Posted on 06/27/2014 8:16:11 AM PDT by Kaslin
I think the points have been made:
— Soccer is largely a tedious game featuring long stretches of uneventful play punctuated by the all-too-rare moment of scoring;
— The clock concept is infuriating. We love the 45-minute halves with no commercials, but then the arbitrary one or three or six minutes of “extra time” violate every concept of precision that a clocked sport should have;
— Soccer has its fan base, and it is not small; but the pressure on America to embrace it to some far larger degree is absurd. We simply never will as long as we have other sports featuring far deeper intrigue.
I have spent a lot of time during World Cup 2014 making these very points against those passionate souls who have insisted that this is the year, this is the time, now is the juncture at which America welcomes soccer in a fashion approaching football, baseball, basketball— hockey, maybe ? Golf? NASCAR?
Nope. Not going to happen. They say never say never. I’m saying never. Soccer will never— ever— reach consistent viewer levels approaching even our fifth or sixth most popular sports, in terms of TV ratings and attendance.
The attempt by elites to cram soccer down our throats are comical, as we are made to feel like rubes for not embracing the sport most of the world loves— because most of the world doesn’t have anything else.
That said, I have heard the diatribes and read the columns crafted by people pushing back against soccer fever— and enjoyed them all, and agreed with most.
But with the USA team’s improbable path into the World Cup’s final 16, I want to offer advice to all the soccer critics— everybody gets it. Points made. Now shut up and root for the Americans.
There has been a window for slapping soccer around. It was wide open for the opening games, when soccer dorks scolded anyone not embracing the sport as God’s greatest gift. We gave as good as we got, and we won. Even the late-arriving bandwagon types knew they were crowded into various venues for two reasons— first, the USA was playing, and second, we understood what a big worldwide deal it is.
As soon as America is ousted— and that could well be after the Belgium game Tuesday afternoon— this entire phenomenon evaporates. We will not gather by the thousands to watch Argentina battle Colombia. But if we can get by Belgium and make the Final Eight— the nation will be going crazy, and everyone keeping the soccer hate alive will come off looking like a bunch of jerks.
I say this with all love to people I share a lot of space with. Conservatives in particular have had a great time savaging soccer— from Ann Coulter, who properly taps the brakes on any sport where girls compete alongside boys, to Marc Thiessen, who crafts a sublime argument that soccer is socialist.
But the fact of the matter is that the world plays it, the world cares about it, and the United States of America might just crash the party even further.
If we do, there is only one proper reaction: celebration. By dinnertime Sunday, July 13, the World Cup final will be over. The USA team will probably not be involved. The next day, America will return to its default soccer setting of ambivalence leaning toward disinterest.
All the critics will have been proven right. There will be no burst of marketplace appetite for soccer in our daily, even yearly lives.
But between now and whenever the USA is done, if the whole World Cup thing is too boring for you or too foreign or too whatever— keep it to yourself. Thousands of your countrymen will be busting their behinds to excel at a game the world cares about a lot more than we do— which should be cause for enthusiasm. We all know American football, baseball and basketball are far better than anything other nations can offer up. As such, American successes in those sports on a world stage are not so surprising.
But for a team of Americans to fight its way out of a group containing three teams from nations that live and die for soccer? To face next week another country that does not have Jack Squat except for soccer? For us to excel in that context makes me enormously proud, even with my pocketful of criticisms for what the world calls “football.”
I know what football is. It is the punishing, compelling, high-scoring affair culminating every year in a Super Bowl that excites me more than any soccer game ever will.
But right now, a team of Americans is trying to win a tournament followed by more human beings than will watch any Super Bowl. I, for one, will cheer for them to win it. And to all of you who have sought to show us how cool you are, or how conservative you are, by bad-mouthing soccer? Stow it for a while. Not because you are wrong, but because large throngs of your fellow Americans will be rooting for our nation to do well on this world stage. And a handful of your countrymen wearing our colors are fighting hard to make us proud.
So let’s be proud. We have the rest of our lives to push back against those who overstate soccer’s appeal. Until our fellow Americans are shown the door, let’s appreciate them by not denigrating their field of battle.
Never? Soccer has throw-ins, and goalies do use their hands.
you toss in relegation and you have one of the most results-oriented, capitalistic sports out there
Oddly though, I am suddenly in the mood for women's tennis....
You’ve just described baseball.
Nope.
Yes, but do you think (I don’t know, not knowing the game) that tossing the ball into play is a big deal? The fact that the goalies can use their hands does not seem important to me in that they represent just a tiny fraction of the players, all of whom cannot use their hands—aside from the minor point above.
I mean, contrast that with baseball in which the players both throw the ball, catch the ball, and hit the ball by use of their hands, all of them. I think that it’s ludicrous to think of soccer as skilled when they are tasked with running down a field and kicking a rather large ball; contrast that with someone holding a bat and trying to hit a small object traveling at speeds in the area of 100 mph, without knowledge of whether the pitch will be thrown with tremendous velocity, off-speed, curving, dipping, all the tricks of the pitcher, who is fairly close to the batter.
