Why Do People Like Soccer?
SuperTeflon
Join Date: 2003-12-31 Member: 24893Banned
Join Date: 2003-12-31 Member: 24893Banned
in Off-Topic
Yes I know it's traditionally called 'football' but I wrote soccer just to irritate you <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Will someone explain the thrill of this?
1) You can walk away from the game for 2 hours, come back, and you still have 'obscure team from equally obscure country number 1' with the ball running around 'obscure team from equally obscure country number 2'.
2) The game can usually be called at the first point.
3) The only 'white knuckle' moments happens when they kick at the net, don't actually totally MISS the net, aren't blocked, and manage to get the ball within a few feet of the goalie. Steals? Pft.
4) It takes 15 minutes for one team to come close to scoring a point, and even then it's a miracle that they actually get the ball to the goalie, much less past him.
Now I know you're going to say 'why do people like American Football'. I've never been a big football fan but at least American football doesn't have the exact same (literally) dynamics of a 3d game of pong...
Will someone explain the thrill of this?
1) You can walk away from the game for 2 hours, come back, and you still have 'obscure team from equally obscure country number 1' with the ball running around 'obscure team from equally obscure country number 2'.
2) The game can usually be called at the first point.
3) The only 'white knuckle' moments happens when they kick at the net, don't actually totally MISS the net, aren't blocked, and manage to get the ball within a few feet of the goalie. Steals? Pft.
4) It takes 15 minutes for one team to come close to scoring a point, and even then it's a miracle that they actually get the ball to the goalie, much less past him.
Now I know you're going to say 'why do people like American Football'. I've never been a big football fan but at least American football doesn't have the exact same (literally) dynamics of a 3d game of pong...
Comments
And go to Europe. Half the enjoyment comes from getting caught up in the excitement.
I understood the enjoyment of why soccer was so fun, but I went to Europe and stayed with a few British friends, and that clued me into it.
For one, you have your favorite local team, and that is kinda like football. But then you have these really big tournaments, where you have the best of the best (etc. Manchester United, Real Madrid) and these teams are kinda like country vs country and gets pretty intense (although Real Madrid just got Beckham).
Along with that, EVERYONE plays soccer. Kids are kicking balls in every park you can spot, and you kind of grow up with it. Plus, if you've ever played it, you get it why its so big. 45 minutes of pure running, none stop.
Again, growing up in America, I'm not as familiar with the details, but these are my perceptions and forgive me if I get the details wrong.
Also, if you think about it, baseball is pretty boring. Yet, its our national sport.
Well it was in the... what? 1930s? No one likes baseball anymore.
And yes PLAYING soccer can be exciting and fun, I like PLAYING it, but I meant more like, why do people like watching it? It's like watching competative croquet.
Speaking as a Chicagoan up until a month ago...
" <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> "
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And yes PLAYING soccer can be exciting and fun, I like PLAYING it, but I meant more like, why do people like watching it? It's like watching competative croquet. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Going to be harsh here, but, uh, think your logic through before you post.
Everything has a tendency to be more fun to play than to watch:
Basketball, Football, Hockey, Golf, Soccer, Chess, Baseball etc etc.
So why do people watch any of the sports? Largely because there's a thrill to watching the best of the best. Living vicariously perhaps.
Note: Rather than edit your replies into a previous post, post a new reply. Those reading the post will have an easier time following it.
Soccer, and Tennis, and tennis is really pushing it with the 15 minutes.
Soccer is amazing, you pit 2 teams from the 1.Bundesliga, and half the time you will have at LEAST 30 minutes of fun mixed in there. Sometimes the games are so close they're taking shots at each others goals so often, that you hardly realize that it's only been 5 minutes and there have been 7 attempts at the goals.
With Tennis, it's mostly boring, but there are the occasional exciting match(es) or balls.
And then you have the almost telepathic link that seems to exist between the players, the feinting, probing of enemy defences - the way it just flows back and forth until one side exploits, then you have a burst of heart stopping action.... **** I'm gettin emotional.
I cant explain why I love it, I just do...
Well here:
Hockey:
40 minutes (I think) and is almost 100% nonstop.
