Why isn't football / soccer that popular in North America, United States / USA ?

[rwill25]

Re: Why?

But that all aside. If you want to talk about a sport that requires a lot of skill, toughness, aerobics and general pain, hockey is hard to best. Sorry, gotta say it, I've meet and seen a lot of athletes in my time, but hockey -- the sheer prowess and aerobics with the skill and the toughness, the skating aspect really adds that extra bit to it. And as someone else mentioned in the NBA thread, win or lose, broken nose or not, these guys still manage to shake hands at the end of the game. Now that's a sport!

Damn you LeBron!

 

[megamega]

who gives a shit? Let the americans enjoy sports that are boring while the rest of the world enjoys a real sport?

lol

 

[megamega]

I suppose every team plays a similar style as Barca? There is nothing worse than watching shitty soccer being played at the Pro Level.

America will go "kicking and screaming" into joining "The World" in admiring soccer someday. ESPN is starting to introduce Premiership highlights into SportsCenter which means nothing to Europeans but is very important for Americans and American soccer fans. Of course, ESPN just let the Champion's League broadcast head out the door to Fox which helps American Soccer Fans but hurts American sports fans.

The problem with pro soccer is the flopping/diving/awarding of the penalty kick. Being so severely rewarded for, in essence, cheating, is something that Americans will have a hard time stomaching once it happens against the US Men's National Team at a critical point, say in the next World Cup.

The U.S. Men's team has been artificially inflated going into several World Cups, however, there is REAL AMERICAN talent on the squad now, and I stand by the statement that we're a legit #12 in the World.

The U.S. Women are loaded and will win the Women's World Cup. That's a no brainer.

Are you honestly trying to say Barca play shitty 'soccer' even though most of the world even the big gun players say they play the best football? Hell Zlatan said they play football as if they're from the future.

ARE YOU HONESTLY TELLING ME THAT? BECAUSE IF YOU ARE I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND PRETEND YOU ARE SARAH CONNER. I will kill your face.

 

[megamega]

Re: There's a reason ...

There's a reason why we wear pads.

Just ask any Rugby bloke who has been exposed to former American football athletes who are new to Rugby. They'll tell you about how they hit and how they, typically, break something (on two people) -- if they aren't warned first that they cannot hit like that.

With pads, you can increase the sheer kenetic force without breaking something. It's not being a pussy, it's called fun. At least that's what one British immigrant said that I played with in high school during his first, spring training, and playing "hamburger" for the first time (2 linemen + 1 back on each side, offense and defense, on a 5 yard wide "field"). "Now I know why you Yanks love this" after his ass was thrown back in the air about 5 yards.

The next time you watch an American football game, remind yourself how much we must be "pussies" when someone's body going flying through the air. And not because he jumped, but because he was literally hit with a kenetic force that launched his 200-250lbs. body into the air at several G forces.

There's a reason why shoulders are separated regularly in American Football. Because it often delivers several thousands of lbs. per square inch, enough to launch another body not merely backwards, but in the complete and opposite direction it was traveling. That's just a shoulder.

The best way to tackle is to not merely hit your facemask dead center on someone's number, but use your neck-chest (take your neck exercises seriously when warming up, and never put your head down, always up) along with the "launch" of your legs into their body, "jacking them up" and pushing them backwards. That can easily be a total, kenetic force spread over several square inches (possibly a square foot) that could never be attempted in Rugby.

Again, I love Rugby and its toughness, and I even played it in college (we didn't have an official, varsity team at my Alma Mater, just some club associations). But American football is about the sheer kenetic forces you can deliver, because you're wearing pads, and it is beyond hard on your joints. But damn if it isn't more fun because of it! It's like bumper cars with bodies, only bodies too can have structural failure.

This is a really stupid post, especially considering you're going by the viewpoint of rugby played at your college, which cannot even be compared to youth rugby played in Australia.

