why do americans find

why do americans find "soccer" boring?

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q

Joined
05 Sep 08
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66636
23 Jan 12

As an American I don't think I made a rational choice in baseball over soccer, its that I was exposed to baseball and I just sort of ran with it. Soccer isn't important to many traditional Americans because it wasn't important to us growing up. My grandfather was a Yankee fan from the time Babe Ruth came to the Yankees. So two generations later I take my sons to see my favorite team -- the Yankee game and we discuss the game, the history our favorite championship teams and players. Soccer doesn't have the cultural significance. While it might say it is cool if the US did well in the World Cup, it does not matter to me. I don't "feel" the rivalries or the nuinaces of players abilities the way I feel Yankee - Red Sox; I don't care about soccer issues like I do baseball issues (such as turf vs. grass or DH v. no DH or instant replay, free agent compensation etc) partically due to lack of knowledge and partialy due to lack of caring.

st johnstone

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23 Jan 12

Originally posted by quackquack
As an American I don't think I made a rational choice in baseball over soccer, its that I was exposed to baseball and I just sort of ran with it. Soccer isn't important to many traditional Americans because it wasn't important to us growing up. My grandfather was a Yankee fan from the time Babe Ruth came to the Yankees. So two generations later I tak ...[text shortened]... ompensation etc) partically due to lack of knowledge and partialy due to lack of caring.
thats the most sense i have read here. wether is football, soccer, golf, baseball, basketball, cricket, baseball, boxing or any other sport played on earth, all can be boring at times. i have been to live events and been bored to tears but when you get a epic game it lives with you forever. as for americans not liking soccer (i hate not calling it football) i think thats a myth, look at the fans they took to the last world cup, if they got good at it would it be more popular? any americans agree with me that even your football, some games are boring?

Hard Spanker

Verona, Italy

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175890
24 Jan 12

why do americans find "soccer" boring?

Becouse it is boring.

q

Joined
05 Sep 08
Moves
66636
24 Jan 12

Originally posted by roma45
thats the most sense i have read here. wether is football, soccer, golf, baseball, basketball, cricket, baseball, boxing or any other sport played on earth, all can be boring at times. i have been to live events and been bored to tears but when you get a epic game it lives with you forever. as for americans not liking soccer (i hate not calling it football) i ...[text shortened]... it be more popular? any americans agree with me that even your football, some games are boring?
Of course their are some Americans who like soccer. Many of them come from places that soccer so it is sort of in American culture. Also as people play more soccer -- their are youth leagues all over the place and their are boys and girls teams in virtually every high school, I would expect that more people would become fans. But the reality is large segments of American sport watching society simple care more about, follow and enjoy baseball, basketball and football more.

Joined
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25 Jan 12

Originally posted by sh76
We don't need a goal a minute. We need that there be a realistic chance of someone scoring at any given time and the game not to be essentially over just because it's 2-0. Otherwise, it's just boring.
Well, thanks for proving my point.

As many football teams can testify, no football game is "essentially over" when it's 2-0. Not even close. But you'd need some patience and the willingness to pay attention to the long view to realise that.

Richard

Joined
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25 Jan 12

Originally posted by quackquack
As an American I don't think I made a rational choice in baseball over soccer, its that I was exposed to baseball and I just sort of ran with it. Soccer isn't important to many traditional Americans because it wasn't important to us growing up.
That explains, and explains very well, why you are not interested in it. You yourself left it at that, and as such, your argument is justified.

It neither explains nor justifies why so many ignorant, patienceless, juvenile compatriots of yours (vide this very thread) insist that football is "boring".

Richard

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12472
25 Jan 12

Originally posted by USArmyParatrooper
Absolute nonsense. Talk us through the goal (or score) per minute in baseball, football, hockey and golf - which are all huge sports in the US.
Don't blame me for using your own argument against you - you were the one who claimed that football is boring because it has lower scores.

Richard

U

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25 Jan 12

Originally posted by Shallow Blue
Don't blame me for using your own argument against you - you were the one who claimed that football is boring because it has lower scores.

Richard
That would be an excellent rebuttal if it wasn't for the fact that I never once said soccer is boring.

Civis Americanus Sum

New York

Joined
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17585
25 Jan 12

Originally posted by Shallow Blue
Well, thanks for proving my point.

As many football teams can testify, no football game is "essentially over" when it's 2-0. Not even close. But you'd need some patience and the willingness to pay attention to the long view to realise that.