Scores are roughly ending at anywhere from 0 to 3.
Play in a small arena.
Incredibly fierce. Hell half the fun is watching angry canadians get as close to international conflict as they ever will when the mighty 'senators' (God what an awful name) fight with an American team.
Soccer:
I have no idea how long a game is, all I know is I left for two hours, came back, and it was the same game and no one scored.
Scores are anywhere from 0 to 1. Maybe 2 if you're lucky. If you're even awake to see it. I think I <b>once</b> saw 3.
Play in an arena so massively huge it takes 20 seconds to run from one end to the other, only to watch everyone run back when someone gives it a big kick all the way to the other side.
Players are always whining and crying about red cards and crap because of 'roughing' or something silly. You're playing a god damn game where you KICK THE **** OUT OF STUFF. STOP WHINING!
And worst of all:
<span style='font-size:19pt;line-height:100%'><b>GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL</span></b> ad infinitum.
I'll never understand <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Instead you say football to refer to a game where the players spend just about all of the game <b>carrying the ball in their arms</b>.
I don't know which american had the lunacy to start all this but it really should stop... call it rugby or something or 'armball' or soccer <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Name-wise Football in the sense the rest of the world uses makes sense... american football just plain doesn't; a couple of goal kicks doesn't justify it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I don't like watching any sport (I live in scotland and I don't like football; waii for being different ^^; ). I can kinda see some appeal, like watching a bunch of well-toned guys getting all hot and sweaty running around a pitch in lil shorts while they play with balls and hugging each other when they reach a goal but outside of that? uh... I chalk it up to a warped sense of indentification; most football sillies go on about <u>their</u> team or how <u>they</u> scored a goal, as if they were one of the people playing the game instead of watching it. They get all personally attached and build up this weird sense of belonging and rivalry between clubs.
Like I said, I don't get it really ^^;
Hockey:
- 10 guys (I think, not sure) hitting themself for a puck
- If you smash him against the wall, it ain't a faul. If you get his puck without hitting him, it's a faul.
- Lots of shots, few goals.
- People just go forwards and backwards the whole game, in a small place.
Soccer:
- 1 hour and a half (45 minutes each quarter) of people using their incredable abilities with their feet.
- Shots on goals are not as much. About 20 per game. This increases the adrenaline when you think they are about to score.
- When they rush to the other side like crazy, that's called counter-attack, which increases the exitement since that's the best time to score.
- You haven't seen some real footbal right? Like, when there is a red card, it's something SERIOUS. Like in World Cup 1998, where some mother-**** did a jumping kick on Ronaldinho, busting his knee.
- Fighting is the fun? Watch the football in Brazil. There are always fights. Hell, once even the referee got into the beating each other out.
You seem to have no idea what you're talking about, to be perfectly honest. Football isn't a "contact sport", just as many sports aren't, if you hit someone, it's a foul, that's not so much a foreign concept now, is it?
The games last 90 minutes, usually give about 3-5 minutes or so for stoppages. As for the size of the football field, it's not particulaly that big, look at how big american football / baseball / rugby or cricket fields are.
And as for "some obscure team from some equally obscure country".... You come from a country where football isn't the main sport played. In the UK alone there are hundreds of teams, and anyone who knows anything about football can spout off a list of a good deal of them, and usually a number of players too. I suppose if i asked you about hockey or american football you could do the same while you'd be lucky to find anyone in the UK that can name more than 5 teams, let alone players.
This is the thing we call cultural diversity.
American football, for example, is fun to play with friends ( not for real, just touch football). Hockey is a bit tougher since you need more equipment.
Here's a better question : why don't more people play tennis? It's fun, it requires coordination, and you actually get to play all the time.
Finally! Someone else that lives here and isnt that interested in football. I like to play it once in a while as goalie but I don't watch it a lot. I usually just watch the Auld Firm games (Bhoys all the way! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->)
fun fun indoor soccer in the winter and outdoor during the normal season, and travel county teams in the summer (very competitive)
its fun it takes more skill then it looks and from what I ve heard
people in Europe and asia and everywhere else tend to get more excited about players ball handleing skill etc more than lots of goals.
