Why Don't You Like Soccer? (Edited Title)

[Predicto]

One of the cool things about world class Soccer, for me, is the fact that scoring is so low and it is so incredibly hard to score a goal. It makes the whole game like a massive case of blue ball denial, and when that goal is finally scored, the release for the crowd is extra special and cathartic. So to speak.

With that said, I'm pretty much only interested in gettng blue balls for a few weeks every 4 years or so. Plus, the nationalism makes it more interesting, and the teams really do have different styles of play.

And I don't get NASCAR at all.

[Mooka]

That's not really a relevant fact. Now, if more people in the US per match watch the World Cup than the Stanley Cup, which is entirely possible, that'd be relevant.

That's pretty impossible because the average World Cup match is on a strange time for the US.

The average US World Cup match though doubles the average Stanley Cup game. (through 2 games that is )

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

The flopping is terrible, but it's not as widespread as it's made out to be, and generally, non-Italian soccer fans hate it as much as non-soccer fans.

I may be biased at times, but I hate the flopping by our own guys. It got downright embarrassing against New Zealand :doh:

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Landon Donovan actually did take his shirt after the last game and everyone in the place I was said "why the hell doesn't he put his shirt on?" Nobody said that about Brandi

Meh. Brandi's just a frustrating lil' tease, and poor soccer saleswoman.

Now if she'd of swapped shirts and both her and the gal' swapping would of swapped not only the jersey, but the article of clothing under it; woman's soccer would be HUGE and we wouldn't be having this debate. .

Hail.

[Sticksboi05]

In the knockout stages, the World Cup will have much more aggressive play.

[Darth Tater]

I think he did answer the question. Something about it being a snooze fest.

That reminds me of an experiment we did in my marketing class way back in the day:

One group, haters of American football and lovers of soccer were asked why they felt that way. Soccer was exciting they claimed while football was a "snooze fest" (don't remember their exact description but it fit). The students who loved football but hated soccer said that football was exciting while soccer was boring.

[Chopper Dave]

That's pretty impossible because the average World Cup match is on a strange time for the US.

The average US World Cup match though doubles the average Stanley Cup game. (through 2 games that is )

I think they'll adjust the times once the knockout rounds start. At least no more 7:30 games. I seem to remember the 2006 Final starting around 4 or 5PM.

[Chopper Dave]

That reminds me of an experiment we did in my marketing class way back in the day:

One group, haters of American football and lovers of soccer were asked why they felt that way. Soccer was exciting they claimed while football was a "snooze fest" (don't remember their exact description but it fit). The students who loved football but hated soccer said that football was exciting while soccer was boring.

I was about to mention something similar. Tons of my friends are huge soccer fans, and a large portion of them don't watch football. Their reason? It's too slow. The play stops every 9 seconds.

I'm glad I'm lucky enough to be able the world's two best sports.

[pjfootballer]

I'm pretty much where Bang is. I pay attention every 4 years because I am a junky for major sporting events, whatever they may be. Like it or not, there is no denying that the FIFA tournament is a big deal on the world stage.

If you don't like it, then I dunno maybe just don't watch it... does it have to turn into a fist fight?

Doesn't every soccer game turn into a fist fight?

I keed, I keed.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

I neither enjoy or despise it. It's one sport I really never even think about.

[spjunkies]

Because it's boring as ****.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Doesn't every soccer game turn into a fist fight?

I keed, I keed.

For all those talking about over dramatic soccer players, Di Canio pushing over the ref at 1:13 takes some beating.

Hail.

[maxiumone]

I hate soccer because they all act like they had their legs broken every time someone sneezes on them. Because I always hear how much the are always running nonstop for 90 minutes.

Well I gave it the old college try in the 08' Olympics. I have never seen so many people standing on a grass field with their hands on their hips since a baseball game. Run all the time my ass

Excuse me a fly just buzzed by I think I have a concussion, let me role around on the ground. Oh look the ref has issued the fly a yellow card time to get up and start playing again like nothing is wrong at all.

[Bliz]

Im gonna say if you did not play soccer your more apt not to watch it. I use to hate watching golf because it was so boring but now I play , I love to watch golf. I never really played soccer so I hate watching it.

I'll tell you what I don't despise.

Shuler's sig.

Probably seen a hundred posts of his (or more), but damn if every time I don't stop and watch it cycle through a few times. Never change it. Seriously.

What were we talking about again?

Oh yeah. I'll watch world cup, but that's about it. I feel like soccer is a good sport to have on in the background while half your attention is on something else (baseball is the same way a lot of the time). HD has certainly done wonders for the game. Sure it can be boring, but anyone who thinks it is invariably boring clearly did not watch the 2nd half of USA/Slovenia.

And it's way less boring than golf or Nascar, for me.

That said, the general lack of legitimate scoring opportunities can make it tough to watch

[endzone_dave]

I don't despise soccer but I find it boring. I don't hate on it because I like NASCAR and a lot of people find that boring. I only have to deal with soccer being thrown in my face once every four years, in a few weeks it will go back into obscurity.

