Can't take soccer (football) seriously

[mcanadiens]

"Played at the highest level" is the interesting part.

Growing up in Ohio, I played as a child. I saw the occasionally men's national team match. For awhile, my area had an indoor soccer team. I saw my high school and the local college play the game and then we've had the Columbus Crew in the MLS since the mid-90s. None of that compared in any way to the talent on display with the big European leagues that are suddenly on TV now. EPL has only been on my cable setup for the past three or four years. One of my buddies (ironically the same one that got me on golf), insisted we watch a few matches and I got hooked after years of paying no attention what-so-ever.

Like @Golfingdad tion levels have been high for a long time. Exposure to the best the sport has to offer is fairly recent. Not sure how big it will eventually get, but there is definitely room to grow.

[Slice of Life]

You clearly have not seen it played at the highest level.

Yes...I have. I do not enjoy the sport. Are there impressive plays and shots? Absolutely. Amazing skill and athleticism? Absolutely. Does that mean I want to sit there and watch it?

No. I will never enjoy soccer.

[mcanadiens]

Ha. I felt a Green Eggs and Ham moment come on.

[Golfingdad]

Ha. I felt a Green Eggs and Ham moment come on.

Lol.

No. I will never enjoy soccer.

Have you tried watching it in a box?  With a fox?  Over here?  Over there?  Anywhere?

What about with a goat?  Or on a boat?

If not, then you're not really giving it a fair shake.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shorty

You clearly have not seen it played at the highest level.

Yes...I have. I do not enjoy the sport. Are there impressive plays and shots? Absolutely. Amazing skill and athleticism? Absolutely. Does that mean I want to sit there and watch it?

No. I will never enjoy soccer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcanadiens

Ha. I felt a Green Eggs and Ham moment come on.

Lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

No. I will never enjoy soccer.

Have you tried watching it in a box?  With a fox?  Over here?  Over there?  Anywhere?

What about with a goat?  Or on a boat?

If not, then you're not really giving it a fair shake.

I coached soccer for 11 years.  I enjoy watching youth soccer.  But I have to agree with Slice on this one.  Professional soccer has its moments, but overall the game tends to be too defensive and lacks the excitement of scoring.  I find women's world cup and Olympic soccer more entertaining because they are more aggressive and score more in games than the men.  Can you really say that this world cup final that ended 0-0 after 90 minutes was a thrill a minute?  It was dull because neither team wanted to lose.  Wouldn't a final score of 9-8 be more exciting?

It has always amazed me that "football" fans will spend the game singing songs, doing chants, playing vuvuzelas, banging drums and generally making noise instead of watching the game.  It is one thing to cheer, which you can do while playing attention, but another to do that other stuff.  It can't be a thrill a minute if the fans don't need to pay attention.

I expect Shorty to come back with some witty banter, which can be enjoyable.  But I will remind Shorty that football is not the #1 sport in Oz!   Now if you want to talk about Rugby!!  Love Rugby.

[Shorty]

I expect Shorty to come back with some witty banter, which can be enjoyable.  But I will remind Shorty that football is not the #1 sport in Oz!   Now if you want to talk about Rugby!!  Love Rugby.

There is a national soccer competition that is doing pretty well. It has had its ups and downs, but it is doing OK.

Rugby League is the most popular, but until recently it wasn't really played in all states.

The thing about soccer, unlike almost every sport is that two people with a tin can can improvise a game, hence its popularity world wide.

My main point is that some people here with a US-centric view of the world think that they have seen the game when they haven't. Like someone going Vegas and thinking they've seen New York, Venice or Paris. American sports are popular in America.

You simply can't argue with the world wide domination of the sport as the most popular. You can say you don't like it, but you can't really go much beyond that.

[Ernest Jones]

There is national soccer competition that is doing pretty well. It has had its ups and downs, but it is doing OK.

Rugby League is the most popular, but until recently it wasn't really played in all states.

The thing about soccer, unlike almost every sport is that two people with a tin can can improvise a game, hence its popularity world wide.

My main point is that some people here with a US-centric view of the world think that they have seen the game when they haven't. Like someone going Vegas and thinking they've seen New York, Venice or Paris. American sports are popular in America.

You simply can't argue with the world wide domination of the sport as the most popular. You can say you don't like it, but you can't really go much beyond that.

Where's all the curling, eh?

[Slice of Life]

You simply can't argue with the world wide domination of the sport as the most popular. You can say you don't like it, but you can't really go much beyond that.

To do so would be ignorant. There's no question it's the world's most popular sport...it's not a debatable opinion, it's a fact. The debate comes in when people throw around the word "popular" as if it means "better". That's where it becomes opinion...

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

I expect Shorty to come back with some witty banter, which can be enjoyable.  But I will remind Shorty that football is not the #1 sport in Oz!   Now if you want to talk about Rugby!!  Love Rugby.

There is national soccer competition that is doing pretty well. It has had its ups and downs, but it is doing OK.

Rugby League is the most popular, but until recently it wasn't really played in all states.

The thing about soccer, unlike almost every sport is that two people with a tin can can improvise a game, hence its popularity world wide.

My main point is that some people here with a US-centric view of the world think that they have seen the game when they haven't. Like someone going Vegas and thinking they've seen New York, Venice or Paris. American sports are popular in America.

You simply can't argue with the world wide domination of the sport as the most popular. You can say you don't like it, but you can't really go much beyond that.

