Yankee - NO HOME
I'm not a big time soccer fan at all, but I was reading this BBC article that just made me understand how weak sauce we are: World Cup fails to fan US football fever. After reading it I couldn't deny or have any antagonistic passion against the review, "duh, of course we don't friggin care." And I recalled the new gatorade ad shown above showing the kind of stuff our guys have to go through. Its like a warzone and the ad is trying to garner our sympathy by showing the trials and tribulations of hostile worldwide football terrorism.
Here's an article summary for those of us Americans too dispassionate to click the news link: the atmosphere at the RFK Stadium was closer to that of a school fete than that of any professional football game I have ever attended. ... there was a collection of small inflatable football pitches and bouncy castles, where queues of children had formed. It summarizes the U.S. attitude and environment on "football" pretty clearly.
What does America need to get rauckus like the rest of the world? I guess we'll just have to have Whitney Houston hopes about it and let the children lead the way.
SOCCER MOMS RULE!
posted by theDUKE at 10:50 AM
31 Comments:
I've commented on this before in terms of national pride and one sport for one nation, but when it comes to garnering national pride for the US...I think it's there, but it's held by about 10-20% of the sport fan population...why?...well, history for one...too many failed US leagues, and on top of that the quality of play in the MLS to the casual futbol fan like myself if nowhere near anything being played in Europe...
I think like most things though...it needs to be given time to grow and develop...but fundamentally our society is not based on watching only 2 to 3 offensive successes during the course of a two-hour sporting event...although one could argue that a 1-0 baseball game is comparable...but that's the national pastime so it's exempt...
Futbol is a beautiful sport...more so than anything an American ever invented...I caught a documentary on FSC (Fox Soccer Channel) Sunday titled Ginga and it covered 5 different players from Brasil from around the country...after watching a filmaker capture Brasil's mentality to Futbol for an hour, you understand why it will never catch in the US...Futbol is not a sport in Brasil...it is a part of the human-being...like breathing and walking...
I think we fail to see the rythmn of the game or understand the finer details of passing and one-on-one attacking...for a good time check out the sub-sport of Futsal...
Now this may sound kind of stupid....but who cares. I love watching soccer, but sometimes it's a little weird because when/if I had any kind of question about the play during a game....most hardcore-soccer-types have always given me a hard time for not "knowing" already. So then you are automatically lumped into the faction of "american dumbshits that don't know what REAL futbol is"....which then leads me to say "go eff yourself then"....and I stop trying to give a crap.
I can watch a soccer game and be completely enthralled by it....but I'll be honest, do I know what constitutes a GREAT play? ....I think so.....it's pretty obvious.....but I can't really watch a game and get a feel for which players "didn't bring it"....combined with the fact that it is a hard sport to follow for a newbie in the US....and I have no idea what international players are good/great.....and bam....I'm out.
It's really a vicious cycle....so I ask, how does one "break the cycle" and get connected with the rest of the world without receiving a large ration of crap for one thing or another?
Oh....and I should clarify that my "who cares" statement at the beginning of my comment is not meant to signify "who cares" about soccer.....I simply meant that I didn't care about sounding stupid.
'aight?
good points CTown...until 2002, I really didn't give a crap either...and the ability to continually follow the Futbal season is kind of tough (the fact that a live game is usually played a 430am)...luckily technology has helped me out:
1-FSC-channel 401 on your Comcast Dial...great coverage of all major Euro-leagues along with a fairly good recap show from 10-11 each night...
2-Comcast DVR...I can now throw out the VCR I used to tape the games that ESPN2 and FSC play at 11am on Weekdays and watch at my leisure
3-Internets: UEFA this gives you good Champions League Information, the best of the best in terms of Club Competition
The BBC like with most other news, the BBC tells you how it is...and if you're a fan of the English Premiership, they give you the best
For me, I fell in love with the English game following the WC '02, and FSC's coverage of the Premiership makes it easy to follow the season, from there you learn some of the names and some of the players...I will admit that I am still a little lost when it comes to La Ligue, Serie A and (Bundeshligue?), which makes the nightly recap from FSC useful...
