The Official World Cup Thread
mikeschmidt
Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Looks like Germany started out strong today.
I've got my office pool money on Italy going all the way - just like NCAA, there's almost no chance of winning if you pick Brazil, England or Germany.
~ms
I've got my office pool money on Italy going all the way - just like NCAA, there's almost no chance of winning if you pick Brazil, England or Germany.
~ms
I am actively buying MIKE SCHMIDT gem mint baseball cards. Also looking for any 19th century cabinets of Philadephia Nationals. Please PM with additional details.
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I pick these guys as the underdog over the dung beetle team.
<< <i>I don't think anyone cares about soccer. It's an event played by little girls. For those adults who do participate in it, how does it feel to run your a$$ off for close to 2 hours and have a score of 0-0? Watching paint dry on the wall is more entertaining. >>
I agree with that in part. I don't think it's quite as bad as you apparently do, but I'll fully admit that if given a choice between a soccer game and an MLB/ NHL/ NFL/ NBA game I'm taking the latter.
Although I would strongly reconsider that if soccer received more TV exposure, if only because it would become the only sporting event on TV that you could watch for longer than 6 minutes without being taken to a commercial. I'd watch pro knitting if it were ad free.
i enjoy world cup soccer and so do lots of other people.. USA all the way
won't be at the world cup....respect, tact and deodorant. Also rumored to be missing are Nair and Scissors.
U-S-A U-S-A U-S-A
Kevin
funny, those are my feelings on baseball
My barber is a huge soccer fan and is from Italy. I made certain to go in to the shop yesterday to get my haircut before the intense games of the World Cup take place. He was still telling me yesterday what the Italian coaches did wrong in 1990 and 1994.
<< <i>I don't think anyone cares about soccer. It's an event played by little girls. For those adults who do participate in it, how does it feel to run your a$$ off for close to 2 hours and have a score of 0-0? Watching paint dry on the wall is more entertaining. >>
I would have to disagree
Isn't it strange that the 2 most popular sports in the world are both called "football". I don't want to start any conspiracy theorioes here but just a point to ponder. Is a "TV" timeout every 4 minutes really something to look forward to? I think soccer has 10 times more action than any sport, but it is not my favorite. Maybe if people gambled their nuts off like they do for football it would be more popular...just a guess
Super performance today by Trinidad & Tobago....one of the nations who come into the WC with a genuine "we're just happy to be here" attitude.....(man, the party they must've had on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY today!).
USA?...Way overrated....ditto for England. My dark horse is the Ukraine...maybe a bit too dark.....look for some noise to be made from The Dark Continent. I don't mean Togo's coach quitting on the eve of their first match in a play for his bucks, but you might get a run from the athletic Ghana squad which would come at the expense of the USA.
Nobobdy asked me, but that's my two euro's.
I also agree about the US being overrated. FIFA's world ratings are a joke. I doubt we get out of the group stage.
If there were clock stopages such as the ones in baseball, football, basketball and hockey then all the big sponsers ( McDonalds, Coke, Pepsi, Budweiser, etc, etc would line up to grab air time, thus forcing the sport down peoples throats, bringing in more revenue, enabling teams to bring in more talented players. It would all snowball into our lives one way or another. Americans will, if for no other reason than complacency, tune in to whatever is being hyped the most and thrown at us the most.
-- Yogi Berra
<< <i>One reason and one reason only that soccer has not and will not become that big in the U.S. , commercial time. Sports in America are dictated by commercials. They make a ton of money off sponsership here, and thats why our games stop play every 3 minutes. In soccer the clock and game is constantly running, eliminating 95% of all potential commercial time.
If there were clock stopages such as the ones in baseball, football, basketball and hockey then all the big sponsers ( McDonalds, Coke, Pepsi, Budweiser, etc, etc would line up to grab air time, thus forcing the sport down peoples throats, bringing in more revenue, enabling teams to bring in more talented players. It would all snowball into our lives one way or another. Americans will, if for no other reason than complacency, tune in to whatever is being hyped the most and thrown at us the most. >>
If this were true then the NHL--which was pushed down our throats by Fox 10-15 years ago- wouldn't be getting outdrawn by women's college softball.
