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How Soccer is Ruining America: A Jeremiad (In honor of the World Cup)
First Things ^ | 3/5/2009 | Stephen H. Webb

Posted on 06/11/2010 5:23:41 AM PDT by markomalley

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To: Dr. Sivana
I'll throw in the Univision numbers (though some on here would say that illegal aliens watching shouldn't count as Americans).

Great, so I'm an illegal alien because I watch soccer on Univision.

121 posted on 06/11/2010 7:53:44 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Dr. Sivana
It isn't the most prestigious sporting event in the world. 90+% of the world's largest economy is indifferent to it.

106 million people watched the last Superbowl, almost all of them in the US. 715 million people throughout the world watched the last World Cup final game. The whole match had a cumulative viewership of 26 billion. That's an average of 406 million viewers per game, for 64 games, for a whole month.

The Superbowl is the most prestigious pro sports event in the US.

The World Cup is by far the most prestigious pro sports event in the world.

122 posted on 06/11/2010 7:54:36 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Chode

“and there is a constant buzzing like bees that seems to never stop...”

Maybe in a quest to make their sport interesting they’ve decided to release the killer bees?


123 posted on 06/11/2010 7:54:40 AM PDT by Grunthor (Getting married, T minus 15 days.)
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To: 1rudeboy
I don’t feel they should’ve trashed the idea of draw outcomes in the first place.

I agree. A team should not get the same credit for winning in OT that they get with winning in regulation. It should be a team gets awarded 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overtime win, 1 point for an overtime loss, and no points for a regulation loss. That's the problem with the NHL rules, a team gets two points if they win in OT, just as if they won in regulation.

124 posted on 06/11/2010 7:55:34 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: 1rudeboy

Let’s see: a game promoted for our kids where there is frequently no winner and little physical contact, and where everyone runs around for an hour after which they all get a trophy for participating. Yeah, silly.


125 posted on 06/11/2010 7:55:54 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (America does not need to be organized: it needs to be liberated.)
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To: Chode

Yeah, those horns are annoying. It’s some sort of S. African thing.


126 posted on 06/11/2010 7:56:26 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy

I’d rather watch Univision than watch American commentators try to do soccer, at least ESPN got it right and hired Brits to do the games.


127 posted on 06/11/2010 7:57:12 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: andy58-in-nh

You just accurately described what Americans have done to most youth sports.


128 posted on 06/11/2010 7:57:55 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Grunthor
If chicks can play it, is it really a sport?

Women's volleyball. I like the sport better when the chicks play.

129 posted on 06/11/2010 7:58:14 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
The World Cup is by far the most prestigious pro sports event in the world.

The UEFA Champions League Final is a close second.

130 posted on 06/11/2010 7:58:27 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: antiRepublicrat
The World Cup is by far the most prestigious pro sports event in the world.

Raw numbers won't do it. More people speak Chinese than English, but Chinese is (not yet) the most important language in the world.
131 posted on 06/11/2010 7:58:57 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: antiRepublicrat
for a while there, Abba was the number one selling 'rock' band in the world. That didn't make their music any more prestigious or any less sucky though. Although didn't seem to harm the girls' cuteness...


132 posted on 06/11/2010 7:59:05 AM PDT by Hegewisch Dupa
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To: antiRepublicrat

Women’s curling! I was glued to my TV.


133 posted on 06/11/2010 7:59:17 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Fiji Hill

Believe me, if they were watching, your parents suffered. No child has any concept of the game at age six!

Kids don’t get good at that sport until 10 - 12. Particularly pitchers. Before that, it’s walk city. Completely mind-numbing.


134 posted on 06/11/2010 7:59:36 AM PDT by GatorGirl (Eschew Socialism!)
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To: antiRepublicrat

“Women’s volleyball. I like the sport better when the chicks play.”

I gotta give you that one although my enjoyment has nothing to do with the play or outcome of the game.

I am a dirty sexist.


135 posted on 06/11/2010 7:59:45 AM PDT by Grunthor (Getting married, T minus 15 days.)
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To: andy58-in-nh

That’s the American version of soccer, not in the rest of the world. Liberalism in the US wussified the sport.


136 posted on 06/11/2010 7:59:50 AM PDT by montyspython
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To: 1rudeboy

True: but at least in football, you still get to hit someone.;-)


137 posted on 06/11/2010 8:00:13 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (America does not need to be organized: it needs to be liberated.)
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To: andy58-in-nh

You don’t understand the context. Ties are considered “losing” points, which can be very huge at the end of the season. In soccer, a win is worth 3 points, whereas a tie is only worth 1 point. Therefore, it’s silly to play for a tie.


138 posted on 06/11/2010 8:00:31 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: montyspython

I like rugby much better.


139 posted on 06/11/2010 8:01:00 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (America does not need to be organized: it needs to be liberated.)
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To: 1rudeboy

Do you like ANY sport that isn’t boring?


140 posted on 06/11/2010 8:01:01 AM PDT by Grunthor (Getting married, T minus 15 days.)
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