Why is a boring, unwatchable sport like soccer the most watched sport in the world?

[buenosdiaz]

That is pure horse****. Our best athletes play football and basketball. If our best athletes like Santana Moss or Adrian Peterson or Steve Smith focused on soccer growing up, we'd tear up everyone. Can you imagine if we had someone who is 6'8 and as agile as LeBron James in goal? It would be completely unfair.

lol soccer isnt purely physical though...lionel messi is smaller than most other people but i guarantee you if these guys all focused on soccer leonel messi would still rip them to shreds in soccer...

it would be unfair for the US athletes your right

and a goalie that tall wouldn't be that impressive think about lebron trying to block a shot headed to the lower 90

[Stophovr6]

Because opinions are like *******s.

[boysetsfire]

lol soccer isnt purely physical though...lionel messi is smaller than most other people but i guarantee you if these guys all focused on soccer leonel messi would still rip them to shreds in soccer...

it would be unfair for the US athletes your right

and a goalie that tall wouldn't be that impressive think about lebron trying to block a shot headed to the lower 90

Whats crazy is the kid is only what 20? 21 years old?

[Cherick]

Enough with the no skills required BS.

-Anyone can practice football a few minutes and start catching, but they wont know coverages, routes, etc.

-Anyone can grab a bat and start swinging, but you won't instantly hit home runs in actual games.

-Anyone can get in a car and push the gas pedal all the way but you won't be able to handle it at 200 mph+ or whatever speed they go.

-Anyone can kick a soccer ball, but you need to hit it with certain force, speed and direction in order to beat the goalkeeper and score a goal, you don't just hit the ball and automatically score. Because it takes so much skills is exactly why you often get 1-0 scores.

[CounterTrey]

1. Name me one player who gets more than a NFL kicker other than Beckham.

2. Most women prefer manly men, not girly foreigners. Ask any girl between the all-American quarterback and some soccer queer, and guess which one most women will take? The quarterback always gets the cheerleader.

Are you ****ing kidding me....The top soccer players in the world make more than the highest grossing NFL player period. Also the the top club in the world ain't an NFL team its Manchester United.

Sorry but you guys think you know what you are talking about and its embarrassing how stupid you look when you open you mouth and write the above..its just makes you look stupid and reinforces the stereotype that most American's are truly stupid.

[PleaseBlitz]

It takes more than pure athleticism to be a great at soccer, just like it takes more than athleticism to be successful at the two sports you mentioned.

The point is, our best athletes dont play soccer. And speed, especially 4.4speed is a pretty large advantage in soccer right? How many guys in MLS run a 4.4? Dozens of NFL players do.

If it all came down to athleticism sport would be pretty boring don't you think?

Are you saying football players are not skilled, or not smart?

[Major Harris]

That is pure horse****. Our best athletes play football and basketball. If our best athletes like Santana Moss or Adrian Peterson or Steve Smith focused on soccer growing up, we'd tear up everyone. Can you imagine if we had someone who is 6'8 and as agile as LeBron James in goal? It would be completely unfair.

i think it's partly true, but the level of coaching and training isn't on par with the rest of the world, either.

[buenosdiaz]

seriously the fact that US can't catch up to the rest of the world in soccer is even more evidence that soccer is hardly anything but physical

the united states has better athletes than most of the rest of the world but you see third world countries fielding teams that would run circles around the US.

go a brazilian shanty village and check how malnourished those kids are but the magic they work with their feet...

just like playing high school football is completely different growing up in Texas or Florida is completely different from playing high school football in new england, there is a difference in soccer around the world and those 6'5 kids growing up in the suburbs of boston aren't getting recruited less because they are physically different than the kids down south

[WigSkin]

I thought the original question was; why is Soccer the most popular sport in the world, not who earns more money and get's the hottest girls. :doh:

I believe the answer is may be that there are professonal soccer leagues all over the world but there is only 1 NFL (of NFL standard anyway). I guess some people find it hard to believe that there are more individuals on earth than there are in the U.S. alone hence the popularity of 'other' sports....

:munchout:

[PleaseBlitz]

i think it's partly true, but the level of coaching and training isn't on par with the rest of the world, either.

The overarching point here is that if Americans focused on soccer (and that includes funneling athletes to the sport, and focusing on coachiing, et al) then the USA would be as good at or better than every other country. But we dont care about that sport, so we arent.

