12/21/24
June 11, 2006
The guy does have a point. Almost every blog post or messageboard thread about the world cup invariably descends into a discussion about why soccer is not popular in the USA. And why soccer is boring (it's not), and why it's so slow (it's not) and why 0-0 draws are stupid (they're not). It gets old after a while. If you don't like soccer, fine, don't watch it.
posted by afx237vi at 06:20 PM on June 11, 2006
Thanks. I don't. And (it is.) We're all free to think your sport is silly. Of course, each of us can discuss in detail why our sport is so much better than the rest. The great thing is we'd probably point to the exact same arguments. "It's exciting. It's perfectly paced. It takes true talent. Scoring isn't a matter of luck. Anyone can learn how to play, but only a few master it. It takes a good eye to see the nuances. It's popular in my neighborhood."
posted by ?! at 06:52 PM on June 11, 2006
Can't we all just get along? [hugs ?!]
posted by squealy at 07:54 PM on June 11, 2006
He did make a good point in that American sports writers and fans alike feel the need to jump on the bandwagon of [your international sport here] whenever something big is happening. Just like the majority of Americans didn't know or care about cycling before Lance Armstrong started making the headlines, everyone now feels the need to pay attention to soccer/football because it is possibly the biggest international even that is hosted (in my opinion, bigger than the Olympics). That, and there is the reason to jump on the bandwagon now that America actaully has a formidable team who may be able to shake things up a bit this year, even with their placement in such a tough pool.
posted by NightingalesGone at 08:17 PM on June 11, 2006
I've been a soccer fan all my life in a country where it is a minority media sport. I'm used to being patronised. However, it is funny to see every four years these bozos come out and tell soccer fans how the most popular game in the universe can be made more interesting. Meanwhile, no-one in the rest of the world cares about their version of football. 'Hey have they ever thought about making the goals bigger?' Thank you for caring. Now go away.
posted by owlhouse at 08:33 PM on June 11, 2006
owlhouse, I agree with your thought, but it wasn't just lovers of the other football who suggested making goals bigger.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 08:44 PM on June 11, 2006
i don't see any problem pulling for your national team during an international event, whether you're a fan of soccer or not. i don't like soccer but i will pull for the US team. it's not about my love of the sport- it's about my love for my country and wanting to see it succeed. after the US loses, and they inevitably will, i probably won't watch another soccer match. and, regarding the second post, i don't think soccer is boring or slow and i'm sure it takes a great deal of athletic ability but a 0-0 draw IS a waste of time. to take a quote from herm edwards " you play the game to win.....hello?!!!" what good does it do to go out there and play for 2+ hours then have the game end in a draw? pointless...
posted by ksb122 at 10:12 PM on June 11, 2006
A tie is a waste of time, in your opinion. Thank you for attempting to have the remaining universe change its mind. The rest of us really don't have a problem with it. If Herm Edwards is the end of all athletic debate then, well, I believe Satan is shopping for parkas.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:29 PM on June 11, 2006
i don't see any problem pulling for your national team during an international event, whether you're a fan of soccer or not. I do think it helps to know why your national team is good (or not). The brain-dead pieces from sports hacks is made easy by ABC/ESPN's dearth of technical analysis in order to run Team USA soft-focus profiles and show commercials. (Or, alternatively, for Dave O'Brien to witter on about politics.) If the media outlet for the World Cup doesn't explain the game, then why should uninterested print journos? You can get away with grafs like this--
Top players include forward Landon Donovan (a scorer with the maddest of mad skillz, yo), midfielder DaMarcus Beasley (quick and puny, in all the best ways) and physical defender Oguchi Onyewu, who hits like a free safety and runs like a puma.--in the absence of people who can describe their roles properly. People can keep making cracks about 0-0 draws until someone exists to explain, concisely and persuasively, the difference between a bore-draw and a thriller like T&T's performance. The US (or, more accurately, ABC/ESPN) desperately needs to develop broadcasters. Or take the brave step of calling them in from the Spanish-language side of the business.
posted by etagloh at 10:33 PM on June 11, 2006
Try the telling the screaming fans of Trindad that a 0-0 tie is a waste of time. Try telling Swedens' heartbroken fans that a 0-0 tie is meaningless. The fact is you don't understand the game. So don't tell us what a waste of time is because that 0-0 tie on Saturday was the best game of the three.
posted by Ricardo at 10:42 PM on June 11, 2006
It's a minority who don't like soccer, but they make so much noise about their point of view that it seems otherwise! It ‘s not good to generalize at anything. Most people in the World like soccer, so why should we care that a few say they don't?
One thing is for certain, MLS will never be able to name their finals champion, the "World Champion!" as they do in Baseball, Basketball, etc.
