Why don't I (we) care more about soccer?

[w00t]

Nothing can remove the smile from my face in the short term. I believe that we have won.

This.

[RootforRoo44]

Why can't our short attention span American minds just love all sports?

Hell, a few Winter Olympics ago i started really enjoying the game of Curling. I dont follow it religiously but when my team plays (USA) I will watch it and get just as into it as Baseball (my fav. sport).

Essentially what i'm saying is: No use arguing, ALL SPORT is great in some way, you just have to open your mind and not be so hateful.

That being said, figure skating sucks.

[meatwad]

That being said, figure skating sucks.

:lol:

[Dr Z]

Why can't our short attention span American minds just love all sports?

If you are a fan of HBO, Hard Knocks, or the Winter Classic, a reminder that

starts tomorrow.. I love behind the scenes sports stuff. I wish HBO 24/7 did this for Akron soccer. I would guess Tom W is in negotiations now for next season.

[GP1]

There are a lot of reasons why soccer is more popular in Europe than the US. The culture is different, but I think a big reason why it is so popular in Europe is when you go see a Europen soccer match, you are watching the best athletes in those countries.

Let's be honest. In the US, you play soccer if you can't play football, basketball or baseball. In Europe, you play basketball and whatever other sports they play because you could not play soccer.

The next time you get a chance to watch the US play a team from Europe, look at the size difference between the US and European players. The European players are much larger than the US players because the best athletes play soccer in Europe. They are bigger, faster and stronger than the US players, because our big, fast and strong players are playing football, basketball and baseball. I think it is really that simple. Good athletes can make a boring sport like soccer exciting and that is what you get in Europe.

The rule they should get rid of in soccer is bouncing the ball off of their heads. I had a friend who played soccer in college and he was against heading the ball because he said it didn't allow for "control of the ball" and heading outcomes were too random. Makes sense to me.

[bobbyake]

There are a lot of reasons why soccer is more popular in Europe than the US. The culture is different, but I think a big reason why it is so popular in Europe is when you go see a Europen soccer match, you are watching the best athletes in those countries.

Let's be honest. In the US, you play soccer if you can't play football, basketball or baseball. In Europe, you play basketball and whatever other sports they play because you could not play soccer.

The next time you get a chance to watch the US play a team from Europe, look at the size difference between the US and European players. The European players are much larger than the US players because the best athletes play soccer in Europe. They are bigger, faster and stronger than the US players, because our big, fast and strong players are playing football, basketball and baseball. I think it is really that simple. Good athletes can make a boring sport like soccer exciting and that is what you get in Europe.

The rule they should get rid of in soccer is bouncing the ball off of their heads. I had a friend who played soccer in college and he was against heading the ball because he said it didn't allow for "control of the ball" and heading outcomes were too random. Makes sense to me.

Wrong!!! Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer but is playing football. He is a huge soccer fan and loves the sport more than football. You're opinion makes no sense. Get some facts please. Also, Kansas beat Manchester United in a friendly contest. You have to be in better shape to be good at soccer than you do for football, baseball, and basketball.

This is as close Chad OchoCinco will get to playing soccer on TV

[GP1]

Wrong!!! Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer but is playing football. He is a huge soccer fan and loves the sport more than football. You're opinion makes no sense. Get some facts please. Also, Kansas beat Manchester United in a friendly contest. You have to be in better shape to be good at soccer than you do for football, baseball, and basketball.

So let me get this straight. Since Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer, all American soccer players are as good of athletes as Chad Johnson.

Kansas City (over half of their players are not from the United States) beats Manchester United in a "friendly contest". I'm sure this game was more like a preseason baseball game than a real game.

If being able to run a long way makes one in great shape and better shape than people who play other sports, then marathon runners must be the greatest athletes in the world and not NBA players?

Sorry bobbyake, your facts are weak at best and prove little. Here is how I see it.

Chad Johnson is a world class athlete and probably ran circles around the little kids on the pitch (what a stupid name). At some point there was no challenge to it so he challenged himself with better athletes. Those athletes were playing football and not soccer.

See preseason game analogy for KC vs ManU.

