So I Watched Football Today

[Ness]

I guess that also means Greece have a great football team, as they won Euro 2004. Not.

 

[Zeonix]

Simply put, Americans commercialise their sports too much. It's more of a commodity in America than it is a sport; proffessional sport is almost a form of show-business in America. Cheerleaders, mascots etc. With football, aside from the wages and the occasional gossip and WAG drama, it still remains a sport (until people like the Glazer family started buying out teams and running them into debt). That's one reason football isn't popular in America.
Secondly, no offense, Americans, but anything that you guys aren't that great at, you generally turn a blind eye to it. It's only with the recent success of the USA in the confederation's cup last summer that Americans started becoming interested in football, and with high-profile (but crap) players like Beckham moving to the USA to retire after their careers in Europe, it began to pick up momentum.
This is my reasoning as to why football isn't popular in the states.

The first reason isn't really a reason as sports don't become commercialized here until they become popular. Were football to become huge, we'd throw 400 commercials at it. As to why Americans aren't good at football, it's because all of our best athletes choose to play sports that they've grown up with, which is usually baseball, NAF and basketball. If it had more of a following here, then we wouldn't have bottom of the barrel athletes representing us internationally.

For me, I didn't really care about football because of European attitudes towards Americans in regards to the game. "ITS FOOTBALL NOT SOCCER!" Well, okay, but it was the English who created the term to differentiate it from rugby football, and American football is an extension of rugby football, so we kept calling it football and stayed with soccer as a means to differentiate between the two. But, you know, let's keep being pretentious about the name. That always wins fans. Little things like this make it difficult to convince others football is worth watching.

 

[GATE Elemental]

I guess that also means Greece have a great football team, as they won Euro 2004. Not.

Think with me... its simply not easy to get to a world cup. If there were just lousy teams it woudn't be so important.
I can guarantee you that USA has a nice Football team gathered around. At least they are getting their jobs done which is VERY important in a world cup.
Greece simply lack of feets. Their players are wooden legs pirates.

 

[Ness]

The first reason isn't really a reason as sports don't become commercialized here until they become popular. Were football to become huge, we'd throw 400 commercials at it. As to why Americans aren't good at football, it's because all of our best athletes choose to play sports that they've grown up with, which is usually baseball, NAF and basketball. If it had more of a following here, then we wouldn't have bottom of the barrel athletes representing us internationally.

For me, I didn't really care about football because of European attitudes towards Americans in regards to the game. "ITS FOOTBALL NOT SOCCER!" Well, okay, but it was the English who created the term to differentiate it from rugby football, and American football is an extension of rugby football, so we kept calling it football and stayed with soccer as a means to differentiate between the two. But, you know, let's keep being pretentious about the name. That always wins fans. Little things like this make it difficult to convince others football is worth watching.

You make it sound like we want you as fans =s
Ever since Americans took interest in football over the last 2-3 years, it's been nothing but financial problems!

 

[Synth]

You make it sound like we want you as fans =s
Ever since Americans took interest in football over the last 2-3 years, it's been nothing but financial problems!

You guys must have your own version of Fox News, where you blame everything on the US.

http://european-football.suite101.com/article.cfm/uefa-tackles-european-footballs-debt-problem

It looks like your owners just went nuts... 'tis all.

 

[donnierisk]

I live in South Africa and I was at the USA vs. Slovania game. I was surprised to see that probably about half of the stadium was filled with Americans, didn't know that they had such a great deal of interest in it. I ended up cheering for USA because the Americans next to us threatened us in their drunken state that a brawl would break out if we don't lol was fun to watch and I find your accents entertaining (not in a bad way).

The vuvuzelas are horrible and totally destroy the experience, can't hear anything when they start blowing, ended up buying damned earplugs.

 

[Zeonix]

I live in South Africa and I was at the USA vs. Slovania game. I was surprised to see that probably about half of the stadium was filled with Americans, didn't know that they had such a great deal of interest in it. I ended up cheering for USA because the Americans next to us threatened us in their drunken state that a brawl would break out if we don't lol was fun to watch and I find your accents entertaining (not in a bad way).

The vuvuzelas are horrible and totally destroy the experience, can't hear anything when they start blowing, ended up buying damned earplugs.

Sounds like you encountered southerners.

 

[Grega]

That game was like terrible.

2:0 in the first half then our guys went on the defensive. Man i was so pissed at that decision >.<

 

[Ness]

You guys must have your own version of Fox News, where you blame everything on the US.

http://european-football.suite101.com/article.cfm/uefa-tackles-european-footballs-debt-problem

It looks like your owners just went nuts... 'tis all.

The Glazer family began it actually. They bought out Manchester Utd, but only took from it; didn't put anything into it. As for Chelsea and Abramovich, he at least pumps money into Chelsea; as does the new owner of Manchester City, and the new chinese owners of Birmingham City. Manchester Utd has been in nothing but financial chaos since the Glazers took over, but I guess that's not the fault of Americans, right? Buy out your own country's teams please, leave European and South American football alone. Let it remain a sport instead of another financial investment.

Btw, teams have been in debt for years, it's only the last 4-5 years that the debt has become mountainous with the new takeovers

 

[Zeonix]

Tell European and South America to stop selling, and our companies will stop buying.

 

[KYnetiK]

I love soccer. Great fun to play. Absolutely appalling to watch.

Firstly, football/soccer aint a sport anymore. Its a business, an advertising and gambling industry in of itself. The 60s and 70s were the heydays, some great footage if you look for it.
Second, the players these days need to harden the f*** up, and learn to use tactic instead of exploitation to gain field. They seem to lack the ability to take any physical strain and just get on with it.
Thirdly the umpires are terrible, and I suspect are just really bad (compared to other sports) at creating the illusion that they arent corrupting the game.

And lastly, the pace and energy, the tactics of moving the ball down the field, the physical chaos, all pales in comparison to Aussie Rules football. No protective gear, full contact, athleticism, no whining, intelligent disposals and shepherding, all in a high energy game.
Ive reached the conclusion that the only exciting thing about soccer is the scoreboard. The fact a digit actually changes is why theres any jubilation at all. The only things driving soccer derives from nationalism and monetary interest. The game itself appears to me irrelevent, and is probably only still here because of tradition and advertising potential.

I highly recommend watching AFL, this season has been particularly kinetic [sic]

 

[Zeonix]

Is there a place online that I could check out AFL?

 

[KYnetiK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9NQ5sLDn34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKnQOn4q5YM
Just something quick for ya

 

[Zeonix]

It's like American football with smaller dudes and no gear.

Also:

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/wo...er-dropped-call--fbintl_ro-fifaref062110.html

 

[-Origin]

I lolled.

 

[Baaja]

I have to say something about soccer, and that is how the more southern european teams tend to to have a physical breakdown when you so much as tap their backs gently with an open hand.... It's true. My take on it is, if you want "beautiful" (dribbling, having control on the pitch) football/soccer then watch the Spanish League, La Liga, nuff said. BUT if you would like to watch some real matches (more gritty i.e more tackles and no *****ing afterwards), then check up on the Brittish League, Premier League... Now that's something real right there. Good referees, no whining and the crowd and followers are amazing.

 

[Synth]

I lolled.

QFT .

 

[Sicron]

Origin won this thread.

 

[Deathshot]

Tennis is better. Only sport that required hair on the balls.

 

[GATE Elemental]

Oh my god!!!! LMFAO.