I think there's just something about soccer that Americans simply do not like, and it's gotten to the point now where we, in the aggregate, are PROUD of the fact that we can't stand it. Even if every major corporation got behind soccer I think the average sports fan here would refuse to watch, if for no other reason then just simply out of spite.
<< <i>
If this were true then the NHL--which was pushed down our throats by Fox 10-15 years ago- wouldn't be getting outdrawn by women's college softball.
>>
Let's put that into perspective - women's softball was shown on ESPN2, which is available in nearly every household with cable or satellite, probably 1/10th of that has OLN.
<< <i>I think there's just something about soccer that Americans simply do not like, and it's gotten to the point now where we, in the aggregate, are PROUD of the fact that we can't stand it. Even if every major corporation got behind soccer I think the average sports fan here would refuse to watch, if for no other reason then just simply out of spite. >>
The reason americans aren't as passionate about soccer as the rest of the world is we have 4 OTHER major sporting leagues to compete for attention and loyalty, whereas most of these other countries have just soccer.
The world cup has been very entertaining so far, and the argentina-ivory coast game was a lot of fun. I think Americans, as a whole, cannot stand the possibility of a match ending in a tie. This is what plagued hockey prior to its comeback form the strike, and the same as what plagues soccer. Americans demand a WINNER.
Go U.S.A.
<< <i>Commercials, or no commercials, I don't know anyone (outside of the people on this board who say they watched it) who is going to sit through Trinidad & Tobago vs. anyone for 90 minutes and a 0-0 score. Where's the snoring emoticon? >>
So a pitchers duel between Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez in their heyday where the score was tied 0-0 after nine would be a snorefest too right ? There would be no excitement or value to that contest either, right ?
Watching batter vs. pitcher duel it out and 8 other guys picking at their jocks for the nine innings is just fine, but watching 22 men play a strategic, hard fought, end to end, energy and emotion filled game has no value ?
How bout an NFL game in which two defensive powerhouses go toe to toe for 4 hours ? Plenty of GREAT NFL games have ended 3-0, 7-0, or something similar. Wouldnt those scores be on par with a 1-0 soccer game ? At least the soccer game has non stop play, unlike the NFL which has a play for 7 seconds, then a break, then a play for 5 seconds, then a break, then a play, then 5 minutes of commercials. In the end the NFL game will occupy 4 hours of your time, while the soccer game is roughly 2 hrs with halftime and done.
And if you want to find people outside of this board willing to sit through a 0-0 game you need only look around you, there are over a billion people around the world outside these boards who would gladly watch 90 minutes of a 0-0 game.
-- Yogi Berra
basketball and football there is no natural interest progression to high school, college and the pros. Nobody knows who the US
soccer players are because they got no real exposure earlier.
There are high school and college soccer teams but how much media attention or fan interest is there? close to zero.
Other sports overshadow it.
The fact that Americans are not crazy about soccer is extremely irritating to a number of soccer fans around the world, they take it
like a personal insult. They just can't understand why Americans haven't fallen in love with the game. It is really amazing to read some of the things on soccer message boards.
Look at arena football -- I think it is somewhat goofy and can't stand to watch it -- but it certainly had a niche following that has allowed it to survive for 20 years -- they even have minor league arena teams!! Arena Bowl XX is this next weekend -- hell, I still remember Super Bowl XX!!
<< <i>
<< <i>Commercials, or no commercials, I don't know anyone (outside of the people on this board who say they watched it) who is going to sit through Trinidad & Tobago vs. anyone for 90 minutes and a 0-0 score. Where's the snoring emoticon? >>
So a pitchers duel between Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez in their heyday where the score was tied 0-0 after nine would be a snorefest too right ? There would be no excitement or value to that contest either, right ?
Watching batter vs. pitcher duel it out and 8 other guys picking at their jocks for the nine innings is just fine, but watching 22 men play a strategic, hard fought, end to end, energy and emotion filled game has no value ?
