Southern US perspective on the World cup

[strangeirish]

MOD EDIT: Do not quote complete articles on Foot.ie, do not post extracts without attribution. (http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=431900&postcount=2)

[Metrostars]

Here is a few Anti-World Cup articles that are typical around here every 4 years:


Look, we tried. We just don't like watching soccer. We tried when the World Cup was played on U.S. soil in 1994. The biggest soccer event in the world, played right on our front lawn, and we didn't care for more than a few minutes.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/adam_hofstetter/05/31/uncommon.sense/index.html



It's time to quit apologizing and tell the truth. When it comes to soccer, we're right, and the rest of the world is wrong. If they want to dance in the streets of Cameroon or Belgium over this stuff, fine. But the sport does not suit American taste, and we should stop feeling guilty about it.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/14741693.htm


And there's no question if you have to go to the bathroom or want to get something to eat, maybe cut the grass or take an hour nap, soccer is the ideal sport to follow, because there's a real good chance you won't miss anyone scoring.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-simers04jun04,0,6757516.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

[pete]

Fairly decent article even if the predictions a bit weird.

[tetsujin1979]

Another perspective, this time from Boston. Barstoolsports is a free newspaper given away on the Boston underground. It's a pretty good read, think football365-syle irreverance to hockey, american football, and of course baseball.
http://www.barstoolsports.com/article/world_cup/892/

[strangeirish]

Another perspective, this time from Boston. Barstoolsports is a free newspaper given away on the Boston underground. It's a pretty good read, think football365-syle irreverance to hockey, american football, and of course baseball.
http://www.barstoolsports.com/article/world_cup/892/
Yeah, I liked that one.

[The Stars]

Slide tackle: One of the wildest plays in soccer, in which the defender slides feet-first into the ball as the forward is dribbling it. But if the defender hits the forward's legs first, it's a penalty. And a nasty collision
this is gonna be confusing for the yanks when it happens outside the box.

[Thunderblaster]

And the games aren't four quarters with timeouts for commercial breaks.:eek: Might have a few bikini clad chicks acting as cheerleaders!!:D

[strangeirish]

A decent article (http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=Asi7.QuGOWcEkJY9nqGMu5w5nYcB?slug=cnnsi-passionofthecup&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns) from Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated.

[tricky_colour]

A decent article (http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=Asi7.QuGOWcEkJY9nqGMu5w5nYcB?slug=cnnsi-passionofthecup&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns) from Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated.


From that article:-
"Of course, consider what might happen if we actually win. If the United States,
which really doesn't care about soccer, beats everybody who is passionate about
it, we'd really be despised around the world. "

Thats kind of my biggest fear, a nation which doesn't really care for the
game winning the world cup, it would be so embarassinig and pretty
unbearable. Can you imagine it!! "Oh my God we are so great we are the
best in the world in a sport we don't even care about!!"
You might even see Bush kicking a football on the Whitehouse lawn :rolleyes:
(Pass the sick bag please).
It's not totally out of the question either even though their world ranking of
fifth is perhaps somewhat inflated due to the way the ranking system works.
Look at it this way if a wealthy nation with a population of around 300 million
took football seriously they probably would win it, thats like pooling the
best players from England, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland :D and a few other
togeather.
So let us Europeans count our blessing that the USA doesn't take soccer too
seriously.
On a brighter note the referree won't be an American so it ain't gonna happen :D

[tricky_colour]

One thing which puzzels me somewhat is why Americans 'don't get soccer',
afterall most of the were originally European's. My theory is that the USA
is just too hot for most white European's to play Soccer, yea the Mexicans
get it but then they are used to the heat, as do African countries.
Does that sound reasonable?
If you look at the sports they do play you have baseball (the equivilent
of cricket, a summer sport), American Football, which is sort of like Rugby
without much running, Basketball, an indoor sport without too much running
and plenty of breaks, and Ice Hockey which is an artifically cold enviroment.

[Metrostars]

Give it a few more World Cups and the US will win it. They've come a long way in the last 15 years. And getting better all the time.

However I must say that the folks here who do follow footie are no less passionate than anywhere else. It's just that there isnt that many.

