Why Do We All Hate Soccer? Any Euro FReepers?

Me

[mamelukesabre]

I don't know what that first picture is.

anyone ever heard of underwater rugby? I've never seen it played, but it sounds interesting.

[dogbyte12]

Nobody here including me knows anyone on the US soccer team (by the way, good to see you're being vigilant and referring to it as "soccer," just for us Americans.)

Ummm, nobody?
Off the top of my head

Goalkeepers: Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller, Tony Meola
Defenders: Tonny Sanneh, Frankie Hedjuk, David Regis, Eddie Pope, Carlos Llamosa, Jeff Agoos, Pablo Mastroeni, Steve Cherundulo
Midfielders: Claudio Reyna, John O'brien, Ernie Stewart, Landon Donovan, Cobi Jones, Demarcus Beasley, Eddie Lewis.
Forwards: Clint Mathis, Brian Mcbride, Joe-Max Moore, Josh Wolff.

But then again, I am a fan boy. US vs Portugal tonight at 5AM EDT, 2am PDT

[AGreatPer]

"Is Tony Meola still playing?"

Legally, Tony is still on and with the team and could prove to be an asset IF both our goalkeepers get run over by a car.

Frankly, he should have been dropped this year for John Gregg or some other young hotshot. But the "Good Old Boy" system continues. I told you before. That is what is wrong with our system. Politics.

I can name you 30 goalies better than Tony Meola to be a back-up. Just thank the lord the big Red Headed guy defender is gone. Can't remember his name just now.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Ah yes, Barndi Chastain pulling off her top in celebration. Now why can't Anna Kornikova do that? Maybe 'cause she doesn't win that often.

[codebreaker]

Mostly Googling.

[JediGirl]

Googling is good if you want to do some ogling.

[IowaHawk]

Every Super Bowl, you hear the old cliche: "There are a billion people in China who just don't care."

Fair enough. But let's all admit it: whenever there's a World Cup, there are 300 million Americans who just don't care.

And we'll never care. Ask the of morons who've gone bankrupt over the last thirty years, thinking that the US was finally, finally, ready to love "the World Game." Like a tribe of headhunters, we'll boil your soccer missionaries in red ink and lay out their shrunken hides as a warning -- the NASL, the MISL, XYZSL.

Sorry, 'footie' enthusiasts, the MSL is headed for the same graveyard. This 'Major League' is strictly single-A minor, a joke that is somewhere lower on the sports food chain than Arena Football-2. Due to the embarrassingly sparse crowds at Soldier Field, the 'Chicago' Fire now plays in a high school football stadium in Naperville. And they still can't fill it up.

[codebreaker]

IMHO- a team of Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, John Stockton, Kobe Bryant, Mike Jordan, Mitch Richmond and a host of others trained from birth for soccer would put the world to shame.

These guys are born competitors and for grins I would put Tony Gonzalez a 6' 9" Pro Bowl Tight End who plays NBA at keeper.

The Kansas City Star (home of the US Premeire League Champs (MLS) on Sunday already picked a team of our athletes in any sport to dominate the World Cup.

[codebreaker]

Maybe Anna can do that when she wins a tourney, finally.

[Sender]

I'm down for Argentina, Brazil, Italy and Spain in the final four. Beyond that...

[codebreaker]

What time are the laddies getting up in the states?

[codebreaker]

I honsetly believe that the competitive juice would get flowing if the U.S. would get a couple of wins in the elimination round.

But I wouldn't bet on it happening.

[Prodigal Son]

The only offensive thing about soccer, to me, is the soccer mom.

This might sound a little strange- but what the hell exactly is a "soccer mom"? I had never heard that phrase when I left the States but I see it a lot on this forum and others. I think I understand what it is from context- but I'm not sure. It seems to have something to do with the suburbs and liberals and soccer but after that I'm basically clueless on the subject. Who are these women and where did they come from? I'm serious, I truly don't know what a soccer mom is.

[TheyConvictedOglethorpe]

Well, that and the fact that Soldier Field is at present a pile of concrete rubble. But I take your point -- the Bears will be playing in Champaign next year, but I don't think they will have much trouble filling the stadium.

[Happygal]

Well the game is 12.30 p.m. (Irish time).

So if you are in New York, it will be 7.30 a.m., and if in L.A. 4.30 a.m.

Pretty early, but I'm sure you'll hear me roaring across the Atlantic to wake ye ;-)

[codebreaker]

The first picture is the undisputed king of the U.S. Sports Radio airwaves Jim Rome.

I think his show would translate all over the globe pretty well, but the Euros might not be ready for 'Van Smack,' or the 'Pimp in a Box' as he is called

[codebreaker]

The 'soccer mom' was coined as a term for swing voters that tipped the scales for Bill Clinton in the past two elections.

They drive SUV's, are middile of the road to liberal and care mostly about issues pertaining to their kids and families.

And soccer was chosen because it is not a violent sport with much risk of terrible injury, so naturally the mom's gravitate towards it.

[IowaHawk]

Does it bother me that nobody follows MLB or the NFL in France? No. So why does the US indifference to soccer so grate against EuroWeenies?

Seems like a certain unnamed continent has some real insecurity issues.

[codebreaker]

Brazil looks a bit shaky, they may have started well but could have a tough time finishing.

[codebreaker]

What about NBA I think that is fairly popular overseas.