Do u like football/soccer?

[Guest]

I love it. I'm just wondering how many other stoners enjoy it not many i know like sports in general. i'd particualrly like the views of americans and canadians. Is it growing in popularity with the more exposure it gets there? I find it hard to understand why America and Canada are the only two western countries in the world where football/soccer isn't the number 1 sport or at least most popular. In my opinion it's the perfect sport where the need for skill and tactical thinking is paramount and physical attributes are not so important.
I'm a Manchester United fan. They just have that passion & pedigree about them. Wer'e doing great so far this season being 9 points clear at the top of the league and have reaching the last 16 of the CL. We've been playing some brilliant football.
Have any of you heard of Wanye Rooney? or Cristiano Ronaldo? In my opinion potentially two of the best players in the world. Ronaldinho who plays for Barcelona is said to be the worlds best player. I know you've probably heard of David beckham, we flogged him to Real Madrid when he was getting past his best. Not a particularly great player but a brilliant passer of the ball. Freddy Adu who plays in Los Angeles i think had a trial at united and might be making his way there when he turns 18. No ones sure of how he'll shape into the European way of playing tho.
Thanks for your comments

 

[Guest]

Played it for 7 years as a kid, but rarely play it anymore. I like the game and all, but hockey is much more interesting. Much faster paced, and if you don't think thats hard I like you to show me a sport that takes more skill to play.
Footballs great, I like watching the world cup but thats really the only time you will see much of it on American television.

 

[Guest]

i think it's the standard of football u watch over there that you base your judgements on and u like to see big numbers on the scoreboard. It takes alot more skill, luck and determination to craft a goal in football than say basketball or baseball.
Some european/south american football can leave u in awe with what some players can do with the ball. with other sports you have to be big or fast or strong with football u don't necessarily need any of these it's all about the mind. It's alot more complex than other sports. It's a thinking mans game.
Can the north american race be that different to everyone else in the world.

 

[burn586]

Soccer is my life. I've played since I was 4, through college, and even for the chicago fire reserves for a bit. I've always wanted to go for trial with a euro club, but the cost to go is so high.

I agree with biftaman, it truely is a thinking mans game. People here in America think its just kickball. It gets no respect.

 

[naga_sadu]

I love football (soccer) but my national team sucks...and shows no sign of improving either Watching it get drubbed 12-0, 6-0, 8-0 by third rate teams in the world made me lose lotsa interest in the sport. But that wont stop me from watching the world cup. Arrrrrg, I just wish I had a home / national team to cheer for...

 

[Pops]

Actually, soccer in the U.S. has only recently started to become popular. I had both my sons involved in soccer(football) about 25 years ago. At that time, it was very hard to find anyone who could coach the sport. The YMCA teams generally had a coach who was a person who had read a book on the subject. No playing experience. To show you how desparate they were, I became an assistant coach, and I knew nothing about the game. I did however, have a 11-passenger van capable of carrying the team to games. I very much enjoyed the 7 years that my sons played soccer. It simply was not seen as an American sport. In more recent years, it has been discovered that the sport is much less expensive for towns to set up and supply teams than American football is. Though there are still injuries in soccer, they are not as severe, for the most part, as are the injuries in American football. When we first started our sons in soccer, it was more a game for easteners and wealthy kids, kinda like golf. Nowadays, many boys and girls are playing soccer all over the U.S.. However, the level of coaching at the lowest levels, is still not as great as in Europe or S. America. I believe that the sport has become popular because of the ease and lowered expense of set-up ,which has enabled poor communities or countries to compete with wealthier ones.

 

[PazVerdeRadical]

earlier today i watched the man.u vs. man.city game, i liked how man.u played, although cristiano ronaldo sucks, whatever peeps say. rooney is very cool though that is for sure. i'd like to see tevez and rooney on the same team, now that would kick some serious ass. the best team in the world of course is boca juniors, we schooled the whole globe
peace.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Americans don't like games with ties, anyone who has sat through a 13 inning Baseball(my sport of choice) game knows what I'm talking about.

