World cup


Mahone
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So yeah, I'm a soccer fan and I think the main reason Americans can't get into it is because of their instant-gratification culture - where they don't really want to work hard for anything, they just want the goal already.

It's say it's just culture period. If we had grown up with Soccer being a big thing over here and the rest of the World was into American Football instead you'd be justifying the superiority of it over soccer about how special teams do this, or you appreciate being able to preempt plays during the down time, or how the rules of the game and what actually happened are king not what one guy perceived may have happened, or maybe how the field goal adds an additional strategic decision to the game, or commercial breaks are the perfect time to hit the loo.

I don't think soccer, football, baseball* or basketball are somehow the one true sport so I don't have as much as a dog in this fight as some. And to be fair there is a good amount of ribbing going on in the thread so turn about is only fair play (and I keep that in mind when entire cultures and people are denigrated because they don't like the same sports you do). Oh well, if nothing else we get to see Mahone worked up/passionate in something other than an Apple thread. :D

P.S. Is it just me or does that average zoom level of a soccer game on the TV further out than B-Ball or Football? This isn't a value judgement and it's possible I've just had a statistically unrepresentative exposure in my limited exposure to the game.

* Actually aside from golf, baseball is probably my least favorite sport to watch on TV, but I do enjoy getting into the Stands for a game. There is an energy in person that, for me at least, doesn't come through the TV.

Edited by Dravin
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Oh well, if nothing else we get to see Mahone worked up in something other than an Apple thread. :D

It's not that amusing is it? :cool:

Ah jest like t'tease yo' all, ah reckon.

I'll be heading off to Florida tomorrow AM (I want to try another supersized milkshake that can only be found in the USA). Any beatings on behalf of the USA can be delivered in person then ^_^

Edited by Mahone
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It's not that amusing is it? :cool:

:D

I'll be heading off to Florida tomorrow AM (I want to try another supersized milkshake that can only be found in the USA).

Uhg, I thought my flight from Utah to the Midwest was annoying. My condolences.

Any beatings on behalf of the USA can be delivered in person then ^_^

I'm easily bribed with real English Cheddar. ;):P

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It's say it's just culture period.

(and I keep that in mind when entire cultures and people are denigrated because they don't like the same sports you do).

P.S. Is it just me or does that average zoom level of a soccer game on the TV further out than B-Ball or Football? This isn't a value judgement and it's possible I've just had a statistically unrepresentative exposure in my limited exposure to the game.

* Actually aside from golf, baseball is probably my least favorite sport to watch on TV, but I do enjoy getting into the Stands for a game. There is an energy in person that, for me at least, doesn't come through the TV.

That's what I was trying to share. It's a culture shock from the Phils to the US when it comes to football (basketball is big in the Phils too, so there's not much of a shock on that one except that the Americans are gigantic - they seem to be able to go from one side of the court to the other in 5 big leaps - and there's more inside action. In the Phils, only a few players are gigantic so most of the game is in the jump shots).

I apologize if my statement sounded denigrating. It wasn't my intention. I was merely stating a fact - a difference in culture. It is fact that Americans are into instant gratification stuff. Weight loss pills don't sell too good in the Phils because most Filipinos can't afford it - they have to do it the hard way. You capture an American's attention in the first 3 seconds, otherwise, the remote control is out surfing. In the Phils, there's not that many channels to choose from. So channel surfing doesn't get you too far, so they gotta sit through the boring stuff to enjoy the cool stuff - they get to learn to find appreciation for the boring.

I actually enjoy most sports - golf and baseball included, even curling! It's fun! And being married to my husband (the american football fanatic) taught me a deeper appreciation for the "other kind" of football. But, soccer is still my favorite sport to play and watch. Pingpong second, tennis 3rd, regular volleyball (with 6 players a side) 4th. Note: that's play and watch. If it's just watch, then basketball is 2nd.

Edited by anatess
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I apologize if my statement sounded denigrating. It wasn't my intention. I was merely stating a fact - a difference in culture. It is fact that Americans are into instant gratification stuff. Weight loss pills don't sell too good in the Phils because most Filipinos can't afford it - they have to do it the hard way. You capture an American's attention in the first 3 seconds, otherwise, the remote control is out surfing. In the Phils, there's not that many channels to choose from. So channel surfing doesn't get you too far, so they gotta sit through the boring stuff to enjoy the cool stuff - they get to learn to find appreciation for the boring.

