how can you be a fan of this sport?
 

A TV behind me at the card room had an english club soccer game on it. At one point I looked up and saw on the CC "soandso has only had 17 points scored against them in the past 34 games" or something close.

W-T-F?

Seriously.

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

What a stunningly original and ever-so-timely observation. Are you a private investigator?

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

10x better than baseball.

I like soccer. It's more about appreciating the strategies and plays and set ups than appreciating a goal. A big defensive stop can be just as exciting. YOu just gotta know what to be watching for.

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

[ QUOTE ]
YOu just gotta know what to be watching for.

[/ QUOTE ]

Standard answer from defenders of Sports That Suck (tm)

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
YOu just gotta know what to be watching for.

[/ QUOTE ]

Standard answer from defenders of Sports That Suck (tm)

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Standard answer from people who don't understand.

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

[ QUOTE ]
10x better than baseball.



[/ QUOTE ]

Oh dear g-d I loathe baseball. I suppose this post will put me over the top for most hated poster.... Oh well. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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

Only boring sports have to have all their thrill be purely about the last few seconds where you score.

Football and baseball are so incredibly slow and boring that they NEED more points scored more often just to keep people from passing out while watching.

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

http://www.jimjagger.com/EricCantona.../Cantona_6.jpg

http://www.streaking.co.uk/queenofthesouthstreaker3.jpg

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

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.

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

Football and baseball, are just like soccer. You have to know what to look for. Football is about blocking scheems to clear a path for the runner, and getting an open receiver (and from the defensive side, overcoming blocking scheems, and covering receivers). Baseball is about selecting and executing pitches at a high level to get the batter out. IMO these are the two sports are the most interesting to watch.

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

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.

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

I should have been more clear. My favorite sport to play is soccer. My favorite sport to watch is football. Soccer is okay to watch but there arent really home teams I can root for. The only games I see on TV are on the spanish channel with teams from places that I don't even know where they are.


Ship__It.

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 ]

You know, I hate baseball too, but you're absolutely correct. Same with basketball. I can't appreciate either sport, but I don't really know what I'm looking for.

--Dave.

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

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the problem I think a lot of us have with soccer.

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

[ QUOTE ]
You know, I hate baseball too, but you're absolutely correct. Same with basketball. I can't appreciate either sport, but I don't really know what I'm looking for.

[/ QUOTE ]
From what I can tell, in basketball, you are generally looking for an excuse to complain about the officiating.

STRIKEBOX, er, area, or something
 

Since I don't know the term, I'll describe it.

I was watching baseball, and the area in which a ball has to pass to be considered a strike (what's this, above the knees, below the shoulders, and over the plate?), was outlined in yellow and the path of the ball was drawn on the screen (only in the replay).

Basically so that we could see if it was a strike and where the pitch was being aimed.

I thought this was pretty neat.

What do you guys think?

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

Thank you. Thank you.

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

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

-Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

If people thought like that, this forum wouldn't exist. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: STRIKEBOX, er, area, or something
 

the term is strike zone. I like it on replays, (and I would be in favor of using similar technology to call balls and strikes).

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

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


Ship__It.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bump. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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."

This isn't true. I am a high level referee. If there are suspensions or fines associated with cards, technically this is set by the league. Now of course the referee knows of these penalties in advance, but technically all his yellow or red cards mean is that the player is sanctioned for that match. What actions happen after that match are not the responsibility of the referee, even if the standards are set in stone by an unwavering league committee.

There have been cases where suspensions and fines have not been assessed, although they are more rare than should be.

-Michael

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

your a terrible person if you dont think soccer is by far the most competetive and fun to follow sport not based in america. I think world, but know that i will run into a lot of resistance with that comment.

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

[ QUOTE ]
[ 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 ]

A word of advice:

If the ref gives you a card, make sure that he's got time to take down your player number.

I once took a guy down somewhat illegally, and it made an awful noise. The ref was pulling a card and I figured I was getting a yellow. He pulled a red so I walked off the field.

