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Why do Americans hate football? #213578
06/12/10 03:08 AM
06/12/10 03:08 AM
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Tony_F18 Offline OP
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Football, or "soccer" as you call it over there, is a huge sport almost everywhere in the world, but why not in the US?
Match between the US and England is played this afternoon, should be interesting!

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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Tony_F18] #213583
06/12/10 05:17 AM
06/12/10 05:17 AM
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Sebring, Florida.
Timbo Offline
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Because in what is supposed to be "The Premier Event" you have a 90 minute game end in a 1-1 tie!

Get rid of ties and you have a game. Otherwise, I want that 90 minutes of my life back...


Blade F16
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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Timbo] #213586
06/12/10 05:48 AM
06/12/10 05:48 AM
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Because we'll reject that which everyone tells us that we should love "because everyone else does".

We have plenty of American sports to keep us occupied.

Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Timbo] #213588
06/12/10 06:07 AM
06/12/10 06:07 AM
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Indianapolis, IN - Midwest USA...
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It's not that we hate it; we just don't pay any attention to it. It's generally used as a baby-sitter for children.

For some reason, parents feel obligated to sign up their three-year-olds in municipal or private leagues. The kids have no idea what they're doing, but they run around while the parents and coaches scream at them. By the time they're twelve, most are bored with it, many hate it and a few stick with it till injuries take them out. But no one beyond those parents care.

For adults, it's too much effort for too little reward to participate in. It doesn't televise well, because there are no natural commercial breaks. And we don't want to see us lose to some little unpronouncable country which doesn't even have flush toilets.


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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: IndyWave] #213589
06/12/10 06:17 AM
06/12/10 06:17 AM
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Timbo Offline
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I get to see a lot of non-American sports on TV when I'm on layovers in other countries. I'd much rather watch Rugby or even...Crickett...than most "Footbool" matches. However, I was in a bar in Barcelona during the last World Cup, and when Italy won, the place went Nutz! Not just the one bar I was in, I mean the entire city! It was as if Spain had won. I guess they just wanted Italy to win. The crowds poured out into the streets and held an impromptu parade down to the big Columbus statue, then a couple drunk kids climbed up the statue and were taunting the Polizi!

Now, that was fun...to watch. Ahh youth, wasted on the young!


Blade F16
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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Tony_F18] #213590
06/12/10 06:48 AM
06/12/10 06:48 AM
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Jake Offline
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Originally Posted by Tony_F18
Football, or "soccer" as you call it over there, is a huge sport almost everywhere in the world, but why not in the US?
Match between the US and England is played this afternoon, should be interesting!


It's just taking a while to catch on. There have been grass roots efforts to grow youth soccer in the US - there have been youth soccer leagues all over the country for some time now and it's becoming almost as (if not more) popular as youth baseball. It's slowly starting to attract the attention of the adults. Personally, I'm looking forward to the US taking part in a real world sports competition - though I realize we have a long way to go to build an adequate continent based supporting league to be competitive. I'm dialing in to the game this afternoon with the UK - it will probably be the first soccer match I've watched more than 20 minutes of.

The US exposure of the World Cup this year is 10 times what it's received in the past.


Jake Kohl
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Jake] #213592
06/12/10 06:58 AM
06/12/10 06:58 AM
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South Carolina
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Jake Kohl
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Jake] #213593
06/12/10 07:09 AM
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As was mentioned above, it does not lend itself to American style TV coverage, not enough comercial breaks to pay for the air time. On a kids level, it's a cheap and easy sport to get into, shin pads and a ball, you're good to go. But on an adult level, well, you know we like to eat and sit on the couch here in America, right? And it's too friggn' hot to be running around in circles in the south, 6 mo. of the year! It's going to be 97f (36C) here today!

Most of us adults were not raised on it, so we really don't understand some of the rules (offsides? What is that?)

American Adults today played baseball, American Football, basketball or hockey when we were kids, soccer was for the kids who couldn't hit a fastball, make a free-throw or cried when they got hit in football or had to eat a slapshot.

