Why don't you guys in the USA seem to like soccer?. I watch the US major league every thursday on channel 5 here in the uk and i have to say the standard of Us soccer is up there with the europeans. There are some exciting american players like Joe Maxx Moore currently at Everton in England and John Stern with Nottingham Forrest in the uk.

What is that you guys dont like the lack of goals?.

Id be intrested to know and my favorite US is Dallas Burn (hope thats right lol).

Originally posted by Technics
Why don't you guys in the USA seem to like soccer?. I watch the US major league every thursday on channel 5 here in the uk and i have to say the standard of Us soccer is up there with the europeans. There are some exciting american players like Joe Maxx Moore currently at Everton in England and John Stern with Nottingham Forrest in the uk.

What is that you guys dont like the lack of goals?.

Id be intrested to know and my favorite US is Dallas Burn (hope thats right lol).



hahah I'm not in US, but I think it's one of the most boring sports in the world besides Cricket =P (My personal opinion).

It's just that I think most of the time, if you sat down and watch a soccer game on TV, and then go out for 1/2 hour and come back, you wouldn't have missed a thing =P.

RugBy is more my sport =).

Union or League?.... Im a league fan myself fingers crossed that the bulls beat the warriors :-).

Is Union/League rubgy?

I agree with Blanket, football is the worst game every; played by morons (look at half of Man U's team), followed (in the majority) by thugs who should have been castrated at birth.

There are much better sports out there, where the fans are actually interested in the sport, rather than trying to kick the crap out of people who support the other side....

Originally posted by Technics
Why don't you guys in the USA seem to like soccer?. I watch the US major league every thursday on channel 5 here in the uk and i have to say the standard of Us soccer is up there with the europeans. There are some exciting american players like Joe Maxx Moore currently at Everton in England and John Stern with Nottingham Forrest in the uk.

What is that you guys dont like the lack of goals?.

Id be intrested to know and my favorite US is Dallas Burn (hope thats right lol).



I grew up in it was bigger than football ...I was on the girls championship team I was the goalie ahhhh memories LOL

I'm a goalie too im injured right now :( .... So i cant play and thats why im online so much .... Peice of advise always look where ya running goal posts hurt :P.

*OUCH*

Well technics, I too grew up around soccer. Played it, and it was very big in the East Coast. Most of the schools I went to didn't have football teams (from high school to college), and soccer was the "thing". Somehow though, although we seem to like it at an early age, it doesn't transfer past age 22. Not that it totally dies after that, but you are right, it isn't big here. Football (the oval shaped one), is America's game.

Another interesting note: last night's baseball game was the lowest rated game EVER for a game of that importance. I don't follow baseball, but I believe it was a championship game of some sort (heh, you can tell I don't follow it). Seems baseball is dying...

Meanwhile, shows like Battlebots (a show in which robots try to destroy eachother airing on Comedy Central), do quite well. I have no comment.

I love soccer. I use to play it a lot. But then I got hit in the face with the ball at close range and man did I get a nose bleed, and blood coughed up.

Originally posted by JTY
I love soccer. I use to play it a lot. But then I got hit in the face with the ball at close range and man did I get a nose bleed, and blood coughed up.

I broke my middle finger playing soccer...you should have seen the cast they put me in...I got to give my teacher the finger everytime I raised my hand ROTFL!

I think that people like to play soccer more than watch it.

I played when I was younger as a goalie, too! As an older person now I can still participate in town/rec leagues which are fun. It is hard to have (American) football rec leagues - too much equipment and risk of injury. ESPN shows lots of soccer/football and it can be a lot of fun, especially when they score a lot of goals and get a little aggressive. :)

I actually prefer soccer over football (though I watch sports about once in a blue moon). Never exactly got into the idea of a bunch of guys in tights and padding throwing the inflated skin of a dead pig around. You'd think they could use rat skin or something. Less people like rats and how many get killed in traps each day? It's a total waste. My thoughts are getting a bit more twisted than normal. ;) I guess my soccer judgement is more on what I played when I was younger. Only soccer teams around then so I joined one. The little punk who was SUPPOSED to be on my team kept lying to his parents that I kicked him and got me in trouble various times. And then he broke my little trophee... He stole some of my halloween candy... heck, I hate soccer too! Now badminton, that's a sport!

Cricket is better then soccer anyday :)

Actually, Aussie Rules and cricket are better than soccer.

Errrrrrrr..... Hang on a min. You into rugby or Aussie Rules Michael?

I once watched aussie rules soccer saw some poor guys head nearly get knocked off his shoulders. That game is way too violent for my innocent eyes.

