World Cup?

[ukpatfan]

Is there much interest in the World Cup over in the US or is the interest only amongst hispanics?
It's massive here and in the rest of Europe, if not the rest of the world.
I'd heard your main TV channels are showing all the games live...is that right?

[Chris Rex]

This kinda sums it up over here, for better or worse ;-)

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nat...ferable,17553/

[JesterBlaze]

We just don't like soccer.

[Matt]

In canada it's a big thing. We are really muti-national country. Seeing alot of insert country x flags flying around

[Kobeck]

I think Stallone's character, Captain Robert Hatch, in Victory summed up American attitude towards Euro-football. Just totally foreign and makes no sense. lol

[ukpatfan]

This kinda sums it up over here, for better or worse ;-)

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nat...ferable,17553/

Funny link Chris...made me chuckle.
I kinda guessed that was the situation but every world cup we hear it's supposedly the one where the US catches the bug.
I guess you guys have an inbuilt immunity to 'footy'.

[Hoosier]

What's the World Cup? Isn't that the yachting trophy?

[Hoosier]

I remember when I was a freshman in high school back in 1972, we had a new Youth Pastor assigned to our church from California. He was a nice guy, and his wife was just downright HOT!!!!! He was one of those dudes that was profoundly passionate about soccer, and he tried to stoke interest in our youth meetings by having soccer matches. No one knew how to play the game, and despite his best efforts, I still don't have a clue what the heck was going on.
I remember he gave up one day when he had to go inside the church for a bit, and when he came out, we had dropped the soccer balls, and dug out a basketball from one of the older guys car and we were playing a great game of five on five. And we all knew what we were doing. So, he adapted and started talking about John Wooden and how great UCLA basketball was. And we told him that John Wooden was a hoosier, played high school b ball, college in Indiana, and coached at Indiana State and Purdue before going out west. When it came to the Bible he could teach, sports...not so much.
It's Indiana...if you want to expand the mission of your church into the youth of the community, you'd better be bringing a basketball. Soccer? Naw.....

[markc]

Cobert had an good line tonight...

"Soccer is just another thing the rest of the world is trying to jam down our throats, like the metric system and the Geneva convention."

[Argot]

I remember when I was a freshman in high school back in 1972, we had a new Youth Pastor assigned to our church from California. He was a nice guy, and his wife was just downright HOT!!!!! He was one of those dudes that was profoundly passionate about soccer, and he tried to stoke interest in our youth meetings by having soccer matches. No one knew how to play the game, and despite his best efforts, I still don't have a clue what the heck was going on.
I remember he gave up one day when he had to go inside the church for a bit, and when he came out, we had dropped the soccer balls, and dug out a basketball from one of the older guys car and we were playing a great game of five on five. And we all knew what we were doing. So, he adapted and started talking about John Wooden and how great UCLA basketball was. And we told him that John Wooden was a hoosier, played high school b ball, college in Indiana, and coached at Indiana State and Purdue before going out west. When it came to the Bible he could teach, sports...not so much.
It's Indiana...if you want to expand the mission of your church into the youth of the community, you'd better be bringing a basketball. Soccer? Naw.....

Hmmm...there's a church growth technique that I'm not sure has caught on...a Hot pastor's wife???!

[JesterBlaze]

...every world cup we hear it's supposedly the one where the US catches the bug.

We hear that too.


I don't think it'll ever catch on and in fact I think the 3 (used to be 4) US Team Sports will die down as the youth continues to be drawn to MyFace, SpaceBook, cellphones, jetpacks, inviso suits, etc... The older sports fans aren't picking up new sports (though I personally can't get enough non-American Ninja Warrior!!) and the kids aren't living vicariously through others as we used to... they're just living.

[Coder]

Weird how things change.. back in '94 when the world cup was in the US, there really did seem to be an interest starting up.. the MLS got a good start and everything.

I fear it's the lack of success at the international level that is keeping Americans uninterested. If the US were to play in the world cup finals, I think it would bring more people to MLS games afterwards.

Anyway, I've grown pretty tired of soccer after being a huge fan in the early to mid 90s. It's all about money nowadays. While I know it's mostly about money in my favorite sports too, soccer just bores me.

My favorite sports are:

1. Football
2. Hockey/Baseball
3. Nothing
4. Nothing
5. Soccer
6-123212. Nothing
123213. Every sport you could think of except for basketball.
123214. Basketball

[ukpatfan]

I fear it's the lack of success at the international level that is keeping Americans uninterested.

Well, our guys are playing your guys Saturday....so I don't think you'll have too much longer to wait for some success!!

[JesterBlaze]

Weird how things change.. back in '94 when the world cup was in the US, there really did seem to be an interest starting up.. the MLS got a good start and everything.

I remember commercials and posters... another HUGE capitalistic attempt at selling us.... but no interest.


Soccer and hockey are both very similar and life-longingly uninteresting to me: One is two groups of people playing catch on the ice and the other is two groups of people playing catch with their feet on grass. Something needs to happen in a spectator sport and the ball/puck going side to side is not something happening.

[r00k]

Being the incurable sports nut, I am taking a little different tact.

Watched the first game -- SA vs MEX and now watching URA vs FRA. Both pretty dramatic games with key plays.

I have a son who played soccer from grade school throughout high school ... and I remember going to all of his games, as he was quite good (played sweeper), but unfortuantely, I never really caught on to the subtleties of the game.

A year or so ago , I bought Football Manager ... a great game ... (wish FOF was put together as well as this game is) but that discussion is for another time. In any case, I have tried to learn the game through the Football Manager game ... it has helped a bit but still do not understand it like I do football or basketball. I never was a fan of hockey, and Ii must say that I would watch soccer before hockey ( if there were nothing else on) .

... all I can say is that I am giving it a try ... and so far, enjoying the coverage on TV of the World Cup.