The thing is the relative disinterest in soccer predates what we'd call the current gotta have it now aspects of culture and in fact is picking up in popularity despite the prevalence of those aspects. Also, golf captures more attention than soccer (wild guess, but I imagine your average American can name more golfers than soccer players) and golf is a lot more boring than soccer could even try to be (unless played by a bunch of anemic-asthmatic-one-legged-obese children).

Slight Rewind: You mention that soccer is a good sport for kids (I agree it is) but I think in some ways it's attachment as a kid's sport hurts it. I imagine it conjures images of little kids running around the field when it's name is spoken more so than do other sports here. Then of course you've got the insult/negative descriptor or a soccer mom which doesn't help that. Of course that may be putting the cart before the horse.

Edited by Dravin
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The thing is the relative disinterest in Soccer predates what we'd call the current gotta have it now aspects of culture and in fact is picking up in popularity despite the prevalence of those aspects. Also, Golf captures more attention than soccer (wild guess, but I imagine your average American can name more golfers than soccer players) and golf is a lot more boring than soccer could even try to be (unless played by a bunch of anemic-asthmatic-one-legged-obese children).

Also I know you mean well and there is teasing going on in the thread it's just you are using a brush so wide you are slopping it all over the place. :D

Slight Rewind: You mention that soccer is a good sport for kids (I agree it is) but I think in some ways it's attachment as a kid's sport hurts it. I imagine it conjures images of little kids running around the field when it's name is spoken more so than do other sports here. Then of course you've got the insult/negative descriptor or a soccer mom which doesn't help that. Of course that may be putting the cart before the horse.

You are right. My brush was too wide. I just can't find any other reason for the lack of disinterest in an otherwise popular sport. My ignorance is showing through!

I think the Golf-mania started with Tiger. It's the classic American tale of the underdog (this time a black person) making it big against all odds (dished out by the exlcusivity of the "white man"). And they make multi-millions! All Americans of all colors love that side-story. Kinda like how John Wayne movies are always amazing. Kinda like how Obama-mania started.

But then, that's probably another broad brushstroke too.

Oh, I definitely agree with you on the kids soccer. There's this radio guy named Neal Boortz who talks a lot of bad stuff about kids soccer - like how they make pansies out of kids... Like, in my son's soccer league - they don't keep score. There's no winner or loser and everybody gets a trophy at the end of the season. This kind of stuff makes people like Boortz connect soccer with pansy.

Oh yes, I'm the van-driving soccer mom. And my husband completely agrees with the image that next to 16-year-olds, the most dangerous people on the highways are van-driving soccer moms. Crazy husband.

Another bad soccer PR for the US is David Beckham. Lots of goopla about him and nothing panned out. It cemented a lot of the thought that soccer is just not something worth anything in the US. Hopefully it will change in the future, although, I kinda doubt it. Not without some drama that could put soccer in the forefront of the media hype for years.

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I just can't find any other reason for the lack of disinterest in an otherwise popular sport. My ignorance is showing through!

The thing is there doesn't really need to be a reason, at least the kind you seem to be seeking. You mentioned Ping Pong as a sport. I consider it a game. There is nothing wrong with Ping Pong, and certainly not with people who like it and think of it as a sport. It is simply because I was raised with my exposure to it being as a game, interest in Ping Pong is simply not present in my culture as it is in the various cultures in Asia. I imagine in raw numbers more people care about Ping Pong than American Football. :)

It just boils down to taste, people here have (for what ever reason) been raised on a diet of American Football and Basketball (and Baseball) and that is were their taste lie and for some soccer might as well be Marmite. IIt just isn't what they grew up on. And for UKers American Football might as well be a PBJ*. Strange to the taste and they already have things they like, so why do they need to force themselves to eat something else?

*At least in my experience a lot of Brits when asked about a PBJ give an "eew" reaction. Though that might be confusion that Jelly = Jam and not Jello (I had some Brit explain that Jelly = Jello in their mind but I could be misinformed).

I think the Golf-mania started with Tiger. It's the classic American tale of the underdog (this time a black person) making it big against all odds (dished out by the exlcusivity of the "white man"). And they make multi-millions! All Americans of all colors love that side-story. Kinda like how John Wayne movies are always amazing. Kinda like how Obama-mania started.

Jack Nicklaus. Admittedly that's just me, but that's one more than I can do for Soccer (before Beckham being mentioned in this thread). While there are reasons some things catch on and some don't I think in most cases the reasons are very, very complex and numerous or just to nebulous to quantify. For instance I love whole wheat bread (real deal, not brown colored white bread), I think as a general deal I live in a culture that likes their bread white, fluffy and sweet, we can explain why the majority of the US might like Wonderbread (Cheap, convenient and sugar was originally added to reduce rise times) but why do I like wheat? If you ask all I can say is I like the flavor (before I was cognizant of health benefits).

