World Cup....

[RRFireblade]

So I'm playing a casual round the other day with walk on single, typical chit chat get to know you stuff first couple holes, you know the drill.

 

So we get to the next tee and the World Cup comes up, so the other guy goes,

 

"Eh, I don't get it. Soccor is never going to be as big the other big sports."

 

"Ya think? Why is that?"

 

"It's boring to watch, the field is too big, it takes way to long and it's too hard to score."

 

 

 

"Hmmm.... Your up."

 

 

Oh the irony. :)

[Playaway]

I would have immediately rolled out a $50 nassau with auto 2-downs and $20 junk. THEN, asked him to explain the discretionary time added on by the ref at the end of the match (the time where America gave up that goal that was a tie). Would have then kept stoking that little wildfire until I was up about 5 hunnit.

[RRFireblade]

Ok....well I thought it was somewhat ironic. I actually thought he was trying to be funny but he wasn't......not unlike this thread apparently.

:-)

[Conrad1953]

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1403673204' post='9572151']
Ok....well I thought it was somewhat ironic. I actually thought he was trying to be funny but he wasn't......not unlike this thread apparently.

:-)
[/quote]

People are sour these days, lol. Few in the mood for humor.
I hope it gets better soon. It's a little morose around here
lately with golf dying and all.

[StezzGolfer]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh i get the irony. Golf is boring to watch (not for me, depends on who you ask), with long fields and hard to score!!! Funny. Had to read it twice.

Heard someone say (about the world cup) "If i wanted to watch 11 men struggle to score, i'd just go with my friends to the bar".

[mwkbmw]

Those World Cup players remind me of soap opera stars. Kind of like actors, but not really.

They do, however, put the Duke basketball program to shame with their flopping.

[ronstelten]

More American kids play soccer than all other sports combined, so in that context, soccer is already bigger than "big sports".

The average score of a NFL game is 29.0 to 17.8 but that is really 4.1 to 2.5 or 6 1/2 scores per game. The World Cup is averaging 3 scores per game. Take away field goals and NFL scoring and World Cup scoring are almost the same.

We all judge the sports we like by how well we understand them. The more we understand a sport the greater the chances that we will like that sport. Outside the US boarders soccer is the most understood sport and that is one reason why it is the worlds most popular sport.

I will long remember the OP quoting his walk on single, "It's boring to watch, the field is too big, it takes way to long and it's too hard to score."

[2putttom]

It's an aquired taste. Many other countries don't see the fascination with American football. Myself I find Futbol about as exciting as watching wet cement dry.... until the world cup, then I pick two teams, light candles, get out my voodoo dolls and pay my respects to the international sport that sooo many love.

[RJRJRJ]

[quote name='ronstelten' timestamp='1403723430' post='9576353']
More American kids play soccer than all other sports combined, so in that context, soccer is already bigger than "big sports".

The average score of a NFL game is 29.0 to 17.8 but that is really 4.1 to 2.5 or 6 1/2 scores per game. The World Cup is averaging 3 scores per game. Take away field goals and NFL scoring and World Cup scoring are almost the same.

We all judge the sports we like by how well we understand them. The more we understand a sport the greater the chances that we will like that sport. Outside the US boarders soccer is the most understood sport and that is one reason why it is the worlds most popular sport.

I will long remember the OP quoting his walk on single, "It's boring to watch, the field is too big, it takes way to long and it's too hard to score."
[/quote]

You bring up good points, but You also have to realize that its not always just about the final score, but rather how much action has taken place to get to that point. Its the same reason a lot of people who hate soccer also hate baseball. I happen to like both. Football may end with an adjusted 4.1 to 2.5 score in your example, but a regular football play is almost as exciting as a 2 on 1 or a great pass downfield in soccer, which only happens a handful of times in an actual soccer match.

[ronstelten]

[quote name='RJRJRJ' timestamp='1403731499' post='9577257']
[quote name='ronstelten' timestamp='1403723430' post='9576353']
More American kids play soccer than all other sports combined, so in that context, soccer is already bigger than "big sports".