One might say its harder to score in this sport thin in others.
I mean ,just look, in many American leagues were the fans only care about which team scores the most, so what did they do? They made the width of the goals a little bigger <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
oh well.
Scores are anywhere from 0 to 1. Maybe 2 if you're lucky. If you're even awake to see it. I think I once saw 3.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
OK I understand that as you're clearly never played Football (Soccer)
then you have no understanding of the game... hence your lack of
interest.
What interests me here is the fact that you're quick to point out
(what you see as) flaws in the game (quoted above) without giving
the game half a chance.
As a Brit I grew up with Football being one of my favourite past-times
and have spent more hours playing football than I have done doing
practically anything else. Regardless I still attempted several other
sports and saw there appeals soon after. (I've recently learnt
alot about the NFL for example and 3/4 years ago I was very keen
on Basketball.)
All good fun and highly entertaining.
Now less address your quote:
You walked away from a Football game for "about 2 hours" and when
you returned it was the same game and no-one had scored?
It couldn't have been the same game because Football matches
only last 90 minutes... unless the game was during a tournament
or cup and the teams had to play Extra Time. A goalless Extra Time
in a Football cup game will always results in a goal. If not then the
teams go into Penalaties... which are great to watch.
Either way I highly doubt you walked away from a game for
2 hours and returned to see the same teams there.
Point 2 - Regarding Scores.
On saturday I watched one football match... a local team
(Everton) played the current league champions (Manchester United)
and there were 5 goals. In all honestly I think the average Premier league game
easily contains 3 goals... at least.
And finally, my advice to you is to try it before you knock it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I understand alot of people don't like Football for various reasons
but thats fine. "Each to their own." Get a kick-a-round going with a ball
and a few friends and you'll probably lose track of time and find yourself
doing it more often (depending on how fit you are of course <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->).
Its good fun but "not everyone's cup of tea" <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
God, I don't half go on sometimes <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
teams go into Penalaties... which are great to watch.
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Unless, you are from the Netherlands, like me. Then you just turn off the tv and congratulate the opponent on their victory <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
The main reason soccer scores are low (and they are, though I think the Premiership average is around 3 (guessing from experience), you see SO many games won 1-0) is tradition. FIFA strictly enforces tradition throughout its minion leagues, and people like this. Heck, I like it. It means, instead of trying to whine to the administrators way up high to change the rules, players find the best way to play within the rules. They don't make goals bigger, or alter offsides. They don't change the number of players, or change the regulation ball. Every time they make a change to, say, baseball, people whine, whether it's a strike zone change, or other rule changes, they always cause problems.
Now, because strike zone changes have been more on peoples' minds recently (or, well, semi-recently, I lost track a few years ago), you might be saying, "Yes, well, changing the strike zone decreases offense, and thus scores." Sure. But, to quote a phrase often used with baseball, and that I think (unsure) is somehow connected... "Offense sells tickets, defense wins games." The baseball bat alone has gone through an insane number of evolutions and changes to make it more effective, and to make it possible for even mediocre players to do better than the best of the best in olden days. American League Designated Hitters, bat grips, etc...
Are these changes good? Up to you. But it's these things that really set football/soccer apart... It's the lack of changes that mean the scoring rate keeps going down. If you don't change the rules, but players and bosses develop 'new' techniques, like zone defenses (not really new, but was new at one point!), the defenses will improve. Sadly, more often than not, offenses have a hard time keeping up (in most sports). The exception is actually baseball (and a few other sports), which, in recent years, rule changes have had to react defensively in order to prevent scores from skyrocketing into insane numbers and games from never ending (so goes the theory).
Why then, is soccer fun to watch (play should be obvious for anyone who can juggle more than a few times, or has felt the magic of dummying three defenders)? It's hard to understand if you don't play much yourself, or haven't watched most of your life. Soccer, while a simple sport at first glance (and it is, in terms of rules and so forth), is very complicated in play. There may only be 1 goal in a game, but the excitement can range from 10 minutes (in say, em, Liverpool and Aston Villa last Tuesday?) to all 90. The magic comes from watching <i>genius</i> and <i>invention</i>. A nice article that, while perhaps going a bit far, touches on the subject with an American POV is <A href="http://www.salon.com/sex/turn_on/2002/05/30/soccer/">here</A>. Gridiron football is nice, but how often do you get true ingenuity, true tests of skill? Sure, an exceptionally talented running back might pull some purty jukes, and that skilled CB might get a perfect read and **** the pass at the last moment. A very strong player can sometimes pull those two insistent linebackers the last yard to the endzone... But how often, and how great?
