FINALLY . . . It's Over!!!

[ABYUFAN]

700 Million worldwide watched it, including a staggering 86% of the viewing audience in Spain and 91% in the Netherlands. The Super Bowl does not even come close to that in the USA. Last year's Super Bowl was the most watched ever with worldwide viewing of 106.5 Million. The Beijing Olympics created a record, but the WC final beat it by a mere 100 Million.

Obviously, a lot of people care. Soccer rates a distant 5th or 6th in US sports, and will never breach the big 4, but it is gaining in popularity year by year. This will continue, especially as the USA team keeps getting better.
http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2 ... final.html

Enough OTHER people care - so we don't have to!

[hawkwing]

Basketball - has JUST as much flopping as soccer since Free throws are a part of the game,and 'drawing a foul' is perfectly acceptable. In fact it's an 'art' and commentators regularly talk about someone who can 'get to the line' as doing their job. Same exact mindset. I think the only way the NBA could possibly flop MORE like soccer is if they allowed slide tackles on the court so we could watch these 7 foot giants go flying all over the place. yup. you heard it here first.

Just a note, European/soccer style flopping is one of the things that has killed the NBA in recent years (along with the enormous sense of entitlement). Anyone who doesn't think that the NBA has a serious public image problem right now has their head in the sand.

That being said, soccer flopping puts NBA flopping to shame. Never before in history have so many people fallen to the ground with what would appear to be broken legs, feet, amputations, etc. only to hop up again and resume play a second after the penalty is assessed.

[mraven]

No offense, but soccer sucks. When scoring a single goal in 90 minutes of play is often enough to win the game, then the sport has serious issues. Not to mention the fact that half the time the stupid games end in a tie. A tie! As in, no winner! Huh? That's fun? I know that changes during the knock-out stages of a tournament, but really? Oh, and then there's the enormous amount of flopping, whining, and general writhing on the ground in fake pain, and it's all I can do to keep from laughing at the stupidity of the sport. But again, no offense to those of you who like it.

Everyone is entitled to which sports they like. but your reasoning doesn't make sense. Are you telling me you didn't enjoy BYU's win over UCLA because UCLA didn't score? Or if you say that you did like the game because BYU scored so MUCH, what about Utah's 3-0 win over BYU? Tell me THAT game didn't matter because it was low-scoring.

Uhhh, what reasoning of mine doesn't make sense? I said it's stupid that scoring a single goal is often enough to win a game. Why would you bring up the BYU/UCLA game as a counter-argument? BYU dropped like 50 points on UCLA. That was a VERY entertaining game. With regards to Utah's 3-0 win over BYU . . . yeah, that game sucked. Thank you for making my point. But I do agree with you that everyone is entitled to which sports they like. It's just that I'm right and you're wrong.

Take baseball - a baseball "gem" refers to a dominant outing by a pitcher resulting in few or no runs scored by the opponent. But they still manage to fill stadiums who enjoy the duel between batter and pitcher and the atmosphere of the stadium even if a 0 run game is BORING. it's true that baseball doesn't tie, but holy crap have you ever seen a 15+ inning baseball game to decide a winner? Tell me that's more interesting than a tie, I dare ya!

Never bring up baseball in your defense of soccer. Baseball sucks, too (and is about as boring to watch as soccer). But you may have a point. . . even watching a soccer game might be better than a 15+ inning game of baseball. Ouch.

Basketball - has JUST as much flopping as soccer since Free throws are a part of the game,and 'drawing a foul' is perfectly acceptable. In fact it's an 'art' and commentators regularly talk about someone who can 'get to the line' as doing their job. Same exact mindset. I think the only way the NBA could possibly flop MORE like soccer is if they allowed slide tackles on the court so we could watch these 7 foot giants go flying all over the place. yup. you heard it here first.

We'll just have to agree to disagree about basketball having "JUST as much flopping as soccer." Basketball does have a lot of flopping, but nothing compares to the writhing on the ground you constantly see in soccer. But that's beside the point. Basketball is a game of scoring. Scoring is constant throughout the game and comes in all shapes and sizes; from 3-pointers to dunks to free throws to fast break layups, etc. Not seeing a goal the ENTIRE game, and then having the game end with a single goal in extra time? Wake me up for the last 30 seconds, please.

Hockey - often results in soccer-like scores but more fun because they get to hit each other going 20 mph with big sticks. it's called checking. =)

Can't argue with you much about hockey. It is a BIT more fun to watch because of the hitting, although I will admit much of my frustration with that sport is my ignorance of its rules and strategies. I at least played soccer for 10 years growing up, so I do understand much of what is going on. It's just insanely boring to watch.

Curling - nevermind.

Agreed.

