Soccer vs. Metric System: which will the US embrace first?

[YDload]

two things that are very popular worldwide but not here in America. which will we accept first?

I say neither lol

[Cybergasm]

I say neither as well.

The rampant isolationist policies that have paved America's history have left the country a- for the lack of a better term- isolated and, in my opinion, a culturally crippled nation. It'll never be embraced because the majority (note: majority, not ALL) Americans are even less aware of the alternatives then they are open to them.

EDIT: Ok, I can see how this post might paint me as an over-zealous and ignorant "America-basher", so for this I apologize. I respect the improvements and precedences set by the country and have grown to love it. This issue just happens to touch on the thing I dislike most about it.

[Akira]

Considering that the metric system is the scientific standard, I would say we have already embraced it in a sense. The public just hasn't wanted to take the time to switch to it.

[Scuba_Steve]

maybe metric.


but I watch a little soccer and oh man do the North American games blow.

[ashman]

Considering that the metric system is the scientific standard, I would say we have already embraced it in a sense. The public just hasn't wanted to take the time to switch to it.

I think he means Embrace as in by the general public, like when you go to buy Petrol (or gas as you savages like to call it), is it in Gallons or Liters?

I think the US is too preoccupied with 'making the world America' to care about if they use Imperial or Metric.

[YDload]

Scientists use the metric system in every country, including the US. But that only extends as far as high school science classes; we don't actually "relate" to the numbers we're using and don't visualize them as units, but simply numbers to be plugged into formulas.

So you can't really say we embrace the metric system just because a certain community uses it. Certain communities watch soccer too (immigrants i guess) but you know, not quite the same thing...

[Aaron]

Neither because in my opinion American [collectively] are stubborn and slow to embrace any form of change. They love people changing to their standards but not the otherway. I know this paints me as being anti-american because to a degree I am; american culture disgusts me in the most part, I am however just voicing my opinion so don't attack me.

[Danger Bird]

Soccer, even though we should accept the metric system.

[myassitches]

i change my vote to embracing metric.

kilometers sounds cooler than miles anyways.

[Surtr]

maybe metric.


but I watch a little soccer and oh man do the North American games blow.

Oh christ, you think?

Soccer and Football aren't even the same sport.

Sure they've got all the same aspects, but they're no where close to being the same sport.

The metric system will prevail long before America understands Football.

[ATM]

Oh christ, you think?

Soccer and Football aren't even the same sport.

Sure they've got all the same aspects, but they're no where close to being the same sport.

The metric system will prevail long before America understands Football.

Oh **** off.

While American soccer may have a relatively small fanbase, that doesn't mean that those who support it don't "understand it".

[PerpetualBurn]

Oh **** off.

While American soccer may have a relatively small fanbase, that doesn't mean that those who support it don't "understand it".

Yeah, it's just a completely dire standard.

[Surtr]

Oh **** off.

While American soccer may have a relatively small fanbase, that doesn't mean that those who support it don't "understand it".

I meant America in general, I'm terribly sorry.

I'm aware some of you know how the sport goes, but the general public is a far ways away from it.

[italic zero]

the women are pretty good

[PerpetualBurn]

the women are pretty good

Lol no.

[italic zero]

then why do they have a better world cup record than anyone else

[PerpetualBurn]

Because women's football is somehow even worse elsewhere.

The English women's national team would get destroyed by the average non-league team.

[Already_Taken]

American women are pretty hot. Much more so than anywhere in Europe. =]

[PerpetualBurn]

Lol no.

[Surtr]

American women are pretty hot. Much more so than anywhere in Europe. =]

Meh, that's quite debatable. Depends where you are.

[ATM]

I meant America in general, I'm terribly sorry.

I'm aware some of you know how the sport goes, but the general public is a far ways away from it.

The general public views soccer as some kind of threat to the "American Way of Life".

[Cybergasm]

American women are pretty hot. Much more so than anywhere in Europe. =]
AHAHAHAHAHAHA... oh man, you should consider stand-up.

*wipes tear*

[YDload]

The general public views soccer as some kind of threat to the "American Way of Life".

um, no? nobody cares.

[ATM]

um, no? nobody cares.

You wouldn't agree that Americans think of soccer as a completely foreign thing and want nothing to do with it?

[YDload]

You wouldn't agree that Americans think of soccer as a completely foreign thing and want nothing to do with it?

wanting nothing to do with it is not the same as "view[img] soccer as some kind of threat to the 'American Way of Life'".

[YDload]

AHAHAHAHAHAHA... oh man, you should consider stand-up.

*wipes tear*

mmm i love me some unshaved armpits and dirty teeth :D

[The Stig]

Frankly, baseball is in my opinion the best sport out there. But I am very interested in Formula 1 racing. However, Bernie Ecclestone has decided F1 isn't for the US anymore. Sometimes it's the snobbery like that which turns American viewers away from European sports.

[CarnageFairy]

You wouldn't agree that Americans think of soccer as a completely foreign thing and want nothing to do with it?

What? No. Soccer is easily one of the most popular sports for kids to play, like little leagues and whatnot. It's just not very popular on a professional level.

And as for the metric system, we use it where it counts, i.e. scientiffically but everyone is used to imperial measurements so why not keep using them? It's not like no one in America knows metric measurements, you'd have to be pretty stupid not to figure them out.

[YDload]

i played soccer for ten years (eight in a youth league and two for high school), so dont think that just because i'm american and have to defend my country against all the angry foreigners on this board, that i don't like soccer!

[YouGottaBeCrazy]

what the **** is soccer?

[Permanent Solution]

Soccer because the Mexicans are taking over fast enough that it will be more popular than American Football pretty soon.

[YDload]

yeah right, the mexicans come here to play baseball.

immigrants suck at making sports popular in America. now the food is a different story, yum!

[Permanent Solution]

I dunno whatchu talking about. Even at my 95% white upper-middle class high school the whole varsity soccer team was hispanic immigrants.

[dei]

Soccer but not before we ruin it and add a bunch of unnecessary things.

[The Stig]

Instant replay and goals worth two points and three points.

[italic zero]

shoot-outs after every half

[YDload]

cheerleaders who fight each other in the stands

[ATM]

What? No. Soccer is easily one of the most popular sports for kids to play, like little leagues and whatnot. It's just not very popular on a professional level.