The average score of a NFL game is 29.0 to 17.8 but that is really 4.1 to 2.5 or 6 1/2 scores per game. The World Cup is averaging 3 scores per game. Take away field goals and NFL scoring and World Cup scoring are almost the same.

We all judge the sports we like by how well we understand them. The more we understand a sport the greater the chances that we will like that sport. Outside the US boarders soccer is the most understood sport and that is one reason why it is the worlds most popular sport.

I will long remember the OP quoting his walk on single, "It's boring to watch, the field is too big, it takes way to long and it's too hard to score."
[/quote]

You bring up good points, but You also have to realize that its not always just about the final score, but rather how much action has taken place to get to that point. Its the same reason a lot of people who hate soccer also hate baseball. I happen to like both. Football may end with an adjusted 4.1 to 2.5 score in your example, but a regular football play is almost as exciting as a 2 on 1 or a great pass downfield in soccer, which only happens a handful of times in an actual soccer match.
[/quote]

The good and bad of soccer is that there is a scoring opportunity every 20 seconds. The good and bad of American football is that most of the plays run during a game are not designed to score but to march up the field.

[bscinstnct]

I try to watch, but growing up playing football,

We had a couple of ex-Marines for coaches who called soccer lots of not good names while we were cracking heads and carrying tackling dummies over our heads running around the field.

Trying, though....

[KLeC]

Soccer players break the boredom by biting opponents. I'd like to see Dufner bite the Walrus.

[Bingo1976]

How you can have baseball as a national sport and call soccer boring is beyond me.

[RJRJRJ]

[quote name='Bingo1976' timestamp='1403757398' post='9580387']
How you can have baseball as a national sport and call soccer boring is beyond me.
[/quote]

Who says its our national sport?

[Bingo1976]

[quote name='RJRJRJ' timestamp='1403758558' post='9580457']
[quote name='Bingo1976' timestamp='1403757398' post='9580387']
How you can have baseball as a national sport and call soccer boring is beyond me.
[/quote]

Who says its our national sport?
[/quote]

I said 'a' not 'the'. In any case, all sports can be boring - a lot of it is cultural.

I'm English, and stopped following soccer a while back when I moved to Asia - it's just not such a talking point here so you end up losing touch, plus I dislike the amount of play acting that happens these days. It still remains a fast paced, unpredictable sport, with end to end action (usually - as with every sport it depends who is playing).

I grew up watching and playing US Football (from 'Bowl XX, life long Eagles fan) - it's an aquired taste, and lasts a long time compared to the actual playing time - 60 minutes vs 4 hours - lots of breaks etc, and although higher scoring than soccer, it can become very attritional in mid field.

Basketball to me is boring - just a load of freaks running up and down the court trading points.

NHL - I have been to a couple of Maple Leafs games in Toronto - a violent sport strangely lacking in atmosphere.

Now, I am a massive cricket fan - the only sport that can last 5 days and still not have a result. Now I grew up playing and watching the sport, and can quite happily watch several international teams scoring at no faster rate than baseball players hit base hits and be fascinated. I have tried to like baseball in return, but it's endless stats driven approach and swing/miss flows make it hard to get into.

In my mind - NHL is lilke Soccer interms of scores, although I think the average soccer player would run a mile from a hockey player with a stick.

Baseball is more like cricket - you really have to know the game in side out to enjoy watching it, as with the exception of the odd double/triple play or homer, it's pretty dull to the casual fan.

[KLeC]

[quote name='Bingo1976' timestamp='1403757398' post='9580387']
How you can have baseball as a national sport and call soccer boring is beyond me.
[/quote]

Fair enough. The pace of soccer seems fast on the surface ... Then there's very little scoring. Baseball is slow, but rife with strategy. A player that can hit,run, and throw is fun to watch. A guy that can lay down a 9th inning perfect bunt and beat the throw is poetry. Curling...now there's a sport.

[hebron1427]

I find soccer boring. It seems simplistic. Maybe that's the charm, but I actually like things I have to think about. The while goal of soccer is to kick the ball in a giant goal without breaking any of the rules. But everything that happens is the same the whole way across the field: hit it with your head or with your foot. That's about it. Most of the sports I grew up watching in the US seem to have so many more options for what could happen that it's far more interesting to see what will happen.

