Can't take soccer (football) seriously

[mcanadiens]

There really aren't as many 0-0 matches as you might think. That said, it's a sort of building pressure and great release when a goal is scored associated with a tight match. If you watch it and give it a chance, you learn to appreciate the pass that sets up the pass that sets up the opportunity. Even a good opportunity taken but not scored, can be appreciated.

The key is having sides playing matches and trying to score goals. You do occasionally get a dud.

[Slice of Life]

There really aren't as many 0-0 matches as you might think. That said, it's a sort of building pressure and great release when a goal is scored associated with a tight match. If you watch it and give it a chance, you learn to appreciate the pass that sets up the pass that sets up the opportunity. Even a good opportunity taken but not scored, can be appreciated.

The key is having sides playing matches and trying to score goals. You do occasionally get a dud.

Have watched it plenty...have played it plenty.

Will never enjoy the sport, but can understand people who do. My cousin is big time into soccer, won state, plays in college...etc.,

I make fun of him regularly.

[saevel25]

Have watched it plenty...have played it plenty.

Will never enjoy the sport, but can understand people who do. My cousin is big time into soccer, won state, plays in college...etc.,

I make fun of him regularly.

I agree. I actually like playing soccer. I hate watching soccer. It gets too boring when a team turtles and goes all defense. Soccer is exciting when there are fast breaks, open space for passing and penalty kicks.

Basically soccer sits just above baseball in being able to actually enjoy watching the game. Those two sports sit below curling.

[Shorty]

Have watched it plenty...have played it plenty.

Will never enjoy the sport, but can understand people who do. My cousin is big time into soccer, won state, plays in college...etc.,

I make fun of him regularly.

Most popular game in the world.

The World Cup is bigger than the Olympics.

How about showing a compilation video of goals scored from 30 yards out.

Great goals in soccer are almost certainly the most exciting things one can witness in sport.

I, personally, myself, don't "get" golf. Old men thrashing at a white ball with a stick. Boring.

[Slice of Life]

Most popular game in the world.

The World Cup is bigger than the Olympics.

How about showing a compilation video of goals scored from 30 yards out.

Great goals in soccer are almost certainly the most exciting things one can witness in sport.

I, personally, myself, don't "get" golf. Old men thrashing at a white ball with a stick. Boring.

Cool, Story, Bro. Agree to disagree.

Justin Bieber is more popular than most musicians...doesn't make him better.

[saevel25]

Most popular game in the world.

The World Cup is bigger than the Olympics.

That really doesn't mean much.

How about showing a compilation video of goals scored from 30 yards out.

Great goals in soccer are almost certainly the most exciting things one can witness in sport.

NCAA Basketball with a very close game that goes back and forth for the last 5 minutes is way more exciting. Baseball is just boring. Football is exciting because even though the outcome of a drive is to score points, you still have to get first downs. A first down play can become exciting depending on the situation.

Soccer is just boring to me. You have 45 minutes of play. The average shots on goal is 13 per team.

http://www.soccerbythenumbers.com/2011/08/shots-and-goals-in-big-4-offensive.html

You have 26 possible exciting moments in a 90 minutes of play. That is just too stagnant for me. I get the game is fluid, it is constant motion, hardly any down time. Seriously, it is just not fast paced enough. You got a shot on goal about ever 3.5 minutes. 3.5 minutes in sports is an eternity.

[Slice of Life]

Soccer is just boring to me. You have 45 minutes of play. The average shots on goal is 13 per team.

http://www.soccerbythenumbers.com/2011/08/shots-and-goals-in-big-4-offensive.html

You have 26 possible exciting moments in a 90 minutes of play. That is just too stagnant for me. I get the game is fluid, it is constant motion, hardly any down time. Seriously, it is just not fast paced enough. You got a shot on goal about ever 3.5 minutes. 3.5 minutes in sports is an eternity.

And most of those aren't even close.

[Golfingdad]

That really doesn't mean much.  NCAA Basketball with a very close game that goes back and forth for the last 5 minutes is way more exciting. Baseball is just boring. Football is exciting because even though the outcome of a drive is to score points, you still have to get first downs. A first down play can become exciting depending on the situation.  Soccer is just boring to me. You have 45 minutes of play. The average shots on goal is 13 per team. [URL=http://www.soccerbythenumbers.com/2011/08/shots-and-goals-in-big-4-offensive.html]http://www.soccerbythenumbers.com/2011/08/shots-and-goals-in-big-4-offensive.html[/URL] You have 26 possible exciting moments in a 90 minutes of play. That is just too stagnant for me. I get the game is fluid, it is constant motion, hardly any down time. Seriously, it is just not fast paced enough. You got a shot on goal about ever 3.5 minutes. 3.5 minutes in sports is an eternity.

You're not comparing the sports fairly. You're saying soccer is boring and that the only thing that could possibly be exciting is a shot on goal, yet in the same paragraph youre saying that first downs can be exciting. There is a lot more that can be exciting in a soccer game than just goals or shots on goal. They certainly are the pinnacle of excitement, just as touchdowns can be as well, but they're not the end all be all. I can be riveted to an entire soccer game and have it turn out to be a goalless tie or 1-0 final, but that didn't necessarily make the game any less exciting. Football is the same way. Low scoring games can be boring but they aren't always. And high scoring games aren't always exciting either. Also, your "turtling defense" comment makes me think that your exposure is more World Cup based. It's definitely more common in the world cup for teams (especially underdogs) to try and play safe and thus boring, but watch a premier league game and you might see something a lot different. 4-2 finals with constant back and forth action is not uncommon. And the quality of their game is amazing.

[Shorty]

Clearly there are very few Champions League or other European football viewers in this thread.

Is it true that in American football there are only 11 or 12 minutes of actual play? If that is true, and I think it is, it doesn't make the game boring.