Can they even hope to match the magical moments that enthuse most game of football? The brilliant, perfectly timed, improvised passes, or the strings of headers to move the ball into perfect position. The surprise drop the unseen midfielder, who fires a fast, bent ball right into the far side of the net. Great defensive cooperation as a back line scrambles to shut down potent strikers, cutting off passes and maneuvering space as they buy time. Precision slide tackles, wonderful ball control, ingenious tricks and runs that fill you with awe.
And that's not counting the truly amazing players. Ronaldo in his prime, oh the joy. Zidane's brilliant timing, Beckham's right foot (and left!)... R. Carlos' <i>incredible</i> surprise appearances (well, maybe less of a surprise now), as he dashes from left back to fire a blazing shot about 40 yards out. Henry... Well, Henry is self-explanatory. How about the genius of Manchester United, with precision passing and almost unreal teamwork... Not to mention Van Nistelrooy's impeccable ability to be in the right place at the right time, or Ryan Giggs in general. I mean, I can't even touch the beginning of this section, or even the last...
In the end, football is something that's hard to understand at first glance. The excitement is far from entirely in the goals... True, the goals are pinnacles, when all the pent up energy is released in the form of a Mexican announcer screaming "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" However, hey, I've never heard fans screaming "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" at a Premiership fixture (if you have watched much at all, or been to a game, you'll note that, rather than scream things like that that, or "DEFENSE! *boom boom* DEFENSE!", they'll <i>sing</i>, which is just a sidenote). They're there the whole game, glued to the field full of invention and genius, constantly at work, not running off for beer every inning, or, as luck may have it, screaming to vendor guy for beer. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I have plenty of respect for other sports... But football/soccer is a very different phenomenon, and you need to shift paradigms to understand it. And there are reasons it struggles in the US (primarily because it isn't laden with commercial opportunities, and also because the game is not easily quantified by score), which are perfectly fair reasons. In the end, though, it's not a sport characterized by what you mentioned... You can't treat it like everything else and expect to enjoy its wonder. A Premiership campaign, or the UEFA cup, or, most of all, the World Cup... These are all things that are insanely special, and full of genius and invention, but you have to learn to see it (easiest way is by playing a bit, so all the details begin to make sense)... And when you do, then you'll be able to decide easily if this is your thing or not, and also understand why some people are utterly insane about it, and why some could care less. Without understanding, though, of course it'll look lame. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
i think that's why i like it.
I play highschool football, track, and use to play basketball; but I can never EVERRRRRRR watch either one of the sports on TV. Maybe it's just me, but I never find them interesting.
I like watching college football every once in a while....pro football is for communists! <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
The main reason soccer scores are low (and they are, though I think the Premiership average is around 3 (guessing from experience), you see SO many games won 1-0) is tradition. FIFA strictly enforces tradition throughout its minion leagues, and people like this. Heck, I like it. It means, instead of trying to whine to the administrators way up high to change the rules, players find the best way to play within the rules. They don't make goals bigger, or alter offsides. They don't change the number of players, or change the regulation ball. Every time they make a change to, say, baseball, people whine, whether it's a strike zone change, or other rule changes, they always cause problems.
Now, because strike zone changes have been more on peoples' minds recently (or, well, semi-recently, I lost track a few years ago), you might be saying, "Yes, well, changing the strike zone decreases offense, and thus scores." Sure. But, to quote a phrase often used with baseball, and that I think (unsure) is somehow connected... "Offense sells tickets, defense wins games." The baseball bat alone has gone through an insane number of evolutions and changes to make it more effective, and to make it possible for even mediocre players to do better than the best of the best in olden days. American League Designated Hitters, bat grips, etc...
