World Cup Discussion Thread

[Jarulf]

Yay, better late than never..... *joins the soccer discussion*

One reason soccer has little traction in American sports fandom is the well advertised, by soccer players at the professional levels, sissy factor. This is the fraudulent over acting by players who fall down near anyone on the opposing team. I want to see acting, I will go to a film or a play. On the pitch, I want to see a soccer/football match.

I would say it is not that uncommon in, say, ice hockey, which I believe is at least somewhat popular in the USA. I agree that it is, in whatever sport, a lame behaviour though.

I believe it was eppie that said it has no consequences if you "fail" to produce any result which I don't nessecarilly agree on. In part if you tend to fall to often, to easilly it can work the other way, when you actually SHOULD have got a penalty, you get nothing. Still don't think it evens out though. And do it to obvious, YOU get the card directly instead.

I do believe that it looks like every single "accident" and bumping into each other on the filed in football seems to create enormous pain and requires you to lie on the ground with your hands arround your leg (or wereever you are supposed to be hurt). The good thing is that football players have this amazing physiology whiech makes you completely good again with no pain at all after a few seconds. In addition, there is this miraculous sideline painted in all white. If carried across it, you turn instant good even from worse pain.

As for soccer being the biggest sport in Europe, I remember reading that the attendance at Le Mans was greater than that at all the European soccer games combined. Then again, the 'stadium' is somewhat bigger. Just another indication that motor sports get no respect in the mainstream media.

How would they calculate such a thing? I must admit I don't know how many watch a "Le Mans" but there are many, many football teams in Europe that routinely fill stadiums of, say 80000 spectators (some more, some less) every week. (Q quick goolge said 300000 for Le Mans). On the other hand, Le Mans is a one time shot, not series.

That said, yeah, motor sport is very popular and attract a lot of audience. However, I think one has to divide up motorsport in a lot of different categories, just as one divide up "sports with balls" into such things as football, handboll, tennis, golf, snooker and so on. I would actually say that motor sport gets a quite big exposure on say television. At least here in Europe and for example in Sweden. I see it all the time and am amazed how much they show it feling it can't possibly reflect the popularity. No idea how the situation is in USA.