Crciket cool game just wish us English where good at it. We beat the West Windies and everyone now thinks we are good enough to win the next cricket world cup roftlmao. The West Indies are in decline so even hollan or ireland could probably beat them right now.

I was just wondering about the MLS is it still on the verge of going bust or did them old foggies they sent from germany rescue the game?.

Well,

I prefer rugby league, but Aussie Rules is also a bloody good game.

I usually follow it pretty closely, but when the swans loose enough to be out of contention for the finals, I stop following it :)

I like playing soccer, but watching it is not that much fun. It's kind of like watching hockey, except it's missing one key ingredient: violence. There's not enough blood. Give them a stick, and I would probably watch it more. ;)

Does that mean you like to watch field hockey? They have sticks. I don't know how much blood is shed though. :)

I saw a somewhat bloody field hockey game once. But that was because the hit their face on the ground.

Well if yer going for sticks, why not swords? You want blood, you're sure to get it that way. :) Maybe some half-starved lions, a coliseum and of course a animatronic Caesar from our friends over at Disney!

Soccer is much cheaper than American football. For it you should have only ball and find field where you can play. But for American football you need more ammunition.

First of all, sports suck. Soccer is boring as all hell, unless you're playing. It's an excuse to drink, and if you need one, you shouldn't be drinking.

This thread is over 3 years old... ;)

Okay, THIS is the record for the oldest post to be brought from the graves.

Do you throw away wine and good books after three years? I thought classic off-topic conversations were timeless classics. =)
<wink>

Originally posted by nickn
Okay, THIS is the record for the oldest post to be brought from the graves.

I was about to reply to it. Never even seen the dates. :eek:

Originally posted by ljprevo
I was about to reply to it. Never even seen the dates. :eek:

Heh, yeah me too. I'll reply anyway. I like Ice Hockey more than anything else. Go Av's.

im no great fan of soccer, love rugby and american football, playing and watching both. Cricket isnt that boring when you understand the secret behind it. A relaxing day in the sun drinking beer and occasionally shouting rude things:) thats pretty much it. There are interesting bariations, there was a fun 15 overs a game or something version played indoor in wales. You got a 12 for hitting the roof, 10 for the top tier, 8 middle and 6 for the bottom tier with special zones for extra points. They had england vs rest of world etc. It made for a great game tbh and a hell of a lot faster then 5 day tests.
Premiership soccer is nothing more then a bunch of whiny little overpaid egos crying everytime someone looks at the wrong, its more fun watching smaller local teams, at least they have spirit and remember what the sports about, not to mention the fans arent a bunch of brain dead louts.
And yes rugby comes in two flavours league and union, union is 'proper' rugby and league is 6 tags and your it bleedin womens tea party. League was originally formed in an attempt to win fans from football, make the game quicker, pay the players, that kinda thing. I think it originated in south yorkshire but its certainly very popular in the north west of england.

I like playing soccer, but not really watching it

Originally posted by sergio
But for American football you need more ammunition.

Ammo!? :eek: Remind me not to ever play american football! :stickout:

Aussie Rules

sorry.. but what are aussie rules?
maybe you have a vid of the game?

Any of you familiar with Jacob Burns? He's Australian, he played with Leeds United for a few years. Nice kid, he's married to my wife's cousin.

hell yes:) amazing game.

Originally posted by ilyash
sorry.. but what are aussie rules?
maybe you have a vid of the game?
Australian Rules Football is derive from a mixture of Gaelic Football and a game played by the Australian aboriginals. Australain Rules is now played all around the world including The United States of America.
Here is a good site for those interested http://www.iafc.org.au/

It is very much a spectator game. As it is very fast moving with goals and points being scored every few minutes. score are in the order of 10 goals 15 points per side for the game. Thats around 50 score where as soccer has what 3 or 4 score for a game.

Doc

Life is not a spectator sport.

I bet Doc likes playing nature's games more than anything else. Doc, whats the latest score against the Eve's team ? ;-)

Firstly this thread must be older than the launch date or the idea behind it at least.

Football [Soccer for the Amricans] is the 2nd most participated sport in the US right now. There is a whole generation of "Soccer Mom's" as they are called in the states now.

MLS [US domestic league] is growing in populatiry and Manchester United [The Richest club team in the world and also most supported] had a hugely successful tour in America last Summer and another is planned for this one.

That is also my team so if anyone has something to say about Man United , gladly bring it. Somebody said something offensive on the first page but that member probably has some false teeth by now.

