Soc-cer?

[notdave]

Originally Posted by fuzzbender

Phew. Just glad no one mentioned that USA v England, 1950

shhh!

[fuzzbender]

Originally Posted by notdave

shhh!

Doh! It was called shhhoccer then, different game

[jkingma]

Originally Posted by Bongocaster

Does anyone really know what goes on in a cricket thingamagig? I've heard some people claim that they do but the only thing that really makes sense is the "tea interval."

A cricket match starts on Monday and sometime before the end of the week there is a winner. Usually.

[fuzzbender]

Owzat?

[BritishBluesBoy]

Football - A game played by more people than any other sport on the planet. Played predominantly with the FEET and a round BALL.

American Football - A game played pretty much only in the US with the HANDS and a sort of pointy, egg-shaped thing while wearing body armor and sticky gloves.

Hmmm. Makes perfect sense to me.

[A.B.Negative]

Originally Posted by notdave

Hey, he started it.

No excuse.

[Flaneur]

I was married on the day the great Italy- Brazil game was played, in '82.

Naturally, the festivities were suspended, whilst the match was in progress.......

[DonMI6]

We call it football because we play it with our feet (as BBB explained).

Born and raised in Cricket World, I watched my first ever games of Baseball last year. By the time of the World Series (especially Game 6) I was hooked. Can't wait for the new season to start!

[imsilly]

Download the North London derby that happened last Sunday. Arsenal vs Spurs Premier League 26/02/12. If you don't understand after that there is no hope.

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by Red Square

Watch a Manchester United vs. Arsenal game sometime.
You'll quickly get drawn in and blown away.

Agreed. I'm a baseball-, American football-, NASCAR-loving Yank, but soccer is a great game. I'm a huge fan of the U.S. team and love the World Cup. Few Americans know how good our team really is (although I’m shocked they are only ranked 31 right now, considering they made it out of their group the last World Cup).

[teleamp]

Originally Posted by notdave

Like American football, only faster then?

Yeah right

American sports - British sports equivalents

Baseball - rounders (played by girls)
Basketball - netball (played by girls)
American football (played by gay men in armour) - rugby (played by real men in shirt and shorts)

Keep pickin'

I just laughed out loud.

[Mid Life Crisis]

Originally Posted by A.B.Negative

No excuse.

+1.

[imsilly]

Originally Posted by Cheesehead

Agreed. I'm a baseball-, American football-, NASCAR-loving Yank, but soccer is a great game. I'm a huge fan of the U.S. team and love the World Cup. Few Americans know how good our team really is (although I’m shocked they are only ranked 31 right now, considering they made it out of their group the last World Cup).

It's because the ranking system is run by FIFA and like most things run by FIFA it's dysfunctional and pointless. The problem is the USA is playing against local international sides, who aren't worth many points in the international ranking system. That means someone drawing against an average European side is earning more points then someone beating a decent North American or Central American side. The rankings don't represent any international sides real quality.

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by imsilly

It's because the ranking system is run by FIFA and like most things run by FIFA it's dysfunctional and pointless. The problem is the USA is playing against local international sides, who aren't worth many points in the international ranking system. That means someone drawing against an average European side is earning more points then someone beating a decent North American or Central American side. The rankings don't represent any international sides real quality.

Interesting - thanks!

After making it of their group in 2010 and making the quarters in 2002, I figured they must be pretty good. And Klinsmann is supposed to be pretty good, right?

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by notdave

Like American football, only faster then?

Yeah right

American sports - British sports equivalents

Baseball - rounders (played by girls)
Basketball - netball (played by girls)
American football (played by gay men in armour) - rugby (played by real men in shirt and shorts)

Keep pickin'

Always heard the same crap from some rugby player in graduate school.

Here's some real men in action:

[yark14]

notdave, your last post was "notcool".

I have nothing against soccer. However, I grew up playing and watching American Football.

From my observance, they kick the ball more often in Soccer. However, when they do kick the ball in American football, more exciting things happen.

This was my favorite football player as a kid. Here are some of his punt returns:

[notdave]

Originally Posted by A.B.Negative

No excuse.

Right. So the OP ripping the piss out of British sports and sportsmen (not to mention the millions of others who play football worldwide) is OK, but ripping the piss out of American sports and sportsmen isn't?

Robust British humour may not cross the Atlantic well either, but I'm not apologising for that.

[Cheesehead]

Originally Posted by notdave

Right. So the OP ripping the piss out of British sports and sportsmen (not to mention the millions of others who play football worldwide) is OK, but ripping the piss out of American sports and sportsmen isn't?

Robust British humour may not cross the Atlantic well either, but I'm not apologising for that.

"Ripping the piss"? Seems like he was showing some actual interest in learning about the game.

Humor? That's debatable.

[sir humphrey]

British sports are played all over the world at a professional level, American sports are played - in America.

The reason? Our sports are good, yours are crap. The world has spoken.

Its kind of like music. We know American music is good because blues, rock, jazz, soul and rap are played and listened to all over the world. We know German umpah music is crap because only Germans listen to it.

It's democracy of choice - and US sports are the Rick Perry of international games.

[notdave]

Originally Posted by Cheesehead

"Ripping the piss"? Seems like he was showing some actual interest in learning about the game.
.

Really?

Have another go

Originally Posted by Jupiter

I'm an American idiot who knows basically nothing about soccer, or football as I guess some people call it. My impression of it is that it's 2 45-minute periods during which a bunch of stuff almost happens, and players are always flopping over trying to draw fouls, which makes me kind of despise them. (Generally speaking, I'm content with my ignorance about the sport; I only have the capacity to care about a limited number of things, so please don't feel like you have to educate me about it.)

But I stumbled over this video on wimp.com called Lionel Messi never dives, and it almost made me think soccer could be interesting to watch!

Seems fairly dismissive to me.