So I Watched Football Today

[Spunky]

http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/

 

[-Origin]

Made by Americans. I'm not surprised.

No offense whatsoever, but the Americans seem to be the only country in the world that thinks football is "gay". The ONLY one. It's the most popular sport in the world.

It's just something I noticed.

 

[Zeonix]

If regular football were like Aussie football, I'm sure America would watch. But seeing hockey players get their faces ripped off with skates, only to go back on the ice 3 minutes later, and then seeing a football player get shot by a sniper (had to be because the other dude was like 4 feet behind him) jump up, fall and start crying, only to get sprayed by that ****ing bottle of magic and hauled away is a little off putting.

Aussie football really is awesome, though.

 

[Spunky]

No offense whatsoever, but the Americans seem to be the only country in the world that thinks football is "gay". The ONLY one. It's the most popular sport in the world. It's just something I noticed.

I don't think it's only Americans that hate soccer. I've spoken to plenty of Europeans who hate soccer as much as I do. I just find it to be dreadfully boring. It's not even that I only hate soccer though. I hate most sports, including American football. I only sorta like baseball because I grew up surrounded by it. Pretty much every other sport can go to hell, except boxing and maybe MMA, despite how homoerotic it can be at times.

 

[KYnetiK]

If regular football were like Aussie football, I'm sure America would watch. But seeing hockey players get their faces ripped off with skates, only to go back on the ice 3 minutes later, and then seeing a football player get shot by a sniper (had to be because the other dude was like 4 feet behind him) jump up, fall and start crying, only to get sprayed by that ****ing bottle of magic and hauled away is a little off putting.

Aussie football really is awesome, though.

o/
Hear! Hear!

 

[-Origin]

Well Nix, I shouldn't have to tell you that that is not behaviour even footballers condone. I'm a footballer myself and the diving annoys me to no end. I could find videos on Youtube about American Football players tapping each other's asses and call it gay, but that's awfully generalizing wouldn't you say?

I can't find the video right now, but there's one bit of football I think is just an awesome display of some of the finer people in the sport. Euro 2000, Netherlands vs Czech Republic. Jaap Stam receives an injury to the head, goes to the sideline, and receives 8 stitches without flinching or anasthetic. THAT is the kind of football and football players people want to see. Even we don't enjoy all the theatrics. We enjoy good tactics, and well executed actions. Not the cheap diving.

What you guys seem to perceive as "regular football", ie the diving, theatrics, crying, and ass tapping, is an aspect of the game that neither the fans nor the footballers enjoy.

EDIT: Also, I think the sniper comment you're referring to was to Daniele de Rossi from last week?

[video=youtube;Iufnlu5842w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iufnlu5842w[/video]

That? Although I completely agree that his reaction was exaggerated, if you look closely in the replay, you can see that the player from Paraguary steps on his heel (0:14). With these shoes;

That hurts. Trust me, I know. It was a foul, but De Rossi's reaction was silly. That is what annoys me.

 

[Zeonix]

Well Nix, I shouldn't have to tell you that that is not behaviour even footballers condone. I'm a footballer myself and the diving annoys me to no end. I could find videos on Youtube about American Football players tapping each other's asses and call it gay, but that's awfully generalizing wouldn't you say?

I can't find the video right now, but there's one bit of football I think is just an awesome display of some of the finer people in the sport. Euro 2000, Netherlands vs Czech Republic. Jaap Stam receives an injury to the head, goes to the sideline, and receives 8 stitches without flinching or anasthetic. THAT is the kind of football and football players people want to see. Even we don't enjoy all the theatrics. We enjoy good tactics, and well executed actions. Not the cheap diving.

Though diving isn't condoned, it still happens. A lot. It's not something Americans are used to seeing, so they think its weaksauce. As for slapping each other's asses, well...the thing is...you know...all of it actually is pretty gay. Step into the shower room and brace yourself. It ain't pretty. But on the field, they're also killing each other, and outsmarting each other so it's alright. A slap on the ass < getting run over by a 400 lb, 6' 5" dude running at you like a locomotive.

The stitches are nice, but again, that's something Americans are used to seeing, especially with hockey. In football, it's not really an issue anymore not that they're armored. Before that, mother****ers were dying left and right.

But even in death, they kept playing.

Side note: What the **** is in that spray bottle? They've sprayed whatever it is on every kind of wound there is. Is it just water to cool them off? Is it magic? Is is vodka?

 

[-Origin]

Though diving isn't condoned, it still happens. A lot. It's not something Americans are used to seeing, so they think its weaksauce.

Well, and we see it too much. Doesn't mean we like it.

As for slapping each other's asses, well...the thing is...you know...all of it actually is pretty gay. Step into the shower room and brace yourself. It ain't pretty. But on the field, they're also killing each other, and outsmarting each other so it's alright. A slap on the ass < getting run over by a 400 lb, 6' 5" dude running at you like a locomotive.

