Author Topic: World Cup? What World Cup? Now the World Series... (Read 13991 times)

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #25 on:** June 09, 2006, 04:28:55 PM »

Soccer: Guys in baggy shorts running around kicking a ball into a net.

Football: Big, muscular young men in tight, shiny pants, running around, grabbing each other, slapping each other's buttocks and occasionally piling together, Abu Graib style.

Which one is manlier again?

jefnvk · « **Reply #26 on:** June 09, 2006, 05:34:20 PM »

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The single greatest sporting event in the world is about to get underway - who here is getting excited?

No, the Stanley Cup playoffs have been going on for a few weeks now. And Indy was a few weeks ago too. This post is a bit late.

I'll probably watch some, just because sports are about the only TV I watch. However, I'm not too much into watching it because that is what the rest of the world is watching, nor am I excited because I'm not exactly a soccer fan.

Dannyboy · « **Reply #27 on:** June 09, 2006, 05:57:07 PM »

Quote from: Stand_watie

Baseball is truly the most boring major league sport. It's only slightly more exciting than watching golf. Or fishing.

You forgot cricket.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #28 on:** June 09, 2006, 06:22:41 PM »

Quote from: Iain

The single greatest sporting event in the world is about to get underway - who here is getting excited? .

You mean the Tour De France? Just a couple more weeks.....
America needs a grand tour. Maybe in august in the west....that would kick ass....

Iain · « **Reply #29 on:** June 10, 2006, 12:56:20 AM »

There isn't a cycling tour of the US? There should be.

Dannyboy - I was with you all the way until the cricket remark. But yes, I can see how my allegation of baseball being boring can easily be turned around onto cricket.

I guess the thing that I love about the World Cup is that it is truly a global event. There are people tuning in from almost everywhere that television has reached, regardless of whether or not their country has qualified. Appreciation of someone like Ronaldinho crosses national borders, and if Brazil play England I'll still want to see Ronaldinho have an incredible game, I'll just want the English players responsible for dealing with him to have a better game.

To be honest I am a little bemused by the amount of sports that are popular in the US and yet not universal. I'm only really aware of Cuba and Japan being big on baseball, and although there is American Football in Europe it's not a big sport here at all. Any theories as to why?

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #30 on:** June 10, 2006, 02:34:53 AM »

Quote from: Iain

To be honest I am a little bemused by the amount of sports that are popular in the US and yet not universal. I'm only really aware of Cuba and Japan being big on baseball, and although there is American Football in Europe it's not a big sport here at all. Any theories as to why?

It has been suggested that the universality of football is largely due to the lack of equipment needed. An organized team needs only some balls, two goals and some uniforms. Baseball requires gloves for every player, catcher's masks, bats, bases. I don't know if it's really that much more equipment. American football, of course, goes crazy with the pads and goals.

Dannyboy · « **Reply #31 on:** June 10, 2006, 04:00:58 AM »

Quote from: Iain

Dannyboy - I was with you all the way until the cricket remark. But yes, I can see how my allegation of baseball being boring can easily be turned around onto cricket.

Just a joke. I don't understand cricket enough to watch it long enough to get bored. But baseball is quite a snoozefest.

I think fistful is right about the popularity of sports here vs. the rest of the world. Football is something that you can play anywhere with a minimum of equipment.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #32 on:** June 10, 2006, 04:05:36 AM »

They're all boring. Why? Insignificance, that's why. Watching grown men play children's games should interest no one.

K Frame · « **Reply #33 on:** June 10, 2006, 04:33:03 AM »

"I'm only really aware of Cuba and Japan being big on baseball."

You're joking, right?

How many years in a row did Taiwan win the little league world series? They owned the damned thing for about a decade, IIRC.

Baseball is extremely popular in Korea, as well, and througout most of central and south America.

Many of the best players in the majors right now are from foreign countries.

jefnvk · « **Reply #34 on:** June 10, 2006, 06:29:32 AM »

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It has been suggested that the universality of football is largely due to the lack of equipment needed

That I completely agree with. Although it doesn't explain why basketball isn't more popular worldwide, it requires about the same amount of equipment.

