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Americans demand those more refined sports which require that the fans bring an IQ greater than a slice of buttered toast to the table.

And I demand athletes with necks. American football players have no necks. Plenty of shoulder, but no necks. They need necks. Looks bad without necks!

It was funny that you mentioned necks. I'm American, but grew up overseas (Brazil) and played soccer until I came back to the USA. It was a culture shock for me to learn all of the new sports: football, basketball, baseball and hockey. The first sport I tried to get into was football. It took about 2 seasons of NFL in order for me to get into it. But the first few games I was amazed at the necks of the players - their heads were narrower than their necks!!! I then went to watch a Cowboy football game and went away never wanting to go watch football live at a stadium again!!! There were too many timeouts, and it was the most boring afternoon that I had spent in a long time!!! I finally am able to enjoy football again after watching some great college games over the past few years...I have just learned to accept that it is a cultural thing to love soccer and that a person has to develop an interest in it just like the 79 year old man who watches every minor league game and has a scorecard for each one of them!!! I understand the criticism of soccer...there are a lot of bad games, but there are also some very beatiful soccer games and majorly talented individuals in the sport. One more ramble: I like soccer because it is more fun to play than to watch. Anyone with almost anykind of physique can play...Football is limited to 250-350 lb players...it is expensive and you don't see pick-up games everywhere--only organized teams, etc. Baseball - doughnut eating, tobacco chewing, crotch scratching and...great hand-eye coordination limits its appeal to me. Basketball - the only American sport which I have truly embraced for the same reasons as soccer...a great pick-up game where anyone can play (girls and guys), and doesn't require expensive clothing, specialized, organized team events...just find a church or park and you've got hoops...

"...And I demand athletes with necks. American football players have no necks. Plenty of shoulder, but no necks. They need necks. Looks bad without necks!..."

You'll never be truly happy until you learn to take the good with the bad...