Running and bouncing a ball off of your head while collapsing in pain after nobody touches you doesn't make one a great athlete. In Europe, great athletes are playing soccer...In the US, great athletes like Chad Johnson are playing football, basketball and some play baseball.

[TheTank123]

Wrong!!! Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer but is playing football. He is a huge soccer fan and loves the sport more than football. You're opinion makes no sense. Get some facts please. Also, Kansas beat Manchester United in a friendly contest. You have to be in better shape to be good at soccer than you do for football, baseball, and basketball.

So let me get this straight. Since Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer, all American soccer players are as good of athletes as Chad Johnson.

Kansas City (over half of their players are not from the United States) beats Manchester United in a "friendly contest". I'm sure this game was more like a preseason baseball game than a real game.

If being able to run a long way makes one in great shape and better shape than people who play other sports, then marathon runners must be the greatest athletes in the world and not NBA players?

Sorry bobbyake, your facts are weak at best and prove little. Here is how I see it.

Chad Johnson is a world class athlete and probably ran circles around the little kids on the pitch (what a stupid name). At some point there was no challenge to it so he challenged himself with better athletes. Those athletes were playing football and not soccer.

See preseason game analogy for KC vs ManU.

Running and bouncing a ball off of your head while collapsing in pain after nobody touches you doesn't make one a great athlete. In Europe, great athletes are playing soccer...In the US, great athletes like Chad Johnson are playing football, basketball and some play baseball.

I think I speak for everyone here when I say GTFO. No one cares if you don't like soccer. Go tell Sarkodie or Nagbe or Kitchen they aren't good athletes.

"Chad Johnson is a world class athlete and probably ran circles around the little kids on the pitch (what a stupid name). At some point there was no challenge to it so he challenged himself with better athletes. Those athletes were playing football and not soccer"

Just world class stupidity right there.

[bobbyake]

Wrong!!! Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer but is playing football. He is a huge soccer fan and loves the sport more than football. You're opinion makes no sense. Get some facts please. Also, Kansas beat Manchester United in a friendly contest. You have to be in better shape to be good at soccer than you do for football, baseball, and basketball.

So let me get this straight. Since Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer, all American soccer players are as good of athletes as Chad Johnson.

Kansas City (over half of their players are not from the United States) beats Manchester United in a "friendly contest". I'm sure this game was more like a preseason baseball game than a real game.

If being able to run a long way makes one in great shape and better shape than people who play other sports, then marathon runners must be the greatest athletes in the world and not NBA players?

Sorry bobbyake, your facts are weak at best and prove little. Here is how I see it.

Chad Johnson is a world class athlete and probably ran circles around the little kids on the pitch (what a stupid name). At some point there was no challenge to it so he challenged himself with better athletes. Those athletes were playing football and not soccer.

See preseason game analogy for KC vs ManU.

Running and bouncing a ball off of your head while collapsing in pain after nobody touches you doesn't make one a great athlete. In Europe, great athletes are playing soccer...In the US, great athletes like Chad Johnson are playing football, basketball and some play baseball.

Chad Johnson wasn't good enough to play soccer at the next level, that's why he's an NFL Receiver. He's stated before that he'd rather be playing soccer. And yes, I think soccer players are better athletes than Chad Ochocinco. Can you prove me wrong? No, because there's no way to prove who's a better athlete. That's why this is an idiots statement:

Let's be honest. In the US, you play soccer if you can't play football, basketball or baseball. In Europe, you play basketball and whatever other sports they play because you could not play soccer.

The U.S. best athletes play what they're best at, it doesn't matter what they prefer or like better. Jordan played basketball instead of baseball, Lebron played basketball instead of football, Chad Ochocinco played football instead of soccer. The list goes on. If you're talented for a certain sport, you play that sport. Football requires muscle and quickness, soccer requires endurance, speed, and a strong leg. Very different requirements.

Your comment should get the reward for dumbest comment of the year.

[Dave in Green]

Since when do you have to actually know something about a subject in order to be a self-proclaimed expert on an internet forum?

But seriously, it was just a few months ago that I posted right here on ZN.O that I couldn't get into soccer for the classic American reason that there wasn't enough scoring. Then I slowly got drawn into following the Zips soccer team, and a little interest was kindled.

