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Post by Venom65437 on Jan 16, 2007 7:08:58 GMT
No, America doesn't like soccer... I didn't make that up, it's a fact. And I feel (and I'm not the only one) that just because David Beckham comes here to play, we aren't all of a sudden going to give two craps about it. I'll bet anyone anything on it.
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Post by ss on Jan 16, 2007 23:54:43 GMT
Wanta clarify V, I'm and American and I like soccer.... ;D It's like callin the Dallas Cowboys Americas team....I don't think so...
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Post by Venom65437 on Jan 17, 2007 1:51:02 GMT
SS, you're in the minority and you know it. Americans, in general, don't give two craps about soccer. It's not an opinion, it's a fact.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Jan 17, 2007 1:54:21 GMT
From what I gather the game is slowly growing in popularity, but it's got a ways to go yet in the US...
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Post by ss on Jan 17, 2007 21:54:32 GMT
That's true, but I think it will. It is interesting that the President of Real Madrid was shown on ESPN last night stating that the reason that Beckham came to the US was because no one in europe wanted him....
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Post by Elliot Kane on Jan 17, 2007 21:58:10 GMT
A complete lie. At least half a dozen clubs have openly stated interest. Not the only one he told at that student dinner, either - and not the only insult levelled at members of his own team. I should imagine his players will be deeply unhappy at some of the things he said...
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tragic
Chaosite
Happiness is a cigar called hamlet
Posts: 627
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Post by tragic on Jan 17, 2007 23:59:19 GMT
Spurs have shown an interest and if it werent for Owen Hargreaves/Micheal Carrick/Ledley King, Becks may have even found himself back in the English side as a holding midfielder.
He has still got some life in him yet
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Post by Ubereil on Jan 18, 2007 9:16:13 GMT
A complete lie. At least half a dozen clubs have openly stated interest. Not the only one he told at that student dinner, either - and not the only insult levelled at members of his own team. I should imagine his players will be deeply unhappy at some of the things he said... The morale in the squad will hit yet another low ;D. Übereil
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Post by ptsteelers on Jan 21, 2007 15:26:39 GMT
What a time for me to stop by. First of all ... The 250 million for 5 years is not his salary. He signed a contract for 5 years - 51 million (still a nice pay check), but the other monies will be from endorsements, outside of the Galaxy's umbrella. NOW ... Soccer in the U.S. Hear me now, soccer WILL NEVER be a draw in the U.S. I know how much certain people (that have played the "game") enjoy, if not love it, but we (general American populous) find it boring. When your average score, is a whopping total of 2 or 3 points, you are not an exciting sport. Add into the fact, that your average American Sports fan, is a "gung-Ho", "We'll kick your ss", type of viewer, we get tired of the fake injuries ... let me stress that again ... FAKE injuries that occur every 3 minutes of the game. One guys gets kicked, he rolls around on the field like his leg is broken, they pull a card, and suddenly BAM, he is okay again. WOW. Magic. Another problem with soccer ... no set time limit. The "Viewer" never knows when the game is going to be over, for there is no set time for the game to end. Well, there is, but it always goes over, due to umpires stoppage and they never show that. It could be 2 minutes more, it could be 10 minutes more. What the hell? Soccer fans have, for years, said that soccer is growing in popularity. It is not. Sorry. Soccer also has the problem of "great athletes. Most of your 6'+ players, go on to more popular (better paying) sports. Your average soccer player is short, less gifted and would not make it on another sports rosters. If they could, they would. Back to Bechman ... Beckham will produce more viewers for the Galaxy ... for a time, but let us not forget, he is also in the downside of his prime. He was a "back-up" on his last team. NOT a starter.
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Post by ptsteelers on Jan 21, 2007 15:41:15 GMT
Aaaaaand, while I am at it....
Why soccer IS popular elsewhere - Money. Plain and simple. But in this case, it is the lack of said money. Most of the worlds countries are ... shall we say ... poor (in the grand scheme of things). So what sport is better, than a sport where the only cost to play is ... one ball.
All of your other sports, require, by their nature, a bigger investment of funds. If you are a poor nation, you roll a $12 ball onto a field of grass and BOOM, instant sport.
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Post by Venom65437 on Jan 21, 2007 17:02:55 GMT
Thank you pt, someone else has finally said everything I've been saying since the World Cup! Americans in general just don't give a crap!!!
