Why do soccer fans want me to watch soccer so badly?

[Merlin Emrys]

The thing that really gets me about soccer is its probably the one major sport, where the best strategy to win is to play not to lose. And that blows.

This is false. Only people who don't know a thing about the sport or the World Cup think this.

[Stadium-Armory]

[PleaseBlitz]

r.e., the overall dismissal of soccer by the US:

It was the right thing to do.

While most of the rest of the world was all too happy to remain under the thumb of the British, drinking the King's tea, playing the king's soccer, enjoying cricket, and playing rugby, things in the United States were different.

The reason they were different here? Unlike most countries, we don't enjoy being another country's *****. Most of the third world does, apparently. Maybe that's why they are third world.

We threw the tea overboard. We drink coffee instead.

Cricket? **** that. We play baseball.

Rugby? **** that too. Football, ****es.

And Soccer? Shove that one directly up your ass.

It's no coincidence that the US rules the world, while most soccer nations toil in mediocrity.

Do your patriotic duty. Despise soccer.

Seconded.

Someone put together a scientific study of flopping in soccer, i found it hilarious. Of the many aspects of the sport that i don't find appealing or entertaining, I have to say that the flopping is what REALLY makes me dislike soccer.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704212804575333172050007644.html?mod=WSJ_worldCup_Left_TopStories

One prominent example of likely flopping Saturday came late in extra time when Ghana's Samuel Inkoom fell to the ground after kicking a ball—despite not being touched by another player. He began to get up but then opted to lay on the ground and delay the game for 92 seconds—a tactic that helped preserve Ghana's lead.

Mr. Inkoom was carried off on a stretcher—although the moment he reached the sideline, he climbed off under his own power.

Shameful. :doh:

[renaissance]

Flopping/subbing/taking time for set plays at the end of a soccer game is no different than comitting fouls to extend a basketball game. Yet I don't see anyone ****ing and moaning about teams trying to manipulate the clock in order to produce a win in basketball games.

[Merlin Emrys]

Soccer is about . . . , but not much in the way of toughness of strength.

It all depends at what level and position you play. Sure, at youth club and high school these things aren't that important, but less physically gifted american football players also excel at these levels. That changes when the level of competition increases.

Upper body strength is extremely important to holding defenders on your back and winning challenges. Hard nosed soccer defenders are some of the toughest, most blood thirsty competitors you'll run across.

Soccer players simply can't beef up like football players because of the nature of the game. You burn it all off. Plus, you'd lose your quickness and flare on the ball. Look closely at pro soccer players, and you'll see many are thick. They may not be beefy like American football players, but they are typically strong for their size. Strength does play an important role on the pitch.

[pjfootballer]

One thing I can say is I understand the partying and singing and chanting, but when do you actually watch the game? I was at a DC United game and a friend of mine is in the Screaming Eagles and got a seat for me in there. I honestly couldn't follow the match because there was so much noise, so much dancing and crap that I couldn't enjoy the game. And I like live games.

[Merlin Emrys]

The most entertaining part of this thread are those posts in vehement disagreement or support of Zoony's post. What does it feel like to have a bear trap sprung on your foot?

[thebluefood]

I guess John Cleese won't be joining us at FedEx field any time soon.

[Tweedr01]

This is false. Only people who don't CARE about the sport or the World Cup think this.

There, fixed it for ya:pfft:

[Elessar78]

I don't know why this thread is 14 pages long.

It's a matter of taste. I don't like mint ice cream. Have tried it many times, still don't like it. You can't "reason" me into liking it, you can't bully me into liking it, and you certainly can't belittle me into liking it.

I love soccer but no one else has to. It'll survive with the fans it has now.

[Merlin Emrys]

There, fixed it for ya:pfft:

Exactly my point. People say that who don't care. So, if you don't care, don't speak on something as if you're an authority. There's no harm in not caring, only acting clever when you're foolish.

[Tweedr01]

Exactly my point. People say that who don't care. So, if you don't care, don't speak on something as if you're an authority. There's no harm in not caring, only acting clever when you're foolish.

I don't understand your point, the thread is asking why people who watch soccer want the OP to watch so badly. As one who is continuously requested to watch, I continuously have to say I don't care. When have I spoken as an authority on soccer? Please point that out. The only thing I have ridiculed in this thread is cricket, and I think we can all agree cricket sucks. There is no harm in not caring, as I posted earlier I don't hate soccer, but I don't want to watch it either. The only thing foolish is you acting high and mighty from your soccer throne and putting words in peoples mouths to try and make you look like a cool guy.

[pointyfootball]

One thing I can say is I understand the partying and singing and chanting, but when do you actually watch the game? I was at a DC United game and a friend of mine is in the Screaming Eagles and got a seat for me in there. I honestly couldn't follow the match because there was so much noise, so much dancing and crap that I couldn't enjoy the game. And I like live games.

Stand up next time and you'll be able to see the game.