The biggest problem is that most rugby players are meatheads, they make american jocks look like girls injecting eostrogen. I'm not saying this is a good thing, the whole, drinking, fucking, fighting culture is pretty lame. But yeah if you think you can compare pro football to pro australian or south african rugby in toughness you are naive or a typical american trying to talk shit.

 

[titsrock]

Are you honestly trying to say Barca play shitty 'soccer' even though most of the world even the big gun players say they play the best football? Hell Zlatan said they play football as if they're from the future.

ARE YOU HONESTLY TELLING ME THAT? BECAUSE IF YOU ARE I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND PRETEND YOU ARE SARAH CONNER. I will kill your face.

No. In your previous post you used Barca as the "standard" for soccer/football. They and Arsenal and Roma and maybe 2 or 3 other teams play attractive football and are the exceptions.

Not every pro team plays attractive soccer/football. The ones that don't can be tough to watch. I've watched a bunch of Liverpool and Chelski games, for example, yes they have stars everywhere, but they play very dull-looking soccer. :dunno:

 

[Ace Boobtoucher]

I'll tell you why its not popular here....the toughest thing about playing or watching soccer is telling your parents you're gay.

 

[feller469]

There is no down time in soccer. The average American fan needs fast-paced action for a few seconds, then a minute to digest what just happened. Or have it explained it them by some blabbering talking head

 

[Mr Finch]

No. In your previous post you used Barca as the "standard" for soccer/football. They and Arsenal and Roma and maybe 2 or 3 other teams play attractive football and are the exceptions.

Not every pro team plays attractive soccer/football. The ones that don't can be tough to watch. I've watched a bunch of Liverpool and Chelski games, for example, yes they have stars everywhere, but they play very dull-looking soccer. :dunno:

Liverpool play very good football especially this season, Chelsea can be boring but they play to there strenghts against teams who are better passers of the ball (Barca, United). Unless you are talking about games between Chelsea and Liverpool which is totally different, these two often end up having boring games (champions league this year not included). Usually because they are very nervous games and the players dont want to lose due to the effect it can have for the rest of the season.

Dont know why American's dont enjoy football but it probablydoes have alot to do with upbringing and what sports you were around as a child.

Some of the arguements for and againsts the sport is really lame. Really hate how the fact its a low scoring sport affects anything. Games in general are about more than just goals, in football it can be from a bit of skill, good tackle, great save or an amazing pass

 

[Member2019]

Re: There's a reason ...

This is a really stupid post, especially considering you're going by the viewpoint of rugby played at your college, which cannot even be compared to youth rugby played in Australia.

I do enjoy the British Pro teams that are regularly on Fox and other sports channels here in the US.

The biggest problem is that most rugby players are meatheads, they make american jocks look like girls injecting eostrogen. I'm not saying this is a good thing, the whole, drinking, fucking, fighting culture is pretty lame. But yeah if you think you can compare pro football to pro australian or south african rugby in toughness you are naive or a typical american trying to talk shit.

I'll defer on Aussie and South African, as I've never watched them. Maybe that's my ignorance.

So my post wasn't stupid. Maybe ignorant, but not stupid. But I'll still say you can do all sorts of things in pads that you cannot without them -- at least not without breaking a bone or two on the very first hit.

Simple physics.

 

[E-Ann-Hilden]

I don't remember what I said in this thread years ago, so I'll say something anyway.

I think the reason that association football ("soccer") is not more popular in USA is because the two reasons that make it so popular elsewhere are not part of American culture or otherwise lacking in the sport here.

Americans have an attitude of islolationism that crosses over into their sports. The biggest event in world association football involves...the rest of the world- it's an international competition. The three major American sports don't have any international competitions- other than letting Canada play in the World Series just to justify the name and to make fun of how badly they suck at it. No offense Canada.