How bout an NFL game in which two defensive powerhouses go toe to toe for 4 hours ? Plenty of GREAT NFL games have ended 3-0, 7-0, or something similar. Wouldnt those scores be on par with a 1-0 soccer game ? At least the soccer game has non stop play, unlike the NFL which has a play for 7 seconds, then a break, then a play for 5 seconds, then a break, then a play, then 5 minutes of commercials. In the end the NFL game will occupy 4 hours of your time, while the soccer game is roughly 2 hrs with halftime and done.
And if you want to find people outside of this board willing to sit through a 0-0 game you need only look around you, there are over a billion people around the world outside these boards who would gladly watch 90 minutes of a 0-0 game. >>
I see your argument, bri - in fact, it's the same argument a lot of pro-soccer types make when they try to defend the quality of the game and the lack of scoring that often results. I don't disagree with this - but the difference is I don't care about Trinidad and Tobago, or most of the other countries playing. I don't know who the players are either. With your baseball game analogy, I am interested to see Clemens and Pedro pitch a shutout, and I am interested to see the Steelers shut down a top offense. I always hear how soccer is the world's sport, and so many billions of fans throughout the world love it - good for them. And, if the USA does well, I might watch it for the same reason I watch boring sports in the Olympics on occasion - to see if the USA wins. But, other than that - the non-stop play you refer to just looks like a bunch of running around to me (wait! he almost got kind of near the goal! oh, no they are going the other way, nevermind), and I am not watching.
What an unattractive match-up for a Sunday afternoon.........Mexico another one the the highly overrated teams vs. an Iran squad that will probably draw political protests throughout and outside the stadium.
How quickly will the US commentators politicize the game and the broadcast? I'm looking at a 1-1 tie in this one.
Later on, the Portual-Angola game, due to their history of colonialism and conflict has the potential to turn ugly too, but with a much more lopsided result.....let's say Portugal 4, Angola 0.
-- Yogi Berra
ok.. please allow me to get this off my chest, and it's the last i'll say about it
firstly, there's a difference between not being "crazy" about soccer and talking trash about it. I do not mean anyone in particular in this thread, it's just something that has generally pissed me off for a while so i thought i would vent..
this is the official world cup soccer thread in the sports forum.. if you don't like soccer, you have NO BUSINESS participating in this thread and coming in here just to say you don't like soccer is ignorant and offensive to many members. find another thread.. start your own called i hate soccer in the open forums or wtfe.. I do not like baseball.. therefore, I stay out of baseball threads. I wouldn't dare go into a vintage baseball thread and start talking crap about baseball: quite correctly everyone would think i was an ass if i did that.. so why is it ok for baseball people to come trash soccer?!?!?!?!?
The world cup is currently in progress. So someone made a thread to discuss the actual games, NOT whether other board members or americans in general like soccer..
ok i feel better.. carry on
The USA is good just like they proved last year. However, they are ranked 4th this year in the world? Nothing against USA, but that seems kind of high. No matter, rankings don't mean anything once you are on the field. The group that the USA is in is certainly the toughest of them all. They have to deal with Italy, which is a perennial powerhouse without doubt. They have Ghana, which is a very tough African team. African teams have been known to cause a lot of upsets in the recent World Cups, so they are no pushovers. The Czechs always have solid teams, but this one seems to be a beast. Any team in the group can make the second round, but only two are allowed. It will take some luck and each match will be hard fought. I can imagine USA advancing because last year they did smash a highly ranked Portugal within the first few minutes.
I grew up a Germany fan because that is "my country" and I still favor them, but I also like to see the USA team play--I even cheered for USA against Germany in the last World Cup.
I like to see Germany win it all. They are hosting it, so that should give them a huge morale boost. I know they patched together a team last minute with all the choas and coaching changes they went through. I am glad coach Klinsmann picked a lot of young guys for the team. With younger players who are playing in the World Cup for the first time, the coach will have an easier time controlling them--no big egos to deal with. Team work will be emphasized over individual skill. Germany plays like a team and they have the home advantage. They should do well based on those terms.
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
<< <i>I just read through all the threads again. I agree with what bri said about soccer being very exciting despite final scores. Also, MontanaFan had an excellent vent about people who come on here trash talking soccer. That is very ignorant to trash this sport. People are allowed to not like soccer, but realize this is the World's most popular singular sports event. People are allowed to say they think its boring, but to say that it is a boring sport in general reeks of ignorance since over a billion people around the world watch it. >>
Just because a billion people like a sport does not mean it can't be boring to someone who does not like it. To say the sport is
not popular would be a lie but it doesn't make it any less boring to someone who doesn't like it.