I always kinda ha d a feeling that is why hocky didn't catch on in more places than it did either, the cost of setting up a rink and running it (and jsut buying players equipment itself) pretty much cancels out most of the world.

K Frame · « **Reply #35 on:** June 10, 2006, 06:37:58 AM »

Hocky is also HIGHLY seasonal. You either need a frozen pond or an ice rink, which is simply out of the reach of much of the world's population either climactically or financially.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #36 on:** June 10, 2006, 06:38:55 AM »

Quote from: jefnvk

That I completely agree with. Although it doesn't explain why basketball isn't more popular worldwide, it requires about the same amount of equipment.

It's much easier for third-world kids (or even poor kids in other parts of the world) to drive a couple of tall stakes in the ground or make a line in the dirt for a goal, than to hang a hoop. Also, wouldn't pavement, grass or bare dirt make a decent soccer court, whereas basketball almost needs pavement, hardwood, or some other flat, solid surface? I don't know.

That said, it was hilarious to hear guys in my platoon get in conversations with Bosniacs about NBA basketball. "Lakers going to win. Lakers superdobro!"

mtnbkr · « **Reply #37 on:** June 10, 2006, 08:24:44 AM »

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America needs a grand tour

What? The Tour du Pont/Trump wasn't good enough for you?

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There isn't a cycling tour of the US? There should be

There used to be the aforementioned Tour DuPont/Trump (was Dupont first, then Trump kept it going for a bit). IIRC, it was mainly on the East Coast and not very popular. I watched some of it in person when it came through Roanoke, Va (one of those stages had the toughest climb of the entire tour). Cycling just isn't big enough in the US to drive something like this.

Quote

They're all boring. Why? Insignificance, that's why.

Many things lack significance, but without them, life wouldn't be worth living.

I'm not a big sports spectator. I played soccer in the afternoons while in college for a while. That was the toughest "recreational" sport I had ever played.

Chris

Dannyboy · « **Reply #38 on:** June 10, 2006, 08:28:29 AM »

Actually, the Tour de Trump was the first incarnation. DuPont took over as title sponsor after the first or second year. The First TdT had a time trial go through my town.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #39 on:** June 10, 2006, 08:42:59 AM »

Quote from: Dannyboy

Actually, the Tour de Trump was the first incarnation. DuPont took over as title sponsor after the first or second year.

Gotcha. It's been a while and I was working off memory.

Chris

Sergeant Bob · « **Reply #40 on:** June 10, 2006, 08:44:20 AM »

I stopped caring about kickball in the sixth grade.

Stand_watie · « **Reply #41 on:** June 10, 2006, 09:00:38 AM »

Quote from: Iain

...
To be honest I am a little bemused by the amount of sports that are popular in the US and yet not universal. I'm only really aware of Cuba and Japan being big on baseball, and although there is American Football in Europe it's not a big sport here at all. Any theories as to why?

The equipment aspect is obvious and already mentioned several times.

More important I think is history, and the histories of the nations involved - Britain has had at least a 500 year head start on exporting their sports.

American football - circa 1873

http://wiwi.essortment.com/americanfootbal_rwff.htm

"In eighteen seventy three, representatives from Columbia, Rutgers, Princeton, and Yale met in New York City to formulate the first intercollegiate football rules for the increasingly popular game, still being played with many of the rules of soccer..."

English - at least as early as the 14th century

"In England, King Edward III passed laws in 1331 to try and suppress football. In Scotland, King James 1, in 1424, proclaimed in Parliament, "That na man play at the Fute-ball" (No man shall play football/soccer)."

http://worldsoccer.about.com/cs/historyandstats/a/sochistart.htm

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #42 on:** June 10, 2006, 09:11:05 AM »

Quote from: mtnbkr

Many things lack significance, but without them, life wouldn't be worth living.

