Soccer: fantastic or boring beyond belief?

[rainmaker]

NFL preseason starts tomorrow, thank god. One can only live on baseball for so long. I can't take it any more.

Become a soccer fan. The big leagues start up in two weeks and I for one can't wait. Much, much more exciting than that activity they call baseball. Baseball is actually the quickest dying sport in this country. Ratings are plummeting for the 18-34 age range. And I know why, it's an incredible bore.

 

[Darth Divac]

Become a soccer fan. The big leagues start up in two weeks and I for one can't wait. Much, much more exciting than that activity they call baseball. Baseball is actually the quickest dying sport in this country. Ratings are plummeting for the 18-34 age range. And I know why, it's an incredible bore.

Soccer is as boring if not much much more than baseball. At least, in my opinion. Not trying to insult you or anything, I just can't sit through it.

 

[Kingsfan23]

What sports are great/suck just seems a cultural construct. Something tells me if we were born on an remote island that idealized and worshipped women's badminton we'd be extolling the virtues of that sport

 

[Bricklayer]

What sports are great/suck just seems a cultural construct. Something tells me if we were born on an remote island that idealized and worshipped women's badminton we'd be extolling the virtues of that sport

Perhaps.

However nothing happens in soccer and baseball is just a bunch of standing around, so its more of a stylistic complaint than say preferring basketball to ice hockey.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Perhaps.

However nothing happens in soccer and baseball is just a bunch of standing around, so its more of a stylistic complaint than say preferring basketball to ice hockey.

ARGGRGGGH.... Just because teams don't score often, doesn't mean nothing happens! The World Cup is seriously one of the most intense things you can watch... nothings sweeter than watching the U.S. Team beat out other nations where soccer is absolutely idolized. Its the whole underdog thing i guess. Kind of why i fell in love with the Kings!

 

[Warhawk]

ARGGRGGGH.... Just because teams don't score often, doesn't mean nothing happens! The World Cup is seriously one of the most intense things you can watch... nothings sweeter than watching the U.S. Team beat out other nations where soccer is absolutely idolized. Its the whole underdog thing i guess. Kind of why i fell in love with the Kings!

Exactly! Grown men rolling around in pain to draw red cards on the opposition is kewl!!!

</sarcasm off>

I like watching my son play (he's 10) and will watch an occasional pro game but don't follow the sport. With a local team I may watch more.

But yes, baseball is boring on TV. Slow when I go watch the River Cats, too, but it is definitely better in real life than on TV as far as being able to be engaged in the game.

 

[Dime Dropper]

"Soccer" is a fantastic sport, it just doesn't have enough goals to hold the short attention spans of many Americans (in sports terms of course).

 

[Bricklayer]

"Soccer" is a fantastic sport, it just doesn't have enough goals to hold the short attention spans of many Americans (in sports terms of course).

Nor enough action in general. 3/4 of the players on the field are operating at a slow trot 30 yards away at any one time. There's 100 yards of deadspace between red zones. And I say this as someone who was an accomplished soccer player and loved playing it as a kid. Didn't leave organized soccer until my jr and sr. years of high school when I bulked up for football. Still love playing it. Love watching it too when I need a nap.

The Brits were damn good cultural imperialists though. They managed to convince most of the world that their home sport was da ****.

If you want action in that sport, you can watch hockey. Same sport except they force the players to actually come into occasional proximity to each other.

 

[kupman]

Perhaps.

However nothing happens in soccer and baseball is just a bunch of standing around, so its more of a stylistic complaint than say preferring basketball to ice hockey.

This is the perception of those that do not understand the sports at a deeper level. I don't understand soccer so it does look to me as though not much is happening, but those that do understand see things happening all the time that have the potential to heavily impact the outcome of the game.

I do understand baseball and realize that there are things happening all around the field with each pitch. It makes each pitch interesting to me. Also, what happens in the first 25% of soccer games and baseball games are very important to the outcome of the game. Getting down by 2 runs or 2 goals in the early part of the game plays a big part in the rest of the game. In the NBA, if you are down 10-15 points in the 1st quarter you really do not need to sweat it. It's not a very big deal. In fact, in most big NBA games really only need to watch the 4th quarter to see the major impacts on the game. This is not the case with Soccer and baseball. What happens in the 1st inning could end-up deciding the game.

Another thing that makes baseball exciting to me is that you have to play the whole game or get all your outs to win the game. If things start going south in the 8th inning when you are in the lead, there is no option of sitting on the ball and running out the clock.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I get that some sports aren't everyone's cup of tea but too much soccer hate comes from a lack of understanding of tactics of the game and a certain amount of American machismo. And while diving certainly happens it is a lot less common in certain leagues. One of which is our domestic league which is still overcoming its reputation as a hackers league.