And as for the metric system, we use it where it counts, i.e. scientiffically but everyone is used to imperial measurements so why not keep using them? It's not like no one in America knows metric measurements, you'd have to be pretty stupid not to figure them out.

I know that youth soccer is huge, I'm just talking about amongst the general public it seems as if people consider the sport to be un-american and want nothing to do with it.

[YDload]

but you keep saying 'they want nothing to do with it" (which is accurate) and also saying they perceive it as a threat to their way of life (which is stupid and wrong)

[ATM]

but you keep saying 'they want nothing to do with it" (which is accurate) and also saying they perceive it as a threat to their way of life (which is stupid and wrong)

Well maybe I'm stupid and wrong, but it's my opinion. I just don't see why else for all of the hatred towards soccer in the USA? People seem to go out of their way to bash it.

[YDload]

no they dont? it only happens during the World Cup, right after the US gets eliminated

[Reaganista]

metric system

because soccer sucks

and world-class soccer isnt gonna ebrace TV timeouts which means americans might get stuck missing the only goal of the game while they show a beer comercial or something and that would piss everybody off

[YDload]

but dont they have ads sewn onto their jerseys??

[Cybergasm]

mmm i love me some unshaved armpits and dirty teeth :D
haha, I'm sure about as much as I like muffin-tops, and an Este-Lauder factory worth of make-up.


Amongst my peers I've seen a general acceptance of soccer. During the World cup they were more into it then I was (and I am a) European b) Have half of a family comprising of soccer hooligans). However, my school is probably the exception to most U.S. statistics out there as it comprises of about 500 kids in its entirety, 80% of which belong to the mid-upper class (meaning they have the means to gain exposure to outside life).

I personally believe that the ignorance of outside culture widely stems from its inaccessibility by the wider populace, which are mainly lower-middle class working people. It's much like with obesity, many people can't eat healthy because it is economically more suiting to go to McD. Much in the same way it is much easier and economically suiting to stick to what is offered on a wide-scale, thus, the American sports, and customs.

^ That was quite wordy, but I'm a little tired and tend to lose clarity when such is the case.

EDIT: Time also plays a greater factor. Americans generally don't have enough time to embrace and understand other cultures due to the work-ethic demanded by the culture.

[ChodaBoy]

but dont they have ads sewn onto their jerseys??
Yes, but that wouldnt stop TV companies from trying to sneak adverts into small stoppages. Hell, there are breaks at the end of each inning in baseball, but yet businesses are advertising on the most trivial things during the game

[Reaganista]

but dont they have ads sewn onto their jerseys??

idk but you still need commercials..

[RIP Ian Curtis]

Hopefully neither will be accepted. Metric is only useful for science anyway and soccer is, well, girly.

[GreyHam]

i never understood why america never adopted the metric system...you know it makes sense

as for football...take it or leave it, in the UK its hardly even a competitive sport anymore, rather a business full of overpayed prima donnas where the competition is realistically only between 4 teams....

now rugby...thats something you should eb thinking about :p

[bradc1988]

Metric is only useful for science anyway and soccer is, well, girly.

What? 16cms sounds better than 6 inches tbh.

:wink:

metric system

because soccer sucks

Pretty much, soccer is boring as hell to watch.

[GreyHam]

Pretty much, soccer is boring as hell to watch.

sadly enough as a brit im well with you here...i only go to see the local team play nowadays (because obviously live sport > TV)

we need a new 'national sport', preferably one that doesnt involve us playing all the former colonies (and losing...)

[bradc1988]

tbh The Simpson's pretty much sums up my feelings about soccor quite well;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhT4oACS7ec

At least the metric system makes sense, 12 inches = 1 foot, 3 foot = 1 yard, 220 yards = 1 furlog wtf!!!

[Knifeboy]

It's not like no one in America knows metric measurements, you'd have to be pretty stupid not to figure them out.

Most americans I know have a pretty hard time figuring out what 20 km per liter, means

[StreetlightRock]

no plz dont change, the rest of the world need something to laugh about America kthx.

[GreyHam]

HA!

tbf ive seen some amazing football matches in my time, but ive also seen far too many people jump 7 feet in the air clutching their shins screaming 'FOUL!' only to carry on running 3 seconds afterwards after this blatent dive was ignored

[PerpetualBurn]

sadly enough as a brit im well with you here...i only go to see the local team play nowadays (because obviously live sport > TV)

we need a new 'national sport', preferably one that doesnt involve us playing all the former colonies (and losing...)

As a Brit, you're talking bollocks.

We have the best league in the world.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

The imperial system of measurment is a more "human" system, the measures are easier to estimate in.

[peeted]

I still think in miles, yet i think metric for everything else, strange. And i cant stand football, basketball is a far better game but Americas already best at that. If America insists of adopting a sport popular in the rest of the world though why dont they just adopt rugby.

[PerpetualBurn]

Because only 8 countries play rugby and 4 of them are us.

[mullets suk]

basketball is a far better game but Americas already best at that.

didnt we lose the olympics. also didnt the US go metric in the 70's and it failed horribly.

I think people will be alot more open to soccer in the US in the next few decades. at my high school, 3 years ago there only used to be 15 people who tired out for the team. now theres a good 50+. then again i go to a upper-middle class school, so that may just be the surrounding high schools.

[GreyHam]

As a Brit, you're talking bollocks.

We have the best league in the world.

in terms of skill? maybe

unfortunately, as ive previously said, you can guarentee that the winner of the league is going to be one of four teams, and the game itself is full of overpayed schlongs with delusions of their own grandeur

football has turned into a business, not a sport

and its a shame our amazing league never seems to win the world cup...or even the euro cup

[StreetlightRock]

British football is so damn entertaining to watch. They don't win because they don't have the strategic ability of teams in the Italian, Spanish or Latin American leagues (generally speaking - for example), who are play this really refined sort of game based on teamwork and all that jazz. Premiership football is all out, fast paced, get the damn ball in the back of the net sort of game. Rough and Tough. Its wonderful to watch, but it dosn't seem to do them good internationally.

[deathscreamingsheep]

i never understood why america never adopted the metric system...you know it makes sense

Wait who the hell uses the metric system in Britain (aside from when we legally have to for trade standards/science)?

Noone says that they are 1.8 metres high, orders drink in litres, measures their pen0r in centimetres, does driving distance in kilometres and speed in km/h.