The only major probelm with US domestic football is the Womens game when the WUSA went bust a few months back but the womens game is in the gutter in terms of numbers and support on a global level really. Also it doesn't help matters when the President of FIFA Sebt Blatter says it would be better for the game if Women players wore "hot pants", put your foot in it old Sebt why don't you.

There are also a lot of sterotypes in this thread about the drinking which isn't really relevant in todays world or not where i go.

Those of you who think it is boring should come along to a European Champions League Game and if the atmosphere doesn't tell you're at the right place then the entertainment will but not to take anything away from the domestic game which is great too.

The Premiership [Englands top league gets a lot of coverage in the states, you get live games when we don't here.

So i'm not too sure i a agree with the original statement as thing look in 2004. American players also have an increasing global respect and to show this Man Utd's goalie is a Yank bought from the New York Metro Stars.

Critic,

USA - Football / Baseball
Canada - Hockey
Europe - Soccer / Rugby

RMF

RMF, that might be how it is thought to be or used to be but baseball is on the slippery slope at the minute in terms of participation it is Foorball and American Football. In terms of viewers or support it is American Football and Basketball.

That is from a report i heard at the latter part of 2003.

Canada really does only have Ice Hockey, didn't their last or one of remaining few baseball teams fold last year? It wasn't the Blue Jays i didn't think, Montreal maybe? I'm a Brit so the details are a bit sketchy.

Rugby as a second sport in Europe is a bit of a toughie, It is big in Britain and Ireland and France and Italy and Romania but beyond that it is a bit thin on the ground, there is no stand out second sport on the continent as such in my view. Football has it by quite a way.

Critic,

erm? and wales and scotland, not so big in germany, but its also big in spain. Rugby or tennis would have to be the 2nd biggest sport, unless you count in motorcycle racing which gives football a run for its money, its just quieter about it :)

Unfortunately for the most part football fans and players in england are a complete disgrace. If I were to go to my local teams ground (premiership team) I would not be allowed to drink alcohol, i would be forced to sit, I would be fenced off from opposition fans, I would have to wait until all oposition fans had left and had chance to scarper.
Compare that to cricket or rugby, I love those matches, you get to sit with opposition fans and chat, I have never in 22 years seen any violence (with the noteable exception of pakistan vs india cricket matches and tbf they would start trouble over a game of poker), you can drink, sit in mixed areas, stand and sing, all leave at the same time, everybody is in a great mood. The players also act very differently. Its extremely rare to see players 'take a dive' as it is in 'professional' football (a noteable exception would be irelands world cup team who impressed me greatly, duff got fouled but rather then appeal he continued to try and keep the ball even when he was on the floor, thats spirit:)).
Drinking is a part of football as well as rugby culture, the difference is when rugby players\fans get drunk theyre liable to sing rude songs about scotland and dare each other to drink rather disgusting things, football fans seem to think its fair game to destroy cars and private property or fortunately each other.

Since we won the world cup (not entirely unexpected but I doubt we will keep hold of it) rugby has exploded popularity wise here, rugby has its countries that love it, and ones where soccer is king. My younger brother plays, he and a couple of the lads on his team are damn good and play at county level and soon national by the looks of it, their attitude is great, ive only seen a few bad players in the years hes been playing (in terms of attitude) and the same was pretty much true when I played. They all shake hands after the match and for kids of their age the maturity is pretty commendable. My cousin plays football, I wish I could say the same about the kids he plays against. Its all verbal, the parents shout some of the stupidest things (take his legs, etc). Football at a local level isnt too bad, its a nicer atmosphere, but rugby wins hands down on atmosphere , fans and players. Its just plain more civilised and I feel really sorry for the genuine nice football fans who have to tolerate all the brainded yobs.

I would imagine soccer in the usa is very different drinking wise, hell its impossible to get drunk off coors or bud anyway, its just a subculture here. Im glad you guys have a better image of the sport :)

ps man u are pants, bunch of overpaid puffs

americans seem to hate european soccer mostly.
I'm quite sure most europeans hate american football or baseball (baseball - the dumbest sport I've ever seen myself) :D

I prefer hockey anyways :D

regards,

American football \ NTL Europe is fairly popular here:) I used to play over here in england:)

I'm a very proud LUFC fan.

Even through the turmoil :D

I held a season ticket in the kop (now the "don revie stand"), for 6 years, and used to travel from Dublin for every home game. Whenever I head back home from Canada, I always catch a game or two.

Simon

Richy, it saddesn me to think that you but all the sterotypes wholesale and then make sweeping generalisations of tha national game and its supporters, especially considering they are quite inaccurate.