Are there boring games? Most certainly. Boring leagues even.

I will take anyone who says soccer is boring to a game in Portland with me and we'll have this conversation later.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Just to add some fun to this:

 

[Turgenev]

I like the simplicity of football- but spend no time following it. I remember a group of guys from university who could speak of nothing but soccer. That is boring- a life consumed by only sport.

I will confess to liking test match cricket. A game that lasts five days and might often end in a draw.

American football must get a mention as a boring sport. Four hours of coverage for 15 minutes of actual football??!! Too much talk and too many commercials. Although I do find issues relating to NFL player welfare to be interesting.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I love both the American and world versions of football. But I have to admit I spent quite a penny to take my boy up to S**ttle to watch the Pats play and it was cold and wet and pretty friggin boring for the most part. The sport is made for TV and when there are constant breaks in the action for TV coverage you don't get it really takes away from the stadium atmosphere. Soccer has none of that, all about the stadium experience. I enjoy watching on TV as well, no commercials and a pretty definite end time is a huge plus, but you definitely miss out on a lot of off ball action the way the cameras show on ball action. Also the fans in the "family" section at the NFL were more crass than a whole season's worth of matches in the Timbers Army (and homophobes to boot). That said it was worth every penny to see Tom Brady from the endzone half the game and watch how he operates in the pocket and more or less see what he sees.

 

[VF21]

I like the simplicity of football- but spend no time following it. I remember a group of guys from university who could speak of nothing but soccer. That is boring- a life consumed by only sport.

I will confess to liking test match cricket. A game that lasts five days and might often end in a draw.

American football must get a mention as a boring sport. Four hours of coverage for 15 minutes of actual football??!! Too much talk and too many commercials. Although I do find issues relating to NFL player welfare to be interesting.

Yeah, that sounds exciting.

 

[Turgenev]

Yeah, that sounds exciting.

Few things can beat it

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I've watched cricket at one of the local Indian food restaurants but I have absolutely no clue what I am seeing.

 

[VF21]

Few things can beat it

Like watching paint dry?

I've watched cricket at one of the local Indian food restaurants but I have absolutely no clue what I am seeing.

I have maintained for years that cricket is the world's long-running practical joke, started by the British in the 1500's and spread throughout the British Empire.

From Wiki:

Cricket was first played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, it had developed into the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas and by the mid-19th century the first international matches were being held. The ICC, the game's governing body, has 10 full members.[2] The game is most popular in Australasia, England, the Indian subcontinent, the West Indies and Southern Africa.

 

[Turgenev]

Like watching paint dry?



I have maintained for years that cricket is the world's long-running practical joke, started by the British in the 1500's and spread throughout the British Empire.

From Wiki:

I have no problems conceding it is not for everyone.

Although to throw one back, is American football not a practical joke? You have some players who are not even allowed to touch the ball! Other players dance after making a 'hit'. To me, a rugby fan, this sport is just a bit too alien.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Actually new rules say no more sack dancing or pretty much any celebration whatsoever. NFL is getting ridiculous but whatever. It's a fun sport to watch on Sundays. And it is perfect for quick time shifting. you can get a little behind and just skip to the next play without missing a beat.

 

[VF21]

I have no problems conceding it is not for everyone.

Although to throw one back, is American football not a practical joke? You have some players who are not even allowed to touch the ball! Other players dance after making a 'hit'. To me, a rugby fan, this sport is just a bit too alien.

To each his/her own.

 

[uolj]

"Soccer" is a fantastic sport, it just doesn't have enough goals to hold the short attention spans of many Americans (in sports terms of course).

My issue with soccer, and hockey to a large extent as well, is that I hate to miss any of the super exciting or important bits of action. But, probably because of my short attention span and limited knowledge of those sports, it seems like there's rarely a time when I can relax my concentration without potentially missing something. That's annoying and tiring.

American football is perfectly geared towards the way I like to consume competition, so it's no surprise that it's easily my favorite sport to watch. Basketball and baseball also are a lot better at that than soccer and hockey.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Ohai ladies. I didn't see you there.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9529241/usmnt-new-york-s-magazine-greatest-photo-shoot-history

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

...American football is perfectly geared towards the way I like to consume competition, so it's no surprise that it's easily my favorite sport to watch...

