn't the "blue line" determined by the position of the last defender? As I understand it, unless you have posession, you must maintain at least one defender between yourself and the goal. So, in a way, the last defender IS the blueline, no?

[cipher]

I don't watch soccer, because it IS boring as ****, so I am by no means an expert but isn't the "blue line" determined by the position of the last defender? As I understand it, unless you have posession, you must maintain at least one defender between yourself and the goal. So, in a way, the last defender IS the blueline, no?

That is correct. I do enjoy soccer, have played a little bit as well. Some of the things that players can do with their foot and the ball is pure artistry and that is why I love it.

[mchepp]

I don't watch soccer, because it IS boring as ****

Have you been to a game in the UK or Spain? The atmosphere in a stadium there is better than any US football game I have ever been to. One of the key differences to the atmosphere is no TV timeouts. So the game is a continuous flow of action and a goal can happen at any moment. The game live moves MUCH faster than when watching on TV.

The TV coverage does not recreate the excitement level from the stadium so I can understand if you only watch on TV not understanding how exciting it can be.

[dfreuter415]

I think that you can dislike teams for different reasons:

Head coaches: Bill Belechick, Nick Saban, Woody Hayes, etc.

Obnoxious players: Barry Bonds, Terrell Owens, etc.

Winning too much: Yankees, Lakers, etc.

But the most intense hatred of a team usually comes from a tough rivalry with your hometown team that has turned personal.  An great example was when Chuck Noll implied that the Oaklnd Raiders has a "criminal element" on their team.  The Raiders played the 1976 season opener against the Steelers.  On a broken pass play, Terry Bradshaw scrambled and found Franco Harris for a short gain.  Away from the play, George Atkinson came from behind and blindsided Lynn Swann with a vicious forearm to the back of the neck.  Swann dropped to the ground with a serious concussion.  He never saw the cowardly act coming from behind him.  Nor did any official since the attack occurred far from the action.  No flag was thrown.  Swann missed the next two games. Coach Chuck Noll was rightfully angry.  At his weekly press conference he referred to Atkinson as a "criminal element who should be kicked out of the league." After Noll's remarks, law suits ensued, and the rivalry heated up to epic proportions.  Even today, even though Al Davis has passed away, most Steeler fans of the 70's have real hatred for the Raiders.

Another incident was in Super Bowl X.  Steeler kicker, Roy Gerela, suffered a cracked rib making a tackle on the opening kickoff, and it bothered him enough that he missed two field-goal attempts. After a 33-yard try that would have tied the score, 10-10, in the third quarter, the Cowboys' Harris mockingly tapped Gerela on the helmet. Lambert angrily stepped in, grabbed Harris by the shoulder with one hand, by the helmet with the other and threw him to the ground. No penalty was called, much to the chagrin of Dallas. Not only did the Pittsburgh Steelers go on to defeat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X , but also Super Bowl XIII, thanks in part to a dropped pass by Jackie Smith. Pittsburgh Steelers HOF broadcaster Myron Cope (1929-2008) noticed that the Cowboys and their fans seemed to whine about the losses, so he nicknamed the team the Dallas “Cryboys”.  Even now, when the Black and Gold play the boys from Dallas, you can hear the fans call them the "Cryboys."

[boogielicious]

I don't watch soccer, because it IS boring as ****, so I am by no means an expert but isn't the "blue line" determined by the position of the last defender? As I understand it, unless you have posession, you must maintain at least one defender between yourself and the goal. So, in a way, the last defender IS the blueline, no?

Not exactly.  In hockey and player cannot full cross over the blue line before the puck crosses the line.  In soccer, a forward player cannot be past the last defender (not goalie) when another player who is behind the last defender advances the ball .  After the ball leaves the foot (touch) of the player with the ball, the forward player can run passed the last defender before the ball passes the last defender.  In soccer, they refer to it as being in an offside position.  The sideline ref will raise their flag indicating you are in an offside position.  The head ref watches the touch, then will look to the sideline to see if the forward player was in an offside position when the ball was last touched.

This gives the team with the ball a great chance at breakaways if done correctly.  Defending teams will often move their full backs forward the catch the attacking team offside.  But you can't just watch the ball, you have to see where the players are when the ball is advanced.

The equivalent in hockey would be if you had the puck and were at the defending blue line and I was at the attacking blue line.  The second the puck up left your stick, I could cross the blue line.  I could be halfway to the goal before the puck crossed the blue line.

But this scenario would never happen in hockey because you are a Habs fan and would never pass to a Bruins fan.

[Ernest Jones]

But this scenario would never happen in hockey because you are a Habs fan and would never pass to a Bruins fan.

[iacas]

Not exactly.  In hockey and player cannot full cross over the blue line before the puck crosses the line.

Sure they can.

If they're skating backwards and demonstrate that they have control of the puck. :)

This nit-pick brought to you by all of the analysis I've been reading on the Breaking Bad finale. :D

[boogielicious]

Sure they can.

If they're skating backwards and demonstrate that they have control of the puck. :)

This nit-pick brought to you by all of the analysis I've been reading on the Breaking Bad finale. :D

OK, other than Mario Lemieux!

[jsgolfer]

1a. Yankees

1b. Jets

2.   Giants

[Slice of Life]

Red Sox.

Go Cardinals.

[Jakester23]

Cardinals go soxs

[boogielicious]

Red Sox.

Go Cardinals.

Just for that @Slice of Life , I'm sending you one of those pink fake beards I saw last night!

[dsc123]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/cardinals-pitching-prospect-suggests-boston-jon-lester-threw-134202958--mlb.html

[boogielicious]

I guess that explains the poor fielding and pitching from the Cardinals.

[dsc123]

I guess that explains the poor fielding and pitching from the Cardinals.

It explains why the ball slipped out of Kozma's glove