Frank Deford, USA-Today and others sound off about soccer

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

You have got to be kidding, of course. But I'll play.

Let's put it this way: do you NOT find it funny when some curmudgeon yells that some sport is "un-American!" for whatever reason? Do you NOT chuckle a bit when same person says "God did not intend for us to (do activity related to sport)!"

Do these things NOT sound like something the old-fashioned, the ultra-conservative people, would say? Do they NOT sound like something a couple of "King of the Hill" types would say while watching the traffic go by from their rocking chairs?  

Man's entitled to his opinion, like anyone else. He was once one of the great sports journalists ever. But I thought that being against any sport just because it's "un-American" or "God didn't intend for us to play it!" was an attitude that had long since been replaced by actual analysis.

I like to think most of the journalists who still wish to bash any sport in print have better reasoning than some outdated idea of God's intention or the American-ness of the activity.

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

I recall Frank writing a glowing report about the Camerounian team for The National back in the day.
Hmm...

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

hey Hey HEY I hate ALL those non-sports!!!  

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

Yo, BYH, let's go back to the baseball thread and talk about a REAL sport.

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

I'm not interested in NASCAR or WWE, which is why I don't post in those threads.

There have been a couple of interesting UFC threads about how much coverage it merits. I would think that a bashing thread shows something has entrenched itself in some way, since people are talking about it. Both bashing and defending.

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

I've watched most of the World Cup mainly because I can't resist the lure of a good sporting event. The pool games were entertaining, especially some of those where both teams were already eliminated.

Having said that, most of these elimination games have sucked. One hundred and twenty minutes of nothing. Half of them have been decided by Divac-esque flops in the 18-yard box, which is akin to giving the Heat 20 points everytime Wade feigned injury. PK's change the game that much.

The other half have been decided by PK's, which is an atroucious way to end any playoff contest. Do whatever you have to to let the players decide the game ... unlimited subs, whatever. But make sure they decide it the right way.

I've joked before about soccer going against evolution because hands aren't allowed. But the skill at the international level is no joke. It's fun to watch. The part about the offsides rule is laughable, because then soccer would turn into nothing more than a cherry-picking fest.

But DeFord's right: soccer will never catch on in America.

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

I will not stand idly by as someone disses Vlade, dammit!

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

Which is about the 1,000,000 time that sentiment has been posted.

So now we've flogged that dead horse until it's a messy pulp but no one has adequately explained why.

It's not because it's just "foreign" because football and baseball have roots in foreign sports and basketball was invented by a Canadian.

The "soccer is a commie sport" nutbars are closer to the truth than most would like to admit: soccer was imported by swarthy, garlic-eating immigrants and the dislike of soccer has a touch of classism with a dash of xenophobia.

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

Notre Dame-Army, college football, 1946, 0-0 tie

Considered by many (like Deford) one of the greatest football games ever.


THAT makes no sense.

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

Here's my explanation, ya pissed off Canuck: It's boring. It's boring as hell. I'm not xenophobic. I can appreciate the athleticism. Amaaazing athletes. But the final product is just boring. A small, devoted segment of the population loves NPR. But it won't ever be more popular than classic rock formats. Why? It's boring.

Does that make me the boorish American? I couldn't care less. It's boring.

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

October 27, 1991. Twins 1, Braves 0. Greatest baseball game ever in my lifetime.

BUT, the argument is, and why it makes sense, is that a 1-0 baseball game or a scoreless football game is a rarity, not the rule. If all baseball games were 1-0, like, say, college softball, then "they" would be making the same arguments against baseball, too.

Also, people are xenophobic and sports fandom is generally a local/regional thing (i.e. most teams' fans are from that area. Exceptions include Yankees, Cubs, Notre Dame, et al.)

 

Re: Frank Deford sounds off about soccer

More flopping around than Merton Hanks? Though Merton's antics were in celebration.