As to OP, I'm a soccer fan, but I don't try and convince my non-soccer-fan friends to watch it. I understand if they don't want to. Just like I hate watching NBA, regular season baseball/hockey/college basketball, preseason NFL, I can understand if someone doesn't like watching a sport. Calling it "gay", wimpy, girly, easy, unathletic etc., however is incredibly ignorant, even though I suspect those saying it are just doing it to get a rise out of soccer fans.

As for me, I'll remember this WC for a long time. Taking a break from the beach back at the rental house to watch the USA vs. Algeria with 15 other people was a lot of fun. When Donovan scored in extra time, even the non-soccer fans cheered and opened another beer.

PF

[pointyfootball]

I don't know why this thread is 14 pages long.

It's a matter of taste. I don't like mint ice cream. Have tried it many times, still don't like it. You can't "reason" me into liking it, you can't bully me into liking it, and you certainly can't belittle me into liking it.

I love soccer but no one else has to. It'll survive with the fans it has now.

Good post. I've heard a ton more comments saying why "soccer will never make it in the USA" then I've heard of "you should watch it"! 106.7 today with Bmitch and Holden went on and on about it. Fine if you think it won't, and most likely it won't, but why go on and on about it saying how crappy it is? Don't understand that.

Saw your Howard pic in your signature. What did you think of his play during WC?

[Tweedr01]

I don't know why this thread is 14 pages long.

It's a matter of taste. I don't like mint ice cream. Have tried it many times, still don't like it. You can't "reason" me into liking it, you can't bully me into liking it, and you certainly can't belittle me into liking it.

I love soccer but no one else has to. It'll survive with the fans it has now.

See this I can appreciate. I'm not gonna hate on someone because they like a sport, and I'd hope that someone would give me the same respect. That's it....unless you like cricket!

[Forehead]

Please don't ever compare a crap sport like baseball to soccer

Hey jackass, at least in baseball you can't run out the clock, foul purposely, take a knee, or fake injuries to hang onto a lead. No, in baseball, you have to throw the ball over the plate and give the other man his chance. That fact alone makes it superior to many other sports in the world.

Also a cricket ball is way harder than a baseball which is a fact and a baseball is wrapped in leather. I'm not talking about the catcher...he needs a glove obviously but in cricket and in the slips (Behind the batsmen) you catch the ball sometimes around 80 MPH plus with your bare hands.

So let me get this straight...a baseball is a baseball wrapped in leather? Well that makes a lot of sense.

For the record, I looked it up just to make sure...a cricket ball is made of cork, tightly wound string, and a leather case. A baseball is made of cork, tightly wound yarn, and leather. So basically they're made of the same stuff. Perhaps a cricket ball is wound tighter and is slightly harder, but "way harder" is probably hyperbole on your part.

So moving on...cricket players catch the ball with their bare hands. Well good for them...does this make them more manly than us baseball players, or just stupid. I'm voting on stupid. Not to mention that the wikipedia entry for cricket mentions the potential and propensity for injuries, to include ocular (losing eyes) cranial, finger/toe, and testicular.

I think we've discovered the source of CounterTrey's discontent. Clearly, he is a fine cricket player who has probably lost an eye and both testicles. And he's taking it out on us baseball enthusiasts. We can all forgive him, and never forget, "a baseball is a baseball wrapped in leather."

[Tweedr01]

Hey jackass, at least in baseball you can't run out the clock, foul purposely, take a knee, or fake injuries to hang onto a lead. No, in baseball, you have to throw the ball over the plate and give the other man his chance. That fact along makes it superior to many other sports in the world.

So let me get this straight...a baseball is a baseball wrapped in leather? Well that makes a lot of sense.

For the record, I looked it up just to make sure...a cricket ball is made of cork, tightly wound string, and a leather case. A baseball is made of cork, tightly wound yarn, and leather. So basically they're made of the same stuff. Perhaps a cricket ball is wound tighter and is slightly harder, but "way harder" is probably hyperbole on your part.

So moving on...cricket players catch the ball with their bare hands. Well good for them...does this make them more manly than us baseball players, or just stupid. I'm voting on stupid. Not to mention that the wikipedia entry for cricket mentions the potential and propensity for injuries, to include ocular (losing eyes) cranial, finger/toe, and testicular.

I think we've discovered the source of CounterTrey's discontent. Clearly, he is a fine cricket player who has probably lost an eye and both testicles. And he's taking it out on us baseball enthusiasts. We can all forgive him, and never forget, "a baseball is a baseball wrapped in leather."

:ols::ols:

Thank you, I now have to clean up the spill on my desk

[PleaseBlitz]

Good post. I've heard a ton more comments saying why "soccer will never make it in the USA" then I've heard of "you should watch it"! 106.7 today with Bmitch and Holden went on and on about it. Fine if you think it won't, and most likely it won't, but why go on and on about it saying how crappy it is? Don't understand that.

Saw your Howard pic in your signature. What did you think of his play during WC?

Why go on about it? Because it dominates the sports media right now. So if you are like me and check ESPN/ESPN.com/Yahoo Sports/10 other sports media outlets everyday, then hearing about Soccer so much wears pretty thin. Not to mention people bringing it up in conversation. Then you watch a game to see if you can get into it and it just astounds how boring and unwatchable it is. And yet it is still crammed down our collective throats.