As far as I can tell we pretty much use the Imperial system almost as much as the US does in daily life, just in science/trade have to use the metric. Although our Imperial system differs slightly to the Standard system.

[PerpetualBurn]

in terms of skill? maybe

unfortunately, as ive previously said, you can guarentee that the winner of the league is going to be one of four teams

In terms of the number of quality sides. Even outside Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, we have a number of teams which make up a division of a much higher standard most. Except possibly the Serie A.

and the game itself is full of overpayed schlongs with delusions of their own grandeur


This also raises the quality of the sport because every kid in England wants to play in the Premier League.

Cricket and rugby undoubtedly suffer because the top players are not so highly regarded. How many people would want to play pro cricket compared to football?

[GreyHam]

Because cricketers and rubgy players play for a love of the sport - football players play for a love of the money

if every premier league player took a pay cut to that of a professional rugby or cricket player do you really think theyd carry on? would they bollocks, theyd be off to another country to play for more money

[PerpetualBurn]

Because cricketers and rubgy players play for a love of the sport - football players play for a love of the money

You're talking bollocks.

That's why there's so many more amateur leagues and amateur players of football.

Just look at the Sunday Pub Leagues.

Try to find anywhere near the number of people playing cricket.

if every premier league player took a pay cut to that of a professional rugby or cricket player do you really think theyd carry on? would they bollocks, theyd be off to another country to play for more money

Erm...if there were more money in French rugby I'm sure we'd see some foreign teams buying our best players. But there's not.

[GreyHam]

im talking specifically about the premier league, of course theres a lot of people who love playing the sport and will play for pure entertainment.

unfortunately, those who get payed more in a year than most of us do in our entire lives are concerned with exactly that - lining the pockets of themselves, and of the clubs

[2muchket!]

You telling me someone like Wayne Rooney who's on millions at Man U and earns millions from endorsements still doesn't love the game ?

I'd love to play in the Prem but just for one team my team Middlesbrough FC.

[PerpetualBurn]

im talking specifically about the premier league, of course theres a lot of people who love playing the sport and will play for pure entertainment.

Yeah, and the ones that are talented get highest up the ladder.

You're telling me that they either don't like the game but somehow train hard enough to become the world's greatest players or that they stop loving the sport when they cash their first pay cheque?

Because that's bollocks.

unfortunately, those who get payed more in a year than most of us do in our entire lives are concerned with exactly that - lining the pockets of themselves, and of the clubs

You're ignoring the fact that you don't just randomly become an incredible sportsman.

[ringworm]

hopefully, soccer wont take on in the US, what a poopty sport, the fanbase is growing though, that will direct its growth

i dont care one way or the other about the metric system

[wartree]

European Football/Soccer is one of the funnest sports to play with friends , while kids you just need a ball, and a plain space...is to easy to get in..you can just do whatever you feel with you body ( except arms) to put the ball in the net...

[wartree]

Yes, but that wouldnt stop TV companies from trying to sneak adverts into small stoppages. Hell, there are breaks at the end of each inning in baseball, but yet businesses are advertising on the most trivial things during the game

well advertisements during the games, do not happens during the games, here in europe

[GreyHam]

im sure wayne rooney LOVES the game thats making him a millionaire...

people dont necceserily get into the game to make the money, but once those offers start coming in its surprising what happens to peoples integrity...

the training and work that footballers go through is by far and away miniscule in comparison to what they earn

[dei]

hopefully, soccer wont take on in the US, what a poopty sport

What do you like, American football?

[ringworm]

nah, not much into the typical sports

i played baseball & football, but cant stand to watch a game and have never understood the "game day" fanatics usually associated with pro or college sports.

I'd rather go out and PLAY then to waste hours on my *** watching overpaid thugs.

i rarely sit through the superbowl.

Hell, i think curling is more intersting than either form of "football"

i'm more into road racing (cars or bikes), Pikes Peak, MMA, hockey, sometimes some golf

[Eliminator]

I meant America in general, I'm terribly sorry.

I'm aware some of you know how the sport goes, but the general public is a far ways away from it.

yeah didn't you move to england recently

[Surtr]

yeah didn't you move to england recently

Mhm, though I was from Canada, who have embraced the Metric system already, and who are slightly less of tools than the USA.

No offense to anyone there, I speak of the USA in general, not specifically everyone.

[dei]

I am offended!

[lunchforthesky]

American women are pretty hot. Much more so than anywhere in Europe. =]

Take your disgusting lies elsewhere.

Italy owns in the hot women department.

[redleaf]

As a Brit, you're talking bollocks.

We have the best league in the world.

uhh.. how about la liga?

[Untitled]

American women are pretty hot. Much more so than anywhere in Europe. =]

Im surprised noone has posted this photo, but it pretty much just makes your statement wrong...

http://www.pubfoto.com/albums/gioxx-comics/difference_european_vs_american_girls.sized.jpg


Anywayyyyyyy, I doubt either will be embraced, theres not really many sports which have had huge success in america, that where formed there, and it seems most people will only use the metric system for science stuff. Even though both imperial and metric have there uses imo.

[2muchket!]

The Premiership is the best league at the moment. Football (I refuse to call it soccer) is a good spectator sport and is highly enjoyable to play. American football is horrible to watch.

[The Stig]

Show proof of where the two photos were taken, then learn about how to take a sample with proper sizes and come back later when you have documented your evidence.

At whomever it was who posed the really old Euro/American women thing.

[ChodaBoy]

Not a fan of humour then.

Soccer will be embraced first. There are already 'soccer'-only stadium for MLS teams, and the sooner they take teams to somewhere reasonable to play, the atmosphere will increase and should attract more of the public. The Bulls playing in Giants Stadium is just rediculous, elevated seating with average attendances of 16,000 in an 80,000 seater?

[lunchforthesky]

uhh.. how about la liga?

Premiership is better. More exciting football and better players. The top teams are similar but the difference between the middle teams makes the difference.

[2muchket!]

It'll be an english team that wins the UEFA cup and Champions League this year I'm willing to bet.

[Give me Beer]

mmm i love me some unshaved armpits and dirty teeth :D

I must note that the worst shaven women I've seen in my life was a freakin' American girl from New Jersey.