I would caution you on that assumption.  Soccer is the most popular youth sport in the US.  In my town alone (population 35,000) we have roughly 1400 kids in the program from 6 -14 years old.  Most kids have played it.  They just prefer watching other sports here when they get older.

[Golfingdad]

I coached soccer for 11 years.  I enjoy watching youth soccer.  But I have to agree with Slice on this one.  Professional soccer has its moments, but overall the game tends to be too defensive and lacks the excitement of scoring.  I find women's world cup and Olympic soccer more entertaining because they are more aggressive and score more in games than the men.  Can you really say that this world cup final that ended 0-0 after 90 minutes was a thrill a minute?  It was dull because neither team wanted to lose.  Wouldn't a final score of 9-8 be more exciting?

It has always amazed me that "football" fans will spend the game singing songs, doing chants, playing vuvuzelas, banging drums and generally making noise instead of watching the game.  It is one thing to cheer, which you can do while playing attention, but another to do that other stuff.  It can't be a thrill a minute if the fans don't need to pay attention.

I expect Shorty to come back with some witty banter, which can be enjoyable.  But I will remind Shorty that football is not the #1 sport in Oz!   Now if you want to talk about Rugby!!  Love Rugby.

I don't disagree with any of this, but I can tell that you are referring to the World Cup and Central and South American soccer.  In the World Cup you have teams playing a lot more cautious, and you also have a lot of mismatched games, so you have a lot of teams that just pack it in on defense and to keep the other team off the board and pray that they get lucky with a counterattack.

The random noise is also something I think you'll find more in Mexico and South America.  The only thing you find in the EPL is very well organized chants or songs (no different than "defense, defense" or "block that kick" except much louder, more in sync and cooler sounding and without the need of a prompt from a scoreboard or cheerleaders) and amazing quality football.  (Yeah, that's right ... I just called it football!)  And those people are all still paying attention to the game as well.

I'm certainly not going to argue with you and try to force you to like it, but I'm just saying that your description is not of the actual soccer ( ) that I am watching and getting excited about.

Can you really say that this world cup final that ended 0-0 after 90 minutes was a thrill a minute?  It was dull because neither team wanted to lose.  Wouldn't a final score of 9-8 be more exciting?

And just to address this point more thoroughly.  Again, don't disagree, but it's not the soccer I'm watching.  Chelsea is in first place right now and their match scores this year thus far have been:

3-1

2-0

6-3

4-2

1-1

3-0

2-0

2-1

1-1

2-1

2-1

2-0

Two weeks ago there was an 8-0 game and a 4-1 game.

etc, etc.

Like it, don't like it ... but understand that it's not all 0-0 ties, flares, drums, and diving.  Not remotely.

[boogielicious]

Have you ever watch German football clubs play each other? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I spent a lot of time in Germany on business.  It was painful.

[Ernest Jones]

Have you ever watch German football clubs play each other? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I spent a lot of time in Germany on business.  It was painful.

Ahh, but the porn!

[Shorty]

To do so would be ignorant. There's no question it's the world's most popular sport...it's not a debatable opinion, it's a fact. The debate comes in when people throw around the word "popular" as if it means "better". That's where it becomes opinion...

Agreed.

I only take issue with people who individually don't like something and therefore think it has no value.

[Slice of Life]

Agreed.

I only take issue with people who individually don't like something and therefore think it has no value.

Shortsightedness. There are plenty of things I can't stand or don't like...doesn't mean they should just "go away" lol

[mmoan2]

I would say that watching the world's best play almost any sport is enjoyable. In particular ball games.

It's not as if you are watching a stodgy, slow-moving game without skill or tactics.

One thing I can no longer watch is women's tennis, but that is purely because of the ridiculous grunting and screaming.

As a side note, I do find it interesting that the sports (did I read "the four sports", as in definite article) focused on here are of virtually no consequence elsewhere on the planet. That doesn't mean they are unimportant or boring - quite the opposite - but let's have a global perspective. :-)

WTF is it with that grunting thing???? Did someone prove that grunting gives you an edge somehow, somewhere? I honestly can't watch it for that reason either.

[Jeremie Boop]

You clearly have not seen it played at the highest level.

I know this wasn't directed to me, but it seems like a general statement that anyone who doesn't/won't like it is only because of that. Simply put, it's not true. Seeing something "played at the highest level" won't make you suddenly like it. But that shouldn't/doesn't reflect negatively on the sport in general. Not everyone is going to like everything. I don't like soccer, just have no interest in it and watching it played by the best won't change that.

[Shorty]

WTF is it with that grunting thing???? Did someone prove that grunting gives you an edge somehow, somewhere? I honestly can't watch it for that reason either.

It is a deliberate ploy to stop the opponent hearinmg the ball come off the strings, which helps you know what the ball will do.

[Shorty]

I know this wasn't directed to me, but it seems like a general statement that anyone who doesn't/won't like it is only because of that. Simply put, it's not true. Seeing something "played at the highest level" won't make you suddenly like it. But that shouldn't/doesn't reflect negatively on the sport in general. Not everyone is going to like everything. I don't like soccer, just have no interest in it and watching it played by the best won't change that.

Like a lot of sports, a lot of it requires an allegiance to a team. Otherwise it is hard to get involved emotionally.

To a person who doesn't watch golf, Rory needing a 10 footer to win the 2015 Masters is just a dorky looking guy trying to hit a ball into a hole.