Explain the allure of soccer to me.

[enfield303t]

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.

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.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

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.

[enfield303t]

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??

[burpgun]

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

[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.

[enfield303t]

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.

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.

[Aragorn243]

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.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

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