And we dont care, because it's boring and unwatchable.

Here, we fixed the sport a long time ago.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=158739

[Cherick]

lol soccer isnt purely physical though...lionel messi is smaller than most other people but i guarantee you if these guys all focused on soccer leonel messi would still rip them to shreds in soccer...

it would be unfair for the US athletes your right

and a goalie that tall wouldn't be that impressive think about lebron trying to block a shot headed to the lower 90

To the guy saying David Beckham is the best in the world, and pretty much saying that's about it when it comes to soccer...try searching youtube for Lionel Messi! or Ronaldinho, or Cristiano Ronaldo, or Kaka. The list goes on and on.

[buenosdiaz]

The point is, our best athletes dont play soccer. And speed, especially 4.4speed is a pretty large advantage in soccer right? How many guys in MLS run a 4.4? Dozens of NFL players do.

Demarcus Beasley (edit) is one of the fastest soccer players i've seen

look at how he performs in the world cup

running a fast 40 is hardly a major advantage in soccer

[PleaseBlitz]

Jonathan Beasley is one of the fastest soccer players i've seen

look at how he performs in the world cup

running a fast 40 is hardly a major advantage in soccer

Man, i must REALLY not understand soccer. It would seem to me that a sport where everyone except the goalie spends almost the entire time running, the ability to run fast would help.

And you say that Beasley is one of the fastest soccer players. Well, how fast is he?

Could he outrun, say, Andre Johnson?

[buenosdiaz]

The overarching point here is that if Americans focused on soccer (and that includes funneling athletes to the sport, and focusing on coachiing, et al) then the USA would be as good at or better than every other country. But we dont care about that sport, so we arent.

And we dont care, because it's boring and unwatchable.

Here, we fixed the sport a long time ago.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=158739

but the United States spends SOOOO much more than other countries on soccer

seriously...I am friends with a kid that played U-20 for Canada and he was telling me about a time they played a CLUB (not mls) team from the US in the winter and the soccer field had a heating system under the surface so that they could play in the snow without snow piling up on the field; how many other countries can afford to do that?

Sure the US doesn't spend as much as a lot of the european teams or brazil, argentina, mexico etc. but then how do you explain the african countries like ivory coast who look much better than the US

relative to other sports or not the US spends a lot of money on soccer and i would hardly say that most american soccer players play soccer because they couldnt cut it in other sports

go around and watch ODP tryouts and some of their practices

[Cherick]

The point is, our best athletes dont play soccer. And speed, especially 4.4speed is a pretty large advantage in soccer right? How many guys in MLS run a 4.4? Dozens of NFL players do.

Um, you are wrong. Soccer is not only about speed. It is about accuracy, agility, SKILLS, awareness, quickness, much more.......and then, speed.

[PleaseBlitz]

Um, you are wrong. Soccer is not only about speed. It is about accuracy, agility, SKILLS, awareness, quickness, much more.......and then, speed.

Im sorry, did i say it was ONLY about speed somewhere?

[buenosdiaz]

i cant give you demarcus beasley's 40 time because soccer players dont get timed for that but youtube can show you some of their speed (while controlling a ball i might add)

[Major Harris]

The overarching point here is that if Americans focused on soccer (and that includes funneling athletes to the sport, and focusing on coachiing, et al) then the USA would be as good at or better than every other country. But we dont care about that sport, so we arent.

And we dont care, because it's boring and unwatchable.

Here, we fixed the sport a long time ago.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=158739

actually, i think the overarching theme in this thread is that americans believe they will be superior whenever they want. look at baseball, basketball, tennis.

like i said earlier, opinions are like cornholes. it's unwatchable to you, but to a very large portion of the world (which does exist outside of our borders), it is not.

personally, i don't watch much soccer. i watch the world cup and the uefa champions league when i get the chance. soccer will never really take off as a spectator sport in this country for the same reasons that lacrosse and even hockey to an extent won't....there just isn't enough room.

[PleaseBlitz]

but the United States spends SOOOO much more than other countries on soccer

seriously...I am friends with a kid that played U-20 for Canada and he was telling me about a time they played a CLUB (not mls) team from the US in the winter and the soccer field had a heating system under the surface so that they could play in the snow without snow piling up on the field; how many other countries can afford to do that?