Here pubic hair ran up to here navel, the armpits were very uneven, the leghair was in and out and down there was a freakin' jungle. Oh, and her upper teeth were very strange... (otherwise she was quite alright, but boy she didn't take care of herself).

:0

//No, I didn't **** her...

The girls over here on the other hand, well shaven and nice teeth.

American women are only better than British women, 'cause British (women) are notoriously ugly ;) ;) aside from that. :0

[Knifeboy]

We all know that all British babies get a smack in the head with a shovel, or else they get deported

[PerpetualBurn]

uhh.. how about la liga?

Clearly the fact I said "England has the best league" implies that La Liga isn't as good. Which it isn't.

I really don't know why people ask such stupid questions.

[RIP Ian Curtis]

I never liked soccer, i don't have the speed for it. I'm a rugbey man through and through, if the USA embraced that, it'd be a brighter future for us all.

[Mr. Ron]

We all know that all British babies get a smack in the head with a shovel, or else they get deported

haha

[VomitStainedCretin]

I heard apparently the Americans wanted to add more lines onto football pitches in order that ther would be less offsides and also make the goals bigger.

Football has more flow than a lot of American sports (except maybe basketball which seems to consists mainly of 'run to your opponents half, score, opponents run into your half , score, repeat 87 times'), as does rugby.

Question: why should football be known as 'soccer' considering the feet are used to a much greater extent than in American football?

[Reaganista]

all games called football have a common ancestor which was called football because you play it on your feet
as opposed to horseback
ffs

[YDload]

there is as much throwing of the ball in soccer as there is kicking in the NFL, yet the field is still called the "pitch"

[ChodaBoy]

Thats not really true though. Throws can occur multiple times within a minute of the s-word, you may only see 4/5 kicks per quarter in the NFL

[YDload]

its just a joke anyway who gives a ****

[ChodaBoy]

Well you brought it up :p

[eCow]

I've never found it appealing to watch any type of team toss/kick a ball around for 60-90+ minutes, but most of the US seems to enjoy sports. I'd say soccer catches on before the metric system.

[Independent_CA]

The 30 hour work week will catch on before any of those other things do.

[Iscaryot]

wait i don't understand this thread soccer is very popular in the us

i know more people that watch the world cup every few years than watch the superbowl

i keep rooting for the us even though we always hit a brick wall with brazil france or italy

[Catchthe22]

World Cup is easy to get behind because it is like the Olympics. It doesnt take time to develop for the players/teams. It is as simple as rooting for your country/heritage. Soccer leagues like MLS is a bit different though. Personally I think it is 5 years until it will be acceptable to watch as a public. Major League Soccer is just about even in attendance per game as NHL (around 20,000; though sometimes the stadiums are larger). MLS has also been on the rise (even before Beckham decided to come), with 3 expansion teams planned in the next 3 years.

edit: also when Beckham/LA Galaxy went to NYC to play against the Red Bulls in the Giants Stadium the attendance was 66,000 people. That is HUGE.

My guess on Metric System is 25 years.

[YDload]

wait i don't understand this thread soccer is very popular in the us

i know more people that watch the world cup every few years than watch the superbowl

impossible, you know an unrepresentative portion of the American population

[Iscaryot]

impossible, you know an unrepresentative portion of the American population

i swear to god i will fight you

[Futue te Ipsum]

The metric system makes sense. Soccer is a really bad game that is much less entertaining than the ones you already have and lacks the constant breaks you need to get constant advertising.

Soccer obviously.

[Iscaryot]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZFR70zIIwO4

[VomitStainedCretin]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZFR70zIIwO4Yeah, that also happened to a Cameroon player Foe in the middle of an international. He had some form of heart defect which was responsible.

[Surgicalgod]

Americans like the worst sports ever. I think it's time, though, that Americans embrace the metric system.

[lunchforthesky]

American sports (football/hockey/basketball) would be okay if they weren't such a rouse to make you watch so much advertising.

Some however (Baseball) are just plain hideous to watch.

[gregulus]

American sports (football/hockey/basketball) would be okay if they weren't such a rouse to make you watch so much advertising.

Some however (Baseball) are just plain hideous to watch.

eat ****. baseball's awesome.

[lunchforthesky]

eat ****. baseball's awesome.

Playing is alright but watching it is the most boring thing i have ever done.

and yes I do understand the rules.

[Iscaryot]

watching it isn't boring when there are competent teams on the field

[dei]

Golf is more exciting than baseball.

[Iscaryot]

i like golf too

[dei]

I don't mind sports like baseball and basketball and American football, they're just really bad to watch. Football has too many breaks and the games last for hours. Basketball isn't too bad but they can really stretch those last few seconds of the game, and the players are all dickheads. And baseball is just straight up boring.

[Independent_CA]

American sports (football/hockey/basketball) would be okay if they weren't such a rouse to make you watch so much advertising.

Some however (Baseball) are just plain hideous to watch.

You take that back right now!!!

It's only boring if 1) you don't understand it, 2) one or both teams suck and there's nothing really going on, or 3) you have ADD and need constant activity to be entertained.

[Catchthe22]

Baseball is a pretty horrible sport to watch. It's up there with Nascar.

[dei]

NASCAR isn't a sport.

[YDload]

the onlhy problem i have with NFL games is the recent tradition of interviewing one of the players on the sidelines while the action is minimized to another corner of the screen without commentary. you might be thinking "well football has so many breaks in it that theres nothing worth watching in-between plays anyway durr hurr im dumb and gay," but the time between plays is good for showing a replay of the previous action or maybe presenting some almost-interesting statistics.

but i still like the NFL better than any other sport. must be that whole "Steelers winning a Super Bowl recently" thing

[-1up!-]

You take that back right now!!!

It's only boring if 1) you don't understand it, 2) one or both teams suck and there's nothing really going on, or 3) you have ADD and need constant activity to be entertained.

3) My idea of a good, interesting "sport" is that there is usually always something going on. Endless pauses between short bursts of action makes baseball boring, period.

[YDload]

NASCAR isn't a sport.

i dunno it has SOME aspects of sport:

-competition
-getting sweaty
-uniforms

but on the other hand, there is no ball. if there is no ball (or flattened disk-like thing aka a puck) then it is not a sport

[dei]

You can have sports without balls, like running and cycling.

And if you prefer the NFL to other sports, die yourself.

[DougJI]

Soccer is more boring than Baseball.