I've got 4 kids and each one of them played "Soccer" when they were young, ages 5-12. Hell, I even helped coach it for some of their teams. But like was mentioned above, it was more of a babby sitting gig than a real game. They also played basketball and baseball. The parrents I spoke with never played soccer as kids, so they really didn't know what to teach their kids, in the "skills" dept.

Ice Hockey is the only real -skill- game anyway, anyone can kick a ball...

;^)

UNH Wildcat Hockey rules! http://unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/index


Blade F16
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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Timbo] #213594
06/12/10 07:12 AM
06/12/10 07:12 AM
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ESPN has figured out how to cover it while also showing sponsor's messages. During the Indy500 a couple of weeks ago, most commercial breaks saw the racing action reduced to a small video on the side while the commercial played in a larger portion of the screen...then the race zoomed back in. You still got to see the action. Though I believe that advertising method was aimed squarely at viewers like me (who record the race and start watching it an hour after it starts so we can fast forward through all the commercials) - it would work here too.


Jake Kohl
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Jake] #213595
06/12/10 07:14 AM
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Timbo Offline
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What time is the game (match)? I'll try to catch some of it...if there's no wind. ;^)


Blade F16
#777
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Timbo] #213599
06/12/10 07:33 AM
06/12/10 07:33 AM
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Indianapolis, IN - Midwest USA...
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I was introduced to soccer when I was 11 (1971) at Culver Military Academy Summer School, a culturally diverse program. I specifically remember then going home and telling my friends about this great new game I had learned, where you kick the ball, but can't touch it with your hands. My friends, being typical Hoosiers (basketball players) said: You can't touch the ball with your hands? That's STUU-PIID!! And I never mentioned the game again. When I got to high school, the drafting teacher from Rhodesia organized a team, but only skinny weird kids joined.


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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: IndyWave] #213600
06/12/10 08:12 AM
06/12/10 08:12 AM
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Timbo Offline
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"...but only skinny weird kids joined."

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are!

Jake, thanks for the Daily Show link! I'll be laughing about that all day!

"Have you told your parents you play soccer yet...?"



If any of you Americans are interested, the US vs. England match is today at 1:30 pm east time, on ABC.


Blade F16
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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: IndyWave] #213603
06/12/10 09:47 AM
06/12/10 09:47 AM
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your parents sent you to military school...that's funny too


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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Capt_Cardiac] #213611
06/12/10 11:25 AM
06/12/10 11:25 AM
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“an island in the Pacifi...
hobie1616 Offline
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Because there's no V-8 engines involved. smirk

Seriously, my niece got a full ride to a New York university to play soccer.


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Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: hobie1616] #213612
06/12/10 11:40 AM
06/12/10 11:40 AM
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Timbo Offline
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Hey, ESPN just did a great peice on the new ball, explained about the spin, or lack of spin, etc. Very interesting.

BUT...why did they go to a new ball in the first place? I came in late to their program, maybe they did explain that but I missed it.


Blade F16
#777
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Capt_Cardiac] #213613
06/12/10 12:04 PM
06/12/10 12:04 PM
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Indianapolis, IN - Midwest USA...
IndyWave Offline
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Originally Posted by Capt_Cardiac
your parents sent you to military school...that's funny too


Family tradition, and the best sailing school in the midwest. www.culver.org


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"Ish Kabibble"
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: IndyWave] #213616
06/12/10 01:48 PM
06/12/10 01:48 PM
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Timbo Offline
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Well that didn't take long...3:46 into the game and England scores first...


Blade F16
#777
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Timbo] #213617
06/12/10 02:16 PM
06/12/10 02:16 PM
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Timbo Offline
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But...at 41 minutes the England goalie gave the US a gift! Tied at 1-1 now.


Blade F16
#777
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Timbo] #213620
06/12/10 03:31 PM
06/12/10 03:31 PM
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Timbo Offline
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OK, 90 minutes to a 1-1 tie. Well, that sucked.

I rest my case.

Thank GOD the Celtics will be playing the Lakers tomorrow night, and -somebody- will WIN!


Blade F16
#777
Re: Why do Americans hate football? [Re: Timbo] #213622
06/12/10 04:01 PM
06/12/10 04:01 PM
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arievd Offline
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Ahhh, good illustration that you guys just don't understand the game wink....this is a great result for the U.S.!


Arie
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