Orange slices for everyone, or the I Hate Soccer thread

And I would add that if you've got some time to kill, I strongly suspect Argentina-Nigeria will produce more than one goal.

 

Not really a question of "right" and "wrong."

Much of the world is born into and/or lives in poverty. Soccer is the easiest (only?) sport they can play because it requires, well, almost nothing.

They grow up with it and, voila, it's "their" sport.

Sure doesn't make them "right", however.



Some of the best photos to move on the wire yesterday were those showing Haitians in their post-earthquake tents gathered around a TV watching the tournament. What sport do you think the impoverished kids of that land play? Hint: It ain't tennis.

 

Twirling Time is a hit-and-run moron.

 

First, I'd like to see some links to this evangelical soccer journalism (not 'will the game grow?' but the aggressive love it-or-you suck-and are unsophisticated strawman argument that people here are citing). Personally I've never had a single person get in my face on a soccer crusade, and I've covered a variety of sports in a variety of locations in this country at a variety of levels, so I need some convincing based on evidence. (Meanwhile, the converse is certainly true - it's not hard to find links to thick-headed soccer bashing.)

Second, while it is definitely true that not all Americans who dislike soccer are cretinous xenophobes, the converse is certainly true: all cretinous xenophobes also hate soccer because it is part and parcel of their warped, insecure world view. I'm sure many of us grew up with some pinhead gym teacher who called soccer "a communist sport." It's incorrect of soccer supporters to make that blanket argument, but it certainly applies to a good swath of soccer detractors in this country.

Finally, this argument will never end because at its base, both camps are correct: there are some soccer enthusiasts who are too zealous and overly sensitive. They should lighten up. But it's also true that a grown man claiming his dislike for an entire sport is based on children and their overly enthusiastic parents and other possibly apocryphal supporters is one of the worst examples of being closed-minded and petty without legitimate reason. Buck up, both sides.

 

This is such a stupid thread

 

I find it interesting that soccer is the sport of choice for the poor around the world ... and in the U.S., it's a suburban, upper-middle-class sport that is all but eschewed by non-immigrant lower classes.

 

Interesting observation. Think part of it is that the "lower class non-immigrants" are not smart or sophisticated to understand the complexities of game.

 

--- Not really the sport "of choice". More like, what else is there for us to play?

--- "Lower classes" in this country do not equate to other nations. There isn't much off-limits to lower classes here. Maybe things like equestrian or sailing. But the choices are still enormous.

 

I'm with slappy. I could give a shit if anyone else likes soccer. I enjoy it. I'm not trying to spread the gospel or whatever. If people don't watch it, that's their choice. But the "orange slices" bullshit is really condescending and quite frankly, a bit insecure. And the general soccer bashing from people I see in facebook is puzzling. Again, you can turn the channel. Why do you let soccer bother you to the point that you have to look down upon people who enjoy the game? Lots of "tell me why I should give a shit," and "oh, that was really exciting, a 0-0 tie," going around right now. If you don't like it, move on to something else. Plenty of baseball and NBA to watch right now.

 

Ah, what do I know?

 

Personally, I find it funny how the keepers of the faith react to people -- like me -- who diss the World Cup.

And really, it wouldn't be so bad if the World Cup hadn't been shoved down our throats for the past couple months leading up to it. I dislike that more than I dislike the event itself.

That said, will I watch the U.S.-England game today? Probably.

 

You know damn well you'll watch it. (or at least part of it)