Sports

[b23k]

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I'm not voting, but I have to say what I always say: "Soccer sucks... and it's boring... minus fighting, soccer and hockey give us such thrilling moments as 1 to 1 ties after three hours of play... and often no shots on goal. Knock baseball, if you will, but every pitch is an opportunity for action. When the rest of the world catches up with American Football, then we'll all be viewing a great "modern" sport, instead of simply being fanatical about that to which we've grown accustomed.

What a simpleton! If you want to diss a sport, at least have the common decency to get your facts right. A Football match last 90 mins, not 3 hours (like every 'American' sport with a million commercials)

The thing is, I will not diss sports like American Football, Baseball etc cos I like them also. I would say however, that even though potentially like you say "every pitch is an opportunity for action", the fact is the game is 3 hours long, and who cares if you miss an inning in the 2nd or 4th? As long as you are watching at crunch time from the 7th onwards.

With Football, the moments that decide the game are more celebrated, more anticipated, because they are decisive. Football is tribal in Argentina, England, Brasil, Spain, Italy etc etc Most Americans can never appreciate the history and the meanings of teams like Barca for the Catalans, or Bilbao for the Basques, or Boca for us Bosteros, or Liverpool for an ugly scouser, your teams are 'franchises', and if things aren't going well, you simply pick up sticks and move to a different fucking City!!!!!!!!!

Well things aren't like that in Football, and people like you will never get it and its just a shame that twat Elijah Wood is making this stupid movie (Yank moves to England and becomes a hooligan..........please go back the 70's!)

The sad thing about the vast majority of Americans with their attitude to sport, is the emphasis on numbers and stats. Maybe in the MLS (which is a pile of shit) for the sake of you Americans, they should change the value of a goal, in America a goal should be worth 50 pts, then some of you muppets would glory in games that ended 150-100 (or 3-2 to the rest of the world)

No shots on goal? Look, if you hate Football, fair enough, most people outside America will tell you that we all hate the fact that Football is even played in America cos for one the commentators there use ridiculos language to describe the game, but more than that we know you don't like it, we don't want you to like it and the only way you could ever become remotely good at it is if all your players took drugs like all your athletes do. Even then, you would have the physical components, but your skill level would still be piss poor compared to the rest.

Apologies for the length of the post, hope you were able to hold a long enough attention span.......hey let me help you, look, look numbers......678, 382, 999, 222, 555, 749!

 

[Prime]

I have to go with Major League Baseball and NCAA Baseball or Softball in a tie with the National Football League and NCAA Football as the best spectator sports.

Basketball and baseball or softball are the best participant sports.

I'm not voting, but I have to say what I always say: "Soccer sucks... and it's boring... minus fighting,

Football not having fighting Go watch Roy Keane or the Leicester match yesterday or go to any of the Old Fim games in Scotland, you want violence you have it and they aren't all dressed up in padding so it hurts.

But why would you want fighting in your matches, if I want to see people fight I will go and watch Boxing!

And I agree with the guy above me but you can't forget the emotion of following your team and watching them go down and the skill involved in it watch the footwork of Ronaldinho, magical

:bowdown:

 

[b23k]

Thats a great point Prime makes, the Old Firm. I mean take an American to a Celtic-Rangers match, or to a Boca-River match, Barca-Real...and then they might appreciate its not 'just a game' its not 'just entertainment'...Football in many countries is a reflection of social divide, religious divide, class divide..its hatred and the pitch is the battle ground.

The nearest thing to compare in America is the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, but the problem is that rivalry is so one sided. And that it stems only from a little fat bloke (Babe Ruth). All that keeps it going is the suffering of Boston fans.....much like the rivalry at present with Real and Atletico.

Rivalries in sport are essential, and Americans are too insular in this regard because they miss out on the international stage, they are happy and content to play amongst themselves, but I feel sorry for them in the regard that they can't experience the passion and hatred and other emotions that I get for example when we (Argentina) play Brasil or England.

Baseball is not played to a high level anywhere other than USA, Japan...so the competition is not fierce to warrant mention.
Even in Basketball, Americans don't value international competition and often send weak teams to international tournaments, and I think I recall Ginobili led our nation to beat the US in a World event.

And the NFL, is purely a US product (and I love the product), but it can never be expanded to an international stage....and it certainly isn't going to take off with NFL Europe which is simply stiffs getting some playing time, with the odd gem like Dante Hall coming out once in a while.

Football just dominates the world, Americans need to just accept it, they don't have to like it.

The only thing I would disagree with Prime is the "pads" remark, NFL is a tough place to play, with 300 pound plus lineman coming at RB's giving away 100 pounds.