So just think of the US as the weird kid who likes his PBJ on wheat instead of Wonderbread like all the other kids (I realize with my bread snobbery this puts the US in the better position but work with me here).

Edited by Dravin
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Source: FIFA may sit Slovenia-U.S. referee - International Football - Yahoo! Sports

JOHANNESBURG – The referee who disallowed a potential game-winning goal for the United States will face an expedited performance review from FIFA and is likely to be excluded from the rest of the World Cup, according to a FIFA source.

Koman Coulibaly from Mali disallowed Maurice Edu’s 86th-minute strike that would have given the USA a 3-2 lead over Slovenia at Ellis Park and likely would have led to a thrilling comeback victory Friday. Coulibaly appeared to rule that American midfielder Michael Bradley had impeded a Slovenian defender, even though video replays showed no infringement.

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Actually I like soccer and have been following it somewhat.

So Pam, if someone came up to you and said they have two sets of tickets, one for Real Salt Lake, the current MLS defending champs, and another for the San Diego Chargers, not exactly recent Super Bowl champs, and offered them to you free of charge, but you could only choose one set of tickets, which set would you take? Remember you would be responsible for all travel costs associated with either choice, and you live in Salt Lake.

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and dazed-and-confused, in his dazed and confused state of mind attempts to cause FURTHER havoc on john doe's computer.

Sorry, the truth is the truth. If something like that happened in a sport Americans cared about, it would be national headline news and demands for overturning the loss (non-win, draw, whatever you want to call it) would be resounding everywhere. As it is, no one in America really cares if the Americans were cheated in soccer. It's a low-profile sport with a very small following. Besides, from what I read, the only thing that might happen is that the incompetent(?) referee might not get to officiate in any more games during the World Cup. After this blows over, he'll go back to Mali and be free to display his incompetence to his heart's content. There will be almost no fallout from this, because soccer is a minor sport as far as we are concerned.

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I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's not like anyone back home cares whether they won or not.

Don't suppose you would want to come over and watch Cricket with me. It's the Micromax Asia Cup! Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh!

By the way - espn3 seems kind of nice. You can watch live and replay events (including World Cup) and I don't think you even have to register (I didn't have to.)

Watch Live Streaming Sports Online: 2010 FIFA World Cup & More

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So Pam, if someone came up to you and said they have two sets of tickets, one for Real Salt Lake, the current MLS defending champs, and another for the San Diego Chargers, not exactly recent Super Bowl champs, and offered them to you free of charge, but you could only choose one set of tickets, which set would you take? Remember you would be responsible for all travel costs associated with either choice, and you live in Salt Lake.

Depends on where the seats are for the Chargers game. :P

Believe it or not, I've been to quite a few Real Salt Lake games.

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As it is, no one in America really cares if the Americans were cheated in soccer. It's a low-profile sport with a very small following.

Have to disagree with this one. Where I live it's becoming a very high profile sport with a large following. Many of the kids in our ward play football and there are leagues throughout the school system here. A lot of people are following the World Cup and there are many who are very passionate.

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Sorry, the truth is the truth. If something like that happened in a sport Americans cared about, it would be national headline news and demands for overturning the loss (non-win, draw, whatever you want to call it) would be resounding everywhere. As it is, no one in America really cares if the Americans were cheated in soccer. It's a low-profile sport with a very small following. Besides, from what I read, the only thing that might happen is that the incompetent(?) referee might not get to officiate in any more games during the World Cup. After this blows over, he'll go back to Mali and be free to display his incompetence to his heart's content. There will be almost no fallout from this, because soccer is a minor sport as far as we are concerned.

i should most humbly apologize... i had NO IDEA that you spoke for "americans". wait, I'M american and i enjoy the world cup.

well, what do you expect....my name says it all.

by the way, i do SO disagree with you.

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Have to disagree with this one. Where I live it's becoming a very high profile sport with a large following. Many of the kids in our ward play football and there are leagues throughout the school system here. A lot of people are following the World Cup and there are many who are very passionate.

I'll admit that Liberalism, which believes that scores should be low or even eliminated completely, is making inroads into America. I'm against protecting your little snowflake to the point where you can cheer them up by telling them they only lost by one goal, only because the opposing team's offense was so poor that they could only manage one goal the entire game. Sorry, I prefer games with a little excitement. Maybe it's because I don't drink enough beer to not care if nothing is happening on the field.

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