Explain the allure of soccer to me.

Soccer... I just don't understand the excitement over it. I've tried to get excited about it but can't. Tell me why I'm a neanderthal and would'nt know an exciting and sophisticated competition if it fell on my head. Soccer is wildly popular around the world so there must be something to it. If you're soccer fan, what is it about the game that keeps you coming back for more? If soccer is'nt your cup of tea, why are you disinterested?

My opinion is it takes way too long for anything exciting to happen. By the time something does happen my short attention span has me contemplating the nuance of various ales or the virtues of the bar maid's sweater. Just for comparison, some competitive sports I do think are exciting are; true football, ice hockey, rugby, and rally/raid racing.

There is no allure to soccer.

It's a sport for those that enjoy standing around yelling and screaming and getting drunk for no reason.

Wait, that is the allure to most sports. Sorry, my bad.

Personally, I don't like watching it. I have no interest in supporting it but that goes with the majority of professional sports. I enjoy playing it, it is a "fun" sport to play just not one to watch. If forced to watch, I prefer the women's game to the men's. They seem to be more active in passing and strategy where the men seem to just want to do it all themselves and/or kick it the entire length of the field repeatedly back and forth.

soccer is like watching paint dry!

Guys,

A couple things about soccer. "It's a gentleman's game played by thugs." second thing, the ball is always in play, so there is no letup. It's like basketball, except there are only a few baskets in a game. The play is the thing.

I couldn't care less about watching the game but have enjoyed playing it. All it takes is a ball and a vacant lot. It's a kick, so to speak. If you play the game you would probably appreciate and understand what the pros are doing. My own thought is that soccer fans tend to be soccer players, or ex-players, or maybe future players. And there are a **lot** of soccer players ut there in the world.

I don't watch soccer. I don't watch other sports either, unless I'm in a place where the TV is on sports. I'm more of a participant, I guess

just mt 2 cents

jn

A very boring sport!

The only possible allure of soccer for me is watching a bunch of over-paid, under-educated imbeciles prancing around, whilst I'm just waiting for that career-threatening dangerous tackle to put paid to their prima donna antics.

Ahhh.....payback!!

Figure I'd add some perspective from an American point of view while realizing the rest of the world loves soccer AKA football.

In the US, we've managed to create and establish numerous very active type sports which involve grave physical danger such as football and ice hockey. For those that like less dangerous pursuits, there's baseball and basketball.

We have the space and finances to install a football/baseball field or basketball court in every town with a population over 2000. Ice hockey not so much but it's getting there slowly. Soccer is easy for everyone because all you need is a ball and a piece of ground. Everything else has pads, gear, bats, sticks, etc, etc.

Europeans and the rest of the world tend to go all nationalistic about things. National pride and all that. In the US, we would rather beat the crap out of the neighboring town rather than say Canada or Mexico.

Most Americans watching a sport are accustomed to points being scored, MANY points. The more points the better, zero-zero ties just simply don't cut it. We have overtime, double overtime, triple overtime and sudden death overtime to eliminate ties. A game of soccer could take weeks to finish.

Soccer's one claim to fame in the US is to the so called soccer moms, also known as helicopter moms who don't want their little boys breaking their arm playing football or getting hit in the head with a baseball. It's viewed as "safe". But the kids grow up and once out of high school, there's just no where else to go.

It simply isn't catching on here and really isn't likely too either. Not so long as we have college and pro football, American style.

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Originally Posted by burpgun

Please explain the allure of soccer to me

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I don't think it does have an allure in many parts of the world.

It's never been very popular with most Americans, and I think it's very boring. I've often wondered what the rest of the world sees in it and how they become so frenzied during games they tend to literally kill each other.

Football and Hockey do hold an allure to most Americans, but I sometimes feel it follows the human fascination of the Roman gladiatorial games. Sometimes I feel the violence of tackles, etc is as interesting as the game is to many people. :confused:

Just look how quickly the 'no holds barred' open fighting that they hold in the cages has become popular. I don't know what they call it, but it looks almost as barbaric to me as the Roman gladiators were.

Aragorn243 -

I just re-read the start of your last post, and I stepped on your toes a bit, and didn't intend to.
We Americans do tend to gravitate toward these types of sports. Please accept my apology for covering some of the same ground.
~ Harlan

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Originally Posted by OxfordAndy

A very boring sport!