When was the last time you went to a football match in the top flight? When was the last time you saw normal England or domestic team fans be violent on a level? We are not the worst offendors in Europe by a long way. If Rugby is more your thing, stick to it as i don't think you are fully clued in as to the modern game from where i'm standing but i might be wrong.

You can stand up in a football ground but not for the whole period of the game when it is bogged down in midfield and nothing major is happening; they are called ALL SEATER stadiums you know. Britain and England are pioneers in the UEFA countries for how it tackles racism and violence and its quality of stadia.

I am not going to criticise Cricket or Rugby and i watch a bit of both now and again when it is on the tele but more the former.

You commented that the American culture concerning drinkind but i heard reports of 1 death, some injured and much damage in celebratory riots or celebrations that got out of hand in Boston post Superbowl.

Manchester United Pants? :laugh: what've you been smoking, ha, 8 Premiership titles in 11 years, Fa Cups a Cup Winners Cup, a World Club Cup and a Champions League and not to mention the most financially successful. Now we could've done better and there is quality competition in Arsenal and they've shown it but we're not pants mate. HA

Miha, i can only stand by the figures i've raised concerning the interest and popularity of football in America which would not back up what you said. I've tried to get into Baseball a few times, followed the Cubs for a short spell and i listened to coverage of the World Series this year, it is a bit slow for my liking but it isn't the worst.

Concerning American Football, there was a wave of interest and an attempt to make it Big in Britain a decade or so back, i had the "London Monarchs" where i am but it fell away. I wouldn't mind it taking off to some degree if only to see if we could make it to the Superbowl in years to come fo national pride reasons.

Critic,

Women's gymnastics.
I think that is what it is called. where there swing on the paralell bars and do all sorts of movements. I can sit and watch that all day. Also womens Tennis .. those two African l sister .. Williams is it? I could watch them all day, sheer poetry in motion.

Doc

Originally posted by acidHL
Ammo!? :eek: Remind me not to ever play american football! :stickout:
Sorry I meant special equipment :)

When was the last time I saw a match, a premiership one probably over a year ago but Im often near the cellnet when it kicks out. The stereotypes wouldnt exist if they werent true. Youll note I never said ALL football fans, the issue is with a section of them (which to be fair I have never seen at a rugby match), so you can protect your sport all you like but the point stands this country has a serious problem with football hooliganism.
google results football hooligans 14800 results, rugby hooligans, 33 results or the bbc news site returns 238 results for football and 1 for rugby which is actually about football anyway :) not exactly scientific but you get my point:)

When was the last time I saw football fans being violent? lol depends what level you mean of violence, but I saw firsthand what went on at Middlesbrough and Sunderland. I see it everynight theres a match on and Im in the city.

Now tell me if footballs so perfect and none of the fans cause trouble why is there such restrictions? and why are so many police involved? why are the riot vans and mounted police en masse whereas at a rugby match youll get a moderate number of police who mostly direct traffic. When was the last time you saw rioting at a rugby game? or local residents complaining of vandalism? your not going to attack rugby or cricket because you cant to the same level you can football, so your going to resort to bleating about stereotypes and sweeping generalisations. Football has a lot of fans who are just as nice as rugby fans, the problem is rugby (union at least) doesnt have the yobs. The chelsea headhunters yeah? never ever heard of the newcastle falcon headhunters? or the bath headhunters? does wiggan have a firm? Theres a subculture in football that doesnt exist in rugby or if it does its nowhere near to the same extent.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3457325.stm - Imay be wrong but i dont remember any rugby fans being banned from travelling to the world cup?

when was the last time rugby fans were deported for violence? does this not happen often in football or am I getting football mixed up with some other sport?

Sweeping geralisations? how I never said all football fans were yobs, I just said football has a yob culture, esp at the higher levels.

Sorry if I offended you. You yourself said it plain and clear, football culture through and through, I know you meant it as a joke but you only said it because of the truth behind it,
"
Somebody said something offensive on the first page but that member probably has some false teeth by now.
"
you own words no? Now I watched england B play a touring all blacks A side, I was sat with a bunch of new zealand fans and some welsh fans (from the support match) and I learnt a lot of new songs, we chatted about the teams strengths and weaknesses, and I could say I think your hookers past it and not get thumped but generally got agreement. Geez wonder if I could sit in old trafford and say, gee your goalies a bit pants isnt he without getting 13 shades beaten out of me, do you think they would actually agree if he was or would valiantly defend their club?
Ive been to a hell of a lot of rugby clubs over the years, Ive always been welcomed into the club, thats just the culture. Shake hands, great game lads lets have a pint. Cant exactly imagine that happening at a football game can you?

