2014 FIFA World Cup Thread

[nevets88]

I never played football and I'm already going through WC withdrawal. Something about this year I think I'm hooked. Looking forward to the European season and watching bits of MLS now.

[boogielicious]

I never played football and I'm already going through WC withdrawal. Something about this year I think I'm hooked. Looking forward to the European season and watching bits of MLS now.

I for one am glad the World Cup is over so we can now talk about real important things that have been ignored on ESPN, like LeBron James.

[phan52]

I was at the range yesterday afternoon and, after I was done, I went into the men's grill and there were about 20 people watching the WC final. By halftime, there were three. Snoozefest.

[FarawayFairways]

Looking forward to the European season? I'm dreading it!!!

Nine months of wall to wall coverage.

Midn you the trevails of Leeds United look like being fun to follow. Fresh from abolishing the number 17 from the club, and sacking the goalkeeper for being born on the 17th of the month, our new Chairman has sold the only player who scored goals last season (admittedly £11m for a borderline camel isn't bad) and has also decreed that anyone playing for Leeds in the future will now have to live in the city. Urm... that should drive off those who remain. In some respects I quite like the intention, but he's about to learn that over-paid English footballers will vote with their feet

Relegation here we come, but this could be an hysterical season

[Chilli Dipper]

I never played football and I'm already going through WC withdrawal. Something about this year I think I'm hooked. Looking forward to the European season and watching bits of MLS now.

Club soccer is a bit too overwhelming for me to follow. I'm looking forward to 2016 for the Euro championship and Centenario pan-American tournament that I hope proves to be more than a one-time thing.

[Chilli Dipper]

I for one am glad the World Cup is over so we can now talk about real important things that have been ignored on ESPN, like LeBron James.

Or that Johnny Manziel fellow. What has he been up to lately? (I can do without the team-sports off-season hype machine.)

[yrew]

Club soccer is a bit too overwhelming for me to follow. I'm looking forward to 2016 for the Euro championship and Centenario pan-American tournament that I hope proves to be more than a one-time thing.

You could try following the Champions League. Could be a bit less overwhelming.

[Abu3baid]

Most likely I want follow anything.. I just don't find any of the games as exciting as the WC or as intense... Do you guys really think there is another league or something that matches up and worth it?

[RJH999]

Most likely I want follow anything.. I just don't find any of the games as exciting as the WC or as intense... Do you guys really think there is another league or something that matches up and worth it?

Nothing is as intense as the world cup, it's the biggest sporting event in the world. The champions league is good and I find the EPL enjoyable. Try being an Everton fan ;)

[Abu3baid]

[quote name="Abu3baid" url="/t/73308/2014-fifa-world-cup-thread/1170#post_1020110"]Most likely I want follow anything.. I just don't find any of the games as exciting as the WC or as intense... Do you guys really think there is another league or something that matches up and worth it?

Nothing is as intense as the world cup, it's the biggest sporting event in the world. The champions league is good and I find the EPL enjoyable. Try being an Everton fan ;)[/quote] LoL who is that? Any Germans on the team?

[jamo]

Congrats to the machines! What a finish! See you guys in 4 years! Nice job @jamo Kick starter of the month has to be yours right?

Thanks! Unfortunately, as a mod I can't win stuff like that. But I did pick Germany to win in my bracket, so that feels good! :-D

[RJH999]

LoL who is that? Any Germans on the team?

They play in the English Premier League. They are good but not bandwagon good. They have a great coach and some good players like Tim Howard, Ross Barkley, and Kevin Mirallas. If you're looking for Germans, try the German Bundesliga. I like Hannover 96 because Cherundolo played there lol

[nevets88]

Well with NBC getting the EPL this coming season I'll be watching here and there. I've basically been watching the finals of the major European leagues up to now and some of the Champions League. Maybe I'll watch some MLS although it's not up to Euro/S. Am league standards. I'm also looking forward to centenary pan American tournament. Heck, I've started watching some cricket too.