Watching the last two games on TV from beginning to end completely changed my perspective on soccer. Before that, I'd only watched bits and pieces of soccer games on TV played by teams I knew nothing about and had no connection to. After a few minutes, I'd get bored and flip the channel. Watching every minute of a match in which you have an emotional investment with the team tends to sharpen the senses, and I slowly began seeing things I hadn't noticed before. Suddenly I was seeing interesting things going on all over the place, and it didn't seem so important that there wasn't a ball going into a net every few minutes.

The last two minutes of the championship game was truly one of the most amazing spectacles I've ever witnessed in any sport, and I've been watching all kinds of sports for nearly 60 years. It didn't matter in the least that no goal was scored in that final two minutes. There was so much going on that I forgot to breathe and almost passed out.

Soccer may never become my favorite sport, but it sure moved way up on my list of favorites over the last few weeks.

[Zipmeister]

Wrong!!! Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer but is playing football. He is a huge soccer fan and loves the sport more than football. You're opinion makes no sense. Get some facts please. Also, Kansas beat Manchester United in a friendly contest. You have to be in better shape to be good at soccer than you do for football, baseball, and basketball.

So let me get this straight. Since Chad Johnson wanted to play soccer, all American soccer players are as good of athletes as Chad Johnson.

Kansas City (over half of their players are not from the United States) beats Manchester United in a "friendly contest". I'm sure this game was more like a preseason baseball game than a real game.

If being able to run a long way makes one in great shape and better shape than people who play other sports, then marathon runners must be the greatest athletes in the world and not NBA players?

Sorry bobbyake, your facts are weak at best and prove little. Here is how I see it.

Chad Johnson is a world class athlete and probably ran circles around the little kids on the pitch (what a stupid name). At some point there was no challenge to it so he challenged himself with better athletes. Those athletes were playing football and not soccer.

See preseason game analogy for KC vs ManU.

Running and bouncing a ball off of your head while collapsing in pain after nobody touches you doesn't make one a great athlete. In Europe, great athletes are playing soccer...In the US, great athletes like Chad Johnson are playing football, basketball and some play baseball.

Chad Johnson wasn't good enough to play soccer at the next level, that's why he's an NFL Receiver. He's stated before that he'd rather be playing soccer. And yes, I think soccer players are better athletes than Chad Ochocinco. Can you prove me wrong? No, because there's no way to prove who's a better athlete. That's why this is an idiots statement:

Let's be honest. In the US, you play soccer if you can't play football, basketball or baseball. In Europe, you play basketball and whatever other sports they play because you could not play soccer.

The U.S. best athletes play what they're best at, it doesn't matter what they prefer or like better. Jordan played basketball instead of baseball, Lebron played basketball instead of football, Chad Ochocinco played football instead of soccer. The list goes on. If you're talented for a certain sport, you play that sport. Football requires muscle and quickness, soccer requires endurance, speed, and a strong leg. Very different requirements.

Your comment should get the reward for dumbest comment of the year.

Despite your terrible grammar, I have to go with you on that one. The ladies have always held a special attraction to me which is why I became really good at the pole vault.

[Wally B]

2 reasons why you don't like soccer:

1 - You have to know how to play it (sans the pee-wee stuff, that doesn't equate)

2 - You have to understand what is goings on in order to understand when the action is taking place (we mock what we don't understand)

(sorry couldn't get John Cleese to attach)

[meatwad]

Since when do you have to actually know something about a subject in order to be a self-proclaimed expert on an internet forum?

But seriously, it was just a few months ago that I posted right here on ZN.O that I couldn't get into soccer for the classic American reason that there wasn't enough scoring. Then I slowly got drawn into following the Zips soccer team, and a little interest was kindled.

Watching the last two games on TV from beginning to end completely changed my perspective on soccer. Before that, I'd only watched bits and pieces of soccer games on TV played by teams I knew nothing about and had no connection to. After a few minutes, I'd get bored and flip the channel. Watching every minute of a match in which you have an emotional investment with the team tends to sharpen the senses, and I slowly began seeing things I hadn't noticed before. Suddenly I was seeing interesting things going on all over the place, and it didn't seem so important that there wasn't a ball going into a net every few minutes.