Basically yoru saying that there isnt a problem with violence and disorder in football?

Look, this thread is about football and i'm not here to place a sport above another, i am replying to put across a more balanced view and defend the sport of football.

I am not saying our sport is perfect but the game in England has progressed a very long way in recent decades and i can't see the truth in some of your opinions and statements concerning the ggame specifically in England.

Richy, now if i am being too selective then tell me but you said the following a coupld of replies back:

Unfortunately for the most part football fans and players in england are a complete disgrace.

Now you didn't say ALL but to say most is still a grave inaccuracy.

You also confuse the hooligan culture that exists as football fans, they are criminals who latch onto a certain club or identity but not the average football fan by a long chalk.

Even so, violence by English fans domestic wise and internationally is nothing compared to the scenes seen in Turky and Greece on a regualer basis or in Italy or S America when the clubs actually have hired thugs. Racism is almost non existent on the terraces of English grounds or by the national fans. Racism is rife in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in parts of Italy and Spain.

You ask why certain measures are put into force such as stopping certain people travelling, well that is because we are the only nation to take Pro Active action in Uefa concerning hooliganism and racism pretty much. You talk about fans in Britain, well if theyre so bad how come there are no barriers or screens stopiing them from getting onto the pitch like the ones and stadia all over Europe and the world.

You also talk about the amount of security at a football match, well at Old Trafford when i was there earler this season didn't have too many in the open, a few dosen maybe leading up the the ground mounted or otherwise buy not riot police; there will also be more Police than at Rugby as there are simply more people, 67,000 at Old Trafford eery game pretty much. You talk about welcoming fans and the lke, well you could share a drink with opposing fans, i watched the Man Utd v Arsenal match in a Pub in North London earlier this year showing my colours, Man Utd cap and Shirt amontst a greater number of gunners, no probs and that is the biggest match that we'll play in a season on the domestic season by some way. Where i sit when i watch United play is directly under the Away fans and i've never had anything more than the usual verbal jousting. You talk about criticising the opposing team, well sure you can but you wouldn't be allowed to do it for long in the opposing fans area.

sorry but where does this come in, i was referring to a comment against Man Utd and the false teeth was because this thread hs been brought bak from the dead so to speak >>

Somebody said something offensive on the first page but that member probably has some false teeth by now.

I'm going to have to ask you again when was the last time you saw English fans rioting in their hundreds on the streets or a city?

Also who do you think has the worst problem in the world when it comes to violent fans?

I think you need to go to a few more games in the top flight and see if you still hold this point of view which in areas seems a bit datred to me.

Critic,

The last time I saw hundreds was the england slovenia match at sunderland. I never said england had the worst fans, i merely said football i wasnt qualifying by country but by sport.
It may seem a bit dated but you fail to answer my points:) would you go and sit in the opposition end of a stadium wearing your man u kit, say surrounded by chelsea fans:) would you stand and cheer if either team scored? come on be honest now:)

Originally posted by richy
The last time I saw hundreds was the england slovenia match at sunderland. I never said england had the worst fans, i merely said football i wasnt qualifying by country but by sport.
It may seem a bit dated but you fail to answer my points:) would you go and sit in the opposition end of a stadium wearing your man u kit, say surrounded by chelsea fans:) would you stand and cheer if either team scored? come on be honest now:)
Of course not.

That would be what's known as inciting a riot :laugh:

Football is one of the most passion-driven pastimes, you can't expect the fans to like each other, can you?
:rofl:

Simon

Originally posted by IHSL
Football is one of the most passion-driven pastimes,
:rofl: Simon
No that's called Religion and or sex. :fork: :fork:

Originally posted by TheDoctor
No that's called Religion and or sex. :fork: :fork:
I would call your attention to former England Captain, Alan Shearer's infamous comment, after scoring for England in an international; "scoring is sometimes better than sex".

Simon

Originally posted by Technics
Why don't you guys in the USA seem to like soccer?

Because you can't use your hands.

Originally posted by richy
The last time I saw hundreds was the england slovenia match at sunderland. I never said england had the worst fans, i merely said football i wasnt qualifying by country but by sport.
It may seem a bit dated but you fail to answer my points:) would you go and sit in the opposition end of a stadium wearing your man u kit, say surrounded by chelsea fans:) would you stand and cheer if either team scored? come on be honest now:)

Firstly you've not answered a fair few points and i can't see where i've missed any unless you mean your attempt to turn this into a Rugby or Football thing which i refuse to indulge in.