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Post by ss on Jan 21, 2007 18:00:07 GMT
Thank you pt, someone else has finally said everything I've been saying since the World Cup! Americans in general just don't give a crap!!! Of course I disagree with both you and Perry, but take Basketball, I love the sport, but how do you watch 80 games during the season? You don't, you watch the good match-ups and the play-offs and Championship matches... Take Football (american style) same thing - only less games during the season...I love the sport, but most people watch their favorite teams and could give a hoot less at the other games...until close to playoff time... And lets take Soccer -- 20 years ago, people would ask "what is soccer ?? " Now we are discussing it in depth world wide, which NOW includes the USA who never even thought of it...So just how popular do you think it has to be before it is a major sport?? If if was not popular why are we discussing Beckham and why do we have National leagues and THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of schools, from elementary on up that are playing it daily -- and whats with the new term "Soccer Mom" - they don't call'em "Football Moms".... ;D
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Post by ptsteelers on Jan 21, 2007 18:39:25 GMT
"Soccer moms" have been around forever. Yes even when I went to Blair Middle, they were the talk of the school. I totally agree about basketball (and you can add baseball) being a little over kill (which is a reason I believe their fans have been moving over to the NFL over the past years). If they were to make their season only 20 games, the fans would come in droves, because each game would mean soooo much more. (of course this will never happen, for the owners would lose too much in ticket sales) .... Of course I suppose THIS discussion is for another topic Soccer gains popularity for brief spurts here. Like every 4 years during the Olympics, when soccer fans start screaming about how everyone tunes in to see the USA team play. And I must confess, I fall prey to this action as well. I get pumped about it ... but it is only from a "country pride" stand point, and after we lose, which we always do (because other countries send their best athletes, while our best athletes are playing other sports ), my desire to even think about soccer wains, As it does for most sport fans here. Soccer has never been a sport for us (read as - U.S. ),because as I have said, it is - 1) Too slow we Americans want fast ... think Microwave Ovens, remote controls and the unjustified popularity of Nascar 2) Fake injury prone We hate weak people that can't take a hit 3) Boring An hour to watch guys jog around and see one freaking point scored? 4) Hands off We like to use our hands. Our country was built on it. What the hell is with a sport that I can't use my hands. BAH, that's un-American damn-it. ;D As a whole (or hole to some ) We have been pushing slow sports out. Sports like Golf and Bowling, for example, are losing TV viewers each year, while sports such as MMA (Mixed Martial Arts ... think Ultimate Fighting) and Arena Football have held a steady increase in viewership. (Held a steady increase ... that's not right is it ... ;D) Anywho .... IF soccer was ever going to be a major player in our sports life, I think it missed it's window. "Too slow, too boring - Soccer - Catch it." EDIT : Wanted to add this .... The one sport that does have me perplexed as to why it is not embraced by us ... Hockey. It has all the characteristics of a sport we SHOULD like (fast paced, set time limit and violent as hell), yet, we still don't accept it either? It must be the fact that is like soccer, only on ice.
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Post by Venom65437 on Jan 21, 2007 19:33:36 GMT
I should add I watch basketball and baseball almost everyday... the days I don't, are almost always because there isn't any on where I live. But I'm a sports junkie.
Also, count me in the crowd that will watch up play in the World Cup or something, but after we get our ass whooped, I don't care anymore.
Pt is right about hockey, but here is another thing, it's a terrible tv sport as well...
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Post by Elliot Kane on Jan 21, 2007 19:37:57 GMT
I think you don't like ice hockey because the Canadians always beat you, honestly...
I may be wrong, but it seems to me a lot of Americans don't like any sport that America is not the best in the world at. If you won the World Cup, real football would likely catch on real fast...
I reserve the right to be totally wrong ;D
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Post by Venom65437 on Jan 21, 2007 19:42:07 GMT
I think you don't like ice hockey because the Canadians always beat you, honestly... I may be wrong, but it seems to me a lot of Americans don't like any sport that America is not the best in the world at. If you won the World Cup, real football would likely catch on real fast... I reserve the right to be totally wrong ;D I DON'T doubt that one bit. You are right, we generally don't care for the sports we aren't good at. The thing with soccer is we're so far behind, it doesn't even matter.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Jan 21, 2007 19:45:44 GMT
That's what's scary, V - you're not. The US team is not GREAT but it is pretty good. I doubt you'd realistically be top ten in the world whatever FIFA might say, but I doubt you're out of the top twenty.
And there's well over 100 teams in the world.
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Post by Venom65437 on Jan 21, 2007 19:49:39 GMT
Well all I know is the last time we played the world we didn't win one game, and only scored one goal on our own... what I saw was pretty sad... getting completely [Censored] slapped in round one.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Jan 21, 2007 19:52:21 GMT
England under-performed badly, too...
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tragic
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Post by tragic on Jan 21, 2007 23:56:51 GMT
A couple of things:
Football is not slow as you put it..the game is played at a fast pace.
Also the game is quite physical...which is something the US people i would have thought like....
It is not boring, you can get multiple shots at goal and some of the passing can be great.
I dont think Beckham will set the country alight but he will drag a few more viewers in
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