I see no parallel in the skills displayed. But then again, the two of us probably wouldn’t agree on much of anything in terms of sports.
Amateur analysis by the author, but an interesting piece.
The ball is in play in an American football game for only about ten minutes out of sixty. The rest is spent standing around. Basketball is a caricature at the professional level.
I like games where scoring means something. Soccer is supposed to be hard, supposed to be difficult, and being good at it is supposed to be a thing of beauty. What could be more American than succeeding at a game where the odds of success are so highly against you?
And why the heck don’t people get into the idea of Americans beating the world at its own game? Millions of our kids are getting the idea, which is why articles like this will thankfully become less and less frequent over time.
But yes, root for Sam’s Army.
Please tell me why you think so.
Of course, soccer, like any sport (even if I dislike it) is skilled.
Soccer players have to pass at speed, control the ball at speed, go past the opposition, cross the ball, shoot, all this asacurately as they can, again, at speed. And the higher levels of the sport demands all this be done at top speed. And all this whilst the opposition is trying to sop you, by fair means or foul.
You try passing a perfect long pass at speed 30-70 yards downfield, you try to dribble past players at speed whilst retaining complete control of the ball, you try to get past players and shoot or cross for a teammate. Again, all this at speed and whilst multiple members of the opposition, all equally as fit and big as you, some bigger, are trying to stop you.
Soccer takes great skill. And top soccer takes skill only 1 in 10000 will have to make it as a top professional.
This morning on Fox News Channel, some anchor was setting up the topics for the what was next after the commercial, and he said; "and, what about those people who don't like soccer". Well, what about us? I don't like watching basketball or golf. Yet, most people would say, so what. Not with soccer. For some reason, I MUST watch soccer, not only that, I MUST like soccer.
This to me is the reaction that Conservatives get when disagreeing with the Left. We cannot agree to disagree, we MUST agree. And we MUST agree with the left-wing angle of whatever topic. The Left has been pushing soccer on us since I was a lot (I mean a LOT) younger, it has been decades of how we need to play soccer 'cause Europe does. Ya know, Europe being so much more sophisticated than us rubes. I don't know how old you are; but, if you hang around long enough you remember this stuff. So, this push for soccer has been going on for a long, long time and it has mostly been left-wingers who have been doing the pushing. If it was an interesting game that people liked, you wouldn't need non-stop pushing of it; but, it isn't, so we are constantly told how exciting it is; but, when we watch we keep waiting for the excitement to start.
Also, ties? I believe Americans tend to like definitive endings. Someone wins. Even if it takes extra innings. To sit and watch for 3 hours and not have a definitive win is frustrating to say the least.
So, there is my rant about soccer.
Did you watch Brazil/Chile yesterday? Just curious.
Or better yet, try it while someone is sliding across your shins with studs up with a decent possibility of snapping your leg like a twig if it’s done wrong.
BTW, thank you very much for your PMs about our beloved RFC. I’ve had a huge week and will reply soon.
Since it was soccer, I would think you would realize that the answer is NO!
That’s why I asked the question. If you had watched, you’d have refuted your own argument. But I do admit it’s more convenient to slam a tie-breaking procedure without ever having seen it.
?!
The best sport in the world is University of Georgia football.
The 2nd best is the rest of SEC football.
The 3rd best is the rest of college football.
Soccer will never succeed here until the Herschel Walkers etc. choose to spend their mercenary years playing it.
And, you have proven my point that people who don't like soccer will be badgered until they say that they do.
The fact that some of those pushing the game in the US are of the left hardly makes it communist. Separate the sport from the fans. After all, I am sure that committed neo-nazis enjoy it as much as Jews.
As a sport, in fact, its the most capitalist of sports. In fact its YOUR sports that are set up in a socialist fashion: drafts, no relegation, salary caps. North American sport is designed to equal everybody out, with NO punishment for mediocre play.
BTW, I love soccer, and I think its a great game, not boring at all. I can take you to game here in Scotland and I assure you youd be gripped. Far more exciting than baseball. Which sorry I find a 4hr bore. Gridiron I enjoy actually, really into the CFL these days. Even so, I find the sport too long, but am used to it after 30+yrs of watching.
Sorry, I will take soccer and rugby anyday. Perhaps you might enjoy the latter more than soccer?. 80m, brutal, more suited to someone who watches the NFL. Which after all is rugby’s American child.
Go Kings.
A sport is exciting when you are vested in a team, and at least have some familiarity with players, and history.
That’s the big hurdle that soccer faces in the US. But more and more people here know the big names, like Messi and Ronaldo, and know of the big Euro teams, like Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, etc.
I think most people would find, say a Division III college football game hardly anything to get excited about, unless, they were an alumni of one of the schools.
Again, you are badgering me. Why, oh why, can you not allow me to not like soccer. No where in my posts did I insist that you like a sport that I like. I don’t care what you like, just quit trying to make me care about soccer. Ain’t happening.
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.