I won't try to convince you to like soccer, but I think you should be aware that soccer fans like me aren't just watching a drama with good athletic actors (see NBA finals) but a game with highs, lows, strategy, team-work, individual athleticism and arguably greater overall athleticism than any sport but water polo and the Tour de France (have you ever tried swimming or biking for that long with no break!!!???)

I won't argue with you about the athleticism of soccer players. Not because I think you are right, but because there's no way to win or lose that argument since it can't be proven. To me, those guys have incredible endurance, just like swimmers and cyclists. But everything else is just opinion.

Couple this with the fact that it's also the only nation versus nation sport in the world adds a dimension to the competition that unfortunately doesn't give LA anything to riot about. (Remember US v Iran a few years back? North Korea v anybody?). I don't remember any soccer game, ever. Even if you still think it's a terrible sport, it's very hard to argue with an entire planet but by all means, continue if you so desire. If I actually cared what other countries thought, I'd want to be a socialist, too. But I don't. The sport still sucks. But again, people are free to enjoy watching whatever drivel they wish.

[CannonCougar85]

I can see why people hate soccer. It is boring a lot of the time. It is full of flopping foreigners. It is low scoring most of the time. Unless the US was playing I didn't really watch the World Cup at all.

But I love US soccer! The USA vs Algeria game was one of the greatest finishes in the history of the US Sports. The US scored in the final minute of the 2nd overtime. If they don't score, they go home. For soccer it is the equivalent of
Stockton hitting a 3 at the buzzer against the Rockets. You don't get much more dramatic or exciting then that.

For me that finish is one of the greatest of all time. It goes right up there with Stockton, Beck to Harline, Blocked Field goal in the Vegas Bowl, BSU vs Oklahoma, Hall to George and the Miracle Bowl it terms of pure excitement and drama.

And it beats the crap out of baseball!! I would watch a soccer game over baseball any day of the week. Baseball is soooo slooooooooow.

[CannonCougar85]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w

This is the reaction to the US goal I mentioned above. It is a sweet video. Well worth your time.

[Lawboy]

Soccer games last 2 hours. The clock runs without stopping for both halves, then you add time. Two hours for any sport is awesome. Very family friendly that way and not a whole day committed to watch a game. Something to be said for that, and the fact that TV timeouts during the game just do not happen. Think how great it would be to watch a BYU game with no TV timeouts, just halftime.

[ABYUFAN]

Think how great it would be to watch a BYU game with no TV timeouts, just halftime.

Well, if it were like a soccer game, at least I'd have 2 extra hours to my weekend - because I'd not be watching that either....

[Sammich]

Soccer games last 2 hours. The clock runs without stopping for both halves, then you add time. Two hours for any sport is awesome. Very family friendly that way and not a whole day committed to watch a game. Something to be said for that, and the fact that TV timeouts during the game just do not happen. Think how great it would be to watch a BYU game with no TV timeouts, just halftime.

2 hours spent at a good movie=Fun
2 hours spent waiting at the bus stop watching if any pigeons get run over by a car=boring, even if a pigeon really gets hit

I'm sorry, but 2 hours takes on completely different dimensions depending on what's going on.

[1967cougar]

The World Cup is BY FAR AND WIDE the greatest sporting event on the planet. NOTHING comes even close to it. It makes the Super Bowl and anything here dometically look like Saturday morning girls softball (that comparison acutally isn't all that far off).

I am sad it's over...

Starvation, illiteracy, and Islam are quite prevalent in the world also. I prefer to stuff my gut, read a good book, and worship the Lord in the correct LDS way.

[Mingjai]

Basketball - has JUST as much flopping as soccer since Free throws are a part of the game,and 'drawing a foul' is perfectly acceptable. In fact it's an 'art' and commentators regularly talk about someone who can 'get to the line' as doing their job. Same exact mindset. I think the only way the NBA could possibly flop MORE like soccer is if they allowed slide tackles on the court so we could watch these 7 foot giants go flying all over the place. yup. you heard it here first.

Just a note, European/soccer style flopping is one of the things that has killed the NBA in recent years (along with the enormous sense of entitlement). Anyone who doesn't think that the NBA has a serious public image problem right now has their head in the sand.

That being said, soccer flopping puts NBA flopping to shame. Never before in history have so many people fallen to the ground with what would appear to be broken legs, feet, amputations, etc. only to hop up again and resume play a second after the penalty is assessed.

I think the influx of foreigners has helped the NBA. Despite the fact that foreigners flop more often, they can also shoot the ball, unlike American kids, who apparently only practice dunking or 3 pointers. The 20' jumper is a lost art.

Anyway, to each his own. Some dislike soccer. I respect that.

I dislike basketball (especially the NBA version of it)--I grew up playing it, and now it ranks on my list somewhere around bowling and squash on my list of sports to watch.