The only possible allure of soccer for me is watching a bunch of over-paid, under-educated imbeciles prancing around, whilst I'm just waiting for that career-threatening dangerous tackle to put paid to their prima donna antics.

Ahhh.....payback!!

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No different to me than Football,Baseball,Hockey,Basketball or not to mention golf.
Seems odd to get all excited by watching a game that others are playing.
Not even fun to me if I'm playing

some day maybe someone will explain it to me in details I can understand

The US had better get used to it as within a generation Soccer will grow in popularity here in the USA.

Extracted from the internet:


Football (soccer), is another popular team sport played in the United States. It is the number one youth participation sport in the U.S. today, more popular even than American football, baseball, basketball, or hockey, up to about the age of 13. Dramatic growth in youth participation has fueled the men's national team's steady rise in caliber of play since 1990, with the US participating in every World Cup since that time. Almost as many girls as boys play youth soccer in the U.S., contributing to the women's national team becoming one of the world's premier women's sides. MLS (Major League Soccer) and USSF Division 2 are the men's first and second tier professional leagues in the U.S., respectively, and WPS (Women's Professional Soccer) is the top tier of American women's soccer. The designation of "tier" is mandated by FIFA in each case.

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Originally Posted by Amatikulu

The US had better get used to it as within a generation Soccer will grow in popularity here in the USA.

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I'll believe it when I see it!

(I still cannot tell for certain when your tongue is in cheek Niel! ;)
I guess 'popular' needs to be defined further.

As someone said above, 'soccer' is participated in by quite a few Americans in a certain age group. I agree that it's a 'soccer mom' sport and may constitute a growing segment of a 'participated in' sport, but I don't agree it's all that popular, other than by the parents of kids playing. It's good fun for kids and easy to learn to play. Few injuries, and equipment is inexpensive. Good exercise and often it's the only sport many kids have ever participated in (Or ever will participate in for many).
I coached soccer a couple of different years when they were begging for coaches. I refused to coach my son's team though, even as an assistant coach. I did the same for little league baseball, and I never interfered with or questioned his coaches. I'd just sit in my chair away from the dugout and watch the game.

(I developed a certain disdain for low class 'little anything league' parents who interfered with coaches that I don't feel about anyone else):bitch:
(Now THERE'S a subject!)

Also agree with above sentiments as far as viewing most sports. I played soccer before I started playing football in Jr high and lost all interest in soccer. Soccer was fun to play. Of course football was much more demanding (tough coaches, etc) but still fun -
Both were fun to play, but I have never got much enjoyment out of watching someone else play most sports.

I guess for that matter, I very much enjoy shooting but don't care anything about watching someone else shoot! (I'm selfish and the world revolves around me)

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Originally Posted by Amatikulu

The US had better get used to it as within a generation Soccer will grow in popularity here in the USA.

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Yeah.......They said the same thing about the metric system too......:p

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Originally Posted by Amatikulu

The US had better get used to it as within a generation Soccer will grow in popularity here in the USA.

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When I was in high school they said the exact same thing. They also said as the previous poster mentioned that we would be using the metric system within 10 years.

I graduated high school nearly 30 years ago. The metric system is still only used to measure soda (they used it more then in reality) and soccer is still ignored by everyone other than the parents of young children and said young children.

Our daughter's high school has a championship caliber boys soccer team. No one cares. They also have a football team that has not won more than 2 games per season in the last 5 years. The bleachers are packed, the boosters dominate all other sports with the possible exception of band (yes, considered a sport, scary isn't it) and when they introduce the various teams in the fall, most comments revolve around how much the football team would benefit if the losers on the soccer team weren't mommas boys.

Soccer is slightly more popular now than then and I expect a slow increase in interest will continue but I doubt it will ever reach the popularity of a dozen other sports that currently are regularly broadcast on network TV including golf, tennis, NASCAR, football, basketball, college basketball and college football and odd as it may sound, beach volleyball.

Well, actualy everybody else calls it football since you use your feet and every other part of your body EXCEPT your hands.
Even though I favour Arsenal over Man U Nobody ever started a WAR over a American football game (two south american countries) and no football fans have ever been barred from attending games in Europe except those yobbo Manchester United supporters.