<< <i>The fact that Americans are not crazy about soccer is extremely irritating to a number of soccer fans around the world, they take it like a personal insult. They just can't understand why Americans haven't fallen in love with the game. It is really amazing to read some of the things on soccer message boards.
ok.. please allow me to get this off my chest, and it's the last i'll say about it
firstly, there's a difference between not being "crazy" about soccer and talking trash about it. I do not mean anyone in particular in this thread, it's just something that has generally pissed me off for a while so i thought i would vent..
this is the official world cup soccer thread in the sports forum.. if you don't like soccer, you have NO BUSINESS participating in this thread and coming in here just to say you don't like soccer is ignorant and offensive to many members. find another thread.. start your own called i hate soccer in the open forums or wtfe.. I do not like baseball.. therefore, I stay out of baseball threads. I wouldn't dare go into a vintage baseball thread and start talking crap about baseball: quite correctly everyone would think i was an ass if i did that.. so why is it ok for baseball people to come trash soccer?!?!?!?!?
The world cup is currently in progress. So someone made a thread to discuss the actual games, NOT whether other board members or americans in general like soccer..
ok i feel better.. carry on >>
Soccer stinks big time.
ok, I feel better, now you can carry on..
Does the phrase 'I went to a fight and a hockey match broke out' sound familar? Soccer should take up that slogan and market it for promotional purposes.
Simply put, soccer won't be popular in America because their is far to much other interest in so many other events.
<< <i>
Does the phrase 'I went to a fight and a hockey match broke out' sound familar? Soccer should take up that slogan and market it for promotional purposes.
. >>
I was to see "fencing" and "squash" and a socer game broke out...ok maybe that was in bad taste considering people got hurt squashed against the fences in Soccer. Anyways
MICHIGAN I KNOW YOU LOVE CURLING!!
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Cambodian Buddhist monks are getting some slack to watch the World Cup on television, but not much.
They're not allowed to cheer, get excited or bet on the matches.
They normally aren't supposed to watch T-V, movies or artistic displays. According to Buddhism's strictest rules, they should abstain from pleasurable activities. More than 90 percent of the country's 13 (m) million people are Buddhist.
The Supreme Patriarch (Non Ngeth) is willing to make allowances for the World Cup, though. The games in Germany began Friday and run until the final July Ninth. He has cause for some concern about monk behavior. In recent years, several monks have made newspaper headlines for fighting with slingshots and petrol bombs at a temple, molesting a boy, beating a man and stealing motorcycles.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press.
http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5015440
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
<< <i>People are allowed to say they think its boring, but to say that it is a boring sport in general reeks of ignorance since over a billion people around the world watch it. >>
I think that statement is your problem, DG. Millions of people buy Britney Spears albums, too - does that mean its great music, and I should be listening to it? Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but to say someone's opinion "reeks of ignorance" because it's not the same opinion you have, is bull.
edited to add: may i suggest the WWF/WWE thread for you?
so is one of your other hobbies going into britney spears threads and talking trash too?
-- Yogi Berra
Now they probably have to beat Italy and Ghana, because the goal differential will be hard to overcome.
<< <i>Man, US laid an egg against the Czechs, 0-3. The MLS is cringing.
Now they probably have to beat Italy and Ghana, because the goal differential will be hard to overcome. >>
Even if they do beat Italy and Ghana they will need to get lucky and hope the Czechs beat or tie Italy. They are basically done in my opinion. If they can show some stones and beat Italy I'll still be somewhat pleased.
They should have had Mexico's draw and that is simply salt on wounds.
<< <i>FIFA is cringing as their world-rankings are exposed as the political sham they actually are...........but moving on.......Tuesday, June 13 and I'm looking for Togo over South Korea, France and Switzerland in a 1-1 giant slalom and Brazil comes busting out with a drubbing of Croatia......let's make it 4-0 for the Ronadinhos. >>
sim muito bom!!!!! e aiiiiiiiii