Richard
I wish I could find a stat for the odds of overcoming a 2 goal deficit in a professional soccer game.

Pending the finding of this info, who wants to bet against my guess that it's significantly less than 1%?

q

Joined
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66636
25 Jan 12

Originally posted by sh76
I wish I could find a stat for the odds of overcoming a 2 goal deficit in a professional soccer game.

Pending the finding of this info, who wants to bet against my guess that it's significantly less than 1%?
Isn't it really the perception more than the absolute numbers which matters though? If you feel a two goal game is over, you'll never watch it. I imagine you'd miss some of the greatest comebacks ever and a soccer fan would wonder why you even bothered watching at all if you would shut off a potentially great game.

Others may feel the same way about a baseball game and would leave after the 8th inning because with a lead late in the game with a good closer the deficit seems insurmountable to them.

In the end, at least from my point of view, no sport is interesting or boring. It is really about what captures our interest and that comes from our ability to appreciate the game or our desire to care about the outcome.

t

Joined
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25 Jan 12

Originally posted by sh76
I wish I could find a stat for the odds of overcoming a 2 goal deficit in a professional soccer game.

Pending the finding of this info, who wants to bet against my guess that it's significantly less than 1%?
Kinda of like being down three games to none in the ALCS and trailing in game 4 going into the ninth inning. I wonder what the statistics are for coming back against those odds? Oh! thats right! its only ever happened once!

Thats what makes something great... when it happens rarely. If soccer teams regularly came back from 2-0 defecits then it would truly be boring to watch.

q

Joined
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66636
25 Jan 12

Originally posted by tomtom232
Kinda of like being down three games to none in the ALCS and trailing in game 4 going into the ninth inning. I wonder what the statistics are for coming back against those odds? Oh! thats right! its only ever happened once!

Thats what makes something great... when it happens rarely. If soccer teams regularly came back from 2-0 defecits then it would truly be boring to watch.
But soccer only fans aren't going to watch a century of baseball to see that happen and baseball only fans aren't going to watch the soccer to see the rare but truly memorable moment.

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25 Jan 12

Originally posted by tomtom232
Kinda of like being down three games to none in the ALCS and trailing in game 4 going into the ninth inning. I wonder what the statistics are for coming back against those odds? Oh! thats right! its only ever happened once!

Thats what makes something great... when it happens rarely. If soccer teams regularly came back from 2-0 defecits then it would truly be boring to watch.
Hardly. If you're down 0-2 in a soccer match but manage to get one back those games can turn into the best to watch, the team behind really going for it with the leading team nervous that they just conceded a goal and their precious lead under threat.

Soccer matches generally have an average of 3 goals per game but it just takes one slip up, one piece of magic or a long ball kicked 50 meters with a little flick and BANG - goal.

At the weekend, the league leaders playing at home to the 3rd placed. it's 2-0 after 60 minutes, 1 minute after making it 2-0 it's 2-1. A few minutes after that it's 2-2... the game finished 3-2 but it shows at 2-0, even for the league leaders at home it's not over yet.

t

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25 Jan 12

Originally posted by Trev33
Hardly. If you're down 0-2 in a soccer match but manage to get one back those games can turn into the best to watch, the team behind really going for it with the leading team nervous that they just conceded a goal and their precious lead under threat.

Soccer matches generally have an average of 3 goals per game but it just takes one slip up, one piece of ...[text shortened]... me finished 3-2 but it shows at 2-0, even for the league leaders at home it's not over yet.
We're in agreement.

I said if a 2-0 deficit comeback happened all the time, say 50-50, then it wouldn't be anything special and would be no fun to watch.... you would have seen it too many times. Now, when it does happen it is a fun thing to watch. I am a soccer fan... fan of the Seattle Sounders and a fan of my little brothers soccer team which is currently second ranked in their premier indoor league.

Civis Americanus Sum

New York

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25 Jan 12

Originally posted by tomtom232
Kinda of like being down three games to none in the ALCS and trailing in game 4 going into the ninth inning. I wonder what the statistics are for coming back against those odds? Oh! thats right! its only ever happened once!

Thats what makes something great... when it happens rarely. If soccer teams regularly came back from 2-0 defecits then it would truly be boring to watch.
Not really. Games are independent of one another.

The Red Sox were down one run in the 9th, not 3 games and one run.