[superfrank]

If you look at the sports they do play you have baseball (the equivilent
of cricket, a summer sport), American Football, which is sort of like Rugby
without much running, Basketball, an indoor sport without too much running
and plenty of breaks, and Ice Hockey which is an artifically cold enviroment.
Apart from baseball, all those sports' seasons run from c. Sept to Feb.

[Jerry The Saint]

http://www.barstoolsports.com/article/world_cup/892/

Love that article -


Become part of the world and get sh!tfaced at 10 in the morning.

Great quote:D

[tricky_colour]

Apart from baseball, all those sports' seasons run from c. Sept to Feb.

Not sure what your point is but I would imagine it is warmer in some
states from Sept to Feb than it is in the UK in the Summer.
So other than baseball what sport so they play in the Summer?
I would imagne it is too hot for anything other than golf!!

[Metrostars]

Not sure what your point is but I would imagine it is warmer in some
states from Sept to Feb than it is in the UK in the Summer.
So other than baseball what sport so they play in the Summer?
I would imagne it is too hot for anything other than golf!!

Because it is such a big country, it is difficult to play outdoor sports at certain times of the year in various parts of the country. The MLS season runs from April-November, some people say it should run on conjuction with the Euro leagues e.g. August-May but the simple fact is that the months December-March are too harsh to play footie outdoors in the northeast and mid-west. Sure it is fine in FL, CA and TX during that time but that doesnt work for other places. And then vice-versa, places like FL and TX get too hot in the summer, remember WC 1994?

[strangeirish]

MOD EDIT: Do not quote complete articles on Foot.ie, do not post extracts without attribution. (http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=431900&postcount=2)

10-4 on that. I normally do post a link, but in this case, you would have had to register to read it. I did attribute it to the author and his newspaper though. Having said that, I understand your point and next time I'll just do a summary, m'kay.

[crc]

Sure, you may not grasp the offside trap but no one really does.
Its a reasonable article, with some good quotes, like...

Become part of the world and get ****faced at 10 in the morning

[tricky_colour]

Because it is such a big country, it is difficult to play outdoor sports at certain times of the year in various parts of the country. The MLS season runs from April-November, some people say it should run on conjuction with the Euro leagues e.g. August-May but the simple fact is that the months December-March are too harsh to play footie outdoors in the northeast and mid-west. Sure it is fine in FL, CA and TX during that time but that doesnt work for other places. And then vice-versa, places like FL and TX get too hot in the summer, remember WC 1994?

Well maybe the reason is it is too cold rather than too hot then!!
The USA is a huge country though, a continent really, I guess our
Champions League final (formally the European Cup Final) is the European
equivilent of the Superbowl, or vice versa, but it is only mainly of relevance
to the two countries in the final whereas in the USA it is a major event
for every state.

[stojkovic]

Does anyone really give a flying fcuk that the septic tanks don't like sawker. Do we care what the GAA think ?

[strangeirish]

Does anyone really give a flying fcuk that the septic tanks don't like sawker. Do we care what the GAA think ?
There are a few of us that do. Why are you trying to drag a decent thread into the gutter?

[superfrank]

Does anyone really give a flying fcuk that the septic tanks don't like sawker. Do we care what the GAA think ?
Care to re-phrase that stojkovic??

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the RTE pundit who hit the nail on the head by saying they didn't look terribly competitive....maybe that's their problem.

[stojkovic]

Im sure this topic has been covered before.

Its not so much 'why do we care what the Americans think of sawker' its more a case that they are amazed that we are upset that they dont appreciate our beautiful game. Each to their own. I will never understand the attraction of NFL or baseball and i never want to. As they say in Jersey - forget about it.

[strangeirish]

As they say in Jersey - forget about it.
:D ;)

[Metrostars]

I will never understand the attraction of NFL or baseball and i never want to.

That's exactly a typical american's few of footie.

[sullanefc]

Can't we all get along???

[strangeirish]

Can't we all get along???
Ok Mr. King:D

[stojkovic]

That's exactly a typical american's few of footie.You are re-iterating my point. Each to their own. Like the GAA.

[NJTom]

. As they say in Jersey - forget about it.

You mean fugeddaboudit