What do you believe?
kaveh500
9/18/2002 12:27:29 PM
Soccer may not be morally superior, but it is at least morally superior to baseball, football, basketball, golf, tennis, horseracing, car racing, fencing, cockfighting, billiards, bowling, hockey, rugby and lacrosse. At least its players aren't rich, drug-addled, steroid-pumped misogynists like athletes in EVERY other sport. Other than that, I guess I agree . . .
bigredone
Does the name "Sepp Blatter" mean anything to you? Try scandals in Romania, Nigeria, China, and Colombia. Better still just go to google and type in "soccer" "football" and "corruption" and see what comes up.
The American sports outgrew this stuff after the black sox scandal.
2)"How many times may a soccer ball..."
I dunno grasshopper what's the sound of one hand clapping. Soccer's *still* more boring than the most boring baseball game every played!
3)"a testament to goalkeepers" Sure about a big as challenge as winning at tic-tac-toe.
4)I have nothing to do with the perception of soccer in the US being "effete, and feminized" legions of soccer moms did that!
5)"US will not forget about soccer..."
Brandy who? Mia what?
But seeing as you're metaphorically lying in the grass grimacing in pain. I've given myself a yellow card, and I promise to behave myself.
6/25/2002 3:46:09 PM
1)"Widespread corruption?" you ask?Does the name "Sepp Blatter" mean anything to you? Try scandals in Romania, Nigeria, China, and Colombia. Better still just go to google and type in "soccer" "football" and "corruption" and see what comes up.
The American sports outgrew this stuff after the black sox scandal.
2)"How many times may a soccer ball..."
I dunno grasshopper what's the sound of one hand clapping. Soccer's *still* more boring than the most boring baseball game every played!
3)"a testament to goalkeepers" Sure about a big as challenge as winning at tic-tac-toe.
4)I have nothing to do with the perception of soccer in the US being "effete, and feminized" legions of soccer moms did that!
5)"US will not forget about soccer..."
Brandy who? Mia what?
But seeing as you're metaphorically lying in the grass grimacing in pain. I've given myself a yellow card, and I promise to behave myself.
james161040
I have always believed that the reason soccer is less popular in the United States than in other countries is because people like you run high schools, and convince the rest of the country that if you play soccer, you're "feminized, effete," and because Americans do not have the attention span for 45-minute halves.
How many times may a soccer ball travel the length of the 120-yard field in the time inbetween two pitches in a baseball game? 0-0 ties are a testament to goalkeepers. And please, point out to me this "widespread corruption."
The US will not forget about soccer in 4 years. In spite of people like you, the sport's popularity is growing, and we are producing strong international players (who I'll name, even though you've probably not bothered to learn anything about them) such as Clint Mathis, Landon Donovan, Brian McBride, Kasey Kellar, and Brad Friedel.
6/24/2002 4:43:44 PM
bigredone:I have always believed that the reason soccer is less popular in the United States than in other countries is because people like you run high schools, and convince the rest of the country that if you play soccer, you're "feminized, effete," and because Americans do not have the attention span for 45-minute halves.
How many times may a soccer ball travel the length of the 120-yard field in the time inbetween two pitches in a baseball game? 0-0 ties are a testament to goalkeepers. And please, point out to me this "widespread corruption."
The US will not forget about soccer in 4 years. In spite of people like you, the sport's popularity is growing, and we are producing strong international players (who I'll name, even though you've probably not bothered to learn anything about them) such as Clint Mathis, Landon Donovan, Brian McBride, Kasey Kellar, and Brad Friedel.
Tom44438
6/23/2002 2:21:51 AM
The hysteria surrounding soccer is much like the Pokemon incident in Japan.
bigredone
Whereas soccer is a suburban, feminized, effete phenomenon in the US, it is a well of nationalistic, jingoistic, mean-spiritedness everywhere else.
This is something insufficiently studied. But in the US when a time scores an upset victory is when the fans may burn the town down. In soccer it's the upset defeat that causes fans to go over the edge. My guess that it's such a insane game, with 0-0 ties, low scoring, histronic "flopping" by players, widespread corruption in various national teams that it slowly drives its fan nuts!
America fortunately, is a nation with *four* team sports, *each* of which are infinitely more interesting than Soccer. (And *yes* that includes BaseBall!)And that is why America will never sustain and interest in the game and the current hub-bub will be forgotten 4 years from now.
And the rest of the world should be greatful, because if we did take an interest we'd dominate it like we do the Olympic games!
6/21/2002 2:08:09 PM
Easterbrook is absolutely right!Whereas soccer is a suburban, feminized, effete phenomenon in the US, it is a well of nationalistic, jingoistic, mean-spiritedness everywhere else.
This is something insufficiently studied. But in the US when a time scores an upset victory is when the fans may burn the town down. In soccer it's the upset defeat that causes fans to go over the edge. My guess that it's such a insane game, with 0-0 ties, low scoring, histronic "flopping" by players, widespread corruption in various national teams that it slowly drives its fan nuts!