My advice to someone interested in following the greatest game is this...enjoy the WC...following club competition is tough...and during the past year I found myself falling off, but the WC always brings me back strong again...
I am going to attempt to "rigorously" follow the WC and see where that takes me....in fact, my only real soccer memories past are from World Cup competition.
On another note.....we are doing a beer/bowl/game 7 - orama at the WS Bowl tonight, right? What time? I see that the suns-clipps tip is at 7:30 pm.....
I was absolutely enthralled w/Korea-Japan '02. Mainly because I can somewhat identify with the Korean nationalism experience since I grew up half the time with a Korean family. Sitting around a 4 a.m. The big problem is that Americans don't like to get into details. In what we see as the downtime on a nil-nil session we don't wanna look at the intricacies of passing and dribbling, or look at field formations. All our games are either structured soundly and fast-paced. Maybe it does require some eduction, but futbol has a more open terrain and open style that is difficult for us to 'box' in.
I am leaving for California tomorrow evening. See you guys again after June 5th. Maybe I will post from abroad...
amen duke...love the Japanese and Korean game...much like the US and Africa, it's still a developing game, but you're starting to see more Far East players in major European club futbal...like my boy for the Devils: MF Ji-sung Park...
and CTown...you know that I'm game for the Monday night routine...we got two big game seven's tonight...MAVS/SPURS 5pm PST SUNS/CLIPS Following...I should be back at my compound by 530 if you anyone wants to meet up there...we can head over to the local pub and then go grab a lane...I'm wondering if we need to make a post about this following last week's "episode"...
I can probably meet up just before 8 pm.....maybe about 7 or so?
I've got a 4 pm appointment that'll run an hour, and then dinner at home after that. So where should I head to at about 7 pm?
I'll have to talk it over with 2.0 to see where he's going to be, as of right now, it's just the three of us unless anyone else confirms...so we'll probably be at my place...
Sweet. I'll just give a call to confirm as I'm heading to the westside.
Help out a Lodgemate here.
Lets me make a point here.
1) I respect the skill and talent it takes to play Soccer
2) I respect the fan loyalty and patriotism.
3) I love the event surrounding the world cup, going to a pub and watching the die hards live and die for their team.
However, I just cant seem to get into the sport. Its not that I dont understandhow it is played, I just dont seem to be able to find any passion for the game. What is missing?
What is missing is your Soul...
Na, I think it is just a case where you don't like the sport.
I respect the game of Tennis but I dont watch it. I think it is tough to drive a car 200MPH but I dont follow NASCAR.
With me I played soccer as a child and enjoyed it and kept on playing through high school. It became apart of my family structure. We were always at a tourney duriung the summer months. My sister played year round. That is how I got into soccer.
I really dont know what your are missing. I think, and take no offense at this but maybe you are a red blooded american sports fan. You like the fast pace scoring of american sports, you like the intensity and foracity of Football, just like 80% of the US population.
Oh I take offense so Screw you Taco boy!!!
Hahaha. Just kidding....NOT!
Actually I like Baseball which lacks intensity and foracity unless you are watching a cubs/Sox game.
I also like Bowling, Tennis, and Volleyball. All slower sports by definition. Track and Field, even Skiing.
I think honestly it might just be Soccer.
Oh well. REAL Football Season Season is just arounf the corner.
IN AMERICA, THERE IS NO "U" in FOOTBALL!!!!
I don't think we would want the Goose any other way.
What does irritate me however (and it is apparent in your post) is that there is an insinuation that if a person is not a soccer fan then they are
1) Uncultured in any worldly aspects and cultures outside the local "Gas and Sip" on the corner of Podunk Arkansas and Hicksville Alabama
2) Lack patriotism towards their country due to the fact that they are not as wild as the Brazilians or Madrid.