Baseball, every pitch, something will happen, with soccer, you kick the ball back and forth for an hour and a half, and the goals really aren't all that nice looking or entertaining.

I also detest the logical fallacy in using your main source of movement (legs) for something other than movement. You can't run and kick at the same time. You can kick, then run, then kick, then run... but not at the same time, it's just always seemed stupid to me.

[lunchforthesky]

Soccer is more boring than Baseball.

Baseball, every pitch, something will happen, with soccer, you kick the ball back and forth for an hour and a half, and the goals really aren't all that nice looking or entertaining.

I also detest the logical fallacy in using your main source of movement (legs) for something other than movement. You can't run and kick at the same time. You can kick, then run, then kick, then run... but not at the same time, it's just always seemed stupid to me.

LMAO have you ever even watched a football match?

[dei]

Soccer is more boring than Baseball.

Baseball, every pitch, something will happen, with soccer, you kick the ball back and forth for an hour and a half, and the goals really aren't all that nice looking or entertaining.

I also detest the logical fallacy in using your main source of movement (legs) for something other than movement. You can't run and kick at the same time. You can kick, then run, then kick, then run... but not at the same time, it's just always seemed stupid to me.

Dude...

[ChodaBoy]

Soccer is more boring than Baseball.

Baseball, every pitch, something will happen

As the other guys have said, wow.

Yea, love the 5 foul balls in a row, mixed with pointless advertising like the "McDonalds smile of the game" followed with a 4-3 out.

[CarnageFairy]

Most americans I know have a pretty hard time figuring out what 20 km per liter, means

Not being able to visualize km/lt I can understand, but I'm not sure what you mean by not able to figure it out.

I mean, we use liters all the time and kmh is on everyone's speedometer right under mph.

[Jharaski]

It took me a second to figure out that km/l measures gas mileage. *facepalm* I was trying to think of what it would look like, then I thought "hey, cars" when I was gonna say that 20 mile per gallon is also stupid.

[YDload]

You can have sports without balls, like running and cycling.

And if you prefer the NFL to other sports, die yourself.

i live in a city where the football team is by far the most accomplished team, what else can i do??

and running and cycling arent sports, theyre just races like NASCAR is

[Iai]

I was gonna confidently claim soccer, but wow, there's some serious ignorance going down in this thread.

[dei]

i live in a city where the football team is by far the most accomplished team, what else can i do??

and running and cycling arent sports, theyre just races like NASCAR is

But running and cycling require great physical fitness.

[Independent_CA]

3) My idea of a good, interesting "sport" is that there is usually always something going on. Endless pauses between short bursts of action makes baseball boring, period.

Baseball is a strategic game. Besides the multiple things that go on between the pitchers mound and home between each pitch there are a number of other things going on at any given moment. Different defense formations for the fielders, what each runner is doing, where the batter is trying to put the ball, etc. Baseball has action like every other sport, it's just not constant like soccer and a lot of it goes on kinda behind the scenes.

As for it being boring like NASCAR...watching a ball get kicked back and forth across a field hundreds of times can be just as boring as watching cars go in circles at 200mph for 4 hours. It's all a matter of perspective.

[YDload]

the great thing about baseball (perhaps the only great thing) is that there's always the possibility of a comeback if a team you like is down. you never run out of time, just chances.

[Knifeboy]

Not being able to visualize km/lt I can understand, but I'm not sure what you mean by not able to figure it out.

I mean, we use liters all the time and kmh is on everyone's speedometer right under mph.

I'm saying that most americans would have no clue what 20 km/l would be in miles per gallon..

...

Partly because they can't grasp the idea of a car with so good milage :p

[Smokey D]

Baseball is much like cricket -- for those with a reasonable level of understanding, every play can be interesting. For most people, though, it's an excuse to get smashed while watching sport and occasionally cheering for a good catch or homer run/six.

[YDload]

it's "sports" not "sport"

god you europeans take the s away from that and add it to "math" :mad:

[PerpetualBurn]

I also detest the logical fallacy in using your main source of movement (legs) for something other than movement.

You don't know what a logical fallacy is.

god you europeans take the s away from that and add it to "math"

Maybe because maths is a plural word being abbreviated from mathematics, muppet.

[dei]

the great thing about baseball (perhaps the only great thing) is that there's always the possibility of a comeback if a team you like is down. you never run out of time, just chances.

There is nothing great about baseball.

[YDload]

There is nothing great about baseball.

PNC Park is a nice stadium. so nice that it's worth going even when there's nothing worth watching, you understand??

[dei]

Can't you visit on days when there are no games? I know I was allowed to walk around AT&T Park when I went up to San Francisco like four years ago.

[PerpetualBurn]

Who the hell goes just for a nice stadium?

[Independent_CA]

There is nothing great about baseball.

Right...

Can you hit a 90 MPH fastball or throw a slider? If it didn't have aspects of greatness, billions of people wouldn't have been paying to watch and participate in it for the last hundred plus years.


Who the hell goes just for a nice stadium?
You'd be surprised. However, some of the oldest stadiums in baseball enjoy the highest attendance.

[PerpetualBurn]

I'm not surprised. I just think it's stupid.

[CarnageFairy]

I'm saying that most americans would have no clue what 20 km/l would be in miles per gallon..

Do most of the poeple you know know what 20 m/gal would be in km/lt?
I don't really know what 20 km/lt translates to...


Partly because they can't grasp the idea of a car with so good milage :p

Haha, this I agree with, but some of the cars I've seen are friggin lunchboxes on wheels.

[dei]

Billions of people want to play baseball? Lies!

[Independent_CA]

Over time, yes. It might even be true today. It is played heavily in North and Latin America, Asia, and somewhat in Australia.

[YDload]

baseball is the only way for latino and asian athletes to gain fame and money in the USA, dont take their boring sport away from them :(

[pedro durruti]

Baseball is a great sport, just like soccer, just like rugby, just like golf, and I hate golf. To defend baseball, you are not confronted by action all the time when reading a book, a form of entertainment, as you aren't when watching a game, of either baseball or golf, which I hate.

Anyways, I think America will adopt the metric system sometime relatively soon because it seems more scientific, while soccer I think futbol will remain, there is no reason not to. Does anyone in America regularly say bloody?

[Oriah]

What about Basket Ball, need I say Yoa Ming.


-oh and yeah I say "Bloody" fairly often.