I can understand why he makes the remark though, cos he is just playing by the same argumentative rules that too many Americans live by, which is to not appreciate what is not their own!

I bet if the NFL was a sport that was played only in France, they would probably hate it......if its not American they don't like it. Thats a shame that you can't respect and appreciate the nuances and the passions of other Sports, even if you don't like the actual game itself.

However, they are good at being insular in that regard, and they are even better at bombing 3rd world countries with no WMD's and then wondering why the flowers aren't being thrown at them!

 

[sonny forelli]

football [soccer]:bowdown:

 

[Prime]

b23k ~ I used to play Rugby and when i typed that post I for some reason focused on the NFL and how they are all padded up, that is where I got the "pads" comment came from but I see what you mean


I also actually wished I had pads now :tongue:

 

[parker]

the only way you could ever become remotely good at it is if all your players took drugs like all your athletes do. Even then, you would have the physical components, but your skill level would still be piss poor compared to the rest.

I'm not much into sports as a spectator, but I've had this long-standing belief that the US could easily become a football powerhouse if it chose to. The population, facillities, and most importantly money are all there. In fact, I've long believed that the US could easily dominate any sport it chooses to, for the same reason... the only variable factor in the equation is "interest level," but even then if you throw enough money at the problem I'm sure you could find enough players to assemble a strong team for international events.
:2 cents:

 

[b23k]

I see where you are coming from Parker, but that is to assume that solely resources make a nation good at a sport rather than skill level and natural ability.

No matter how much money you want to throw at it, you can't make great players, you can only give them decent facilities to play in, which mean little, our players learn to play on the street (like a street basketballer if you like) and then they are cultivated by River, or Boca etc

Infact in Argentina, alot of criticism is directed at some of our players who become "Europeanised" meaning they lose their fantasy and their individuality and have become too much like Euro players, who have more emphasis on other aspects of the game (aspects which are important, but the feeling is Argentine players are not keeping their identity in some cases)

The current US football team, is as many suspected what it was always going to become, a team that is athletically very strong, and plays very robotic, systematic type football.....this is the natural way for a team to play that is still "learning" the game, to suggest the US will ever (either by design or not) ever be able to challenge the football powerhouses is a utopian idea, because firstly the MLS is very poor and that means you're choice of player is naturally at a lower level.

Believe me the USA will NEVER win a World Cup in my lifetime (I'm 23) or my children, or grandchildren.......It would be a disgrace to football if that ever happened, just like it was a disgrace that the WC went to the US in 94.

 

[b23k]

b23k ~ I used to play Rugby and when i typed that post I for some reason focused on the NFL and how they are all padded up, that is where I got the "pads" comment came from but I see what you mean


I also actually wished I had pads now :tongue:

I know what you were getting at, and when faced with comments about how Football is "3hours long, and there are no shots on goal"...i can understand the retaliation.

What i'm saying is, lets keep it a relevant discussion, NFL players are tough as hell, so are Rugby players (Union and League), and other sports also.

The difference is Rugby is not played by 300 pounders (at least not a high level anyway ), but the NFL is played by players of that size and bigger, hitting players who need some protection cos they are 100 pounders or more lighter.

Infact, US sports are funny like that, their national past time Baseball can have a player that is fat as fuck like Mo Vaughan (yeah i know he doesn't play anymore) and one that is in top condition like Javy Lopez.

Sad thing about their Sports is the lack of respect for the games they play, you have US athletes being let off drug bans all the time (as Kim Collins said), and you have players taking illegal substances in Baseball and American Football but the names are kept secret....until this BALCO case exploded.

 

[Famousbabes]

THE NFL baby!!

 

[Famousbabes]

BTW, balco wasn't giving banned substances to players.

 

[b23k]

BTW, balco wasn't giving banned substances to players.

I take it that this is your audition to become Marion Jones' lawyer?
Drugs is rife in the US Athletics team and has been for a while, the only true great US athlete of recent times I have respect for is Micheal Johnson, even Carl Lewis failed a test that was brushed under the carpet.

Its a shame if Barry Bonds really is guilty, or maybe its fitting that America's best baseball player of all time (arguably) is a drug cheat?

 

[SuperJudah]

I like boxing...but it dissapoint too much in terms of fights not even being made etc. But I dont think anything can top a big time fight like Delahoya/Vargas, Tyson/Holyfield etc.

But the NFL is consistently the best.

 

[Johnny Smoke]

Soccer Sucks!

Henceforth, it shall be refered to as the "S" word.