I recently heard someone insult the American team by calling them "athletic." That seems to be the most obvious indictment of soccer that I've ever heard. He was basically admitting "you HAVE to be a giant V in order to play this game."

It also seems to reward things we don't like socially in America. We tend to frown upon the feigned injury because we dislike dishonesty, but it's encouraged in soccer. We like finite limits to a game, and so much of soccer seems arbitrary....who draws a card is a crap shoot, as is the clock. It's outside of the realm of thought of most of us to think that something as important as the clock is just a suggestion add to when the game will end.

People always say "well you just don't understand it." They might be right. I don't care. If a British man said he didn't like US football,I wouldn't try to convince him he was ignorant. That of itself is offputting and keeps me out.

There's just too much not to like about it when we have ample sports here that fit our needs and social context

[pizan619]

ignorance is the problem in the US....simple as that.

[Bingo1976]

Well, the US team just made it through to the Second round coming out of a very tough group that included Germany, Portugal and Ghana. That's a huge achievement given that many would have expected you to lose all 3 games.

[pizan619]

[quote name='Bingo1976' timestamp='1403824318' post='9586085']
Well, the US team just made it through to the Second round coming out of a very tough group that included Germany, Portugal and Ghana. That's a huge achievement given that many would have expected you to lose all 3 games.
[/quote]

huge step...i hope kids all around the country are watching! USA will catch up eventually. Klinsmann has been the first bright spot in US Soccer. Youth academies at the national level are a huge step to growing players from a very young age.

[bscinstnct]

[quote name='pizan619' timestamp='1403823586' post='9586015']
ignorance is the problem in the US....simple as that.
[/quote]

Why would you say that? What land of enlightenment are you from, pizan?

[pizan619]

[quote name='bscinstnct' timestamp='1403825863' post='9586227'][quote name='pizan619' timestamp='1403823586' post='9586015']
ignorance is the problem in the US....simple as that.
[/quote]

Why would you say that? What land of enlightenment are you from, pizan?[/quote]

Im an american with italian parents. Proud as can be to be american too!! I support both national teams. I support ny red bulls/ ac milan. Played competitively for at least 18 years and like john oliver said in his wc video. Its a religion for me just like a bazillion people around the world.

Calling the sport a p***y sport or its boring yada yada yada is ignorant. Not learning the rules of the sport and making dumb comments is ignorant.


Its a beautiful game and hopefully the youth in america today will see what i saw in the game at a very young age.

[bscinstnct]

[quote name='pizan619' timestamp='1403826200' post='9586269']
[quote name='bscinstnct' timestamp='1403825863' post='9586227'][quote name='pizan619' timestamp='1403823586' post='9586015']
ignorance is the problem in the US....simple as that.
[/quote]

Why would you say that? What land of enlightenment are you from, pizan?[/quote]

Im an american with italian parents. Proud as can be to be american too!! I support both national teams. I support ny red bulls/ ac milan. Played competitively for at least 18 years and like john oliver said in his wc video. Its a religion for me just like a bazillion people around the world.

Calling the sport a p***y sport or its boring yada yada yada is ignorant. Not learning the rules of the sport and making dumb comments is ignorant.


Its a beautiful game and hopefully the youth in america today will see what i saw in the game at a very young age.
[/quote]

Give it time. Ignorance goes both ways. Right? Like some one who has never rounded second and stretched a double to a triple while the CF was trying to gun them down calling baseball boring, right?

Give it time, my wifes whole family is 100% Italian for many generations here until the 60s when some started marrying non Italians. They all wanted to be American and play football, baseball and basketball, and many are great athletes. They didn't want to play soccer. You can say that is "ignorant" but that is not fair in my mind.

Now, things are coming around.

My Father in law is following closely and my whole office pretty much shut down, put the game on all the tvs and ordered 10,000 wings.