Sure the US doesn't spend as much as a lot of the european teams or brazil, argentina, mexico etc. but then how do you explain the african countries like ivory coast who look much better than the US

relative to other sports or not the US spends a lot of money on soccer and i would hardly say that most american soccer players play soccer because they couldnt cut it in other sports

go around and watch ODP tryouts and some of their practices

I dont think the Ivory Coast is going to need a heated field.

And i would definitely say that american soccer players could not play other sports. If they could, they would, the money is much better.

[Major Harris]

I dont think the Ivory Coast is going to need a heated field.

And i would definitely say that american soccer players could not play other sports. If they could, they would, the money is much better.

i doubt you realize that many americans play soccer overseas, and, no, they don't do it for less.

[buenosdiaz]

I dont think the Ivory Coast is going to need a heated field.

And i would definitely say that american soccer players could not play other sports. If they could, they would, the money is much better.

ok thats not the point take out ivory coast and insert some ex-soviet country that cant afford the luxuries that the US gives their soccer players that make the world cup and spark interest by taking out a few teams...

the money isnt better though...if you're good enough to make it to europe you are in for a pay day that american athletes couldnt dream of

there's a reason why this summer there was huge discussion about NBA players going overseas and thats what theyre willing to pay for BASKETBALL players

you think barcelona gives 2 ****s about their basketball team when theyre discussing whats going on with their soccer team?!?!

[PleaseBlitz]

actually, i think the overarching theme in this thread is that americans believe they will be superior whenever they want. look at baseball, basketball, tennis.

Look at the olympics. Once again, the US won the most medals with 110.

like i said earlier, opinions are like cornholes. it's unwatchable to you, but to a very large portion of the world (which does exist outside of our borders), it is not.

It's an internet message board. If you are looking for something other than opinions, you are in the wrong place.

personally, i don't watch much soccer. i watch the world cup and the uefa champions league when i get the chance. soccer will never really take off as a spectator sport in this country for the same reasons that lacrosse and even hockey to an extent won't....there just isn't enough room.

Because its stupid.

[laurent]

The point is, our best athletes dont play soccer. And speed, especially 4.4speed is a pretty large advantage in soccer right? How many guys in MLS run a 4.4? Dozens of NFL players do.

Are you saying football players are not skilled, or not smart?

Before you continue to put words in my mouth let me tell you how I define athleticism.

To me athleticism is based on attributes that are easily quantified. Things like speed, leaping ability, acceleration, endurance etc.

I'm not going to sit here and minimize athleticism as an important factor when it comes to soccer, but in the grand scheme of things it plays a relatively minor role.

Just looking at the great players in this sport that should become apparent, and anybody that followed the sport closely and actually had experience playing it at a competitive level would understand that.

Ball control for example, is such a huge factor in this sport, and no amount of athleticism is going to help you in that department.

[PleaseBlitz]

ok thats not the point take out ivory coast and insert some ex-soviet country that cant afford the luxuries that the US gives their soccer players that make the world cup and spark interest by taking out a few teams...

the money isnt better though...if you're good enough to make it to europe you are in for a pay day that american athletes couldnt dream of

there's a reason why this summer there was huge discussion about NBA players going overseas and thats what theyre willing to pay for BASKETBALL players

you think barcelona gives 2 ****s about their basketball team when theyre discussing whats going on with their soccer team?!?!

Again, the point isnt money. It's focus. Our world class athletes dont play soccer. They play football and basketball. Those are the sports AMERICA loves, so those are the sports that AMERICANS play. The best athletes in most other countries largely play soccer.

As for basketball players going oversea's.........who? Not the Kobe's and LeBrons of the world. Make no mistake, the NBA is where its at, which is why there are so many foreign players here like Nowitzki, Gasol, Parker, etc.

[buenosdiaz]

Again, the point isnt money. It's focus. Our world class athletes dont play soccer. They play football and basketball. Those are the sports AMERICA loves, so those are the sports that AMERICANS play. The best athletes in most other countries largely play soccer.

As for basketball players going oversea's.........who? Not the Kobe's and LeBrons of the world. Make no mistake, the NBA is where its at, which is why there are so many foreign players here like Nowitzki, Gasol, Parker, etc.

lol ok so of your medal count how many of those came from football and basketball?

now what was your point again about "focus"

not getting why the US is still able to have "reject" athletes that couldnt cut it in football or basketball dominate the olympics but fall behind in soccer