By the way i never did say you said England fans were the worst, it was a question but i would draw your attention to the quote in the last thread as to England fans. Also it is breaking into the US on a huge level with MLS, the national side and global respect.

I did answer it in amanner of words but when i've had to sit in the Away fans section i wouldn't jump up and cheer you're right, if the funny looks from others and such didn't persuade me to leave or shut up then the stewards might consider removing me for the safety of the public. Football is a tribal game and i have Arsenal friends and live in Arsenal country, you enjoy the banter but once in the ground, it is like stepping inside the ring and you each have a corner, the analogy end with the ring, i don't mean the actual boxing before you bring it up.

You saw hundreds of people being violent at the Stadium of Light for the Slovenia match? Do you have double or even triple vision. I was aware of at most a few dozen rival gangs or hooligans but not many fans to my knowledge.

Your opinion isn't just looking abit dated, it is inaccurate and one sided. You have already mand your mind up and nothing that i've said factual or personal experience is going to change your mind by the looks of it.

I'm off for some pre match build up and some Fish n Chips; enjoy the thread.

Critic,

I wasnt rrying to turn it into football vs rugby, i merely used rugby as a comparisson.
My statesments only appear like that because you THINK otherwise and therefore its convienient. I used to watch the boro play when I was in college, went to wembley a few times. The atmosphere was great while you were in your own area, problem was when the fans came close to each other, there was verbal and stuff being thrown etc. Ill freely admit thats a long time ago. What like 5 or 6 years ago, and maybe its just the press playing it up but theres definately still some problem there.

"
During the day of the match Northumbria Police made 120 arrests in Sunderland, the majority outside the stadium for public order offences.
"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/2978192.stm

120 then, not exactly a couple:) Yes they also say its a small minority of fans which if your looking at the hard core trouble makers is true. The problem is that it exists, and despite valiant efforts still continues to exist.

I should clarify when I made the statement about most I meant most of the players rather then the fans which was a mistake on my part. Ill happily change my mind when we stop getting all these reports of violence and fans being sent home.

i've played soccer, played 11 years of school football, mud games, asphalt games, you know it, played 'rugby', commonly called 'smear the queer' in american elementary schools (meaning the target was the lone idiot with the ball, not gay bashing, please), played hoops for decades and still believe it is the easiest hard sport-semi-contact pickup game to put together, been thrown off baseball leagues for mowing down basemen one too many times (always had the highest stolen base avg in leagues right before that happened...do you think my eviction it was political?) and played 5 years worth of tennis and 4 years of track and 3 years of wrestling and 12 years of martial arts...

bottom line: americans like football best because it is the ultimate team contact sport that requires intense, limit pushing endurance and strength and combination of raw power and wicked strategy more so than any other game on the planet.

the question isn't why we prefer football (although we have a very wide variety of tastes in sports), but why the rest of the world doesn't/won't embrace american style football and sadly the answer is..

...foreigners sometimes call us the fat americans and it's because we eat well (or a lot) and we grow big and heavy and between our african american population who is often huge and healthy and fast and strong and tough to beat on a bball court, in a golf tournament, a tennis court, a home run contest or on the line on a football field and our gringo nebraska corn huskers who weigh 200 lbs at the age of 10 and our latino culture who can weigh that much at 6, and the asians who are lean mean running machines, we end up with an unbeatable diverse squad in this arena... who is gonna put together a team like that?

IF we focused on soccer I would feel really bad for the world who loves that sport so much. as it stands, they are in the 'contender' arena for that sport (and a few others) so I wouldn't encourage americans to get into that sport unless you want to have to invent a new one that we don't know...

...yet.

Originally posted by kckclass
bottom line: americans like football best because it is the ultimate team contact sport that requires intense, limit pushing endurance and strength and combination of raw power and wicked strategy more so than any other game on the planet.



You obviously have no knowledge of Australia Rules Football, else you wouldn't be making such a wild and fanciful claim.
As for Americans being so great and mighty at allsorts of sports, please explain why, with 230 Million people to choose from, Americans don't win anywhere near as many Medal in the olympics etc as Australia does and we only have 20 Million to choose from.

Doc

Originally posted by kckclass
bottom line: americans like football best because it is the ultimate team contact sport that requires intense, limit pushing endurance and strength and combination of raw power and wicked strategy more so than any other game on the planet.
Codswallop.

As Doc said, you've obviously never watched, nor been a part of an 'Aussie Rules' game. Nor have you seen 'Gaelic Soccer', which to all intents and purposes, is just pure barbaric at times (along the lines of 'Aussie Rules').

