Pete Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 Root against the USA? I dont give a !@#$ if its womens speed walking- go USA! The World Cup is the biggest thing in the world. It transcends classes, race, religion, politics. If you have never seen a football game in any other country you cant even begin to grasp how big a game it is. It is the worlds pasttime.
ajzepp Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 Root against the USA? I dont give a !@#$ if its womens speed walking- go USA! The World Cup is the biggest thing in the world. It transcends classes, race, religion, politics. If you have never seen a football game in any other country you cant even begin to grasp how big a game it is. It is the worlds pasttime. 708099[/snapback] Amen....how the hell can you not want your own country to do well? wtf?? The more I think about it, the more I'm actually partly glad that it's not more popular in this country. I enjoy the notion that there is something that has such strong roots and popularity in places like Europe and South America, and I can share in it. I used to get so fired up as a kid on Saturday mornings before my games. Some of my greatest memories as a child have to do with this great game. People can hack on it all they want....it is what it is and that's not going to change.
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 Doesn't mean a hill of beans to me. Local sportswriter here whined that no one was at the restaurants or bars to watch. I believe they play Italy next. They'll get crushed. So what.....this is one sport the rest of the world can go bonkers over. More power to em.
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 I'm impressed you had the balls to post what I was thinking. It really annoyed me to see soccer on the cover of my SI, my ESPN magazine AND my SI for Kids in the last week - when most sports fans in this country could care less. The media trying to create interest that just isn't there - to be scolding us that we should care because other parts of the world do. I was happy to see them lose - and I hope they lose the next one - the sooner they are out of it the sooner all this manufacured 'interest' just goes away. 708087[/snapback] Agreed! GO ITALIA!!!!! When was the last men's bball Olympics? The one where the overpriced primadonnas sat around as that kid from Finland? kept draining 3s. I was glad that kid stuck it to them.
slothrop Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 It isn't a difficult concept to grasp, but it seems to escape most anti-soccer fans who talk about faking injuries. Soccer isn't a game where play stops every 15 seconds like NFL, or where subs are allowed on the fly like Hockey, or subs like Basketball. How many times have you seen a running back call for a sub after a few players in. heck, most aren't even 3 down running backs. Going down as if injured in soccer is very strategic, either to get a yellow card for the other team or just slow the pace of the game down or to get a breather. They run for 90 minutes, only 3 subs are allowed per game, when your fouled, you typically go down and stay down to catch your wind, get a breather. 707810[/snapback] Thank you for the explanation. I am a non-soccer guy who used then moved to London (Earls Court area) and followed Chelsea. After that I lost interest again. But I never got the fake injury thing - in fact I always laughed at it. However, I am getting into this World Cup and intend to follow the Premier League after this. ten minutes of soccer looks like a montage of Daniel Brier's best dives for his entire career.
Hardy Pyle Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 you'll enjoy watching Chelsea this year. Building on an already dominant team. They've signed a very good young african player and star of the German team - Ballack and Shevchenko - considered by some the best striker in the world (Kaka - his AC Milan team mate says he's the best player he's every played with! and Kaka plays for Brazil!? )
meazza Posted June 14, 2006 Posted June 14, 2006 you'll enjoy watching Chelsea this year. Building on an already dominant team. They've signed a very good young african player and star of the German team - Ballack and Shevchenko - considered by some the best striker in the world (Kaka - his AC Milan team mate says he's the best player he's every played with! and Kaka plays for Brazil!? ) 708467[/snapback] Kaka also said he could never deke through Nesta in his practices. I think he's just being humble, but ya Sheva rocks. Too bad they lost to the Spaniards.
Alaska Darin Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 I'm an anti-soccer guy and I always cheer for the U.S. It just cracks me up that none of our best athletes play the sport and they still beat most of these other countries whose lives revolve around it. The thought of Mexico getting so angry & depressed in 2002 was really enjoyable to me. 707749[/snapback] Nothing was better than when we beat Columbia (whenever the hell that was). I lived in California and my neighbor was Columbian. They had a huge party and snapped when one of their players belted one into his own net (average soccer fan ended up killing the guy for it - that's right, they murdered him). About 30 illegals cursing and then hanging their heads because they lost to the U.S.. One of them said something in my direction because I happened to be outside when they were leaving. I laughed at him and said: "Who cares? I'm an American, we don't watch or play kickball after middle school. Must really hurt knowing "your" country lost to US!"