[pedro durruti]

Oh piss off you bloody cunt.

[Reaganista]

you are not confronted by action all the time when reading a book
wtf yes you are
unless you put the book down to rest your eyes or something

[JollyRoger24]

I think soccer will be accepted, WHY because of immigrants. Almost every other country plays it. So as they come here they have kids and soccere becomes more and more accepted. Now the metric system, that would take so freakin long that there is no reason for it.


Besides i like cups, D cups, C cups

[pedro durruti]

wtf yes you are
unless you put the book down to rest your eyes or something
Well I suppose if you consider thought action, as well as filler inbetween important scenes of the plot :D

[2muchket!]

Over time, yes. It might even be true today. It is played heavily in North and Latin America, Asia, and somewhat in Australia.

All those places have at least some accomplished football (soccer:rolleyes:) players. Face it Football is the world's game as much as you yanks like to be different and own everything.

[big80smullet]

America has like three semi decent footballers. When some more americans start to make it to the big leagues (premier, la liga, orange ligue, etc) there will be more support. I also think that americans struggle with its simplicity. My experience of americans is they like stats. The like to be able to quote "yards" and "assists" and whatever and its not as easy in football, especially when the league hasn't been around for as long.

On the other hand america won't embrace metric cause they like miles and gallons and they're used to it.

[2muchket!]

We count stats in football. They are records kept on how many assists players get/ In most articles about football they quote like how far out the strike was. E.g. Fabio Rockemback scored a 35 yard free kick last night against Northampton.

[talk show host]

Weren't they showing how far each player had run during games in the Champions League last season too? Or one of the competitions anyway. That was pretty pointless I thought, kinda interesting in a way but it's not like it has any bearing on that players contribution.

[big80smullet]

We count stats in football. They are records kept on how many assists players get/ In most articles about football they quote like how far out the strike was. E.g. Fabio Rockemback scored a 35 yard free kick last night against Northampton.

Yes i know this, but its not done to the same extent as the americans do it. You dont see their strike rate expressed as 0.323 or whatever.

I watched the champions league final a few years back and the last world cup in america, with americans and the didn't understand why the clock went up. "whys it going up? How'd we know when it stops?" They struggled with the concept of injury time as well. And no time outs.

[VomitStainedCretin]

America has like three semi decent footballers. When some more americans start to make it to the big leagues (premier, la liga, orange ligue, etc) there will be more support.There are quite a few Americans playing in the Premiership, notably the three goalkeepers Howard(Everton), Hanneman(Reading) and Friedel(Blackburn Rovers). Fulham have four Americans in their squad (MacBride who is captain, Dempsey, Bocanegra and another US keeper, Casey Keller, who also formerly played for Leicester City when they were a top flight team). DaMarcus Beasley has also been successful at Dutch team PSV Eindhoven(one of the best teams in Holland by far) and is currently at Rangers in Scotland. If anything US football(soccer)'s problem is that too many first team players play abroad.

[lunchforthesky]

Yes i know this, but its not done to the same extent as the americans do it. You dont see their strike rate expressed as 0.323 or whatever.

I watched the champions league final a few years back and the last world cup in america, with americans and the didn't understand why the clock went up. "whys it going up? How'd we know when it stops?" They struggled with the concept of injury time as well. And no time outs.

Yes it is pretty complicated isn't it :rolleyes:

[PerpetualBurn]

Why the hell would I want to see the strike rate expressed as a decimal?

[ChodaBoy]

Statistics are not the problem, watch any American sport and you will see why. They have stats for everything, and will gladly use them at any time they feel it is needed. Also, there are plenty of statistics available (goals per game (team,player),shots on target (team, player), pass completion % (player, team), etc).

[lunchforthesky]

Football is a little too open and free running to really be covered by stats like that. Especially seen as the players are a lot more multi purpose than they are in most American sports (not so much hockey but that's Canadian).

[Iai]

Yes i know this, but its not done to the same extent as the americans do it. You dont see their strike rate expressed as 0.323 or whatever.

Yes you do. Ever heard of OPTA?

[dei]

I think soccer will be accepted, WHY because of immigrants. Almost every other country plays it. So as they come here they have kids and soccere becomes more and more accepted. Now the metric system, that would take so freakin long that there is no reason for it.


Besides i like cups, D cups, C cups

Most of the recent immigrants I know are more into baseball and American football than they are into real football. It's strange.

[YDload]

dei just admit that you're not really American already. there is nothing American about you.

is it fair to say that a given "footballer" will score a goal about as often as a given major league baseball player hits a home run? just for comparison's sake

[dei]

IDK. I don't watch baseball. But the games seem to be higher-scoring than most football matches.

YDload, I was born and raised here in the US.

[YDload]

but in baseball, a home run is not the only way of scoring.

[dei]

I know.

[YDload]

so it doesnt matter if baseball games are higher-scoring, because not every one of those runs is a home run. every point in a soccer match is a goal.

[dei]

It's to help you find the answer to your question. If baseball matches are higher-scoring than football matches, then you can I guess take the average number of goals scored and compare that to however many home runs you've seen in however many games.

I'm not explaining myself correctly and I don't care enough to go back and fix things.

[lunchforthesky]

dei just admit that you're not really American already. there is nothing American about you.

is it fair to say that a given "footballer" will score a goal about as often as a given major league baseball player hits a home run? just for comparison's sake

Football matches average a goal every 30 minutes or so. Obviously goals are not the sole attraction of football as seems to be a common misconception.

[Independent_CA]

All those places have at least some accomplished football (soccer:rolleyes:) players. Face it Football is the world's game as much as you yanks like to be different and own everything.

I wasn't saying that baseball was the world's sport, I was just defending it as a good sport.

Whoever mentioned stats as a big thing in American sports I think had a good point. Stats make it easier and more exciting for fans to get involved. The stats of each player involved in a certain situation make it more or less likely for certain outcomes and add anticipation and excitment to the situation.

[PerpetualBurn]

If I enjoyed statistical analysis as a sport I'd play the stock market.

[Reaganista]

sports without statistics is just drinking and watching sweaty men bump into each other

[Iai]

Here's how silly the myths of there being no stats in football is. Every week, two men's magazines are published here called Nuts and Zoo. Think FHM or Maxim, but even more disposable, and with topless/occasionally naked pictures rather than just sugestive ones.