People who have only casually watched the odd school game or boring defensive World Cup game and feel qualified to call "the beautiful game" boring are akin to those who have never seen McIlroy or Tiger or Norman etc. calling golf boring.

All sports have their quirks, and fascinating attractions.

No-one is ever winning an argument about this or that sport being good, bad or indifferent (except bowling of course ;-))

But seriously, spend a few minutes on Youtube searching "greatest goals" or "Messi highlights" and I think some of you may find yourselves better educated.

Using video of stupid players diving as evidence that the game is silly is like showing video of John Daly three putting from two feet and calling golf stupid.

For the record - a 0-0 draw can be riveting viewing.

[Abu3baid]

I use to play soccer (football), and I actually do like watching it from time to time. Still, you really can't take soccer seriously when the players are doing this, Though I must say that it is much more believable than this,

Well, I would say this thread didn't work out quite like the OP wanted.. He gave a case as to why he can't take soccer seriously and then when it was brought to his attention that this behavior is exhibited in his other favorite sports the story has changed to how there isn't enough scoring or 0 0 games aren't exciting.. I'm sure there is another soccer bashing thread that this can just get merged into ;)

[saevel25]

Also, your "turtling defense" comment makes me think that your exposure is more World Cup based. It's definitely more common in the world cup for teams (especially underdogs) to try and play safe and thus boring, but watch a premier league game and you might see something a lot different. 4-2 finals with constant back and forth action is not uncommon. And the quality of their game is amazing.

I can see that.  I just think 90 minutes is way too long. Make it like two 30 minute halves or something. It might make the game have more of a sense of urgency to it.

[Shorty]

I can see that.  I just think 90 minutes is way too long. Make it like two 30 minute halves or something. It might make the game have more of a sense of urgency to it.

So the billions of fans have got it all wrong, have they? Does the game need to be fixed up?

Is this why baseball and American Football are so huge all over the world? Why do those games have no traction? (I like both, BTW)

[Golfingdad]

I can see that.  I just think 90 minutes is way too long. Make it like two 30 minute halves or something. It might make the game have more of a sense of urgency to it.  [SIZE=13px] [/SIZE]

You, an American football fan, thinks soccer games are too long?!?! That's comical. Soccer games are over in 2 hours every time. Football games are a minimum of 3 hours and many college games go past the 4 hour mark. Of all sports that need to be streamlined, soccer is not on that list.

[Shorty]

You, an American football fan, thinks soccer games are too long?!?! That's comical. Soccer games are over in 2 hours every time. Football games are a minimum of 3 hours and many college games go past the 4 hour mark. Of all sports that need to be streamlined, soccer is not on that list.

BIngo.
But, I thought that this was so obvious that it didn't need to be said. Hilarious!

[mcanadiens]

The ferocity which people argue for their favorite sport is really funny to me. Depending on my golf schedule, I watch both types of football and enjoy both a lot. Then, of course, there is my hockey. With the weather we had Saturday, I started the day watching Wolves-Nottingham Forest (English football) in the AM. Then Ohio State-Indiana (American college football). Actually did some work (believe it or not), then Canadiens-Bruins (NHL hockey) in the evening.

I'm glad to have the opportunity to see all three on the same day.

[saevel25]

So the billions of fans have got it all wrong, have they? Does the game need to be fixed up?

Is this why baseball and American Football are so huge all over the world? Why do those games have no traction? (I like both, BTW)

Absolutely

Marketing, history, tradition. Soccer has been around for ever. They have their fan bases, and is part of the culture. It is very hard to change culture. It really has nothing to do about how the sport is, but what those areas have grown up with. Soccer has been around for a much longer time than American Football. Really I think the primary reason is because the major immigrations to America didn't coincide when Soccer was gaining traction over in Europe with the development of their Soccer clubs. In the end America developed their own two major sports in Football and Baseball.

You, an American football fan, thinks soccer games are too long?!?! That's comical. Soccer games are over in 2 hours every time. Football games are a minimum of 3 hours and many college games go past the 4 hour mark. Of all sports that need to be streamlined, soccer is not on that list.

Too long for how the game is played. Not really caring about how long it actually takes a game to finish. Really, football is played so it fits in with TV. So you can bop to a different channel when a commercial is on. Football isn't really a good sport to go see in person because of all the TV timeouts. Highschool football is great to go watch in person because the game doesn't stop. There is a better flow to the game.

I agree Football is too long if you go to the game. I hate TV timeouts. It is something I wish they changed, but you can't stop the money machine that is Sports TV.

Probably a reason why Soccer will not make it in the USA. It is a horrible game for American TV. Unless people are willing to miss 2-3 minutes of actual game play.

It is why baseball is dying, besides major athletes going into other sports. Baseball is a sport to watch in person.

I guess I might enjoy Soccer more if I actually went to a game.

[Golfingdad]

Probably a reason why Soccer will not make it in the USA.

Im curious what your definition of "make it" is. I would argue that soccer is so well entrenched now that it already has made it. The MLS isn't exactly fledgling. They average more fans per game than basketball and hockey.

[Slice of Life]

Im curious what your definition of "make it" is. I would argue that soccer is so well entrenched now that it already has made it. The MLS isn't exactly fledgling. They average more fans per game than basketball and hockey.

The average American doesn't care about soccer. When/if they can change that, then they'll "make it". IMO of course.

$500,000,000 overall revenue for the MLS this year

$4,000,000,000 overall revenue for the NHL this year

$5,000,000,000+ overall revenue for the NBA this year

$8,000,000,000+ overall revenue for MLB this year

$9,000,000,000+ overall revenue for the NFL this year.

That demonstrates it right there. Doesn't mean one is better than the other, but soccer can't touch the popularity and profitability of the "popular" American sports.