[Stugein]

Faking injuries/diving: Seriously? That guy's forearm touched your stomach and you fly backwards holding your mug like you just ran face-first into a brick wall followed by anguished writhing around on the ground in mock pain until the ref whips out a card at your "assailant" after which you jump up and play on like nothing happened? Give me a break. Whenever I see this it just irks the crap out of me..you know how the NFL reviews game film and levies fines and penalties against players for hits and infractions that didn't necessarily get a flag on the field? The same should be done by FIFA or whatever the particular leagues governing body is for instances of phantom injuries that result in penalties for the opposing team. Just a disgusting practice.

In the same vein, the theatric arm-waving over-exasperated gesticulating that occurs at every penalty, real or perceived.

Aside from those things, I really enjoy soccer. Frankly I wish MLS would get more TV play so I could follow it more closely.

[Sticksboi05]

I hate soccer because they all act like they had their legs broken every time someone sneezes on them.

What, basketball?

[Darth Tater]

Because in a 90 minute timespan, you might see two or three scoring opportunities if you're lucky. Where as in just about every other sport, you can see a score at any moment.

What games are you watching?

[fullnelson9999]

Are we gonna sit here and compare soccer to football? Soccer WILL NEVER get over in this country no matter what you or ESPN says.

The fact of the matter is that the US doesn't dominate this sport, so therefore, this country doesn't care.

Yup. We are definitely comparing soccer to football. If you dont get the comparison, well maybe you shouldnt have started comparing sports in the first place.

The US may not dominate the sport, but that is a piss poor reason to not like soccer. The World Cup will be back in 2022 (most likely). When FIFA decides to give it to us, expect the soccer coverage in America to massively increase.

I can tolerate Europeans telling me that nobody cares about soccer in the US because of the obvious cultural differences, but when an American says it, I just laugh at the stupidity.

[fullnelson9999]

And to you people who say that soccer is boring, and its not because you "dont understand the game", have any of you ever had a conversation with someone who doesnt understand American football?

They will most likely tell you that its boring because of all the "breaks" they take between plays, how the games take 3 hours to complete, how there are so many commercials, etc etc etc. Your response? probably that they dont understand the game.

It works both ways.

[Darth Tater]

I understand that.

What I don't get is the hatred for soccer.

I was at a friends house, a family that is sports obsessed. They'll sit around and every least one of them will intently watch every game that their team is playing. They're unfortunately Philly fans but they also watch other important sporting events including playoffs for every sport.

I was there during the NBA finals and the dad was going on and on about how soccer was awful and boring and how he hated it so much blah blah blah.

It elicits such a strong negative response and I don't quite get it. Again, if its boring to you why does it bother you so much when its on? Of course it gets a ton of coverage...the Super Bowl is like a tee-ball game compared to how the world follows the World Cup. So again, I just don't get the anger towards international soccer.

Well, many people I know get superior, even give off the "holier-than-thou" 'tude, when they find out you don't like soccer. Yes, you find fans of all sports that react like this but only in soccer do I find that to be the normal reaction.

[Sandman69]

BTW. If soccer is "gainng in popularity" in this country than the US vs England should've rated higher then the 5TH most watched soccer game in US history. No? Cue the excuses.

You do realize those 4 games ahead of hit included some VERY big matchups including three Finals.

1. U.S.-China, Women's World Cup Final (ABC, 7/10/99) -- 18.0 million viewers (11.4 rating)

2. Brazil-Italy, World Cup Final (ABC, 7/17/94) -- 14.5 (9.5 rating):

3. Brazil-U.S., Round of 16 (ABC, 7/4/94) -- 13.7 (9.3 rating)

4. Italy-France, World Cup Final (ABC, 7/9/06) -- 12.0 (7.0 rating)

5. U.S.-England, First Round (ABC, 6/12/10) -- 10.8 (6.1 rating)

For a first round game to get 10.8 million viewers, I think that isn't too shabby at all. You think it isn't gaining popularity? There are spots on NFL network about it, it is being shown quite often on ESPN.

I personally don't follow as much as I would like to, but I really like the sport and I think it is gaining in popularity.

[nonniey]

:doh:

Its the most important sporting event in the world.

There are plenty of people in the United States who love watching it.

There really isn't anything else going on in sports right now unless mid-season baseball really gets you pumped.

Again, if you don't like it...don't watch it.

You probably need to find somewhere else to peddle that notion, as we all know the most important sporting event in the world is the next Redskins game.

[Bang]

Just for the record. For those of you around my age (bang?) and in the Balto metro area. Our family was big time Blast fans. Why? Because that was truly non-stop action and of course the playing field was much shorter and that led to more action. So maybe I just don't like the outdoor version?

The Blast also were winners as I recall. That helps,, the indoor game was pretty exciting, but i never really got into it.

Now, the Baltimore Skipjacks minor league hockey team, that was fun, I went to that a few times.

The Hershey Bears were the big rivalry, and there was always some guy running around the crowd in a fire helmet with a light on top.

I'm not even into the World Cup all that much. I turn on the US games and watch all the way through, but the rest of them I'm only paying sideways attention.

And once we're out, so am I, most likely. If we hadn't qualified, I doubt I'd watch a single game.

~Bang

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Don't like NASCAR either. Maybe if they combined the two somehow it would add more to the both of them.

:laugh:

If we could figure out a way for NASCAR drivers to run over soccer players and then, I don't know, drive off a cliff into a shark-filled ocean...well...I would watch that.