Soccor, I don't care.

[oden]

Everyone wants me to care. They tell me that the world loves this game and there are riots when tickets sell out. There are riots when the beer runs out. The are riots when the home team looses. Hell, there are riots when the home team wins!

I just don't care.

[John Bull]

Me too!

[Willen]

To each, their own. It's interesting that several foreigners I've talked with who like soccer and have watched US football find our game boring. They dislike the constant stopping of the action and that the only way to really see what goes on is through multiple replays of different aspects of the play.

[Clerkenwell]

Originally Posted by oden

Everyone wants me to care. They tell me that the world loves this game and there are riots when tickets sell out. There are riots when the beer runs out. The are riots when the home team looses. Hell, there are riots when the home team wins!

I just don't care.

And what about soccer?

You may like to know there's a fair chance that the US team will beat the BP Polluting All-Stars (aka England) this Saturday coming. Would that catch your attention?

[harry]

Normally, I don't care much for soccer, especially as it is played professionally here in the US. But I find the World Cup fascinating. All the national rivalries of the Olympics and all the best players in the world are on display. The level of play is amped up to it's highest level and its amazing what those guys can do with their feet and heads. England vs. USA ought to be a good one this Saturday afternoon.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Don't care at all. Even if the world cup was down the street.

[TexTushHog]

Ya'll are nuts. It's a great event. I can't wait.

[laphotoérotique]

Its ok if you dont care, its not like the rest of the world cares for baseball basketball or football for that matter.

[Katy Alexander]

Because it is one country against another people can get pretty emotional about it.When I lived in Amsterdam the entire city would be inside watching anytime Holland played against Germany.They never really got over WW2 , so I think they saw it as their chance to fight back.

[Sisyphus]

...you cared enough to create a thread to tell us just how much you don't care...

I'm fairly new to "The Beautiful Game" myself. I was a fan of the NASL when I was a kid but when the league folded, I forgot about it in favor of more popular American sports. I've only been following it regularly since 2003 or so...when I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Europe for work.

But, in that time, it has become my favorite professional sport. I'd echo the comments made earlier that it's difficult to see the attraction watching only the MLS...the quality just isn't there yet & I don't know that it ever will be given the economic constraints. Yet, to see it played at the highest level is a sight to behold. The skill of the players...the passion of the supporters...the fact that it is the most popular sport in the world...all combine to create an environment where it actually means something to win a World Championship.

I've been waiting for the WC for months. I expect to accomplish very little during the tournament. I'm particularly looking forward to all of the matches being in HD.

Now...I understand that ALL of that means very little to someone with no grounding in the game. I'd probably react the same way. So, I'd encourage you to check out the matches at a known local futbul watering hole near you. You'll find most fans quite friendly & eager to evangelize. If you're anti-social...some of the greatest sports books I've had the pleasure to read have been about soccer:

1. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby. That's right...long before it was a crappy Jimmy Fallon flick using the Red Sox, it was a memoir of a journalist who is a lifelong supporter of Arsenal FC.

2. The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro by Joe McGinnis. That's right...the famous crime journalist (Fatal Vision) is a closest soccer fan that turned down a $1M advance on a book about OJ in favor of moving to Italy for a year to follow the meteoric rise of a small club from a small town that got within one leap of the top league in the country...only to discover the club has a dark secret

3. Football Against The Enemy by Simon Kuper. A wonderful read about how politics impacts soccer around the world & vise versa.

4. Among The Thugs by Bill Buford. A interesting look at hooliganism & it's impact on the game. Steaming In by Colin Ward is a good "I was there" account w/o the deeper ramifications.

5. Soccer In Sun & Shadow by Eduardo Galeano. A great look at the game from it's professional origins in a series of short essays. Originally written in Spanish with a heavy South American perspective on the game.

Come out of that sports box...lol...you just might surprise yourself!

[Sisyphus]

Originally Posted by Becky

Because it is one country against another people can get pretty emotional about it.When I lived in Amsterdam the entire city would be inside watching anytime Holland played against Germany.They never really got over WW2 , so I think they saw it as their chance to fight back.

That's precisely the sort of thing Kupor addresses in his book. There's a wonderful writer, David Winner, who did a couple of books about Dutch soccer. Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football was one. I can't recall the other. He argues that it was guilt over not fighting back more during WW2 that spurred the passion over matches with Germany. Holland had a reputation for "resistance" that was largely overstated...especially when compared with countries like Denmark.

[Katy Alexander]

Originally Posted by Sisyphus

That's precisely the sort of thing Kupor addresses in his book. There's a wonderful writer, David Winner, who did a couple of books about Dutch soccer. Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football was one. I can't recall the other. He argues that it was guilt over not fighting back more during WW2 that spurred the passion over matches with Germany. Holland had a reputation for "resistance" that was largely overstated...especially when compared with countries like Denmark.

I had just moved there when Holland had won the World cup.Amsterdam turned into one huge party it was actually pretty amazing The funny part was it wasn't the game that won them the WC that had people so excited, but the fact that they had to beat Gemany to get there. People were very emotional about it. It was such an interesting time to be there, and I always enjoyed soccer/futbul after that.

[Sisyphus]

Originally Posted by Becky

I had just moved there when Holland had won the World cup.Amsterdam turned into one huge party it was actually pretty amazing The funny part was it wasn't the game that won them the WC that had people so excited, but the fact that they had to beat Gemany to get there. People were very emotional about it. It was such an interesting time to be there, and I always enjoyed soccer/futbul after that.

Could it be that you're referring to a European Championship title - 1988, maybe? They beat Germany in the semis on the way to winning that tournament. Holland is one of those "great" teams that has never won a World Cup. The "Clockwork Orange" teams with Crueyff finished 2nd in '74 (to West Germany) and in '78 (to Argentina).

But I get your point. I was in Germany in 2002 when the best club teams were competing in UEFA Champion's League. Beyren Leverkusen knocked out Manchester United & Berlin (old East Berlin)...of all places...went nuts. They had no skin in the game other than being German. I was in Mallorca when the club team there won the King's Cup. The whole island went crazy for days. There's nothing like being there

[Sa_artman]

Should I be the first to say it? Who cares that you don't care about soccer.

-Don't feed the anti-soccer thread starting trolls. Go USA

[pjorourke]

Originally Posted by TexTushHog

Ya'll are nuts. It's a great event. I can't wait.

Strange as this sounds, I agree with TTH.