America fortunately, is a nation with *four* team sports, *each* of which are infinitely more interesting than Soccer. (And *yes* that includes BaseBall!)And that is why America will never sustain and interest in the game and the current hub-bub will be forgotten 4 years from now.
And the rest of the world should be greatful, because if we did take an interest we'd dominate it like we do the Olympic games!
HopeWithoutDogma
Being British I have more than a passing familiarity with hooliganism. All the hooligans need is a reason to group together and get drunk. International matches then have the prospect of nationalism further fanning the flames. They simply use sport as an excuse.
Mr. Easterbrook's main concern seems to be that it isn't an American sport that is the most popular. Well thanks for the jingoism.
Western culture has a problem with violence generally, so instead of attacking the scape goat, sport, let's have a more constructive debate.
6/21/2002 7:13:12 AM
Rather the approaching the very important issue of hooliganism, Mr. Easterbrook seems to be more content in venting his anger at a sport not quite to his liking being the most popular sport in the world.Being British I have more than a passing familiarity with hooliganism. All the hooligans need is a reason to group together and get drunk. International matches then have the prospect of nationalism further fanning the flames. They simply use sport as an excuse.
Mr. Easterbrook's main concern seems to be that it isn't an American sport that is the most popular. Well thanks for the jingoism.
Western culture has a problem with violence generally, so instead of attacking the scape goat, sport, let's have a more constructive debate.
A_Simple_Wiccan
6/20/2002 10:38:07 PM
And to end, despite my pure prejudice for the diamond, I'd have to say baseball is the best you're gonna get out of major sports. :)
A_Simple_Wiccan
Now, I believe all sports tend to have their share of fanaticism. I know of baseball dads who get into fist fights in the stands, and most everyone should probably remember the hockey dad a year or so ago who beat the other hockey dad to death in his own driveway, garage, or wherever it was. Brutality is the name of the game in hockey and american football, but baseball and basketball have their fair share of hooligans, too. Even such "World Class" sports such as tennis are not pure. Can anyone say "John McEnroe"? Sports are what we have left from our brutish history of life-or-death competition. We can't expect bad things not to happen from time to time. Disproportionate occurances are, of course, an exception. THAT should NEVER happen.
6/20/2002 10:37:58 PM
First, to address KyyDakh, Chess would never take on such brutish fans were it sufficiently popular. It's too quiet a game. Look at golf - another quiet game. People turn out in droves to watch the PGA tournaments and I've not heard of fan-related deaths in golf.Now, I believe all sports tend to have their share of fanaticism. I know of baseball dads who get into fist fights in the stands, and most everyone should probably remember the hockey dad a year or so ago who beat the other hockey dad to death in his own driveway, garage, or wherever it was. Brutality is the name of the game in hockey and american football, but baseball and basketball have their fair share of hooligans, too. Even such "World Class" sports such as tennis are not pure. Can anyone say "John McEnroe"? Sports are what we have left from our brutish history of life-or-death competition. We can't expect bad things not to happen from time to time. Disproportionate occurances are, of course, an exception. THAT should NEVER happen.
KyyDakh
6/20/2002 10:03:11 PM
I think this is mostly about the people react, rather than the sport. I imagine that if people got sufficiently obsessed with chess, the same thing would happen.
garmonsm
6/20/2002 7:48:20 PM
Thich72 suggests that baseball is the truly morally superior sport. Of course, Thich must be speaking of the National League only. The designated hitter rule is in plain violation of any moral code of basic decency.
james161040
And it seems to me that the reason this country doesn't care if we lose in the World Cup... well, that's not true. USA Today recently reported that the country is all but sold out of official US National Team gear. We've never had a team that anyone would care about, before, now we do. Brazil has been a major player in seemingly every World Cup, so if they do badly, it hurts. But the Brazilians rally around their national team, where we here in the US only care if we win.
6/20/2002 4:45:54 PM
I'm not so sure football (or futbol) ever claimed to be "morally superior." It's a sport, a game. And if Mr. Easterbrook believes it is a "noncontact" sport, he has clearly never played.And it seems to me that the reason this country doesn't care if we lose in the World Cup... well, that's not true. USA Today recently reported that the country is all but sold out of official US National Team gear. We've never had a team that anyone would care about, before, now we do. Brazil has been a major player in seemingly every World Cup, so if they do badly, it hurts. But the Brazilians rally around their national team, where we here in the US only care if we win.
katieangel
Lighten up and learn to enjoy the journey instead of spending all your time complaining.
6/14/2002 5:05:48 PM
First off, this site IS Christian -- as well as everything else. There are sections for people of beliefs and to try to send someone away is pretty rude. Second, this is a TANGENT -- get it, something tangential to spirituality -- if you weren't interested, why click here in the first place. Third, when I was in high school, my best friend tied for the "Johnson&Johnson" award for the most use of medical supplies with the entire JHHS football team -- and he played soccer.Lighten up and learn to enjoy the journey instead of spending all your time complaining.