The other appeal is the microcosm of the regional teams. The rest of the world feels about them the same way that we feel about our HS and college or minor league teams, but with athletes who are competing on the same level as our major league. In the English football league you can have 30 teams and it represents all of the major metropolitan areas, but for the US to have the same you'd need hundreds of teams. Even if you only had 50 teams, one for each state, people wouldn't feel the same way because LA doesn't care about San Francisco, and vice versa.

And as big of fans tackle footballers have, they don't have the same level of tradition that world association football has. Some teams have been in the same place for over a century, compared to American teams that are bought and traded to other cities and have name changes and new teams. As more time passes people will more and more become dedicated to "soccer" and hockey and other sports that have caught on, but we do have some tradition of the top three and that's why they will always be more popular here.

The Manchester United in some form started in 1878. My guess there are older teams though.

Football American style started in 1874. Per Wiki. When Colleges started playing the sport. It did not go Professional until the 1930's well before the United did.

The rest of your point has allot of truth.

 

[E-Ann-Hilden]

i dont know why gridiron lovers keep arguing because they know that their 'sport' is shit yet they're still in denial

We love ours, you love yours, no denial in that...

 

[cumcumcum]

There is no down time in soccer. The average American fan needs fast-paced action for a few seconds, then a minute to digest what just happened. Or have it explained it them by some blabbering talking head

agreed. Indoor soccer would probably go over better in this country. Smaller field, faster paced

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Soccer sucks because they don't have a reliable timing/clock system like popular sports where the spectator knows the game is about to end so they're looking at the clock and at the field and at the clock, hoping desperately that their team will do something awesome to win or do something heroic to keep from losing. In soccer, the time runs out but they just keep on playing until someone thinks they've played enough. Very fucking lame!

Number two, the field is waaay to big for that many guys to be running around on, there is never any good action because there's always 5-6 guys between the dude with the ball and the goal.

All that said, I do think chicks in soccer uniforms are sexy, they have such nice thighs.

http://www.petra-verkaik.net/susanaspears/pictures/t03-01_048.jpg

 

[Edw10]

Soccer is BORING!!!!!

Soccer isn't boring... Is the most popular sport in the world.
I think is the best sport. I play soccer very well... xD

 

[nightwanker]

Soccer sucks because they don't have a reliable timing/clock system like popular sports where the spectator knows the game is about to end so they're looking at the clock and at the field and at the clock, hoping desperately that their team will do something awesome to win or do something heroic to keep from losing. In soccer, the time runs out but they just keep on playing until someone thinks they've played enough. Very fucking lame!

This is my answer:

In American football sometimes the last seconds are important,
sometimes the clock is ticked down while the players stand there waiting and leave the field, because the ball possessing team is allowed to wait two minutes or something...
The time should be stopped like in ice hockey or not be stopped like in football ("soccer"),
but this, if the ball is out, if it's not, who possesses the ball?, etc...
And that you can't live with the refereee deciding the lenght of the extratime (according to simple rules), maybe is caused in Hollywood-Movies in which always 30 seconds take half an hour and the clock is shown in close ups every few seconds

Number two, the field is waaay to big for that many guys to be running around on, there is never any good action because there's always 5-6 guys between the dude with the ball and the goal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passing_(association_football)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_touch_(association_football)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Football_(soccer)_tactics_and_skills

All that said, I do think chicks in soccer uniforms are sexy, they have such nice thighs.

http://www.petra-verkaik.net/susanaspears/pictures/t03-01_048.jpg

You are right

1) http://board.freeones.com/showpost.php?p=296348
2) http://board.freeones.com/showpost.php?p=468204
3) http://board.freeones.com/showpost.php?p=1704271
4) http://board.freeones.com/showpost.php?p=284320

 

[Member2019]

Soccer sucks because they don't have a reliable timing/clock system like popular sports where the spectator knows the game is about to end so they're looking at the clock and at the field and at the clock, hoping desperately that their team will do something awesome to win or do something heroic to keep from losing. In soccer, the time runs out but they just keep on playing until someone thinks they've played enough. Very fucking lame!

