No one said it wasn't, except in claiming all sports are unimportant. Though, someone in the thread did say that football isn't important. There was a graph and everything.
Think football is important?
- Thread starter Pookie
- Start date
No one said it wasn't, except in claiming all sports are unimportant. Though, someone in the thread did say that football isn't important. There was a graph and everything.
Dick Campbell
Veteran
Now you've found the way to get Americans to watch :thumbsup:Maybe this will wake u up and get yer blood moving again
Tell that to the North and South Koreans...
Nice officiating.
Rick Meyer
Veteran
I can appreciate what you are saying. I get that cultural impact that soccer has around the world and the void that it fills. But, what you seem to be describing, that soccer is a game for the masses, rich or poor, for guys drinking pints in a bar seems to be the result of the natural evolution of that sport in those particular countries. The head-scratcher for promoters is why? How did it get to that point? It's a chicken or the egg thing and what came first? Is the game great so the masses fell in love with it and wound up crowding a bar to watch it, or as you describe, do the circumstances of the masses give them few options but to turn to the sport, fill a bar and elevate the significance of the sport?
I think the problem with soccer for many Americans is that we don't like our chains yanked. Nobody does. But, as I mentioned in another thread, soccer has never been big here. Yet, the guys with the big pocketbooks who stand to make a lot of money making it big here try to do everything in their financial power to jam it down our throats. It's obvious, it's manipulative and it's annoying. They have been trying to get us "hooked" on soccer for YEARS. Every chance they can, which is usually when the U.S. has a talented team, they ride that and hope this is finally the year we 'fall in love with soccer'. Then they will figure out out to work in commercials and create stars and sell jerseys and fill stadiums etc. There is no sense of letting our relationship with the sport develop naturally.
This is why baseball as boring as it is, is so popular here. Years ago before there was t.v. coverage, chain yanking and power suits telling us to like the sport, people fell in love with baseball and the players naturally. Now the owners and players can get away with capitalizing on the massive fanbase without feeling too manipulated. Until they hike the ticket prices up like they did at the new Yankee stadium. :angry:
The NFL is the same way. The popularity grew much more innocently. That's what a little QB named Joe Namath and and a dramatic "guarantee" will do for ya. But, that particular incident was unscripted and genuine and really helped to catapult the popularity of the game to a whole new level.
With respect to soccer, it never feels genuine.
This is a good point. But as Barry said, I'm sure they'd find a way to slip in commercials. Advertisers can be so slimy they'd body paint the players with corporate logos and make them look like racecars if they could get away with it.
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Michael Anthony Horrigan
More Cowbell Pictures
Yup. The officiating was terrible throughout the game. Both sides got away with some real garbage and plenty of non calls.
MAH
J Davis
Veteran
I remember watching a Millwall game in South London and the captain of the team put his knee into someone face using it as a prop as he regained his feet.
Doesn't matter what the cameras see, if the ref doesn't see it ... it didn't happen. It's a dirty game. That's the way it is.
Doesn't matter what the cameras see, if the ref doesn't see it ... it didn't happen. It's a dirty game. That's the way it is.
Michael Anthony Horrigan
More Cowbell Pictures
Happens in all sports, I know. Pretty damn big field that they are spread out over as well.
MAH
In this regard at least, the game is a good model of life in general.
Was kind of referring more to a player being called offfsides while being held, and a goal was called back because of it. That's not missing a call.
Should be the buzz on the all the sports shows for a little while.
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Just watched the NBA FINALS, Game 7 last night... that's a sport!
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Average World Cup Viewers in USA (per game) : 2.6 million
Viewers of Game 7 of Celtics/Lakers Game: 18.7 million
Viewers of 2010 Super Bowl: 106 million
Viewers of Game 1 of 2009 World Series (baseball): 19.5 million
Viewers of Game 6 of 2010 Stanley Cup Finals (hockey): 8.28 million
Viewers of Game 7 of Celtics/Lakers Game: 18.7 million
Viewers of 2010 Super Bowl: 106 million
Viewers of Game 1 of 2009 World Series (baseball): 19.5 million
Viewers of Game 6 of 2010 Stanley Cup Finals (hockey): 8.28 million
Barry_Green
Moderator
Yeah, but Brandon, you're missing the original point of the first post of this thread. That shows that everybody on the planet watched the 2006 world cup, five times each.
Barry_Green
Moderator
And hey, this has been a pretty fun thread...
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Yeah, but Brandon, you're missing the original point of the first post of this thread. That shows that everybody on the planet watched the 2006 world cup, five times each.
I was speaking strictly about the United States of America
to show that we (in general) have no interest in it... honestly, I've given it a chance... but it is SOOOO SLOW... Hockey has few goals scored, but AT LEAST it's fast and physical.
Pookie
Veteran
Yeah, but Brandon, you're missing the original point of the first post of this thread. That shows that everybody on the planet watched the 2006 world cup, five times each.
But Barry, you're overlooking the fundamental truth about the football fan[atic]...
Mear death does not end their loyalty to the game.
Football is life and death.
Hmm. Apparently the ref who revoked the goal either can't or won't say what exactly the foul was which prompted it.
Simon Höfer
Veteran
I was speaking strictly about the United States of America
If you are watching at home alone on your couch it might be slow, but you need do some public viewing. With this atmosphere it's on aother level!
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
shoot me now. Looks like a Nascar race...