Posted on 06/06/2006 6:17:29 AM PDT by RayChuang88
Are we too spoiled as a society to recognize the importance of soccer?
I was watching a television promotion for the FIFA World Cup Tournament the other day, and the theme of the spot was that this simple thing a little round leather ball can bring so much national pride, so much joy and so much energy to entire nations around the world.
Except ours, that is. Why is that?
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
'Cuz its a crappy third world sport played by sweaty little frenchmen with long hair.
Are you suggesting that Brits, French, Germans and Italians etc cant afford baseball gloves and bats; and football helmets, pads and cleats; and basketball hoops with a paved surface for dribbling; and used cars to "soup up" and so forth?
I was not talking about now, I was talking about back when the sports were taking hold in these cultures.
Forget the whole thing, it's not even my theory. I wish the post was deleted.
American football is not real football. Real football is when you kick the ball with your feet. That's how football in the rest of the world got its name. Lazy Americans substituted soccer because they couldn't come up with a term to describe carrying a ball in the hands across the field. The English already had rugby.
The game is nearly 2 hours long and doesn't really allow for commercial interruptions. You play for 45 minutes or until the refree decides the half time has been met, take a 20 minute break and then go out and play a second 45 minute half. It makes for low scoring since you have to run across the field while controlling the ball with your feet and deciding how to pass it to teammates. And if you do get lucky to get set up for a goal you have to do before the other team can set up a block to deflect the ball back or take possession of it. So its completely understandable why goals generate such fan passion precisely because its a rare event.
That was the Women's World Cup, which the USA won. If you don't remember it exactly, you probably do remember Brandi Chastain in her sports bra after she scored a goal on the deciding kick.
It's not saying much
when a "pretty" soccer babe
looks like Geddy Lee . . .
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