Posted on 08/19/2012 10:47:26 AM PDT by Jakarta ex-pat
I have just finished watching an absolute scorcher of a game between Manchester City and Southampton (the current league champions won 3-2) and would like to state my case why America needs to embrace this game ASAP.
1) Football (soccer) is THE premier spectator sport in the world.
This doesn't mean baseball, basketball, Ice Hockey, cricket, American football, rugby, Australian rules etc don't have a place at the table. But week in and week out, the thought that David can and does beat Goliath makes it genuine.
2) It can be played anywhere.
Unlike most team sports, no equipment is required to play except a ball. And I don't necessarily mean a football. The kids at my school use "paper" balls, and when I was a kid, we used sweaters for goal posts.
3) It is an international language.
With the chances of our children traveling internationally becoming far more frequent, to be able to communicate with others is a huge asset. Yes learning languages is important, but that's no good if you have nothing to talk about. The EPL is represented by almost half the world. Moreover it is the most watched league in the world. Having some knowledge of its stars and traditions does no harm.
Once again, I'm NOT saying other spectator sports are boring ( well ok basketball and baseball). But in this shrinking world, if you don't know Rooney from Drogba, Pele form Maradonna, or Juventus from AC Milan...you are left with talking about ....
Yawn.
Zzzzzzzzz......
Bor - ing.
We’re sports saturated. I’m flipping between the Detroit Tiger’s baseball game and the NASCAR race at MIS right now.
Soccer, the Preferred Game of Queers!
I didn’t really expect much agreement, but at least some constructive criticism?
Sorry, not for me. Kick, kick- zero-zero tie after three hours. Yawn.
Soccer is in fact the most popular amateur sport, as measured by numbers of participants and aside from the fact that the average age is probably 12, in America. But it’s very doubtful that a genuine professional league can succeed here on anything approaching the levels of the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL. As long as they’re satisfied with dwelling in the sports basement alongside Arena Football, Cage Fighting, and Pro Wrestling they’re welcome to have at it. Personally, I’ve got fresh paint on an interior wall that needs watching.
Sorry, a game just played with feet, legs, and head and forgets the arms and hands (except for the goalie) can be played by the rest of the world. Our best athletes play sports involving feet and legs as well as hand-eye co-ordination. Makes for better pilots and marksmen....
I must be the only right-winger who actually mildly likes soccer. I don’t go looking for it, since I really don’t care for athletic sports to begin with, but what little of it I’ve seen I like it better than basketball, football, etc. The ball tends to stay in play a lot longer......more suspense builds......at least that’s how I see it.
Well if they give them uniforms that spark on contact, or have a built in taser that will shock an opponent, oh and a remote controlled robotic eagle that will pluck out the eyeballs of anyone who commits a foul, and some cheerleaders all armed with AR rifles.....
I might be interested.
Never... It’s downright unamerican . Let the commies have it
Recently, I have noticed that media has been anti football and pro soccer. Is this just another way to “europeanize” the United States? According to several soccer moms I spoke to cuncussions are a big problenm in soccer especially among youth. Why is it we NEVER hear anything about it? Play soccer if you like, just leave football alone.
BTW, the world isn't shrinking...That's U.N. lib speak.
Problem is the U.S. government is dumping the world in our laps...Be it legal or illegal immigration, the U.S. government is turning America into an immigration dumping ground. And they bring all their cultures with them.
And the government could care f'n less there are tens of millions of Americans out of work.
I was raised watching Packers. Where I’m from, football is everything. Three years ago my daughter started playing soccer in high school. I was surprised how physical it is! Those girls should we’re football pads! And it’s fast too.
Don’t write off this sport until you have seriously followed a team for a while. It’s really fun.
As for the ability to relate to something much of the rest of the world watches, there s value in that, but the fun of the sport is the main draw.
I've never really thought about soccer in a left vs right wing approach. In the UK we we might look at it as a rich/poor divide (though this is a fallacy).
None of those are good reason to embrace a sport, even if they were true, which really they aren’t. The fact of the matter is soccer just doesn’t appeal to Americans, it’s not soccer’s fault, it’s not Americans’ fault, it’s just how it is. We’re not a good couple.
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