I don't see how this "sucks." The limited scoring brings a bit of strategy into the game. Heck, one could some of the same about Hockey, and yet Hockey has some score-related strategies that can be very exciting as well.

Number two, the field is waaay to big for that many guys to be running around on, there is never any good action because there's always 5-6 guys between the dude with the ball and the goal.

Actually, the large field makes it actually very fun to play. Although I don't see how you could say this when an American Football isn't that much smaller for that matter.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

Because it's to violent, and we are a peace loving people....

 

[jasonk282]

1. Not enough scoreing, it was fun to watch the Galaxy and Red Bull play cause the score was 5-6, but I have watched many a EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A to know that there is NOT enough socring for Americans.

2. Not enough stopages for commercials for companies. Sure there are the sides of the pitch, but there are no 2-3 minute spots on TV.

3. Plenty of kids play soccer in there youth in for community teams but lose the passion later in life for whateve reasons.

4. Baseball might be the "national pastime" but in tearms of popularity the NFL surpasses everything.

5. Everyone can play it, let me explain this American Football, NFL, can be played ANYWHERE ANYTIME. The best game would be fumbleanny otherwise know as Smear the Queer.

6. Kids just grow up with a football in there hands, tossing it with Dad, tossing it at family functions it just happens.

7. the NFL generates a MASSIVE amout of income from tv rights and merch liceing agreements. Thats A LOT of money to match by any corporation.

These are the reasone IMO that soccer is not popular in the US. I would rank the popular sports as such
1. NFL
2. NBA
3. NHL
4. NBA
5. NASCAR
6. MLS

 

[Rusty Trombone]

I don't see how this "sucks." The limited scoring brings a bit of strategy into the game. Heck, one could some of the same about Hockey, and yet Hockey has some score-related strategies that can be very exciting as well.

Actually, the large field makes it actually very fun to play. Although I don't see how you could say this when an American Football isn't that much smaller for that matter.

I'm not saying the low scores suck, there's nothing better than a 1-0 baseball or hockey game, shut-outs are great in all sports. What sucks is the clock showing zero and the play continuing until someone blows a whistle. Why not stop the clock when there's an injury and start it up again when the dude's been replaced? All popular north American timed sports do this to some degree. Why have a clock if it doesn't mean anything? In hockey you can't score after the horn, basketball requires the ball to be in the air before the buzzer, football requires time on the clock (with a few limited exceptions). That last play of the game is often the most important and exciting play of the whole game, make the clock hitting zero mean something and you might get a few more north American fans (who are used to the time of the end of the game being very predictable and obvious to even the most casual observer).

The large field probably does make it fun to play, but brutal to watch (in my opinion) because people are spread out all over the field so the person with the ball is always surrounded by other players who are running around more or less at the same speed as him. The camera can't cover the big field, so watching it on TV sucks. All you see is a bunch of guys running, then someone kicks it, and then there's a bunch of guys running again, then the dude gets down to the goal and there are 4-5 guys just waiting for him so he can't get a decent shot off. Boring!

The sport has obvious similarities to basketball, football, and hockey, all of which are fairly popular in north America, but I think these two flaws in the game are what's keeping the sport's popularity here down (as compared to everywhere else in the world). It's no wonder the Hooligans in Europe have more fun beating each other's asses than watching the game, it sucks!

 

[megamega]

2. Not enough stopages for commercials for companies. Sure there are the sides of the pitch, but there are no 2-3 minute spots on TV.


5. Everyone can play it, let me explain this American Football, NFL, can be played ANYWHERE ANYTIME. The best game would be fumbleanny otherwise know as Smear the Queer.

6. Kids just grow up with a football in there hands, tossing it with Dad, tossing it at family functions it just happens.

2. this just sums up americans and consumerism in general. sad.

5. what? Football can be played anywhere too, in fact more so since anyone can play if they have the skill, size is unimportant.

6. this is for sure in america and the same for the rest of the world but the ball is round.