I returned when asked, and then left once he took down the number.

However, in his book he wrote "gross unsportsmanlike conduct", and my coach had to go to a hearing for me to avoid being suspended for any longer than 2-3 games.

I wasn't trying to be a prick by walking off the field, it's just that in the moment, you're all pumped up with adrenaline and you're not thinking straight (not to mention being given a red card in front of like 50 people and letting down your team by putting them a man short).

So, let him take down the number.

But damn I love that game!

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

[ QUOTE ]
your a terrible person if you dont think soccer is by far the most competetive and fun to follow sport not based in america. I think world, but know that i will run into a lot of resistance with that comment.

[/ QUOTE ]

You forgot Noble and True.

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

This reminds me of another rule change soccer needs to make

6) Players should be ejected (sent-off) ONLY for unsportsman-like conduct, and even then, their team should be allowed to sent on a replacement. (I.e. not for agressive tackling etc.)

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

My point is that a fine or suspension should be issued by the league after a carefull review of the video, and other evidence. Suspensions should not be put into effect as a result of a referee's decision during the course of the game. (IMO, many of the offenses for which yellow cards are issued do not warrent suspensions even if they are committed a hundred times. More often than most soccer fans would like to admit, yellow cards are issued on plays that shouldn't even have have been fouls.)

baseball.... baseball... baseball....
 

IMO, it's all about going to a game.

on a nice day, there's very little that's better than going to the ballpark with good freinds, lazily watching the game as you while away the afternoon eating hotdogs and drinking beer in the sun.

...and then...

...the sharp crack of the bat hitting a ball just right interrupts your conversation- it's a particularly singular sound... the ball sails over the fence... all of the sudden, you're on your feet, clapping and screaming like a mainiac, giving high fives to strangers...

then it's back to your beer and stadium food for a couple more innings... maybe some freshly roasted peanuts, dropping the shells under your seat... the green grass... the community feeling that comes with sharing conversation with strangers that you do not know at all, but you do know that you have at least one thing in common...

...and then...

...once in a while, something truly amazing can happen... if you ever get to watch a pitcher work a no-hitter into the seventh or beyond, or you ever get to see a guy win a game in the bottom of the ninth... you'll be hooked. there is no other sport that is capable of attaining the level of tension and relaese that base ball can... waiting for the pitch, with the game on the line, the batter has lasers for eyes, concentrating inhumanly hard, waiting to try to hit a round ball with a round bat as a professional trys to throw it past him at 100MPH. he knows that he will fail 70% of the time or more, but the game is on the line, the crowd leans foward en masse...

the tension builds and falls like waves on a beach with each pitch. higher... higher... and in an instant (actually about 7/10ths of a sec).. it's either over or it's not... he's a hero or the goat...

baseball: its all about teamwork, but there is nothing as essential within it as the one-on-one confrontation as the pitcher trys to gun down yet another batter... it's a perfect metaphor for anything you'd like: it's life, it's death, it's democracy and brotherhod and rugged individualism, it's futility and suffering; it's glorious redemption and rebirth...

I could go on like this for hours. you should go to a game.

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

[ QUOTE ]
your a terrible person if you dont think soccer is by far the most competetive and fun to follow sport not based in america. I think world, but know that i will run into a lot of resistance with that comment.

[/ QUOTE ]

rugby
aussie rules football
sumo wrestling
that Afganistan game where they use a dead goat for the ball
tennis
golf
curling
cricket

Re: baseball.... baseball... baseball....
 

I couldn't agree more.

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

Oh man, sumo wrestling is awesome, but I've only ever seen maybe a half hour of it.

I need more, damnit! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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

Any game that can end in a tie as much as soccer does is lame in my book. Not just a tie but a 0-0 tie. I know most of the world disagrees but it's a horrible sport. I think it's so big in impoverished countries because you don't need much equipment to play it. A ball and some sticks or rocks to mark the goal and you are ready to go.