 

[Jackson]

Football (NFL) was always my sport. Then basketball, and then baseball. I play basketball the most though. The toughest athletes and most physically capable are football (NFL) players. Hell, look at me. The only thing bad about NFL football is that you get injured a lot, at least if you're like me. Whenever I play a game of football with my friends, I'm usually sore the next day despite a lot of stretching. Never happens when I'm playing basketball or baseball.

By the way you don't need pads to play football, most people who play football at a local park or whatever don't wear pads, you just need football cleats, a football, and you can play.

In football and basketball, you have to be in the best shape, even the fat offensive linemen in the NFL are pretty athletically talented. For example, there are freaks like: Larry Allen, who can bench 700 pounds, or Michael Vick or Randy Moss, both can run 40 yards from a standstill in 4.25 seconds, or Chris Chambers, who can jump 47 inches (yes, he can jump almost 4 feet). Pretty much the only things I know about is football, basketball, and baseball.

Soccer does dominate the world, but most people outside of the U.S. dont get much access to "American Football." They dont get to see it up close or in person, but I have watched a few games of soccer on TV and I don't like it much. The only thing I look forward to is the riots. I can't stand watching more than 10 minutes of soccer. Damn, this is tiring...

 

[Laibach]

According to The No ma`am commandments

1. It's okay to call hooters "knockers" and sometimes "snack trays."
2. It is wrong to be French.
3. It's okay to put all bad people in a giant meat grinder.
4. Lawyers: see rule three.
5. It is okay to drive a gas guzzler if it helps you get babes.
6. Everyone should car pool but me.
7. Bring back the word "stewardesses"
8. Synchronized Swimming is not a sport.
9. Mudwrestling is a sport.


I vote for Mudwrestling
:hatsoff:

 

[BassPlayer666]

I love hockey I have played it for 6 years and plan on playing college.
Dose not get anybetter then this sport.

Not only the best sport in the world but it has the toughest and the most fun position.

 

[Prime]

I love hockey I have played it for 6 years and plan on playing college.
Dose not get anybetter then this sport.

Thats one fucking hugh Trophy :eek:

 

[b23k]

Soccer does dominate the world, but most people outside of the U.S. dont get much access to "American Football." They dont get to see it up close or in person, but I have watched a few games of soccer on TV and I don't like it much. The only thing I look forward to is the riots. I can't stand watching more than 10 minutes of soccer. Damn, this is tiring...

Yeah but there is a reason for that, if many other countries had an interest (significant) in the NFL then it would be televised more in said countries. And i'm talking about the season as a whole, not just a show piece event like the Superbowl.

Here in England the NFL is a big deal, I can say that and know it cos we get more and more coverage all the time and more access. Then again, maybe i am wrong cos we get so much sport here to watch (thank god), infact I doubt there is any country in the world that offers as much coverage of a varierty of sports that we get here.

BTW, when I say "big deal" i don't mean the national press give too much of a toss, just that the game was quite popular before when it was only on channel 4, then it went back into obscurity, but has been rejuvanated the past few years and now we get more live games on Sky and Channel 5, and now we also have access to the ESPN shows on NASN.

I have even watched quite a bit of College Football on NASN, but that was more to do with the business i am in, however its been a good thing cos now i know more about the players when the draft comes along.

Like I said Football is the ultimate, but I am also a massive Tennis and NFL fan, I probably appreciate the NFL more cos the season is so short.......I'm glad i'm not someone who is purely an NFL fan and nothing else, how the hell do those people survive without getting their fix for so many months a year!:eek:

 

[Romario]

SOCCER...

WORLD CUP - BRASIL - 1958/1962/1970/1994/2002

PELÉ, GARRINCHA, TOSTÃO ETC ETC

IN 1994 ROMARIO WAS THE BEST!!!!

IN 2002 RONALDO WAS THE BEST!!!!:bowdown: :bowdown:

 

[Jaan]

Soccer does dominate the world, but most people outside of the U.S. dont get much access to "American Football." They dont get to see it up close or in person, but I have watched a few games of soccer on TV and I don't like it much. The only thing I look forward to is the riots. I can't stand watching more than 10 minutes of soccer. Damn, this is tiring...

This is again an example of the fact that most americans think that the U.S. is the world. I'm no football fan but you say it's boring, while I find that in american football you have like 5 min of active play and then 15min of doing nothing. Cause in belgium you can watch the superbowl on tv and that is boring, football is continues play. But the problem is that you haven't grown up with football while we (non-americans) haven't grown up with american football and that is what gives you interest in a sport.
And about the roits, that is bullshit, roits don't happen with every football match, it happens like 1 % of the matches, but that are the only matches you view, cause riots are intresting. And since football is the most popular sport in the world (not everywhere but statisticly speaking) the notion that it dominates the world is correct.