I'm sure the "pure power" of the "ultimate team contact sport" is somewhat cushioned by those 4 foot wide pads they wear covering every single part of their body :D

To be fair, 'American Football' is a decent game to watch sometimes, but let's face it, unless you love commercials, watching it on TV can become tiresome.

Each to their own.

My personal preferences are "football" "rugby union" and "gaelic football".

Simon

Aussies? Kiwis? Ok, THERE I must admit you have some worthy competitors... (they all eat well too), except in sailing where Kiwi's couldn't win if Americans had to row their sailboats (wink)...

...but seriously, while every country has it's sports do you think anyone could put together a shear mass/weight lifting/sprinting/play-plan capability of football and BEAT an American all star team?


and this is my final comment on this issue (go ahead and flame, I need a good tan)...

the REASON there are so many more commericals and so much more ad revenue on american sports, especially football, than any other sport is simply that more people watch it than any other sport testifying to it's universal popularity... heh heh.

American Foortball. Isn't that where the guy that kicks the ball walks out on the field kicks the ball and then goes and sits down again. He is on the field only a few minutes for the whole game. Gee that must take real talent.

When will Americans learn that there is others that exist apart from them.

Doc

Originally posted by kckclass
the REASON there are so many more commericals and so much more ad revenue on american sports, especially football, than any other sport is simply that more people watch it than any other sport testifying to it's universal popularity... heh heh.

I think you will find the number of people who watch football (proper football) dwarfs that of American football, as for universial popularity how can a sport which is only popular in one country be universal, even baseball is more universal than gridiron.

Originally posted by Blanket
hahah I'm not in US, but I think it's one of the most boring sports in the world besides Cricket =P (My personal opinion).

It's just that I think most of the time, if you sat down and watch a soccer game on TV, and then go out for 1/2 hour and come back, you wouldn't have missed a thing =P.

RugBy is more my sport =).


YA! RUGBY! Rugby is awesome!

Originally posted by bagpuss
I think you will find the number of people who watch football (proper football) dwarfs that of American football, as for universial popularity how can a sport which is only popular in one country be universal, even baseball is more universal than gridiron.
bagpuss there is two distinct definitions for the word universe. There's the American definition and then theres everybody elses definition.

Americans Definition.
Universe = The Whole of America

Everybody else's definition.
U´ni`verse
Noun
1.
universe - everything that exists anywhere;

This can be born out by the fact that they have a "World Series" even though they are the only country in it.

This is not a flame I am merely pointing out that America has differnet defintions and they are entitled to be different. Just ask any of them.

Doc

ok, what is the difference between an american and god?

god doesn't claim to be an american.

yes, it is a chuavanistic, often biased, opinionated, often assinine, cocky, arrogant, idiotic, pigheaded country where opinions can fly so freely that they sometimes trample their neighbors (bush is an idiot, at least we all agree with that), trample emotions and often lacks the finesse of a mac truck... americans have a great deal to learn from more sophisticated, culturally rich nations... and vice-versa...

but we still have the best sport in the work... hahahaha

Ok, so you like American Football, but that doesn't make it the best sport in the world.

It also doesn't make it the most watched sport in the world, as there's quite a few sports that have a mucb larger fan base.

Probably the only thing (aside from the commercials), that annoys me about American Football, is the fact that U.S. guys and gals call it "football". When really it's more of a cheap knock-off of Rugby (and the fact that there was already a sport called football).

Just the same as Basketball came from netball ( :laugh: ) and baseball came from the english game of rounders.

Simon

I dont think this is the right sort of forum to be asking this in. I know this is the lounge but i dont think to many admins are interested in sports if you know what i mean. :)

Originally posted by flammable
I dont think this is the right sort of forum to be asking this in. I know this is the lounge but i dont think to many admins are interested in sports if you know what i mean. :)

I don't know what you mean. I know quite a few of the mods / admins are interested in sports and I know that mods / admins don't have to be interested in a topic for it to be discussed.

Originally posted by flammable
I dont think this is the right sort of forum to be asking this in. I know this is the lounge but i dont think to many admins are interested in sports if you know what i mean. :)

This will help explain. (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=233788)