Such as?

K Frame · « **Reply #43 on:** June 10, 2006, 09:23:22 AM »

"To be honest I am a little bemused by the amount of sports that are popular in the US and yet not universal."

You know, I really have to come back to that and ask.... Why?

It appears that you think it important that either the United States embrace wholesale sports popular elsewhere, or vice versa.

Again, the question is why?

Must a sport be universal?

One of the biggest detractions about soccer for me is its universality, and the psychotic degree to which so many people let it rule their lives.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #44 on:** June 10, 2006, 09:36:30 AM »

Quote from: fistful

Quote from: mtnbkr

Many things lack significance, but without them, life wouldn't be worth living.

Such as?

Almost any hobby that isn't productive, for starters.

Quote

There used to be the aforementioned Tour DuPont/Trump (was Dupont first, then Trump kept it going for a bit). IIRC, it was mainly on the East Coast and not very popular. I watched some of it in person when it came through Roanoke, Va (one of those stages had the toughest climb of the entire tour). Cycling just isn't big enough in the US to drive something like this.

I remember that race. I was a teenager, and remember watching Bob Roll and Lance Armstrong (who was just a young whelp) in it on TV. I also remember watching Miguel Indurain win the TDF.
Thanks to Lance, cycling is making headway in the us. With some Americanaztion of the sport, it could be even more popular.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #45 on:** June 10, 2006, 09:48:34 AM »

Really, Jamis, what is insignificant, yet would make life unbearable or meaningless by its absence?

I'm just trying to imagine anyone shooting themselves because they can't fly model planes anymore.

jefnvk · « **Reply #46 on:** June 10, 2006, 10:05:44 AM »

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It appears that you think it important that either the United States embrace wholesale sports popular elsewhere, or vice versa

No, I agree with him. I think it is interesting that the biggest sport in the world is way down on the US sports list, while the biggest sport in the US is way down on the world's list.

You would think with something as big as soccer, it would have a bit bigger presence in the US than it does. Especially considering we came from England well after it seems that soccer was popular there. I'm not saying that I think that it should be the #1 sport, but it is outranked by a lot of sports.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #47 on:** June 10, 2006, 11:53:20 AM »

Quote from: fistful

Really, Jamis, what is insignificant, yet would make life unbearable or meaningless by its absence?

I'm just trying to imagine anyone shooting themselves because they can't fly model planes anymore.

Its more the matter of having an outlet. People need outlets or they feel like they are worthless.

Dannyboy · « **Reply #48 on:** June 10, 2006, 12:07:29 PM »

Back to the World Cup. Three cheers for Trinidad and Tobago. The got hit with a harsh red card at the beginning of the second half and played some great defense, with lots of help from their keeper to play Sweden to a 0-0 draw. Actually, I just read that that red card was for a second yellow and he definitely deserved a yellow. Oh well. They still played great against a team that should have beaten them handily.

England didn't play well at all but still managed a win against Paraguay. There's a bit of irony there. They won on an own goal* by the Paraguay captain, who had said that England were the third best team in their group. Kinda funny, I thought.

*for the unenlightened, an own goal is when you score in your own net.

Iain · « **Reply #49 on:** June 10, 2006, 12:10:24 PM »

I'm not suggesting that you should all run out and buy some boots and a ball and start emulating David Beckham. In fact I should rephrase that - I'm not suggesting you should all run out and get an expensive haircut, marry a stick insect and start emulating David Beckham.

Just find it interesting is all. On the subject of it running your life there was an amusing interview with an England fan on the radio today in which he said the following "I don't get people who say they enjoy England games. For me they're torture." There's a long way between there and my enjoyment of football. Should really start playing more.

Anyway, England won, but played merely adequately. Trinidad and Tobago did us a favour by holding Sweden to a draw. And the Argentina/Holland group is set up to be the most exciting after the Ivory Coast gave Argentina a hard game.

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Author Topic: World Cup? What World Cup? Now the World Series... (Read 13991 times)