Alaska Darin Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 Kaka also said he could never deke through Nesta in his practices. I think he's just being humble, but ya Sheva rocks. Too bad they lost to the Spaniards. 708472[/snapback] Note to self: Never watch a sport played by a guy named after excrement.
meazza Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 Note to self: Never watch a sport played by a guy named after excrement. 708546[/snapback] good advice.
meazza Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 Nothing was better than when we beat Columbia (whenever the hell that was). I lived in California and my neighbor was Columbian. They had a huge party and snapped when one of their players belted one into his own net (average soccer fan ended up killing the guy for it - that's right, they murdered him). About 30 illegals cursing and then hanging their heads because they lost to the U.S.. One of them said something in my direction because I happened to be outside when they were leaving. I laughed at him and said: "Who cares? I'm an American, we don't watch or play kickball after middle school. Must really hurt knowing "your" country lost to US!" 708544[/snapback] I remember that. His name was Escobar. WC 94 in USA. Apparently he was murdered because many drug lords had money on the game.
TheMadCap Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 I remember that. His name was Escobar. WC 94 in USA. Apparently he was murdered because many drug lords had money on the game. 708551[/snapback] we were just talking about that at work today, I couldn't remember the guys name though...
meazza Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 we were just talking about that at work today, I couldn't remember the guys name though... 708568[/snapback] That was a horrible moment. The poor guy goes to the front of his house to get a newspaper and bam, he's dead. I remember in 94, after Baggio missed the penalty shot, some people were thinking that someone would try and kill him, luckily Italians have a tad more class.
Pete Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 Kaka also said he could never deke through Nesta in his practices. I think he's just being humble, but ya Sheva rocks. Too bad they lost to the Spaniards. 708472[/snapback] I just bought a Shevchenko Milan Jersey last month right before he signed with Chelsea. I collect Football Jerseys- Ronaldino, Bergkamp, Henry, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Glasgow Celtics so far not to mention I am Ukrainian
gmac17 Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 The media trying to create interest that just isn't there - to be scolding us that we should care because other parts of the world do. I was happy to see them lose - and I hope they lose the next one - the sooner they are out of it the sooner all this manufacured 'interest' just goes away. Do you say the same thing about the NHL?? Because the ESPN2 world cup ratings at 2pm on a summer saturday will be higher than the NBC Stanley Cup primetime ratings... just saying.
Alaska Darin Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 Do you say the same thing about the NHL?? Because the ESPN2 world cup ratings at 2pm on a summer saturday will be higher than the NBC Stanley Cup primetime ratings... just saying. 708604[/snapback] So what? Boy bands sell more albums than all but a handful of acts on the planet, doesn't make the sh-- they perform music. No offense, but it makes me quite happy that most of the 'tards on this planet don't get hockey and would rather watch 16 guys stand around for an hour and a half while 4 other guys play kickball and two other guys in completely different uniforms fiddle with their clown gloves.
meazza Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 I just bought a Shevchenko Milan Jersey last month right before he signed with Chelsea. I collect Football Jerseys- Ronaldino, Bergkamp, Henry, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Glasgow Celtics so far not to mention I am Ukrainian 708574[/snapback] I hate the fact that he left to Chelsea. To me, it's like the quality of the league just shrunk big time
Pete Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 I hate the fact that he left to Chelsea. To me, it's like the quality of the league just shrunk big time 708701[/snapback] Chelsea buys everyone- thats why they are the most hated team in England right now- even more hated then ManU
Hardy Pyle Posted June 15, 2006 Posted June 15, 2006 And it makes me happy that most north american's don't get soccer. I grew up playing hockey and soccer. I love playing both sports. But I can not sit through a hockey game sorry. But I love watching soccer. To each their own. There is a certain beauty to a soccer game (hence "the beautiful game") the closest that I have seen to this is hockey when the russions with the green line played (before the russians played in the NHL - Makarov, Krutov, Larrionoff (sorry for the hack job on spellings) It makes me laugh how people come on a soccer thread and get pissed because soccer is being rammed down their throats? I don't like cricket, but as I was travelling to India - the India and Pakistan cricket matches were on, and I must admit, I was getting caught up in. It's huge over their, fans go crazy and it was great. I travel alot to England and you hear the same thing from English fans about American sports. NFL players are pu$$ies, because they can't play offence and defence, why do they need to break every 30 seconds, why do they need equipment and helmets when rugby players don't. Why do cricket players play without gloves, etc.! It just comes down to a lack of understanding of the other person's game and a mentality that what we do is superior to what the other person does. It's a human condition. Rather than trying to embrace it or at least learn and understand about it, people put it down. The World Cup is a pretty big thing here in Canada - maybe it's the multicultural aspect. I don't know, but I love going to a pub and seeing polish fans one one side and german fans on the other and having a great time. Plus, the waitress in soccer uniforms with tight shorts and soccer socks is ultra sexy! PS. I don't like Nascar, baseball, etc. I just don't open those threads. No interest to me. Life goes on.
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