Doc

Never played aussie rules but ive seen lots of it and it is a hell of a game :) Being able to compare american football (the european game anyway where we didnt have 45 man squads) and rugby I can say both demand the maximum level of skill. Im sure aussie rules does as well. Yes American American football teams have the luxury of having three teams so their players dont play none stop like rugby, but rather then saying either game is harder or better, id just say theyre different and demand different skills to some extent. I used to play RB LB and kicker, i was virtually never off the damn pitch but thats the euro game where squads were about 20 in size due to lack of popularity and facilities and funding.
Yes we played a touring american team, yes they dwarfed us. The sheer size height weright of their players was very different to ours, i stood 6 2 and 250lbs with about 9% bodyfat, those guys went up to 6 8 and 400lbs (and from the look of some of them anywhere between 2 and 280% bodyfat, some of those boys need to leave the twinkies alone), on our team i was one of the biggest and the fastest, on their team I would have been one of the smallest. Its all the weird junk you pump your cattle full off lol ;)
I always thought it was a real shame the way it was ran, theres a lot of talent in NFLE but you guys treat it as a way of avoiding the salary cap. But then again you have the 'world series' dont you, the world apparently consisting of american and canada when america thinks they wont spoil their chance of an american victory.
American football is not better or worse then rugby:) American football tended to induce a lot more dull pains and rugby a lot more sharp ones. Theres not really much difference between being hit by someone whose padded when your padded and being hit by someone whose unpadded when your unpadded, both people will hit you as hard as they can and any benefit from your padding is removed by their padding allowing them to hit harder. Your athletes arent particularly faster or fitter, theyre just trained a bit different:)

looks like WHT needs a chat room too!!! hahaha... and while it may not be THE place to talk about sports, I'd say the lounge is the right place to talk about ANYTHING that doesn't relate to the other topics, eh?

within reason yup :) btw how the hell do you guys grow your players so big?

The thing I don't understand, growing up almost every kid played in some soccor league, but after that soccor dies with no real interest in competetive play on a professional level.

i LOVE soccer!!! GO FIREEEEE!!!! :)

Not sure how I ever missed this topic considering it surrounds my favorite sport.

I've been playing since I was five. Played throughout high school and into college. Once I got out, I started coaching high school girls soccer and thus my nick around the net, "Coach". I've been coaching youth soccer since I left the school system though, It's one of several volunteer activities I'm involved in.

I watch it when I can, but rarely watch the MLS. No stations around here carry the games. However Fox Sports Net carries a lot of European friendlies, so I watch them occassionally.

Now, my favorite lines about soccer.

It's not soccer, it the *real* football.

It's not a field, it's a "pitch".

They're not cleats or shoes, they're called "boots" darn it.

Uneducated shmoes. ;)

Love,

An American Soccer Fan.

I like watching Soccer although I don't know much about except the basic concept. I am a huge cricket fan however, and active cricketer in southern california... :p

how to grow huge sports players:

1. Put a Liquor store facing a MacDonalds on every corner. There is no nutrition coming from these places but everything the kid eats at home or elsewhere won't be burned up as carbs: carbs are covered.

2. As a parent, try to stress veggies and protein when the kid is at least 100 yards away from #1.

3. As a teacher try to stress P.E. even when the state budget won't allow it. Since many of the kids can't read or write by grade 12, you better get them fit for bluecollar work.

4. Make tall nordic blondes with good bone structure the desired wife so your kids will all be over 6'5". Then for the rest of us, a tall brunette will have to do and the kids still turn out pretty tall.

5. Marry an African American and bring a great set of genes into your family line. No one will call your kids, or grandkids 'shorty' for the next 300 years.

6. Marry an Italian or a Latino and feed them as much as they want to eat (lots) and buy heavy duty shocks for the family car.

7. Once you get the food cycle and bio-type going, pump them full of Gucci vitamin packs as advertised on TV.

8. Turn them loose on the little league and pop warner teams as early as possible.

9. Hope they avoid substances commonly found in school yards that can stunt their growth.

10. After they are done making a million as an all pro linebacker or $20k as a bulldozer operator, hope they don't develop some wierd disease from that funky way you fed them as a child.

11. Or, skip all that and raise them on a farm with fresh air, yard work and a fresh diet and they'll still grow to a respectable 6'2 or 3 and probably live to be 100.

Anyone notice the user 'Promethyl' bumped a four year old thread on the second page? ;)

Originally posted by Coach
Not sure how I ever missed this topic considering it surrounds my favorite sport.

Not sure how a CL missed that this is a four year old thread and didn't close it or split the topic.

Originally posted by RDX Media
Anyone notice the user 'Promethyl' bumped a four year old thread on the second page? ;)



Not sure how a CL missed that this is a four year old thread and didn't close it or split the topic.

Well RDX Media the way to over come that is to start interesting threads that will engross the members and then there will be little need to search through old threads.

One topic you could explore is "Are Canadians really just Americans that live further North" I'm sure that will get a lively response.

or "How come Australians are such incredible sports people and so knowledgable all round great guy's"

Doc