Of course there are those cute litte shorts the players wear:lol:

Metric system: there is or was one 60 mile stretch of road between Tucson and Nogales Mexico that was signed in metric. (apparently the mexicans are supposed not to understand MPH even though they drive American cars.)
The decision was made this year to take down those signs and replace them with MPH signs.

Haven't been to Nogales in years, since when the cartels start shooting at each other, some bullets may have "to whom it may concern"

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Originally Posted by John Sukey

Haven't been to Nogales in years, since when the cartels start shooting at each other, some bullets may have "to whom it may concern"

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Or as the shirt my nephew wears that says, "Innocent Bystander".......
Don't want to be one of those.......:thdown:

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I think there's something to the notion that once you have played soccer the odds that you will enjoy being a spectator of soccer improve. I supppose in my case since I'm now old and broken I will never have the perspective of a soccer player. Soccer just wasn't something I was ever exposed to when I was younger.

On the other hand, I never played ice hockey(or even ice skated) but I still think it's exciting to watch because of how fast the game moves.

My gut feeling is that over time soccer will eventually gain more of the US market. I would love to see the fine game of rugby become more popular instead. Sadly, I doubt this will ever happen due mainly to the soccer moms instinctive aversion to a bit of blood and guts.

Soccer mom watching junior play rugby -->:yikes:

Football; unarmed combat
Hockey; Armed combat

OrI went to a fight and a hockey game broke out!

Personally I think soccer is great, players are very talented and in great physical condition. I have always cheered for Man U and have no idea why I picked them over 50 years ago, but obviously it was a good pick. I think many fail to realize that it is a national sport in so many countries as it is so easy to play and unlike most sports cheap to start... and as stated previously all you need is a ball and a open field. Think about trying to have hockey in South America or Africa. Beats watching basketball, I remember when the ref. actually called a player for "travelling"???? Basketball in my opinion is only fast due to the lack of enforcement of the original rules, and oh yes it was invented by a Canadian.

The allure of soccer - simple - anyone that can run and kick a ball (or rolled up rags) can play. Its the great equalizer and if you have talent, can lead to fame and fortune. Look at Diego Maradona, coach of Argentina and voted one of the greatest football players. He was born poor in an Argentinian slum.

OK, a little perspective on US played soccer.

Before Title IX, you couldn't find a soccer ball around an American high school. When the women were offered soccer as their alternative sport to men's football, there was a bunch of guys who didn't like the jock aspect of American-style football but still wanted to play something more manly than tennis. Hence, we have soccer today and, unfortunately, soccer moms and their over-protective attitudes towards their little darlings.

I was teaching high school then and that's the way we got into soccer in the US. At my school, soccer didn't have enough ticket sales to buy a jock strap let along pay for refs, uniforms, construct fields, cover bus transport to away games or even provide Gatorade for the team at practice. Guess where all that cash comes from!? Men's football and basketball. These two sports carry all the others. If American football didn't pay for the other sports in high school, there wouldn't be any other sports.

As some have said, anyone can play it and that's usually what you get....anyone who can't play other sports. Sorry to be tough on soccer players. There are some really good ones, but, unfortunately, many, many poor ones.

As for the Manchester U or some of the other silly names that these teams call themselves when they aren't in a brawl, we can sort out the newcomers to town by those who have a flag plastered across their mini-van's rear window declaring themselves supporters of their child's "team." As though anyone except themselves care.

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Originally Posted by mack

OK, a little perspective on US played soccer.

Before Title IX, you couldn't find a soccer ball around an American high school. When the women were offered soccer as their alternative sport to men's football, there was a bunch of guys who didn't like the jock aspect of American-style football but still wanted to play something more manly than tennis. Hence, we have soccer today and, unfortunately, soccer moms and their over-protective attitudes towards their little darlings.

I was teaching high school then and that's the way we got into soccer in the US. At my school, soccer didn't have enough ticket sales to buy a jock strap let along pay for refs, uniforms, construct fields, cover bus transport to away games or even provide Gatorade for the team at practice. Guess where all that cash comes from!? Men's football and basketball. These two sports carry all the others. If American football didn't pay for the other sports in high school, there wouldn't be any other sports.

As some have said, anyone can play it and that's usually what you get....anyone who can't play other sports. Sorry to be tough on soccer players. There are some really good ones, but, unfortunately, many, many poor ones.