To finish up with a friendly reminder, the US is not currently the World Champion in Baseball and Basketball, if we consider the WBC and/or the last Olympics as the proper stage to measure these events
posted by zippinglou at 11:03 PM on June 11, 2006
what good does it do to go out there and play for 2+ hours then have the game end in a draw? pointless... Actually, no. Teams get a point for a draw, and three points for a win - and in a short group phase, one point can be crucial. And yeah, every single Trinidadian tonight is nursing a huuuuuge hangover from the party they threw for taking a point from Sweden. In case you're not that up on what the results mean, what Sweden did is called "dropping two points" - it was a game they should have won, and they didn't. Good for Trinidad. And Tobago.
posted by Toxteth O'Grady at 11:09 PM on June 11, 2006
Oh, and to comment about the "tie" piece! I would die for Venezuela to tie (o-o) with Brazil or Argentina any time this century! That's how "unmeaningfully boring" and time waster that would be for fans like me!
posted by zippinglou at 11:09 PM on June 11, 2006
I hope the US wins it all so we can show the rest of the world that if we REALLY cared about soccer, we could dominate it. Let's face it...the best part of watching the cup is hearing the Spanish broadcaster yell "Goooooooooooooooooooooooooollll"
posted by joecab at 11:17 PM on June 11, 2006
I hope the US wins it all so we can show the rest of the world that if we REALLY cared about soccer, we could dominate it. Yea...that doesn't really help the cause for those who REALLY care. And it's utter bullshit. Other than that, you didn't waste a keystroke.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 11:34 PM on June 11, 2006
I hope the US wins it all so we can show the rest of the world that if we REALLY cared about soccer, we could dominate it. troll much?
posted by everett at 11:35 PM on June 11, 2006
Texas and everett, been to any good professional soccer matches in the US lately? The real bullshit is that you guys think the general public in the US cares about soccer. It's like watching college basketball before the shot clock.
posted by joecab at 11:41 PM on June 11, 2006
Maybe people would pay more attention to soccer in America if we had more hooliganism. I myself love it. http://images.allmoviephoto.com/2004_Eurotrip/2004_eurotrip_015.jpg
posted by GoBirds at 12:47 AM on June 12, 2006
What is really starting to bug me about this year's World Cup is the Budweiser ads (they can be seen under the Brad & Hal section of Bud's website ) that are showing over here. Couple of "American" sports presenters showing just how little they know about football, the tagline goes something like, "we know beer, we'll leave the football to you." It isn't funny, just old.
posted by Fence at 03:38 AM on June 12, 2006
I hope the US wins it all so we can show the rest of the world that if we REALLY cared about soccer, we could dominate it. You're probably still boycotting French Fries, French Toast, and French Dressing, too.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:35 AM on June 12, 2006
The real bullshit is that you guys think the general public in the US cares about soccer. Em, no I don't think anyone cares. I would be giving my countrymen far too much credit to think most care about soccer, when all I have to do is turn on Jerry Springer or the Fox News Channel to see otherwise. Get back to me when the opinions of most Americans actually carries some weight.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 06:56 AM on June 12, 2006
I think what you need to do is go watch a game LIVE. Any sport when watched on TV can be extremely boring, I have watched tons of football (american)games on TV that were boring and ended in a 9-6 score - but if you were at the game, it would have been a different story. Go to a soccer game, especially in Europe, and you will see - the game is not boring! Even on TV, listen to the fans, they are going absolutely nuts.
posted by Stealth_72 at 07:16 AM on June 12, 2006
You're probably still boycotting French Fries I'm not positive but are those the same as Freedom Fries?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 07:56 AM on June 12, 2006
"Thank you for attempting to have the remaining universe change its mind." i was only stating my opinion, weedy, which is the whole premise of websites like this. i think the quote from herm edwards is valid where sports are concerned, however, i grew up in a country where everyone plays the game to win, not avoid the loss (i.e. a 0-0 tie being worth a point).
posted by ksb122 at 08:07 AM on June 12, 2006
at least I still have my French Cut green beans
posted by Folkways at 08:10 AM on June 12, 2006
Who really cares? Variety is the spice of life, etc... Not a soccer fan, so I don't watch it. Also not a bowling fan, don't watch it either, etc... You don't have to like everything and we are not going to agree. So...........World Cup fans, enjoy the next month, have a great time, etc... I will be watching baseball, which some soccer fans think is very boring, etc...
posted by lightman at 08:24 AM on June 12, 2006
I started watching soccer just so I could be a futbol hooligan, I got so tired of being a regular hooligan. By the by some nice stops by the Trini goal tender in that "boring" 0-0. You're probably still boycotting French Fries, French Toast, and French Dressing, too. mmmmmm.......Freedom toast
posted by HATER 187 at 09:44 AM on June 12, 2006
As far as soccer goes I usually just watch a few minutes of a game/match/whatever and that does me good for about 6 months......I think I've caught about 3 goal units being scored live in my entire life, not bad I guess...
posted by soybomoh at 11:34 AM on June 12, 2006
"Shut your word hole" is a great phrase that I shall endeavor to use in the future.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 01:02 PM on June 12, 2006
Is this a hockey thread? Sure reads like a hockey thread. Go Ties! Great link, lilnemo.
posted by garfield at 02:15 PM on June 12, 2006
i was only stating my opinion, weedy, which is the whole premise of websites like this. i And I was suggesting your opinion was suspect and should be dismissed. I believe that's the other point of websites like this - elitest superiority! Mah, I just think that people who use bold strokes to categorize things they don't necessarily really know about (one way of telling this is the bold strokes like "ties are a waste of time") tend to be the kind of people who decide whether or not something is good before they actually bother to find out. Ties in soccer are completely and totally inevitable. It seems to me to be an intutive aspect of the game.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:06 PM on June 12, 2006
i grew up in a country where everyone plays the game to win, not avoid the loss (i.e. a 0-0 tie being worth a point). Barf. I played soccer for years and don't recall ever playing to tie.
posted by yerfatma at 05:47 PM on June 12, 2006
The anchor on CNN yesterday pulled a stink-face when he had to talk about the world cup and mispronounced Paraguay twice, then made a joke about how he didn't know how to say the country's name. Congratulations on your stupidity.