But I would say that the number one reason Soccer is not popular here is because Baseball and American football(and Basket ball) were already firmly entrenched facets of our culture before soccer really came to world stage.

Thats why Metric hasn't caught on, we already built a very strong economy based on our own standardized measuring system, before metric became standard outside our borders. Also consider that we use our vowels differently from every other English speaking country on earth.

As our country continues to take on immigrants from Latin America and other places where soccer is popular, you will see its popularity grow here as well.

 

[Pops]

Actually, I like to watch the american womens soccer matches better than the men's. It seems that our women play smarter soccer with crisper passes and better attacks. Plus they are better looking.

 

[gnosis]

I don't watch soccer on tv (kinda boring) but it's a fun way to spend a sunday with friends. It plays on grass (mainly) so falling is not dangerous, it's physical but doesn't involve jumping on each others heads, you only need a park, a ball and 4 sweaters/trees/bags for the goals, the rules are simple enough (chess too have simple rules btw, it doesn't mean that the game is not intellectually demanding) for anyone to join the game. What more to ask ?

 

[PazVerdeRadical]

Americans don't like games with ties, anyone who has sat through a 13 inning Baseball(my sport of choice) game knows what I'm talking about.

But I would say that the number one reason Soccer is not popular here is because Baseball and American football(and Basket ball) were already firmly entrenched facets of our culture before soccer really came to world stage.

Thats why Metric hasn't caught on, we already built a very strong economy based on our own standardized measuring system, before metric became standard outside our borders. Also consider that we use our vowels differently from every other English speaking country on earth.

As our country continues to take on immigrants from Latin America and other places where soccer is popular, you will see its popularity grow here as well.

hey backcountry, you gotta be kidding when you say football was not on world stage before the people in the u.s caught up. football has been on world stage for a long long time, but americans have this closed culture where they only see what is within their boarders.
just do a research on world cups and south american and european leagues, you will see it was as popular as it is today, just because you guys are kept in the dark about what is going on the rest of the globe it does not mean it did not exist or was not popular.
peace.

 

[tuco]

football has become alot more popular here in australia since we made the last world cup for the first time since the 70's.

AFL (aussie rules football) is still the most popular football code here but it seems football (soccer) is always catching up. but anyway, i love it, i think its a great game. i cant stand the popular AFL and rugby codes here in australia.

on a side note in regards to american sport. i was watching american sport, cable channel the other week for the first time...all i can say is DAMN!!! how the hell can you put up with so much advertising..lol, i could never watch american sport with all that crap..i would put a brick through the tv before it finished!

 

[Mr. Nevermind]

Yes I must admit those 0-0 cliffhangers are exciting as all get out. <yawn> Soccer is about the most boring game in the world. I'm equally baffled, but because I have no clue how such a boring game came to be so popular, or how it can inspire such passion. But whatever rubs your Buddha.

Soccer boring? I think that even in a 0-0 tie there is more action in a soccer game than most American games. With American games you get 66% commericals and BS and 33% game. Look at NFL. Gmae starts at 1pm and isnt over until 4pm. thats 3 hours even though the game is only 60 minutes. so you have to sit thru 2 hours of commericals for 60 minutes of game? Youre not watching a game at that point, your watching commercials. Also when they do finally play after commercials and time outs a play lasts like 10 seconds then they have to stop, catch breath, sub each other and go to commercial again. Thats boring.

Soccer games are 90 minutes ( 30 minutes more action than NFL) and if a game starts at 11am its over by 1pm and that includes half time. two 45 minutes halves, no time outs. NFL, NBA, MLB all are full of out of shape people and roid users, none of which are athletes. Soccer players have to make 70 yard runs with the ball over and over without stopping. in NFL i saw a linemen get an iterception and had to run it baack 60 yards for a touchdown and had to go out of bounds after 40 yards cuz he was out of breath! Is that an athlete? someone who cant even run 60 yards? on the pitch all 11 men are in shape and are real athletes. No sissy pads like NFL . If the NFL guys are so tough, lets see em take the pads of and play real football aussie rules. Like real men do, not running around with pads all over.


