Posted on 08/26/2005 10:37:29 PM PDT by philisthemaster
American football is a "manly" sport. Everyone knows that. It mixes strategy and tactics with pinpoint execution, and brute force. I don't care for the sport myself, but I'll admit it does take a lot of skill. What's the deal with making a touchdown 6 points though? Really. To make it seem like it has a much higher score? And I don't like how everyone who tries to give an accurate summary of a football situation usually says something like "u try running a set route at a set speed, jumping up in the air, catching the ball, and getting crushed by a HUGE guy." You can make any sport sound exciting if you break it down like that.
Baseball is probably on of my least favorite sports. To be fair, it probably takes more accuracy and precision than most sports though. I'm not saying hitting a 90 Mph ball with a round bat is easy, I'm just saying....why? Why would this sport be any "manlier" than soccer? It's all planned out by the manager. Hitting and pitching are the main two points I can really give to baseball. Catching? A line drive, sure, but anyone who can't catch a ball that they have 12 seconds to adjust to is just plain unathletic. There are definitely some exceptions, but it's not that hard. It's longer than a typical soccer match (as are most sports televised in America), and it's MUCH slower. Fun to play, but really...who wants to watch medicinally enhanced guys in tight pants swing at a ball and miss 20 times before one of them hits it...and gets out?
Basketball is one sport I can give credit to. Maybe the closest American relative to soccer. It's high scoring, which is what Americans want to see. It has flair, and style, and plenty of chances to go get snacks. I don't have a problem with basketball, but it just takes a lot more physical skill than mental. But that's not at all to say it doesn't take mental skill. I'm just saying that when you have 2.3 seconds to make a three pointer, you need a lot more physical than mental skill. There are plays and everything, I realize that, but it's been turned into a slam dunk contest. There aren't that many players who want to play the game for what it is, and not for the huge multi-million dollar deals they get. The game itself has TONS of strategy and mental activity, but when I say it has little, I'm talking about the NBA.
Finally we get to soccer. A lot of people hate the game because "it's all so low scoring." It may be low scoring, but it's a tactical game also. Every pass is building up to something, and when they finally pull the ripcord and get a shot, the resulting save or goal is usually worth the 5 minutes of waiting. Is it a slow game? Not as slow as football. Let's say there are 100 plays in a football game. That's one play every two or three minutes. One play that lasts maybe 5 seconds. And don't even get me started on baseball. A lot of other people hate soccer for the completely illogical reason that "you don't use your hands." Oh, is using your feet too hard? You use your feet because it requires more practice to learn. You're already used to using your hands to do everything else, so why not use your feet once in a while? It's also inaccurate to say you ONLY use your feet. The chest and head are used almost as much for many players. And it's harder than you think. To give a little situation, imagibe this: you're standing behind a muscular defender, and the ball is coming in at, oh let's say 60 Mph. Would you be brave enough to jump up and redirect the ball (which when fully inflated is just as hard as a basketball) with your forehead? All the while, the defender is grabbing at your shirt and pushing...and once you get in the air, don't think he won't throw an elbow, or even head you. I could go on, but I'd rather hear other people's opinions.
For what my plea is worth, please don't just say "soccer sux, its so gay." If you're going to say that, please give me a reason. I'm just wondering if anyone has a good reason to not like soccer.
I've always wanted to try curling, it looks like a lot of fun. But alas, I grew up in the Deep South and have no intentions of leaving, so I'll probably never get the chance.
I love to watch curling, but no sport comes close to having been so clearly invented by some drunk guys on a weekend night.
I always wanted to try playing a game of BASEketball.
That sport should be turned into a videogame as the movie was so cool.
Try frozen turkeys in the supermarket.
And thanks for the description of American footabll scoring. It seems a little more logical now. I can't say I agree, but at least I understand it.
As for the berating, I was just speaking facts and my opinions, and was defending our great American sports that you had no problem trashing.
I have played soccer (and most other sports), but it was a boring and easy game compared to most others. The only time I needed to use my head was to head the ball (ok, the one part of soccer I loved!)
If you didn't want insults, you shouldn't have insulted our good old American sports.
You insulted soccer, yet I didn't see the need to make fun of you or call names. Also, I'd like to know what level you've played at. High school? College? AA? AAA? If you found it as easy as you said you did, and you were as good as you said you were, you should have no problem making millions in Europe playing. But I see your love of American sports will overtake that option. I don't have a problem with your opinion, I'm just trying to ask questions here. The question about what level you played at was not sarcastic, it was an honest inquiry. Just thought I'd mention that before you jumped to conclusions and started throwing out insults again.
I have re-read my last post and have failed to see where I jumped to conclusions, or threw out any insults. Don't ask for facts and opinions if you can't handle them. I think the problem we're facing here, is you can't stand the thought of discussing sports with a female that doesn't agree with you. Especially one that doesn't hang on and believe every word you say about a sport. Go look at the thread Phil, there must have been at least a dozen posts by men that totally slammed soccer, and some much worse than I did, yet you didn't reply to any of them. I'd like to hear an explanation for that FACT?!?!?!?!
I wasn't talking about your last post, I was talking about the first one. And you can hardly make decisions on the level of competition of a sport from playing in a park. As for your need of an explanation, I didn't reply to any of the other posts because there was really no need to. When someone makes a half decent attempt at insulting something I love, I usually feel like there's need to correct something they're saying. If your idea of "slamming" something is saying "dude that sucks and it's gay," then you're hardly smarter than the person who said it in the first place. I'll reread the posts, and if I find anything that makes a decent point, I'd be glad to respond to it. And as for me not being able to "stand the thought of discussing sports with a female that doesn't agree with [me]," that's just an attemt to make me sound bad. Sorry if I didn't read the post carefully enough. Next time I'll be sure to check it better.
You think a sport is "gay" because people are beaten over the outcome of a game, or who they support? I can understand calling it dangerous, and saying you don't want a part in it because of what happens after the games, but who said I condone that anyway? I'm talking about the game itself. I also never said anything about thinking that soccer will be popular here. I can see that it won't ever meet the level of American football, where good plays are rewarded with pats on the butt. I re-read my post, and I failed to see where I implied that soccer was steroid free. I believe I mentioned baseball as an example, because that's where a lot of steroid publicity comes from. Steroids are in every sport, whether we hear about them or not. There. I admit that some soccer players take steroids. I only wish I could go to England. That's a country where they appreciate REAL sports.
°Å¿ï¾È¿¡ º¸±â. ³Ê¸¦ µÚ¿¡ ºÁ ¹éÄ¡ Àִ´Ù!
Football: Played by REAL MEN.
Basketball: Played by thugs.
ping
Phil, give it up already. I have tried numerous times to tell you why soccer sucks, but you focus on anything and everything else. Go over the thread again and see how many other people hate soccer...and then get a life.
Lay off Phil, dork. If you don't like real sports just go back to the retarded US pastimes.
Sorry for answering your "friend"...you must be the male.
Wow, you captured it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.