Both of these magazines ran an aticle not long ago comparing England's central midfielders. Using OPTA, they worked out how far each player had walked, run, sprinted, and jogged that season, what their average speed was, how many shots they'd had and how many were on target, how many passes they'd made and how long their average distance was, how many direct and indirect assists they'd made, how much time they'd spent injured, what percentage of games they'd played in the past year for club and country, etc. etc. etc. They then went on to try and settle the ongoing debate about whether or not Lampard and Gerrard can perform together for England by pusblishing stats comparing the games they'd played together to the games they'd played apart.

Now consider that The Sun and The Daily Star - two of our three least respected and most sensasionalist tabloids - both publish new OPTA stats every week, updating a league table of the top 10 most effective players in each position, as well as ranking each player out of 10.

If it's true that Americans are crazy for stats, they'll find all they want in soccer.

[Iai]

sports without statistics is just drinking and watching sweaty men bump into each other
WWE amirite

[PerpetualBurn]

sports without statistics is just drinking and watching sweaty men bump into each otherFine by me.

Here's how silly the myths of there being no stats in football is. Every week, two men's magazines are published here called Nuts and Zoo. Think FHM or Maxim, but even more disposable, and with topless/occasionally naked pictures rather than just sugestive ones.

Yeah but only John Motson cares.

Everyone else just wants the pictures of Lucy Pinder.

[2muchket!]

Fine by me.



Everyone else just wants the pictures of Lucy Pinder.

QFT.

I find Football exciting and don't see why it shouldn't find a market. If a quicker paced sport like basketball (which I quite enjoy and play) is extremely popular in the states I don't get why Football shouldn't find a market.

[ChodaBoy]

Fine by me.

Well its the wrong way to think. If a player has consecutive games with, for example, 0/10 shots on target, 5% sucessful pass completion, 0/15 tackles won, 5 fouls commited, 2 yellow cards - he is playing awful.

[Iai]

Eh, I dunno, by Monday I'm usually all wanked out and need some light reading.

[PerpetualBurn]

Well its the wrong way to think. If a player has consecutive games with, for example, 0/10 shots on target, 5% sucessful pass completion, 0/15 tackles won, 5 fouls commited, 2 yellow cards - he is playing awful.

I don't need the exact statistics to tell when a player's ****.

[ChodaBoy]

I don't need the exact statistics to tell when a player's ****.

If you dont watch them, how will you know? Are you going to let Andy Gray tell you?

[Already_Taken]

You would if you were not present at the game.

edit : beaten. :)

[PerpetualBurn]

Well I watch the game rather than read the stats.

It's a lot more interesting.

[Already_Taken]

Just so long as you know you were wrong.

[PerpetualBurn]

What?

I said that I don't need the stats to tell if a player's ****.

And I don't.

[lunchforthesky]

I said that I don't need the stats to tell if a player's ****.


It's the one's wearing red and white stripes right?



too easy.

[PerpetualBurn]

Southampton tbh.

[lunchforthesky]

Southampton tbh.

Or Brentford.

[PerpetualBurn]

Who do you support, by the way?

[lunchforthesky]

Huddersfield Town/Man Utd

I supported Man Utd first then wanted a more personal less moneymaking team to support but I still like to support players who can play exciting football from time to time.

[PerpetualBurn]

There's no excusing glory supporting.

[lunchforthesky]

There's no excusing glory supporting.

Man Utd weren't the best team when I first chose a team and I lived in Manchester at the time.

I'd say that's a pretty good excuse.

[YDload]

there's already an ***OFFICIAL FOOTBALL THREAD*** in the sports forum lets keep it simple here dudes

[Reaganista]

I don't need the exact statistics to tell when a player's ****.
except you do

[PerpetualBurn]

No.

[Catchthe22]

Stats really aren't that important in soccer while watching it. After the game it might be nice to see how many shots on goal and to see that your favorite player is at 11 goals for the season. But during the game you dont have pauses to update stats for the people, there is always something going on with constant ball movement, corners, free kicks, fouls, etc.. In baseball every time a new batter comes up to bat his stats are shown. Baseball needs stats and really good color men (sidekick announcers that like to bullshit a lot with the play-by-play guy) to keep people interested.

And to bring back the metric system...

Us Americans like to having 6 inches, not 6 centimeters :D

[2muchket!]

Or Brentford.

Or those dirty ****ing mackems

[YDload]

And to bring back the metric system...

Us Americans like to having 6 inches, not 6 centimeters :D

uhhhhhh

[VomitStainedCretin]

Scummers tbh.Fixed.

[Reaganista]

No.
if your opinion differs from the statistics you're wrong

[PerpetualBurn]

I agree.

But that doesn't contrast what I said.

[Reaganista]

unless you somehow calculate statistics without calculating statistics it does

[PerpetualBurn]

No I said I don't need the exact statistics to tell if a player's ****.

That is, I can tell from watching them.

[big80smullet]

What i was saying is, yes there are stats for football, in the sun, nuts, zoo, etc. But in america they have stats for EVERYTHING. They just stand there shouting stats at each other. They take stats to the next level

The other thing is they dont get The Sun in america so they don't have as much access to these stats either.


Also America does have some good players abroad. Freidel, hanneman and the other couple of american goalies is all good but there's no need for 5 goal keepers at international level. You have dempsey, bocanegra, beasley, and mcbride but they're all attacking midfielders or forwards if memory serves me correctly. Not much of a defense. I think the problem with american players abroad is the difference in skill needed to play in europe and the MLS. Landon donavon wouldn't cut it in europe and es supposedly the best player in the MLS. theres not many good players who stay in the MLS to make it interesting.

These are just my opinions. They might be wide of the mark but hey.

[PerpetualBurn]

I don't think it would be easy to get a good impression of a player's over all contribution to the game in football based on most stats.

[Smokey D]

if your opinion differs from the statistics you're wrong

This is silly. The statistics can be completely in favour of one team/player but the scoreline can say something quite different.

[PerpetualBurn]

Well then we'd have to argue about how to interpret the statistics.

Which I don't think we could accurately do without having watched the game.

At which point I don't think we need the statistics.

[big80smullet]

Stats are good to a point but they can give you a false impression. Take Man U Vs Man City. the stats would tell you that Man U should be dominating cause the had the most shots and the most possesion, but they lost in the end cause the couldn't put it in the net.