I am a huge football ( soccer) fan. I have played since 1981. I am an FC Barcelona fan and have been for a long time. Ever since my dad showed me Maradona play for them . To this day I still say Diego MAradona is the best , much better than Pele but thats another debate. FC barcelona has soo much history and talent and pride. ROnaldo played for them as well. THeir squad now is amazing and should win the world club championships. I like La Liga ( spanish league) but watch EPL alot as well. But i prefer La liga due to them keeping the ball on the ground . Let me not forget Santos in Brazil. They are another good club.



Nevermind

 

[PazVerdeRadical]

Ever since my dad showed me Maradona play for them . To this day I still say Diego MAradona is the best , much better than Pele but thats another debate.

hola mr. nevermind,

there is no debate about it, diego is a lot better than pele anyway you look at it. even in brasil people don't like pele that much, they think he's a prick maradona is still the best player in the world too, no one has came close to how far advance his game is compared to everyone playing around him. there's a documentary called 'amando a maradona' (loving maradona) that is a must watch for any football enjoyers out there. the film is really unique.
peace!

 

[sttb]

as long as you enjoy what your watchin who cares but they both take lots of skills to be good

 

[Mr. Nevermind]

hola mr. nevermind,

there is no debate about it, diego is a lot better than pele anyway you look at it. even in brasil people don't like pele that much, they think he's a prick maradona is still the best player in the world too, no one has came close to how far advance his game is compared to everyone playing around him. there's a documentary called 'amando a maradona' (loving maradona) that is a must watch for any football enjoyers out there. the film is really unique.
peace!

Oh my friend, you have just gained so many cool points in my book. Alot would argue the debate is still going. but to me there is no debate. maradona was/is the greatest. Pele was a good player on great teams, maradona was a great player playing for ok teams and stil won. I loved watching maradona.






NEvermind

 

[Mr. Nevermind]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG2g697kPkY


Ronaldinho, Robinho, Ronaldo Roberto Carlos and Adriano just having fun








nevermind

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

hey backcountry, you gotta be kidding when you say football was not on world stage before the people in the u.s caught up. football has been on world stage for a long long time, but americans have this closed culture where they only see what is within their boarders.
just do a research on world cups and south american and european leagues, you will see it was as popular as it is today, just because you guys are kept in the dark about what is going on the rest of the globe it does not mean it did not exist or was not popular.
peace.

Sure soccer was around, but we have been playing Baseball since the mid 19th century, and American football was not long after that. They are the American games, we invented them on our own during a period of time when most European nations were still building their empires all around the world.

Are you implying that we are lesser people just because we don't like soccer? LOL!! To tell the truth we do play a basic decendant of soccer, it called Basketball, and we invented that too, and it seems many other parts of the world are enjoying that as well now. We just made it a bit more interesting to us.

Idle criticisim of the USA for being "close minded" is getting old, its just another form of arrogence.

 

[D Dietrick]

I have to say soccer is the best team sport about imo i love goin to watch my team winning or losing its just a great day out. I think america not being a big soccer nation is down to the fact that they are not very good at it if the U.S was to win a world cup i'm sure it would change.

i dont think NFL is that tough of a sport well not next to rugby and aussie rules anyway as for baseball in the U.K it is called rounders and played by schoolgirls.

 

[Guest]

I love futebol.....I'm a fanatic no matter how you slice it.

I just want to say to pazverde that you sir, know nothing about futebol if you think cristiano ronaldo sucks. He's the most talented and exciting youth currently in professional world futebol. He won this months premiership player of the month award too. Not to mention that alot of Man United current success is coming from the sweat off his back and the magic in his feet.


You'll remember my words when he becomes the next Ronaldinho.

And diego better than pele??? How could you possibly compare these two futebol masters who were both ahead of their time.....to compare the two legends is ridiculous to me. But I do know one thing.....Pele never put a goal in with his handin order to win and he never tested positive for the banned substances cocaine and ephedrine.

So who's the better professional?.....hmmmm


But there is one thing we can agree on.....no other sports gets out heart racing and blood pumping like the sport of kings......futebol.