As for the Manchester U or some of the other silly names that these teams call themselves when they aren't in a brawl, we can sort out the newcomers to town by those who have a flag plastered across their mini-van's rear window declaring themselves supporters of their child's "team." As though anyone except themselves care.

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Mack....don't hold back, tell us what you really think. Fortunately billions think your view is wrong and I must agree. There are varying degrees of talent in all sports including college football and basketball. Thanks for commenting on "silly names", like "Cornhuskers" is a logical name. It is a great game in virtually the entire world due to the fact anyone with talent and a great desire can succeed at participating in it.
I have a idea, print your post, laminate it, post it on the back of your favourite college football jacket, wear it in Manchester or any other soccer (football) city in the UK and join in the fun you are about to experience. :rofl::)

This is true -

I've been in the hospital for several weeks with pancreas problems and I'm bored out of my mind.
(My condition is improving finally)

They only have limited cable here in this hospital (Huge 'Baylor' chain) and last night I flipped through the channels over and over looking for 'something' to watch at 2 AM.

I laughed when the only program I found (other than infomercials) was a professional soccer game being broadcast from Europe, so I decided to watch it for a while.

I watched it for 30 minutes and then decided to surf the infomercials because they were more interesting.


Can someone please explain the allure of soccer to me. :rofl:

cafdfw
There seems to be a feeling if it is not popular in the USA it can't be a good sport. Hate to break your heart but that might make it a great sport, after all the most famous "sport" out of the USA right now is the subprime mortgage crises. The hardest thing to accept is the "world" just doesn't care what america thinks of soccer. I played it very little many years ago and must say it is a very skilled and exhausting game. Try playing for 90 minutes in a game with only one break. Also I have never read many problems in soccer (football) over the illegal use of drugs/stimulants. This is a true WORLD tournament with the very best soccer/football teams in the world, not a tournament like the World Series of baseball with just US teams. Oh by the way I love baseball and talk about a boring game to watch on tv, it is worse than watching paint dry but I still enjoy it. I imagine you don't like Aussie rules "football" either, because it is not a american game??

Please everyone....Let's not drive this "sports discussion" into political train wreck.

There isn't any allure unless you like watching a bunch of 3rd worlders and wanna be 3rd worlders (Euro-peons) running around in skimpy clothes. I hear it is popular in SF.

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Originally Posted by BwanaDave

There isn't any allure unless you like watching a bunch of 3rd worlders and wanna be 3rd worlders (Euro-peons) running around in skimpy clothes. I hear it is popular in SF.

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You know that comment could turn this thread into a flame war...next thing you know Badger will end this. It is in good fun to have a "heated discussion" over sports but I think your comment crosses the line of good taste.

Flame wars tend to start when someone starts criticizing someone else because they do or don't like something and using derogatory terms while doing so. It's easy to start and not so easy to finish.

There have been many reasons given why soccer is not catching on and is unlikely to catch on here in the US. Accept that, don't try to shove it down our throats because it isn't going to work.

I personally used to love watching Aussie rules football but I haven't seen it in years. never understood it but it was fascinating to watch. I have never, NEVER been able to say the same about soccer. I find the women's game mildly interesting but not enough so to actually sit and watch an entire game.

And it is true that football and basketball programs fund all the other sports, not just soccer. It's the same in both high school and college. Football by far the largest money maker, basketball a distant second and in many schools, not even it can fund itself. The US is driven by American football, perhaps the way the rest of the world is driven by soccer, that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

I hadn't seen a soccer game for years and only thought it was a funny situation to have found a soccer game to be the only thing on TV. It was only a humorous coincidence to me, and the game I watched happened to be a boring game with nothing much going on.

I was sadly surprised to read a response that was clearly political and nationalistic in nature.
This has nothing to do with soccer, or 'football' -
A discussion about 'beer' could become political if some people wanted to push it that way and not follow clearly established rules of this site.

The '3rd worlders (Euro-peons)' comment is clearly out of order and goes too far.

It's very unfortunate that some people have to make any subject hateful and /or political. It was a light-heart subject and most meant it to be fun.

To preserve the integrity of our web site’s rules and to cease any further divisive nationalistic discussion, (Badger) need not stop this thread.

I will stop it and it’s unfortunate. Once a thread degrades such as above, it is indeed difficult, if not impossible to salvage completely.

Cafdfw / Harlan