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5 Suggestions to Make Soccer More Palatable for American Audiences
Pajamas Media ^ | 06/18/2014 | Rick Moran

Posted on 06/18/2014 6:54:10 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

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To: safeasthebanks

Wow. You are really on board with this soccer thing. It’s just my opinion. I don’t have to like soccer, and you don’t have to like basketball.

The difference is I don’t think you are a “f*ing moron” for thinking baseball is too slow, or hockey too cold, or basketball is full of Madonnas, or football is too violent.

So enjoy your sport. When the clock counts down properly, I will watch it and enjoy it.


41 posted on 06/18/2014 7:35:54 AM PDT by DariusBane (Liberty and Risk. Flip sides of the same coin. So how much risk will YOU accept? Vive Deco et Vives)
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To: DariusBane

Soccer has bad games and good games, great games, like any sport.

And its not the sports fault if you couldn’t see the tactics. Tactics permeate the game: how the team lines up, how its shape and tactics in attack and defence attempts to defeat and combat the other team’s and viceversa, individual players positions and what they do on the field in both attack and defence, how the coach/manager will change team, players and tactics during the game.

So many tactics in a game of soccer, perhaps that shows that they are subtle and that soccer isn’t a mindless game of kickabout.


42 posted on 06/18/2014 7:36:36 AM PDT by the scotsman (UK)
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To: CodeToad

A bunch of guys running around a field kicking a white basketball? Boring.


43 posted on 06/18/2014 7:38:45 AM PDT by bicyclerepair (The zombies here elected alcee hastings. TERM LIMITS ... TERM LIMITS)
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To: SeaHawkFan
It is a traditional and expected practice that the ref not end the half or the game if one team is threatening to score; and waits until the threat on goal no longer exists.

Then why bother with a clock at all? Just give everyone a trophy.

44 posted on 06/18/2014 7:39:29 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: N. Theknow

Aah, padding, how cute.

Still, if you aint man enough to play rugby...........


45 posted on 06/18/2014 7:41:24 AM PDT by the scotsman (UK)
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To: the scotsman

I don’t doubt that.

Now, give them a fair introduction to real, modern sports, however...


46 posted on 06/18/2014 7:41:48 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: SeekAndFind
hate to be the bearer of bad news for the haters, but the World Cup has actually generated some interest in soccer. The ESPN broadcast of the U.S.-Ghana match drew a 7 share overnight, or 8 million viewers. By contrast, a usual broadcast of Monday Night Football draws an 8.6 share, or 9.3 million viewers. Somebody out there in America likes soccer and loves the World Cup.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news for the lovers of soccer, but the author of this article is comparing the proverbial apples to oranges. The World Cup is a once every four year event and the ratings may have less to do with a love of the game than a curiosity about the event -- as evidenced by the fact that the weekly Major League Soccer and English Premier League broadcasts on ESPN and NBC have an average viewership of 200,000 per match and a .1% share. Indeed, the weekly soccer viewership is significantly lower in 2013 and 2014 than was in 2006 when the ESPN broadcasts drew a whopping 263.000 viewers and a .2% share.

In contrast, Monday Night Football draws 9.3 million viewers and an 8.6 share, week in and week out, despite having some of the most annoying commentators in sports and way too many disruptive commercial breaks.

47 posted on 06/18/2014 7:42:25 AM PDT by Labyrinthos
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To: the scotsman

I agree that I am not able to see the patterns or the tactics. But I grew up watching baseball, football, and basketball.

Baseball tactics you can easily see because of all the standing about. Mangers position players based on statistics of where the batter hits a specific pitcher, on an on. It’s a slow game, a chess match. Easy to see. American football you watch lineups and match ups with a pause to see what is going on. I get that. Soccer I just have not watched enough to understand what is going on.

I will watch it when the clock properly counts down. I am stubborn about that issue. But I am a Scotsman born in America so I can be unreasonably stubborn about things. It’s in my nature!

