american football vs. the world

ok - for you guys so interested in discussing the pros/cons of the different incarnations of football across, here's the real forum to do so...stay out of political threads for this, please?

futbol=teh awesome
football=moderately cool
rugby=just plain crazy

I still stand whole heartedly by the All Blacks

team sports are for pussys

Among American born males, soccer is basically non existant (in my observation). I was having a conversation with a girl who was from the Philippines and she asked me if I could name ten soccer players and I think I got four...and I literally couldn't think of any more.....meanwhile I can name probably hundreds of NFL players and NBA players....soccer just doesn't get much coverage in the US and there is very little interest.....

As for pros and cons.....probably the biggest cons with soccer for me are: 1. other than the goalie, no one can use hands;
2. very low scoring....

(Compare soccer where (to me it seems) five goals in a game is a lot....versus an NBA game where 40-50 FGs per game per team is pretty reasonable.)

3. It doesn't seem like there are a lot of statistics that can be kept in soccer, and a lot of Americans like to follow statistics.....mostly scoring and goalkeeping....while in most other sports many more statistics can be kept and compared.
4. One of the major soccer events is the World Cup and unlike most other sports, the US can't seem to win.....Which doesn't make it popular here. Americans don't want to watch Croatia play against Denmark....they want to be able to identify with the players.

Didn't we win the World Cup within the last ten years?

It really is a matter of appreciation.

1. Futbol entails just as much dribbling (manuvering) as Basketball. the same way you can say cross-over, behind the back, etc etc..there is an equivalent in futbol. Americans just don't know how to appreciate it. They think it is just kicking a ball.

2ex. I never liked baseball. To me a strikeout, or ball, or walk meant nothing happened in the game. As i got older and gave it a chance (i still find it incredibly boring and over rated) i was able to see people were appreciating the pitcher and quirk he put on the ball. Watching how the swinger read or misread the pitch.

this is the same for Futbol. Have americans stopped and realized that these soccerballs practically make U-turns in mid air?

3. the same way you can break a guy in basketball, you can break somebody in soccer (and it's usually more amusing because a good fake will land the other guy on his ass.

4. The biggest reason people can't appreciate it is because the field is too big. Unless you have gotten used to it you can't see what the player has or hasn't done.

Basketball, baseball even football, the camera gets alot closer. You don't need an accustomed eye to say "oh, did you see that".

That was the ladies team. Goes to show it's a chicks game.

US men are now ranked #7 in the world (but didn't qualify for the olympics )
US women are in the olympics but were upset in the last world cup

Just to clarify, the USMNT that is currently ranked #7 by FIFA is not the team that failed to qualify for the olympics. That is a u-23 team who had the misfortune of having to beat Mexico in front of 60,000 rabid fans at the Azteca, where Mexico has only ever lost once. To make matters worse, the coach's daughter (with whom many of the players were close) was killed in a car accident the day before the game.

Four years ago our team did very well and IIRC they made it to either the quarter- or semi-finals and were the only team that didn't lose to eventual champions Cameroon.

I don't really like sports, but Football is just plain poo. I've watched almost no soccer in my entire life, but I find it to be a far more respectable sport than Football.
I think football is too manly. It's all about being big and strong and crashing into other guys. And for the fans it's often about drinking beer and eating meat.

i'd rather watch aussie rules rugby.

It has absolutely nothing to do with speed and dexterity and accuracy and tactics and thinking on your feet and teamwork...

Didn't they try to have an american soccer league just like the nfl, nba, nhl, etc but fail miserably a couple years ago?

mls is alive and well! (as well as a soccerleague can be in america that is! )

i'm not fully versed in rugby teams...are they from new zealand or one of the south pacific teams? or from a european one?

either way, those guys are at least the size of american football linebackers...everyone. so yes, i'm in agreement with you

I think there is a growing appreciation for soccer (sorry thats what I'll always call it) in america. its fundamentally a simple game and there is appeall in that. But Football is American. I think its unfair to criticize one culture for not immediately embracing a sport when basically the whole world doesn't play football. I know there are tons of reasons why it doesn't catch on, basically, the rules are hard to understnad for beginners and it requires a lot of equipment. There are also lots of reasons why americans don't play soccer. First of all, its unfamiliar. But most of all, from my perception, is cost. Not that soccer cost a whole lot. But the problem is that with schools, where almost all people get there first taste of sports in the U.S, compared to private clubs in many other places in the world. Most schools can only support a few teams, and at times when even sports more embraced by americans like wrestling or swimming are getting the ax, its no surprise there in no room for soccer. Football, like I said, sells tickets. Soccer doesn't. so its kind of self pepetuating. But I have seen a growth in soccer and I think it will continue in the U.S. Americans hate losing and worship winners. It wont be long before someone sees it as another way to make a buck in our societal hero worship. Thats just my stupid opinon.

Now rugby, thats a crazy mans sport. I love to watch that. Its like hockey on grass, lots of blood and shit.
and I don't mean "man" man, I've seen some crazy ass girls beat the shit out of each other too. I saw a girl get her nose broke, and then go back and keep playing. But in my experience, most rugger girls are to swarthy for my taste.

[Edited on Jul 17, 2004 by Frog]

I see, so the fans of football, and the players are basically cavemen. Fair enough. I guess soccer fans or rugby fans are far better. but I guess I prefer drinking beer and eating met to running around as a "hooligan" beating the fuck out of opposing fans with pipes and stuff.
And wasn't there like a 3 day war between some south american countries over the outcome of a soccer game?

The growth of "soccer" is imminent.

The fact that so many women and young ladies got into the sport didn't help its popularity with men. They couldn't take a sport seriously if they could say "uh, yeah my 10 year old daughter plays that."

But here is the comprimise, the women who play soccer are raising kids who play soccer (both male and female), and this is the future of the sport in america.


football and basketball are unique for this reason, so much of what makes you built for the game is genetic. If you are over 6 ft and mildly athletic you should try out for basketball. If you are over 6' and about 300 lbs, why not try out for football. It helps to be tall in soccer as well but just your size doesn't make you a candidate for the game.

All these sports require skill, but it seems like only the ones mentioned place a prerequisite on size, and i'm sorry your size is not an acquired skill worthy of praise. It is impressive but nothing you earned.

In part, for that reason "soccer" is the world's sport.

I hate sports, but I'm really starting to love soccer.

What? They use the same rules as everyone else. I think you mean aussie rules football.