[ChodaBoy]

Well that is where the goals statistic comes into play.

[PerpetualBurn]

It wouldn't be easy to make a fair assessment of that game based on the stats though.

[big80smullet]

I love those stats that ake no sense at all, like middlesbrough have never lost at home in the FA cup.

[PerpetualBurn]

I'm fairly sure they've only never lost at the Riverside Stadium, which they moved into in about '95.

[big80smullet]

well it was just an example. There was one back in 05-06 where sunderland let in the least goals in home games. i think that was it. something silly that you'd never expect.

[dei]

Sunderland. :lol:

[Reaganista]

That is, I can tell from watching them.
ya what do you know that's also how you gather statistics
This is silly. The statistics can be completely in favour of one team/player but the scoreline can say something quite different.
what no they cant

[Catchthe22]

Since soccer isn't big on stats, it doesn't hold players to being great based off stats but more off just how they contribute to the team as a whole. Like a player that makes everyone else around him better, winning cups, and makes those big plays when they need to. I guess im just talking along the same lines as a quarterback in NFL isnt considered anything special until he wins a superbowl.

[Reaganista]

Like a player that makes everyone else around him better, winning cups, and makes those big plays when they need to
all of that stuff can be tracked

[Smokey D]

ya what do you know that's also how you gather statistics

what no they cant

I'm more thinking about rugby here, but you can have a game where the lineouts, rucks/mauls, tackles made/tackles missed penalties for/against all go in favour of the team that loses.

[PerpetualBurn]

ya what do you know that's also how you gather statistics


All you're really telling me is that you have no understanding of football.

[nowhesingsnowhesobs]

Also America does have some good players abroad. ok, America specialises in decent goalkeepers, but all the other players are quite average really. Beasley couldn't hack it at Man City, so he's now in the SPL. Fulham has about five US internationals, but its a bottom half of the table team. And Jonathon Spector can't even get a game at West Ham.

tbh, America and the rest of the world needs more cricket.

[2muchket!]

I despise test cricket. I'll watch ODI and thats it.

And correct boro haven't lost at the Riverside stadium in the FA cup. We've got a good record at home anyway.

[Iai]

Guiseppe Rossi is technically American, and he's pretty damn good. Also, Freddy Adu will be ****-hot in a few years if he moves to a decent team.

Also, Johnathan de Guzman is Canadian and that's basically the same country tbh.

[lunchforthesky]

Kevin Kuranyi is also techinically American. He plays up front for Schalke.

[Reaganista]

I'm more thinking about rugby here, but you can have a game where the lineouts, rucks/mauls, tackles made/tackles missed penalties for/against all go in favour of the team that loses.
point scored is a statistic

All you're really telling me is that you have no understanding of football.
are you prepared to argue that statistics are not gathered by watching the game

[PerpetualBurn]

I'm arguing what I said I'm arguing.

[Reaganista]

all you're really telling me is that you don't understand that watching the game is gathering statistics

[PerpetualBurn]

I'm telling you what I told you.

[Reaganista]

yeah you told me that you don't understand that watching the game is gathering statistics

[PerpetualBurn]

No I told you that I don't need the exact statistics to tell if a player's ****.

[Reaganista]

yeah you just have to watch the game
which is of course where all the statistics come from
so you really havent said much of anything at all

[-1up!-]

Also, Johnathan de Guzman is Canadian and that's basically the same country tbh.

stfu.

[2muchket!]

stfu.

Quiet frenchie

[big80smullet]

Tomasz rositzski is the best canadian. that is all.

Freedy adu is over rated IMO and unless he get out of the MLS he'll never improve. He should try and get into europe, anywhere in europe and he'll be better able to improve, and he'll make more money.

[dei]

There's been talk about Adu moving to the Portuguese league.

[Ando!]

I don't understand the rap against american soccer. The MLS is hardly the english premier league, but then, nothing is. While the MLS is not even on the same teir as the leagues in Spain, Italy, or Brazil, we're about as good as the leagues in say, ireland or scotland. Both of those places are hardly considered jokes by the rest of the world. So why is it that american teams are denounced as "pub teams"?

oh and soccer

[dei]

It's cuz we're American.

[talk show host]

I thought Freddy Adu signed for Benfica?

Anyway, the MLS is only going to get better. It's still fairly new but with the increased exposure it won't be that long before it's up there with some of the bigger European leagues.

[Ando!]

it's already on par with like all the third tier leagues so I dont see why everyone is so dismissive

[dei]

It just sucks that there isn't a promotion/relegation system, so bad teams are allowed to continue playing at the top level. Like Galaxy. They lost to a USL Division 2 team, which would be like Football League One in England.

[talk show host]

It just sucks that there isn't a promotion/relegation system, so bad teams are allowed to continue playing at the top level. Like Galaxy. They lost to a USL Division 2 team, which would be like Football League One in England.

That'll have to change soon though surely. How many teams are even in the MLS at the moment? There're supposed to be more joining soon right?

[Ando!]

there are far too many teams

[dei]

No. MLS has thirteen teams, not counting the two that are coming in next season. The Premiership has twenty teams, doesn't it? So it's really not a lot. That's about how many we should have.

[big80smullet]

yes but how many MLS teams are good vs how many premier league teams are good?

Im not tryin to rip on the MLS but tbh the games are just ugly. And to say that they're the same as the SPL is just wrong. Most teams in the MLS are playing at around League 2 level. hell even leeds could beat any MLS team. lol

[YDload]

if professional soccer in america is similar to the talent level of the NFL in Europe, then it's pretty much doomed :(

[dei]

I never said the teams were good.

[big80smullet]

The Premiership has twenty teams, doesn't it?

Only if you count Derby...

[Ando!]

yes but how many MLS teams are good vs how many premier league teams are good?

Im not tryin to rip on the MLS but tbh the games are just ugly. And to say that they're the same as the SPL is just wrong. Most teams in the MLS are playing at around League 2 level. hell even leeds could beat any MLS team. lol

Um, you can't compare ANY league to the EPL I already said this

but America is not filled with pub teams and second rate players

[YDload]

thats because we have bars instead of pubs and second rate is far too generous :evil:

[dei]

MLS has a lot of shitty players because of salary caps.

[Ando!]

second rate is far too generous :evil:

tell that to redding