So i guess the world cup is like the gulf oil spill. It sucks but its what eveyone seems to be talking about, and everyone is free to express their opinion on it. Also, blame for it can mostly be directed at foreigners.

[Merlin Emrys]

I don't understand your point, the thread is asking why people who watch soccer want the OP to watch so badly. As one who is continuously requested to watch, I continuously have to say I don't care. When have I spoken as an authority on soccer? Please point that out. The only thing I have ridiculed in this thread is cricket, and I think we can all agree cricket sucks. There is no harm in not caring, as I posted earlier I don't hate soccer, but I don't want to watch it either. The only thing foolish is you acting high and mighty from your soccer throne and putting words in peoples mouths to try and make you look like a cool guy.

Good lord. What are you talking about? This is too girly a conversation for me to continue. Get off the estrogen, it's not good for dudes.

[desioreo87]

Hey jackass, at least in baseball you can't run out the clock, foul purposely, take a knee, or fake injuries to hang onto a lead. No, in baseball, you have to throw the ball over the plate and give the other man his chance. That fact alone makes it superior to many other sports in the world.

It actually doesn't. Its a very nice part of baseball and its definitely an aspect to respect and admire but when other sports require a lot more athleticism and split second thinking then Baseball cannot be considered superior at all, and IMO it makes it inferior considering sports like basketball, hockey, soccer require much smarter athletes to excel in those sports.

Non-soccer fans quote the injury faking like most soccer fans approve of it. The majority of soccer fans despise diving and faking and get even more angry than non-soccer fans about it.

Americans don't have to like soccer but i do wish they would respect it.

[Forehead]

It actually doesn't. Its a very nice part of baseball and its definitely an aspect to respect and admire but when other sports require a lot more athleticism and split second thinking then Baseball cannot be considered superior at all, and IMO it makes it inferior considering sports like basketball, hockey, soccer require much smarter athletes to excel in those sports.

Non-soccer fans quote the injury faking like most soccer fans approve of it. The majority of soccer fans despise diving and faking and get even more angry than non-soccer fans about it.

Americans don't have to like soccer but i do wish they would respect it.

Well, check my signature to see how I feel about soccer, I played it for 14 years. And you must be kidding about the split second thinking and athleticism.

I'll admit that baseball is a sport where overweight people have a chance to excel (and will ignore the O-Lineman or Oliver Miller points for now) but to say there's no athleticism involved? Do you know how hard it is to hit a 90 mph fastball? You get less than 1/2 a second...and you'll notice I didn't go up to 100 mph, 90 is pretty standard, and some high school pitchers can reach that speed.

1/2 a second to determine ball speed, type of pitch, whether it's in the zone, and to get your body to perform the swinging motion.

How about playing 1st or 3rd base when a batter hits a screaming line drive. Precisely how much reaction time do you think these guys get?

How about playing outfield on long fly balls? It's not "split second" but it requires a lot of tracking and calculations of ball arc and speed to get in position to catch the ball.

And you may not know this, but batter and pitchers spend a lot of time studying tape of their opponents...where they pitch most often (inside/outside, etc.) where they are strong and weak at hitting the ball...and all these calculations are ongoing during the game as well. Many balls you see a pitcher throw outside the zone are on purpose, it's a game of cat and mouse and who can outthink who.

You'll get nowhere arguing that baseball doesn't require split second thinking or smarts.

[pjfootballer]

Stand up next time and you'll be able to see the game.

As to OP, I'm a soccer fan, but I don't try and convince my non-soccer-fan friends to watch it. I understand if they don't want to. Just like I hate watching NBA, regular season baseball/hockey/college basketball, preseason NFL, I can understand if someone doesn't like watching a sport. Calling it "gay", wimpy, girly, easy, unathletic etc., however is incredibly ignorant, even though I suspect those saying it are just doing it to get a rise out of soccer fans.

As for me, I'll remember this WC for a long time. Taking a break from the beach back at the rental house to watch the USA vs. Algeria with 15 other people was a lot of fun. When Donovan scored in extra time, even the non-soccer fans cheered and opened another beer.

PF

That was the problem. I was standing up, but with all the instruments and such I still couldn't follow the game. I know I'm not a tall guy, but it was more of the noise that bothered me which distracted me from following the game.

[Tweedr01]

Good lord. What are you talking about? This is too girly a conversation for me to continue. Get off the estrogen, it's not good for dudes.

First, terrible put down, I know your old dude, but come on, really? Just because you failed your prostate exam doesn't mean you need to put people down with girly and estrogen jokes to make you feel better over the interwebz.

Secondly, is this you? Are you Bob?

[ATTACH]44037[/ATTACH]

[Forehead]

Secondly, is this you? Are you Bob?

This is more likely:

[Tweedr01]

This is more likely:

This may be true, maybe a mix of old man and bob with his 'estrogen' problems.