I think that this is the heart of the matter, in a nutshell. Americans, for the most part, have been conditioned to consume entertainment a certain way. And the most popular forms of entertainment in the United States are conducive to that, whether you're talking about Monday Night Football or Dancing with the Stars. The sort of people who like to watch football typically want and expect different things out of watching sports than those who prefer "American Rules." It's not unlike people who love the NBA, but consider the WNBA to be boring; if you have an expectation that watching sports is supposed to mean "X," and then you tune in to watch a sport and "Y" happens instead, you're likely to be dissatisfied. "It's just a bunch of guys running back and forth for an hour and half; this is boring!"

Guys like pdxKingsFan are the exception that proves the "rule," if you will; there aren't many sports fans who have the ability to compartmentalize their ability to consume sports. Most people seem to only want to watch all sports through the filter of how their favorite sport is played. At least, in this country, any way.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Yet I still consume sports the American way. I make up a good guy and a bad guy and I root against the bad guy.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Yet I still consume sports the American way. I make up a good guy and a bad guy and I root against the bad guy.

I hardly think that's exclusive to Americans; I'd be surprised to learn that United fans believe that their rooting for the "bad guys."

I was more referring to your ability to watch footy, as a fan of "American rules," without comparing footy to "American rules" while you're watching it. The same way that I'm a fan of both men's and women's basketball, in no small part because I never compare women's basketball to men's basketball: I don't watch one through the same lens that I watch the other.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I did know what you meant, but I do think that we (Americans) do a little more "personalizing" of our sports heroes. Maybe I am wrong, I know English footballers rule the tabloids along with royalty but I know when I was in Canada during the Winter Games in 2010 that the Canadian coverage had none of the "personal interest" stories before each event, they just showed the sport (and consequently more of it). Which also allows you to make up your own narrative. Like the Norwegian Curling team and their sweet pants.

I do find it easy to get sucked up into any form of organized competition. At which point I want to understand the rules and how the best teams play. But I'm not above rooting against a team because their star player has a crappy haircut.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I did know what you meant, but I do think that we (Americans) do a little more "personalizing" of our sports heroes. Maybe I am wrong, I know English footballers rule the tabloids along with royalty but I know when I was in Canada during the Winter Games in 2010 that the Canadian coverage had none of the "personal interest" stories before each event, they just showed the sport (and consequently more of it). Which also allows you to make up your own narrative. Like the Norwegian Curling team and their sweet pants.

I agree that the "human interest" aspect of personalizing sports figures is more uniquely American, as far as that goes, but I don't agree that that's what we were talking about. True though it might be, I think that it's tangential to the discussion; I certainly don't believe that personalizing athletes has much to do with why the average "American rules" football fan prefers it over football.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

You're right. I was just trying to be silly.

I think the name alone may be one of the largest sources of conflict. "We play the real football." "No we do." Oddly enough "soccer" started as English slang for "asscociation" as in Association Football.

 

[uolj]

there aren't many sports fans who have the ability to compartmentalize their ability to consume sports. Most people seem to only want to watch all sports through the filter of how their favorite sport is played. At least, in this country, any way.

You think? I'm not sure I know anybody who does this.

I mean, sure, I compare and contrast the styles of the different sports while engaged in a message board discussion of the subject, but I don't see a soccer game on the TV and decide to flip the channel because it doesn't follow the same flow as american football. Each sport (or competition) has its own flow with its own pros and cons.

Most people I know who follow sports (in the U.S.) have unique viewing styles and preferences. None of them seem to follow a certain "American" way. Maybe the general population has certain tendencies, and that could certainly explain american football's popularity and soccer's lack thereof, but I don't really buy that this happens because people want all sports to be the same as their favorite sport.

 

[rainmaker]

Nor enough action in general. 3/4 of the players on the field are operating at a slow trot 30 yards away at any one time. There's 100 yards of deadspace between red zones. And I say this as someone who was an accomplished soccer player and loved playing it as a kid. Didn't leave organized soccer until my jr and sr. years of high school when I bulked up for football. Still love playing it. Love watching it too when I need a nap.

The Brits were damn good cultural imperialists though. They managed to convince most of the world that their home sport was da ****.

If you want action in that sport, you can watch hockey. Same sport except they force the players to actually come into occasional proximity to each other.

Are you basing your opinions on soccer off American youth soccer, or high level European soccer, and a handful of the top MLS teams?

I ask because the type of soccer you'd likely have played and had access to watching growing up stateside is far different than what happens at the top levels. I've found many people have one idea of what soccer is, from having kicked a ball around in leagues growing up where orange slices are common and it's basically just boot ball with little skill, but then when they watch the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, it's almost like watching a different sport to them. Lots of movement and lots of skill.