"Soccer is un-American."

The Clarion Herald ^ | July 1, 2006 | Father William Maestri

[Ebenezer]

Father William Maestri with the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana makes this damning (at least to soccer moms nationwide) remark in his latest column on The Clarion Herald, the Archdiocese's newspaper. The quote is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg as he rants in no uncertain terms against this sport which he mockingly calls "kickball".

But then, what is the Padre's sport of choice? Not basketball, not football, not even "the national pastime" of baseball. It's tennis; Wimbledon tennis!

The article is available only in .pdf format, so I urge fellow FReepers to access it through the source URL, read it, and reach your own conclusions. While I agree with Father's disdain for fútbol, "take me out to the ball game".....anytime.

[xsmommy]

there's no question that ice hockey is the greatest sport ever invented

exactly.

[Lazamataz]

You are getting excited just thinking about it.

I'm getting excited thinking about YOU.

Come, give me a kiss.

[Clemenza]

Hockey: Fun game to play, can't watch it. Kinda like Lacrosse.

[SmoothTalker]

Soccer has 90 minutes of action in a 90 minute game. Football might have four minutes of action in a four hour game. Play for five seconds, huddle for thirty, play for another three seconds, commerical break, etc, etc. Perhaps i'd like it more if I had a TIVO and could fast forward through 95% of the broadcast but until that point i'll take soccer.

[Central Scrutiniser]

The priest only dislikes it because its played by men and not young boys.

Soccer (football) is the best, all the teams I wanted lost however....

[leadpenny]

"And parents who don't want to put their kids in demanding, competitve situations."

You wouldn't say that face to face with my sons and the fellows they grew up with. All three of my boys played soccer in the competive Nothern Virginia leagues. They all crewed on varisty eight teams. And they played some basketball and tennis. All are well adjusted young men now. One is an Infantry Officer and Army Ranger.

I won't denigrate football or any of the other sports but my guys did just fine with the sports they did participate in.

[Lazamataz]

Pints are for sissies. Real men drink beer with a litre-sized stein.

.....with razors and sulphuric acid and salt and broken glass on the handle.

[Lewite]

Reply to post #3

You are so right. I do not want to play a game that requires me to hold up my arms and hands like a little girl. A lot of the soccer teams here have a lot of girls on the team, try that in any other sport.

[Eurotwit]

Alright, thanks :-)

Just like in football, not every game of soccer is great. I thought the Germany-Italy game was very exiting and intense, but tonights game was a bit of a bore.

Have a good day.

Cheers.

[BlessedBeGod]

Hasn't Rush said the same thing?

[ShadowDancer]

Trust me, he/she wouldn't say it to my nephews' faces either.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Totally gay? Try baseball, buncha wife beating tree stumps full of veternarians horse drugs standing and doing nothing for 3 hours. Or Nascar, bunch of inbred goobers watching a car go in circles for 5 hours woo hoo.

[KarlInOhio]

but there's no question that ice hockey is the greatest sport ever invented.

I love going to a rink to see a game. However it has never been quite as good on TV. You can't focus on a couple players at a time and get a feel for the whole game. Maybe with a big screen, high-def TV they could show half the rink at once and the picture would be good enough to watch it like it was meant to be seen.

[Alberta's Child]

Hockey is one of those sports that really has to be viewed in person. The game moves too fast, the puck is too small, and the ice is too large for television to do it any justice.

I usually describe hockey as the most popular sport in America -- except that we just don't realize it.

[Always Right]

Wimbledon is fun to watch but I have to turn the sound off. All that grunting and screaming they do everytime they hit the ball drives me up the wall.

Sharapova makes sounds like you would hear coming through the hotel wall.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... "Nancy boys" who can do that are probably in good enough shape to beat the crap out of just about any participant in any of the "more American" sports."

Seek help. A huge part of the outcome of a FIFA soccer match is the way in which a player can theatrically fall to the grass pretending he's been mortally wounded as if he's been walloped in the testicles by a garden weasel.

Once he's successfully captured the referee's attention and the penalty is awarded, he drops the act and resumes play as if nothing happened.

I can't think of a thing in professional sports queerer than pretending to be hurt in order to score points.

[Alberta's Child]

Soccer has 90 minutes of action in a 90 minute game.

Maybe the ball is moving for most of that time, but I don't think I would describe soccer as having "90 minutes of action" at all.

[cowtowney]

"Wimbledon is fun to watch but I have to turn the sound off. All that grunting and screaming they do everytime they hit the ball drives me up the wall."

You don't like to hear Maria Sharapova grunt?

Oops! Now that I mentioned Maria Sharapova, I guess we are required to have a few pictures.

[Clemenza]

Now golf is a largely heterosexual pasttime:

[wallcrawlr]

youre kidding right...

its hard to stand up after listening to sharapova do it.

:)