[FarawayFairways]

The Prem (we don't recognise EPL as an acronym) is the fastest league in Europe, albeit the Spanish and German tend to be more technical and better quality. The Prem is usually regarded as the more entertaining. It's also an international language. I've been stopped in some really unlikely places by locals desperate to interogate me, or show off their knowledge of the premiership

Everton for the uniniated are Liverpool's second team, albeit they have produced some very good teams in their own right. They'd be a bit like the LA Rams I guess, or NY Jets. As RJH says, you couldn't really be accused of jumping on a popular brand wagon if adopting the 'toffeemen'

Nothing wrong with cricket Nevets!!! It's very much a thinking persons game though and is built around the accumulation of advantages and then bringing those together to achieve a decisive outcomes. If you do get into it, then you'll realise how one dimensional baseball by contrast. Neither are particularly taxing physically, albeit cricket makes much more demands on you than baseball, and requires a much wider skills set to play, for all sorts of reasons.

[Abu3baid]

The Prem (we don't recognise EPL as an acronym) is the fastest league in Europe, albeit the Spanish and German tend to be more technical and better quality. The Prem is usually regarded as the more entertaining. It's also an international language. I've been stopped in some really unlikely places by locals desperate to interogate me, or show off their knowledge of the premiership Everton for the uniniated are Liverpool's second team, albeit they have produced some very good teams in their own right. They'd be a bit like the LA Rams I guess, or NY Jets. As RJH says, you couldn't really be accused of jumping on a popular brand wagon if adopting the 'toffeemen' Nothing wrong with cricket Nevets!!! It's very much a thinking persons game though and is built around the accumulation of advantages and then bringing those together to achieve a decisive outcomes. If you do get into it, then you'll realise how one dimensional baseball by contrast. Neither are particularly taxing physically, albeit cricket makes much more demands on you than baseball, and requires a much wider skills set to play, for all sorts of reasons.

Watch it! You are stepping on shells that are just about ready to crack there buddy!! You need to be careful when talking about America's past time like that? Cricket more taxing on the body? Pshhh... Nonsense I say? Hey: over there... Yeah, you over there... Let's go over and start a thread with the differences between cricket and baseball.. See who will come outbid the woodwork from the US side vs the British and Indian/packistani side!

[FarawayFairways]

I think you could add Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and West Indies who play the sport internationally at the top level. By contrast the "American past time" as you call it, is only really played by Japan and Cuba

I have little doubt that cricket makes more demands on you to be honest. For a start a game lasts 5 days, and is played from 11.00 to 6.30. Both batsmen and bowlers will be required to run a few miles in each game, now admittedly that's no great achievement in the wider sporting field, but its still more than a baseballer is usually required to do

Both sports will suffer with repetitive strain injuries though and that's where the stresses come from on the body.

The big difference really is that the cricket ball is stitched down the middle which means that it fundamentally performs differently in flight and also when it comes into contact with the ground. I remember an American telling me once how horrified she was when she tried watching a game in the Carribean to learn that it was legitimate to actually try and hit and injure the batsman. Cricketers being killed on the pitch is unusual, but it does occasionally happen. I guess the same must have happened in baseball somewhere though

[Golfingdad]

I think you could add Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and West Indies who play the sport internationally at the top level. By contrast the "American past time" as you call it, is only really played by Japan and Cuba

I have little doubt that cricket makes more demands on you to be honest. For a start a game lasts 5 days, and is played from 11.00 to 6.30. Both batsmen and bowlers will be required to run a few miles in each game, now admittedly that's no great achievement in the wider sporting field, but its still more than a baseballer is usually required to do

Both sports will suffer with repetitive strain injuries though and that's where the stresses come from on the body.

The big difference really is that the cricket ball is stitched down the middle which means that it fundamentally performs differently in flight and also when it comes into contact with the ground. I remember an American telling me once how horrified she was when she tried watching a game in the Carribean to learn that it was legitimate to actually try and hit and injure the batsman. Cricketers being killed on the pitch is unusual, but it does occasionally happen. I guess the same must have happened in baseball somewhere though

Your friend is confused.  It is very much NOT "legitimate" to actually try and injure the batter.  There are some old fashioned customs that do involve them hitting the batter, but it is not kosher to go after a guys head.  Not sure if anybody's been killed on a field, but yeah, it's probably happened sometime somewhere.

Regarding cricket ... I've always been intrigued by it and have wanted to learn more about how to play, but just never have.

P.S.  They are also pretty serious about baseball in, among others, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, and South Korea is pretty good too.

[ditchparrot19]

Not sure if anybody's been killed on a field, but yeah, it's probably happened sometime somewhere.

Indians shortstop Ray Chapman is the only MLB player to ever be killed as the result of being struck by a ball in a game. That happened in 1920.

http://miscbaseball.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/the-pitch-that-killed-cleveland-indian-ray-chapman-in-1920/