Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Don't like BASEBALL!!! what are you, some kind of pinko commie fairy-boy?! go back to russia, you filthy goldbrickin' hippy! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

actually, it takes time to cultivate an appreciation for baseball, and it's worth the time. Baseball is an elegant and suprisingly exciting game. give it a shot.

[/ QUOTE ]

sounds like what i said about soccer.

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

I don't understand why people care what sports others enjoy, or why they try to defend a sport they like.

-Michael

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

Soccer is bar none the greatest sport on Earth.
Football is second best.


Ship__It.

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

Soccer needs to make a few changes to take the spot of my third favorite sport.

1) NEVER EVER EVER decide a game on penalty kicks.
2) Create a real penalty for defensive fouls (like a power play or something)
3) Don't award penalty kicks in situations where a goal might not have been scored (if not for the infraction).
4) Don't have on field officials (who often don't get the best view of things) decide suspeneions and fines.
5) Let the stadium clock display the official time (and preferably count backward).

There may be a few others that I do not recall right now.

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

"4) Don't have on field officials (who often don't get the best view of things) decide suspeneions and fines."

If you mean the referees, they do not decide suspensions or fines.

-Michael

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't mind soccer, however [I just wish they would do away with the silly rules (same for basketballexcept more so BTW)].

[/ QUOTE ]

what silly rules?

soccer has like 4 rules.

the only one remotely hard to understand is the offsides.

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

[ QUOTE ]
"4) Don't have on field officials (who often don't get the best view of things) decide suspeneions and fines."

If you mean the referees, they do not decide suspensions or fines.

-Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, sort of, with the whole sitting out the next match for 2 yellow cards, etc. Can have a pretty decent effect, although I think it's valid.

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

When a referee issuse a yellow or red card, he is often issuing a fine, or a suspention, or both.

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

[ QUOTE ]
the only one remotely hard to understand is the offsides.

[/ QUOTE ]

and it is a rule I don't mind at all. I began a list of silly rules here

Re: how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

Best soccer game that I've ever seen was Ireland-Germany a few World Cups ago.

The Irish were really dominating the whole time, but the Germans ended up scoring a goal sometime near the end of the first half or the start of the second.

After that goal, the germans went into defensive mode, and weren't really taking any chances with their win. The Irish were playing their hearts out, but it's kinda tough to get by like 5 defenders and 4 midfielders helping them out.

The British announcers were talking about the discipline of the German squad and how "Soccer is a game of 90 minutes and in the end the Germans win."

In injury time (the clock doesn't stop for injuries, but continues after normal time has elapsed, weird, I know), the Irish broke through the defense and scored a goal and it was just awesome.

Anyways, the game ended in a tie, but it was SO worth seeing. The stadium just errupted. I even jumped off the couch and yelled, and my roommate came upstairs to see what the hell was going on.

Awesome game.

Believe it or not, I actually meet soccer fans all the time who specifically remember that game.

--Dave.

Soccer's not really about scoring goals (though scoring goals is pretty cool). It's more about the strategy of the game and the little plays that lead up to the goals.