Are these changes good? Up to you. But it's these things that really set football/soccer apart... It's the lack of changes that mean the scoring rate keeps going down. If you don't change the rules, but players and bosses develop 'new' techniques, like zone defenses (not really new, but was new at one point!), the defenses will improve. Sadly, more often than not, offenses have a hard time keeping up (in most sports). The exception is actually baseball (and a few other sports), which, in recent years, rule changes have had to react defensively in order to prevent scores from skyrocketing into insane numbers and games from never ending (so goes the theory).
Why then, is soccer fun to watch (play should be obvious for anyone who can juggle more than a few times, or has felt the magic of dummying three defenders)? It's hard to understand if you don't play much yourself, or haven't watched most of your life. Soccer, while a simple sport at first glance (and it is, in terms of rules and so forth), is very complicated in play. There may only be 1 goal in a game, but the excitement can range from 10 minutes (in say, em, Liverpool and Aston Villa last Tuesday?) to all 90. The magic comes from watching <i>genius</i> and <i>invention</i>. A nice article that, while perhaps going a bit far, touches on the subject with an American POV is <A href="http://www.salon.com/sex/turn_on/2002/05/30/soccer/">here</A>. Gridiron football is nice, but how often do you get true ingenuity, true tests of skill? Sure, an exceptionally talented running back might pull some purty jukes, and that skilled CB might get a perfect read and **** the pass at the last moment. A very strong player can sometimes pull those two insistent linebackers the last yard to the endzone... But how often, and how great?
Can they even hope to match the magical moments that enthuse most game of football? The brilliant, perfectly timed, improvised passes, or the strings of headers to move the ball into perfect position. The surprise drop the unseen midfielder, who fires a fast, bent ball right into the far side of the net. Great defensive cooperation as a back line scrambles to shut down potent strikers, cutting off passes and maneuvering space as they buy time. Precision slide tackles, wonderful ball control, ingenious tricks and runs that fill you with awe.
And that's not counting the truly amazing players. Ronaldo in his prime, oh the joy. Zidane's brilliant timing, Beckham's right foot (and left!)... R. Carlos' <i>incredible</i> surprise appearances (well, maybe less of a surprise now), as he dashes from left back to fire a blazing shot about 40 yards out. Henry... Well, Henry is self-explanatory. How about the genius of Manchester United, with precision passing and almost unreal teamwork... Not to mention Van Nistelrooy's impeccable ability to be in the right place at the right time, or Ryan Giggs in general. I mean, I can't even touch the beginning of this section, or even the last...
In the end, football is something that's hard to understand at first glance. The excitement is far from entirely in the goals... True, the goals are pinnacles, when all the pent up energy is released in the form of a Mexican announcer screaming "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" However, hey, I've never heard fans screaming "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" at a Premiership fixture (if you have watched much at all, or been to a game, you'll note that, rather than scream things like that that, or "DEFENSE! *boom boom* DEFENSE!", they'll <i>sing</i>, which is just a sidenote). They're there the whole game, glued to the field full of invention and genius, constantly at work, not running off for beer every inning, or, as luck may have it, screaming to vendor guy for beer. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I have plenty of respect for other sports... But football/soccer is a very different phenomenon, and you need to shift paradigms to understand it. And there are reasons it struggles in the US (primarily because it isn't laden with commercial opportunities, and also because the game is not easily quantified by score), which are perfectly fair reasons. In the end, though, it's not a sport characterized by what you mentioned... You can't treat it like everything else and expect to enjoy its wonder. A Premiership campaign, or the UEFA cup, or, most of all, the World Cup... These are all things that are insanely special, and full of genius and invention, but you have to learn to see it (easiest way is by playing a bit, so all the details begin to make sense)... And when you do, then you'll be able to decide easily if this is your thing or not, and also understand why some people are utterly insane about it, and why some could care less. Without understanding, though, of course it'll look lame. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
EXACTLY. Summed up my thoughts perfectly - and so did that salon article.
There is a magic to soccer that cant be found anywhere else. Even the basics of passing somehow become special in soccer. Anyone can chuck a ball and catch it - hell your sister can prolly do it by age 5. But the passing in professional soccer - amazing.