I hope you enjoy the World Cup, and I hope I can learn to enjoy it as well!


48 posted on 06/18/2014 7:42:31 AM PDT by DariusBane (Liberty and Risk. Flip sides of the same coin. So how much risk will YOU accept? Vive Deco et Vives)
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To: cuban leaf

Baseball isn’t American. It was invented in England (as base ball) and its roots come from the girls game of rounders.


49 posted on 06/18/2014 7:42:46 AM PDT by the scotsman (UK)
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To: bicyclerepair

About 20 years ago Rush had his “Keep Our Kids Safe (KOOKS)” program whereby he used the entire 3 hours to have moms call in about the dangers of soccer. He did an awesome job mocking idiots and suckering them into calling in about the dangers of soccer with tales of injuries. To this day it was his best show ever.


50 posted on 06/18/2014 7:43:12 AM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Are!)
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To: the scotsman

So, I was wrong and you corrected me. Thanks. ;-)


51 posted on 06/18/2014 7:44:16 AM PDT by cuban leaf
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To: Resolute Conservative
Keep it a foreign sport on Univision.
LOL ... I only watch the World Cup and I only watch on Univision.
Scooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore!
52 posted on 06/18/2014 7:44:51 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: the scotsman

I always thought that Cricket was the root of baseball. Is that not true?


53 posted on 06/18/2014 7:45:04 AM PDT by DariusBane (Liberty and Risk. Flip sides of the same coin. So how much risk will YOU accept? Vive Deco et Vives)
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To: Resolute Conservative

Baseball was invented in England (as ‘base ball’, even Jane Austin refers to it in 1811 in Northanger Abbey).

Golf is Scottish, tennis English.

Gridiron/football is based on English rugby.

Lacrosse is French.

And basketball was invented by a Canadian, based on a British girls game called netball.

So whats that about foreign sports?.


54 posted on 06/18/2014 7:45:39 AM PDT by the scotsman (UK)
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To: the scotsman

Maybe the hundreds of millions of people that watch soccer, inc myself, just love the sport, find it gripping, and love it just as you do your sports?.

<><><>

Not a big soccer fan by any stretch, but I’m with you on this.

Can you imagine the hue and cry if Europeans started making suggestions about rule changes for the NFL or MLB? for the simple reason of making it more appealing to them?

Too funny.

Like it? Watch it.
Don’t like it? Don’t watch it.

Pretty simple calculus.


55 posted on 06/18/2014 7:46:20 AM PDT by dmz
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To: cuban leaf
BTW, the World Cup numbers are high because it is an annual event.
Not even close. World Cup is held every 4 years.
56 posted on 06/18/2014 7:47:10 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: SeekAndFind

No. 6: Change the point system for wins, losses and draws so that a win is 1 point, a loss is 0 points, and a draw is -1 point.


57 posted on 06/18/2014 7:48:22 AM PDT by Labyrinthos
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To: ScottinVA
#6. Widen the goals to allow some actual scoring. These 0-0 games are mind-numbingly boring.

Fixing the offside rule would provide a lot more scoring. Even in the cases where the goalie stops the shot there would be an exciting one on one play.

58 posted on 06/18/2014 7:49:04 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
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To: the scotsman

Lacrosse doesn’t become French simply because French missionaries saw Indians playing it


59 posted on 06/18/2014 7:49:51 AM PDT by Hegewisch Dupa
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To: SeekAndFind
Back in the 1970's and 1980's professional soccer was very popular here in Tampa and throughout the US. Big name European and South American players made up most of the teams. The league used a modification of the off sides rule that created high scoring games.

Then, the league decided to adopt the international off sides rule so that it could compete against international teams. Scores immediately dropped to the low scores we see in the international game today, and attendance at games fell to almost nothing.

IMO, that one rule change destroyed the pro league in the US.

60 posted on 06/18/2014 7:50:15 AM PDT by Rum Tum Tugger
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