The last two minutes of the championship game was truly one of the most amazing spectacles I've ever witnessed in any sport, and I've been watching all kinds of sports for nearly 60 years. It didn't matter in the least that no goal was scored in that final two minutes. There was so much going on that I forgot to breathe and almost passed out.

Soccer may never become my favorite sport, but it sure moved way up on my list of favorites over the last few weeks.

Welcome to the dark side!!

[fknbuflobo]

It is absurd to defend the most popular sport in recorded history; the game requires no apology. Nevertheless, I cannot resist the bait.

The least intelligent contributions are half-baked suggestions on how to fix Soccer. Futbol does not need fixing. The rules are more than 100 years old, akin to Baseball, steeped in tradition. These rules should not change for any short term interests. Like most, I hate penalty kicks deciding matches, but the rules have stood for numerous generations. Leave it alone.

Yes, a slightly different athletic skill set pertains to each sport, Soccer included. But overall, the best athletes achieve the most, regardless of the sport. The assertion that America is not putting its best athletes into Soccer may still be true but it is slowly changing. Certainly, Chad Johnson could have played Soccer at some level. From previous posts here, it seems that he did. Conversely, I am certain that Kofi Sarkodie could have been a stellar corner back, should he have chosen. I often imagine an athlete such as Eric Metcalf playing Soccer.

Scoring and excitement are not equivalent. There is arguably more drama in the near misses when scoring is comparatively rare. Dave in Green posted a very objective response to this last weekend’s matches. In Soccer, merely maintaining possession of the ball is difficult enough. There are constant and subtle nuances during every Soccer match. It is the same for all sports. Some of the best NFL games I can remember are 13-10 white knucklers. My interest as a spectator is in the athletic struggle. Soccer has more in common with other sports than it does unique qualities. Athletics is athletics.

[Zipmeister]

It is absurd to defend the most popular sport in recorded history; the game requires no apology. Nevertheless, I cannot resist the bait.

The least intelligent contributions are half-baked suggestions on how to fix Soccer. Futbol does not need fixing. The rules are more than 100 years old, akin to Baseball, steeped in tradition. These rules should not change for any short term interests. Like most, I hate penalty kicks deciding matches, but the rules have stood for numerous generations. Leave it alone.

Yes, a slightly different athletic skill set pertains to each sport, Soccer included. But overall, the best athletes achieve the most, regardless of the sport. The assertion that America is not putting its best athletes into Soccer may still be true but it is slowly changing. Certainly, Chad Johnson could have played Soccer at some level. From previous posts here, it seems that he did. Conversely, I am certain that Kofi Sarkodie could have been a stellar corner back, should he have chosen. I often imagine an athlete such as Eric Metcalf playing Soccer.

Scoring and excitement are not equivalent. There is arguably more drama in the near misses when scoring is comparatively rare. Dave in Green posted a very objective response to this last weekend’s matches. In Soccer, merely maintaining possession of the ball is difficult enough. There are constant and subtle nuances during every Soccer match. It is the same for all sports. Some of the best NFL games I can remember are 13-10 white knucklers. My interest as a spectator is in the athletic struggle. Soccer has more in common with other sports than it does unique qualities. Athletics is athletics.

I couldn't agree more. Pole vaulting needs no defense. The most important thing to assure a good jump is to plant your pole firmly in the box.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/243/5221807...1bb932b.jpg?v=0

[fknbuflobo]

Great God Almighty!

Now I forgot the argument............

[Dr Z]

The Ol Chap is right! The commercials the NFL has now a days are totally ridiculous. TD, extra point....commercial....kickoff....commercial...play from scrimmage, uh oh, the ball might have touched a blade of grass on the reception, let's review that play....commercial....after further review the play stands as called....play from scrimmage.....injury time out....commercial....play from scrimmage, that's the end of the first quarter....commercial.

Something needs to be done. I DVR MNF & SNF and start to watch them an hour after kickoff so I can ff through the advertising.