Even I watched a little ; )

[ronstelten]

[quote name='hebron1427' timestamp='1403821414' post='9585757']
I find soccer boring. It seems simplistic. Maybe that's the charm, but I actually like things I have to think about. The while goal of soccer is to kick the ball in a giant goal without breaking any of the rules. But everything that happens is the same the whole way across the field: hit it with your head or with your foot. That's about it. Most of the sports I grew up watching in the US seem to have so many more options for what could happen that it's far more interesting to see what will happen.

I recently heard someone insult the American team by calling them "athletic." That seems to be the most obvious indictment of soccer that I've ever heard. He was basically admitting "you HAVE to be a giant V in order to play this game."

It also seems to reward things we don't like socially in America. We tend to frown upon the feigned injury because we dislike dishonesty, but it's encouraged in soccer. We like finite limits to a game, and so much of soccer seems arbitrary....who draws a card is a crap shoot, as is the clock. It's outside of the realm of thought of most of us to think that something as important as the clock is just a suggestion add to when the game will end.

People always say "well you just don't understand it." They might be right. I don't care. If a British man said he didn't like US football,I wouldn't try to convince him he was ignorant. That of itself is offputting and keeps me out.

There's just too much not to like about it when we have ample sports here that fit our needs and social context
[/quote]

For a guy who says, quote "I don't care". You sure do have a lot to say against the worlds most popular sport.

[Chief Illiniwek]

My problem with soccer is that it takes the appendages that humans are most coordinated with and can do the most amazing things with, their hands, and makes them against the rules to use. In all honesty I'm kinda shocked the sport has become the most popular in the world despite that fact.

It is starting to catch on in this area with really small kids. Now this isn't a knock on big time soccer because I know those guys are great at what they do and there's lots of strategy involved, but soccer is the perfect sport for kids under the age of 6 or 7. No dribbling, playing catch, or any other need for actions that require lots of skill or coordination. They just run around in a group kicking at each others shins until one of them accidentally kicks it through the goal.

[pizan619]

[quote name='bscinstnct' timestamp='1403832259' post='9586825']
[quote name='pizan619' timestamp='1403826200' post='9586269']
[quote name='bscinstnct' timestamp='1403825863' post='9586227'][quote name='pizan619' timestamp='1403823586' post='9586015']
ignorance is the problem in the US....simple as that.
[/quote]

Why would you say that? What land of enlightenment are you from, pizan?[/quote]

Im an american with italian parents. Proud as can be to be american too!! I support both national teams. I support ny red bulls/ ac milan. Played competitively for at least 18 years and like john oliver said in his wc video. Its a religion for me just like a bazillion people around the world.

Calling the sport a p***y sport or its boring yada yada yada is ignorant. Not learning the rules of the sport and making dumb comments is ignorant.


Its a beautiful game and hopefully the youth in america today will see what i saw in the game at a very young age.
[/quote]

Give it time. Ignorance goes both ways. Right? Like some one who has never rounded second and stretched a double to a triple while the CF was trying to gun them down calling baseball boring, right?

Give it time, my wifes whole family is 100% Italian for many generations here until the 60s when some started marrying non Italians. They all wanted to be American and play football, baseball and basketball, and many are great athletes. They didn't want to play soccer. You can say that is "ignorant" but that is not fair in my mind.

Now, things are coming around.

My Father in law is following closely and my whole office pretty much shut down, put the game on all the tvs and ordered 10,000 wings.

Even I watched a little ; )
[/quote]

Yea i know...its slowly growing and it will take more time. More money is starting to flow into the MLS which is much needed to grow the sport here to attract players. A huge tournament for the USA will make kids think about it more.

Also, we are so infatuated with college sports, but in reality ncaa soccer is not helping the cause- These kids need to be playing professionally at 18 to grow. Joining the MLS at 22 is behind the rest of the world. But, if we continue on this path with the youth programs being put into place by Klinsmann, we could very well have 18yo players ready to play professionally and making enough money to support themselves. Professional players can very well get a college education while playing MLS soccer if they really wanted to.

EDIT: Im not saying all college soccer athletes need to be playing professionally at 18, just the ones ready to play professionally. IE A julian green on an ncaa soccer team against sub par competition is useless for his growth as a player.

