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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsSix specific reasons why soccer blows
1) The game clock counts up instead of down and never stops. So, it counts up to some period (can never remember what it is) plus some minutes for stoppage (never know what that is either). This is less dramatic than a countdown to freaking ZERO.
2) Not enough scoring. If a team miraculously gets a 2-point advantage at halftime, they act like the game is all but over. Zero to zero final score is a thing. Ties are way too common.
3) Most scoring occurs on penalty kicks. Goalies often jump the wrong way. Why don't they just do a coin flip for the point instead?
4) Injuries seem largely faked. NFL players roll around on the ground in agony far less than these candy-asses. Get up and rub some dirt on it.
5) You can get penalized for merely kicking the ball to your teammate. OK hockey has this too, but at least hockey violence is real.
6) Announcers get way too excited when there is no actual scoring action. If you are listening to it in the background, you'd think the score is 24-23 (instead it is probably 1-0, or 0-0). Calm down, euro-dudes.
Did I forget any?
Walleye
(31,119 posts)Also the stoppage thing. In high school wrestling its called blood time. Ive covered a lot of sports as a News photographer hated soccer almost the most. Especially that you never know when the game is ending
underpants
(182,988 posts)Walleye
(31,119 posts)underpants
(182,988 posts)Americans are used to static sports where nothing happens for 70% of the event. Basketball, like all sports involving a ball*, is derivative of fütbol.
*baseball is the exception but its odd in a lot of ways. Oh, and BORING.
jimfields33
(16,070 posts)Baseball, golf, soccer, and tennis. The best I guess is football. Basketball has its moments.
Shermann
(7,471 posts)underpants
(182,988 posts)The control of the ball they have is amazing. 20-30 yards apart 2 or 3 or 4 people all recognize what the plan is instantly. They then try to execute it in a surprisingly accurate way (with out the use of thumbs or flipping the wrist).
Coventina
(27,223 posts)I love football! (As it's known everywhere but here).
Response to Shermann (Original post)
Botany This message was self-deleted by its author.
3catwoman3
(24,088 posts)No spoilers.
hlthe2b
(102,494 posts)I'm not a soccer fan, but it is riveting!!!!
Walleye
(31,119 posts)I admit Ive been watching these games and now France has tied it up, unbelievable
dem4decades
(11,317 posts)How about 40 seconds of huddle, a 4 second play, another minute of untangling the bodies, followed by another 40 seconds of huddle, etc.
hlthe2b
(102,494 posts)Soccer, like it or not, has the sheer continuous athleticism that is only occasionally evident in western PRO football-- a bit more so in collegiate.
underpants
(182,988 posts)Football has set game play stoppage to sell ad time. Consumerism is a big part of our football.
dem4decades
(11,317 posts)Jilly_in_VA
(10,041 posts)Even if you go to a game in person. BORING.
underpants
(182,988 posts)Watching Steelers and Panthers because Dallas is blowing out the Jags.
yonder
(9,685 posts)With the exception of halftime, there is no room for the all important broadcast commercial. If my opinion is correct, it shines an ugly, capitalist-pushed, consumerist light on why any sports are even broadcast in this country.
Throughout the world, Futbol is watched and enjoyed by billions of people. It is sometimes played with little more than a ball and a pitch. Because it is universally played by people of all sizes and abilities, it is also a good athletic measuring stick. Why not in America where the sports emphasis is on large people, expensive equipment, flashy venues and too much TV-fed testosterone?
It seems that here selling more shit comes first, the American version of professional sport, second.
underpants
(182,988 posts)The pentagon stitched ball was developed for the 1974 World Cup hosted in WEST Germany. After the 72 Munich Olympics it was part of the reintroduction of Germany back into the world. 5 hour time difference to the US east coast. The common and accurate perception that seeing the spin on the ball is key. Soccer balls at the time generally were white like a volleyball. The pentagons allowed specifically American audiences to see the spin.
TV has struggled forever with ads on soccer. Early US presentations actually had commercials. If there was a score they replayed it.
LakeArenal
(28,863 posts)Even in Spanish the excitement is contagious.
Fans on tv are way more violent than watching with a group of fans.
For the record: Flops are part of the game. Young kids practice flopping on the school field. The kids playing next door practice flopping. Its considered part of the game and they practice to be good at it.
To me thats way better than actually hurting each other.
When your team gets the other them carded, its as good as the goal. Almost.
MLAA
(17,360 posts)I got a smile out of your assessment. Number 6 particularly resonates and it goes double if you flip over to the Mexican station, the excitement level is through the roof.
France just scored twice in the last minute to tie up the match!
JT45242
(2,313 posts)Offside is ridiculous, it rewards lazy defense. Imagine in basketball, a breakaway pass being a penalty instead of a funk.
Or in football. The WR outruns the safety...no touchdown.
underpants
(182,988 posts)People who dont come down to play D in basketball are frowned on. Not an official rule but its just not considered cool. After maybe one but after a while no one passes to the cherry picker.
Soccer could be like that if not for the offsides.
dem4decades
(11,317 posts)hlthe2b
(102,494 posts)sad, but sometimes your assumptions need to be tested.
underpants
(182,988 posts)Fox better not switch this over to another channel for the NFL.
bucolic_frolic
(43,443 posts)They should shorten the field 25% and use two goalies per team
relayerbob
(6,561 posts)as soon their salaries match those of teachers
AZSkiffyGeek
(11,136 posts)Gotta make sure everyone knows you dont care?
The best way to show you dont care is to just keep scrolling
relayerbob
(6,561 posts)you chose mine. Weird.
hlthe2b
(102,494 posts)Phenomenal players and spirit.
Jilly_in_VA
(10,041 posts)then don't watch it. It's not necessary to come here and trash the game.
vrguy
(236 posts)How much time people devote to stuff they don't like!
hlthe2b
(102,494 posts)it is now. This is an incredible and apparently record-setting game of "firsts."
Shermann
(7,471 posts)3catwoman3
(24,088 posts)...on someone else's parade.
I find American football and baseball both rather boring. Golf, too. This post being a rare exception, I don't either start threads or add to threads bashing that which others enjoy, be it a sport, a genre of music or films, a type of cuisine, whatever.
Shermann
(7,471 posts)snowybirdie
(5,248 posts)Broadcast of football if it doesn't end soon.
hlthe2b
(102,494 posts)Jilly_in_VA
(10,041 posts)This is REAL football. Not hand and charge and hit ball.
3catwoman3
(24,088 posts)- Not enough scoring - are there no NFL games where very few touchdown are scored? Of course there are. Would you find it any more palatable if a soccer goal was worth 5 point instead of 1? I'm guessing you wouldn't.
- Penalty kicks - there are plenty of games where no penalty kicks are awarded. PK are expected to go in. They are successful 75+% of the time. A dramatic save is very exciting.
- Candy asses? Hardly. A soccer player who pays the whole 90 minutes of regulation time may run up to 7 miles in a game, especially the midfielders, who have to cover both sides of the pitch. In American football, the average play lasts 4 seconds, and in an entire NFL broadcast, the ball is in play for about 11 minutes. I'd like to see an NFL player run for 90 minutes.
Shermann
(7,471 posts)Some are high-scoring shootouts.
Some are blowouts.
The variety makes it unpredictable and interesting.
The most candy-assed World Cup player could still kick my candy ass, I wouldn't take me too seriously.
Shermann
(7,471 posts)hlthe2b
(102,494 posts)with vertical stripes in echo of the horizontal ones on their flag.
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