Posted on 06/11/2010 12:41:38 PM PDT by AJKauf
leaving politics aside, the reason that soccer has not arrived (and may never rise) to the first tier of professional sports in America is tradition and timing. There is no American soccer “tradition” as there is in baseball and football. Even basketball enjoys a tradition far beyond any national memories we have of American soccer....
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LOL. Soccer is the number 1 sport in the world. Nothing else is even close. I have no idea what you mean by the "culture that supports it." I have attended games all over the world from Indonesia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Guatamala, Israel, etc. Soccer transcends these cultures. And it is a great sport, not that I am telling you it is. The objective proof is in its global popularity.
Since I was in school in the 1970s, the teachers always told us how great soccer was. It was as if, since Europeans liked it, and Europeans were so cultured, Americans who didn’t like soccer must be very uncultured, and uncool.
You are too sensitive.
The metric system and soccer. Two things that were constantly presented to Americans, and two things we completely rejected. (Ok, so the metric system is useful, I’ll give you that). You can enjoy soccer, I have no problem with that, but I won’t, ever.
Too bad for you. But to each his own. I can enjoy football, basketball, baseball, etc. as well as soccer. All great games with their own appeal and nuances. It has nothing to do with culture.
BTW, The New York Yankees ARE the world champion of baseball, if you can find another team to beat them, let me know.
Actually, I would give an all star Japanese team a good shot at beating them. The Japanese won their second World Baseball Classic, making them perhaps the king of global baseball. The point is that baseball, unlike soccer, is not played in every country in the world. There is a much smaller universe of baseball players versus soccer players. Being a world champion in baseball means a much smaller world to be champion of. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
The New Orleans Saints ARE the world champion of football, if you can find another team to beat them, let me know.
Ditto. How many countries play American football?
Either the Boston Celtics or the Los Angeles Lakers will be the world champion of basketball, if you can find another team to beat them...
National teams from Argentina, Greece, and Spain could certainly beat them on any given day. They have proved that in the World Championships and the Olympics. But basketball is more international than either baseball or football. I have attended European final fours in Tel Avia and Zaragoza and the European national championships in Athens. The quality of basketball is very high.
Can you imagine Shaq or “Big Baby” Davis on a football pitch for two 45 minute halves? Steve Nash plays both well. It would be interesting to learn what his views are in terms of which requires the greatest endurance and fitness.
But it's like cream corn, if you don't like it don't consume it, but for cryin’ out loud what's the point of going on and on about not likin’ cream corn? Just turn the stuff off if you don't like it.
I think now with the emergence of Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN’s embrace of soccer, as well as the presence of the Internet, it’s much easier today for Americans to stay on top of game, as it happens in Europe. You can follow the English Premier League, just as anyone in England.
I remember the days when the only way for Americans to get English football scores was to listen to the BBC World Service on Shortwave.
Soccer doesn’t have substitutions? Does one typically play all 90 minutes? NBA players run a lot faster and it would be interesting to add up how many miles they run in a given game.
Agree completely. For some reason, there are people who view soccer’s universal popularity as some sort of threat. They rail on and on about how much they hate the sport and find it boring and unamerican. World Cup threads bring them out to gainsay the popularity of the sport and to ridicule those who enjoy watching the “Beautiful Game.”
Soccer has the boring lack of scoring of hockey, without the exciting brawls.
On the other hand, it’s more exciting than NBA basketball.
Indeed it is. My sweet wife introduced me to it. :)
I have a rule never to insult another Freeper. Your making it very hard.
What’s so tempting about that statement?
If that was the case, Americans would LOVE it!
Most sports are inexpensive—Basketball: a ball and a pair of sneakers. Football (not organized) a ball. The boys around here play pick up tackle football without pads. Rugby, a ball. Baseball, a bat and ball, a glove if you want to get fancy. etc...etc...etc...
Precisely. The whole team is submerged in collective action. Baseball gives individuals the chance to stand out, while participating as members of a team.
You are correct. In fact the “sport” I like best is mixed martial arts, even pro football is getting politically correct. NBA is just wrestling with a ball with the fix in most of the time. Baseball , anything that George Will and other eastern elites refer to in somber “ historic” terms is boring by definition. It’s so boring that the players needed uppers and roids to keep them awake. Hockey is great as a live sport but the tv doesn’t capture the feel and speed very well. Hard to see a puck.
Wow! I never heard of Irish Football, but I have been watching some of it on YouTube. Very cool! Thanks for the info.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIlsRsMMJUc
“The playing, yes. The watching, no.”
There are three sports that are somewhat analagous - polo, football (soccer), and ice hockey. Of the three, only hockey has a relatively big spectator (fan) following. I consider soccer and hockey both boring to watch. I also know how fanatical they are about their football - experienced first hand the three years I lived in Ireland.
They are probably “all over” it because Anglo-Americans are becoming the minority. Mexicans are taking over and they love soccer.
Sad, but true.
Neither had I until I spent 10 days in Cork....during the time of their finals...their "Superbowl". County Cork vs. County Kerry. I watched the game in a pub across from Blarney Castle with 2 of me mates. What a time we had!
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