Sometimes I want to take some soccer fans and bitch slap them off their cultural pedestal.
Not you specifically Train, at least...not today
Goose, you are talking about the same attitude that I referenced in my first comment......you get shit for being an outsider no matter what. How "elitist" is that BS?
Ctown. I should have stated my agreement with you. Must be in the waters that flow from the Colorado River, and that reside in an Eegee Strawberry filled 1/2 full so that you can add you Rum to it.
Guys that is not what I meant at all. Everyone likes different things. So what if you don't follow soccer. I have no problem with people who have an interest to watch soccer every four years. I love it actually. It might just get people hooked and want to watch more. I watch wimbeldon each year but I dont watch any other tennis tourneys. Maybe someday I might and maybe someday you might want to watch a Sutherland vs. Blackburn.
I just hope we can all agree that Soccer is a game that involes alot of skill same as hitting a baseball and hitting a three point shot, then I got no proplem with you enjoying soccer from a far.
And thus the division of the Lodge starts. This is what started the clone wars
The line in the sand.... Either your with us or your against us
only the sith, and soccer fans speak in absolutes
Goose, what you are missing is seeing the beauty in the simplicity of the game of futbol. It's the world's game because of this simplicity. And that fact that the game is the world's makes the game all the more powerful.
But the Serlings grew up with the game of football, while I grew up playing futbol. Which also is why you don't get it. At least not fully. And why I won't totally get the pigskin fully.
The WC is two weeks away. I can't wait. As far as tonight... I'm working from home because the wife is sick. So I'm still planning on meeting up for the game, but I'm unsure about the car situation. Suns/Clips game starts at 7PM, let's say 7PM at the Lodge?
7pm at the Lodge sounds good to me...everyone is invited naturally...just drop a dime...
Joe, we can probably carpool to the westside if you are interested....
Joe. Your asinine comment shows the attitude that comes from Soccer Snobs.
I played soccer for 7 years as a Gossling. I didnt play football until the 8th grade. That gives me 5 years of football 7 years of Soccer. And why do I love Baseball if I never swung a Bat until I was out of high school?
I stated at the beginning that I have a lot of respect for the game and how it is played. But in one ignorant post you talked down to me like I wasn’t brought up in a environment that was Cultured enough to have an understanding of soccer.
Put simply Joe. Its Soccer Fans like you that piss me off. Not Train or Jimbo. You.
You make assumptions about Non Soccer fans. You assume that they have not been exposed to the World of soccer and that has left some proverbial hole their Sports Culture Upbringing.
Damn Joe you got me all fired up.
I may not post again today just cause I have this urge to make a "Suspend Joe for comments unbecoming a Lodge Member" post.
Hey Joe I probably wont be there tonight. That will make at least two consecutive Lodge gatherings. Are you going to call out my Loyalty like you did the Dude?
Just Curious
Shawon, I am interested. Ping my Nextel when you leave.
Goose, no calling out needed. Because your loyalty is clearly posted and in print. See, you actually post and comment daily. You put forth the effort and get fired up. Love it.
nice...feel like I'm their at Ft. Sumter watching it go down...not going to side up on this one...probably head west and find myself a squah and settle down Jeremiah Johnson style, but before I do...Goose remember the Lodge Rule #1.12...2.0 reserves the right to be an ass at all times...
Daaaaaaamn....it's gettin' hot in her.....with all this passion in the room, maybe a soccer match will break out?
Thanks Jimmy. I always need to be reminded of Lodge Rule #1.12.
"Let it be hereby known that Joe 2.0 (Formally known as Trader Joe or Joe 1.0) is an Ass, and therefore is allowed to execute his rights and privileges to act and speak as the aforementioned "ASS"
Takes one to know one, Goose. We need to do lunch again soon, just like old times.
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