I've played football for 18 years and I know how shower rooms can be, especially after a good game. It's teamwork, cameraderie. The feeling of accomplishing something together. It may sound cliché but that's how I experienced it.

Although I never appreciated the slaps on my ass.

And I really don't think football is such a softy sport. What you guys are seeing is the World Cup only. Especially amateur clubs are way rougher than what you're seeing. This is just a random video but it illustrates a lot of **** going on on the pitch;

(Turn off your sound btw, annoying music)

[video=youtube;y0MrIe6Z2hI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0MrIe6Z2hI[/video]

The stitches are nice, but again, that's something Americans are used to seeing, especially with hockey. In football, it's not really an issue anymore not that they're armored. Before that, mother****ers were dying left and right.

But even in death, they kept playing.

Yeah, but that's what we want to see too. Since we lack a good American Football or Hockey league here, I have to make due with Youtube videos. I grin from ear to ear when I see a fair tackle that knocks somebody out cold. I love that. As long as it's fair. Football is the same. I've never minded getting knocked down when I was playing, as long as it was done fairly. In fact, I loved the physical aspect of football, which is not usually portrayed well by these diving pansies.

Side note: What the **** is in that spray bottle? They've sprayed whatever it is on every kind of wound there is. Is it just water? Is it magic?

Heh, it's mostly a disinfectant with a mild anasthetic in it. They've sprayed it on me. Does **** all. And it's colder than a witches' tit.

 

[Zeonix]

That video is full of bad sportsmanship.

 

[-Origin]

Exactly. But it is rough.

 

[Zeonix]

All of this is completely real:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvgkl-3ze4k

He's 1200lbs. 15 feet tall. And he's bringing the pain.

 

[-Origin]

Laugh everytime I see it. Love it.

Coincidentally, that's the COOOOOOOOOOLE TRAAAAAAAAIN.

 

[Synth]

or...

[video=youtube;CtJOzE1GJWw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtJOzE1GJWw[/video]

ALL DAY!

 

[-Origin]

Achtung, baby!

 

[Deathshot]

Tennis>Boxing>UFC>Soccer

 

[-Origin]

Says you.

 

[Deathshot]

An Opinion is an opinion. What can I say?

I mean Soccer is ok to watch. I mean it just got a bit boring to me because we played it a lot in Gym from Elementry to High.

 

[Rocky]

I think American interest in soccer is pretty similar to Australian interest in the sport. A couple of years ago, Aus interest in soccer was pretty much nonexistent, then we get in the world cup and all of a sudden soccer fans spring out of the woodwork claiming they've always been fans and they love the sport.

Then Aus gets schooled by Germany 4-0 in the first game.

I do have legitimate pride in my country and support my national teams in every code, but the thought of all the sheeparoo's gathered up from nowhere to express their love for soccer and how they're such big fans of the sport, only to get utterly silenced by a better team (I'm assuming any European country is worlds above Aus in soccer) made me lol.

The reason I don't like soccer is cause I just find it really slow and boring, you'll sit through 90 minutes and nobody might ever score. I know people say the atmosphere is where it's at, but if I'm gonna watch sport, I want a reason to get excited, and 0-4 goals a game (I'm not sure what is average) is pretty unexciting.

AFL is okay, my preferred sport is Rugby though, League and Union, that's a tough sport, probably a little closer to NFL than AFL, also without the massive armour.

 

[Barney]

Footie was the first sport I played, so I have a lot of love for it. I'm the only American I know that has absolutely no care for basketball, I'm sure some of you Americans here don't care for it as well, but I mean people actually know anyways.

Since I'm a fan of league soccer too (Premiership, Italian League, and Spanish League) I love watching the World Cup to see how the players in these leagues get mixed around and how they play with each other.

About that last America game, that ref must have been on crack to make that awful call.

Anyways, football for the win. Definitely the best sport in the world.

 

[KYnetiK]

I totally appreciate that soccer is a BIG thing in England. The motherland is held up by the roots of its traditions,and footy teams are great fun for social sub-divisions. We in Australia are just as passionate with our footy rules, because we call it our own and its a root of our tradition. Half of us aussies are pretty much poms anyway, so we still experience the homeland passion for soccer, just not in the raw sense obviously.

Also Id like to add, the footy boots for AFL are pretty much identical to soccer boots, and these guys run up each others legs and back as a status quo. Not once have I seen an AFL player drop to the ground clutching his ankle/leg and writhe in agony, just because someones boot clipped his leg. Cant be that horrific, since both footballers can just as easily get back up and play on like it didnt happen.

Although, any sport when playing backyard-rules can easily become vicious. Usually in this situation I always appreciate the sport, because here the players are combatants, and this is where they can truly express their skills imo.