[Petethreeput]

Some of the statements in this thread are beyond ridiculous. I do see some validity to the one about taking away the hands, the most creative appendage, I had never heard that before.

I truly believe soccer players are some of the most cerebral athletes on the planet.

Football? Run into a guy, then re-convene 6 seconds later so the guy with brains can tell you who to hit next time.
Basketball? The final 2 minutes take 20 because again, the players have to check with the guy with brains to tell them where to stand, and where to run so they can score a basket. Vise versa, the other coach is telling his players where to stand and what to expect so the other team won't score...
Baseball? After each pitch the guy standing on third goes through a myriad of movements to tell person to swing or not, run or not, and then watches. The opposing manager sits in the dugout and does his gyrations to explain to the players where they should stand. Same thing, let the "smart" guy tell me what to do after each pitch. The catcher though is thinking.

American sports are coach driven completely. Soccer players have to make split second decisions based on where they are, the ball is, and what they think is going to happen. No coach input, simply being smart enough to be in the right place and see the game develop without much coach input.

I don't hate American sports, and grew up playing all of them (including the three I am disparaging, and I played two of those through high school), but truly to say soccer is stupid, or there is no strategy, or whatever is silly.

[Kuz013]

Americans are told that Soccer is boring by Corporations and television. Games are relatively quick (2 hrs) and are continuous; which is their biggest detriment because that leaves no room for commericals (the reason the Big 3 sports in America are what they are, think about it, in College Bball they had to introduce a mandatory TV timeout so they can make money on advertising. and Football and baseball have so many breaks it drags the games out to 4-6 hours long). This is the reason Media tells people soccer isnt big in this country, coupled with the fact that we dont control the top leagues or athletes, but in reality when you see all the cities hosting viewing parties for World Cup matches, they are plenty of fans in America, corporate greed refuses to recognize it. Doubt me? research the NY Cosmos, which was right before TV ad revenue became the giant it is today.

[bscinstnct]

Some of the statements in this thread are beyond ridiculous. I do see some validity to the one about taking away the hands, the most creative appendage, I had never heard that before.

 

I truly believe soccer players are some of the most cerebral athletes on the planet.

 

Football? Run into a guy, then re-convene 6 seconds later so the guy with brains can tell you who to hit next time.

Basketball? The final 2 minutes take 20 because again, the players have to check with the guy with brains to tell them where to stand, and where to run so they can score a basket. Vise versa, the other coach is telling his players where to stand and what to expect so the other team won't score...

Baseball? After each pitch the guy standing on third goes through a myriad of movements to tell person to swing or not, run or not, and then watches. The opposing manager sits in the dugout and does his gyrations to explain to the players where they should stand. Same thing, let the "smart" guy tell me what to do after each pitch. The catcher though is thinking.

 

American sports are coach driven completely. Soccer players have to make split second decisions based on where they are, the ball is, and what they think is going to happen. No coach input, simply being smart enough to be in the right place and see the game develop without much coach input.

 

I don't hate American sports, and grew up playing all of them (including the three I am disparaging, and I played two of those through high school), but truly to say soccer is stupid, or there is no strategy, or whatever is silly.

 

"Football? Run into a guy, then re-convene 6 seconds later so the guy with brains can tell you who to hit next time."

 

 

Yeah, that's all there is to it...

 

 

 

 

[ronstelten]

The average guard, tackle, or center in the NFL in 2011 is 6-foot-5 and about 310 pounds.
The average height of a NBA player is about 6' 6".

The average height of a soccer player is 5 feet, 11 1/2 inches tall.

Richard Witzig in "The Global Art of Soccer." Great male players have ranged from 5 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, a build that includes an estimated 95 percent of the world's adult male population. Soccer players rarely weight above 200 pounds though, "as the physical demands of the sport dictate that players cannot carry that weight and compete" for 90 minutes or more, he writes. Professional basketball and American football players, by contrast, require levels of brawn and height that exclude all but 10 percent of the adult male world population."

Basketball and football are not bad games but as the statistics show, they are not games for the everyman. In one way, soccers growth can be attributed to the fact that everyman can play and perhaps excel. Kinda like golf!