Orange slices for everyone, or the I Hate Soccer thread

[bumpy mcgee]

http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/

Just the messenger

 

[kingcreole]

So, just to clarify, a 1-0 baseball game that features no hits for the first six-plus innings and only four hits total is really, really exciting. But a 1-0 soccer game is really, really boring. Is that about right?

I personally love 1-0 baseball games. It's those 4-hour, 7-5 games where there are two mound visits every inning for the 6-9 innings (ie, every Yankee-Red Sox game).

A couple weeks ago, I went to a Royals-Tigers game. 1-0 after 7 innings. Took 1:30 to play. Six runs total in the last two innings extended the game another hour, but still. No excuse any baseball game should last more than 3 hours.

 

[slappy4428]

No-hitter are, by and large, the most boring baseball games you'll ever attend.
It's the anticipation that's exciting.
And yea, 1-0 soccer games are paint drying...

 

[da man]

So, just to clarify, a 1-0 baseball game that features no hits for the first six-plus innings and only four hits total is really, really exciting. But a 1-0 soccer game is really, really boring. Is that about right?

Look, I love baseball, and I like soccer just fine.

But I understand the criticisms of baseball. One of them, especially from people who didn't grow up playing or watching it, is that it's boring.

For the record, I grew up playing and watching baseball, and for the most part, it bores the heck out of me.

 

[JC]

I wonder how many die-hard NHL fans want to bring back ties.

I do.

 

[JC]

I think you are all correct, soccer should change it's rules to appease Americans. If Americans don't like the game it can't possibly be any good. The rest of the world be damned let's change the sport to make Americans happy.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

So, just to clarify, a 1-0 baseball game that features no hits for the first six-plus innings and only four hits total is really, really exciting. But a 1-0 soccer game is really, really boring. Is that about right?

I personally love 1-0 baseball games. It's those 4-hour, 7-5 games where there are two mound visits every inning for the 6-9 innings (ie, every Yankee-Red Sox game).

A couple weeks ago, I went to a Royals-Tigers game. 1-0 after 7 innings. Took 1:30 to play. Six runs total in the last two innings extended the game another hour, but still. No excuse any baseball game should last more than 3 hours.

Why are Yankees/Red Sox games like that anyway? Do the networks need more breaks for ads? Is it because the game for some reason needs to be managed as if it's a playoff game?

 

[Birdscribe]

So, just to clarify, a 1-0 baseball game that features no hits for the first six-plus innings and only four hits total is really, really exciting. But a 1-0 soccer game is really, really boring. Is that about right?

I personally love 1-0 baseball games. It's those 4-hour, 7-5 games where there are two mound visits every inning for the 6-9 innings (ie, every Yankee-Red Sox game).

A couple weeks ago, I went to a Royals-Tigers game. 1-0 after 7 innings. Took 1:30 to play. Six runs total in the last two innings extended the game another hour, but still. No excuse any baseball game should last more than 3 hours.

Why are Yankees/Red Sox games like that anyway? Do the networks need more breaks for ads? Is it because the game for some reason needs to be managed as if it's a playoff game?

Part of it is because both of these teams -- especially the Yankees -- work the counts like crazy. So every at-bat is a 7-8 pitch endeavor. Throw in the inevitable overmanaging that these teams' fans and their media seem to demand and you've got a game with the pace of a Russian novel.

And I say that as a Red Sox fan.

 

[outofplace]

I think you are all correct, soccer should change it's rules to appease Americans. If Americans don't like the game it can't possibly be any good. The rest of the world be damned let's change the sport to make Americans happy.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

I think you are all correct, soccer should change it's rules to appease Americans. If Americans don't like the game it can't possibly be any good. The rest of the world be damned let's change the sport to make Americans happy.

With all due respect, OOP:

That's a load of crap. Much of this thread, much of the criticism of soccer, much of the "coverage" by the old-line columnists, all revolves around how "strange" the rules for soccer are. In MLS' early days, they thought they qwould need to change the rules just to appease American fans. They soon realized that those people won't watch anyway, even though they sure like to pish about the game.

Why are there ties?
Why can't they use their hands?
Why?!?!?

You acting like this is a "strawman" is willfully ignorant.

 

[outofplace]

I think you are all correct, soccer should change it's rules to appease Americans. If Americans don't like the game it can't possibly be any good. The rest of the world be damned let's change the sport to make Americans happy.

With all due respect, OOP:

That's a load of crap. Much of this thread, much of the criticism of soccer, much of the "coverage" by the old-line columnists, all revolves around how "strange" the rules for soccer are. In MLS' early days, they thought they qwould need to change the rules just to appease American fans. They soon realized that those people won't watch anyway, even though they sure like to pish about the game.

Why are there ties?
Why can't they use their hands?
Why?!?!?

You acting like this is a "strawman" is willfully ignorant.

Please. It's the typical "you ugly Americans" bullcrap. It is as tired as the "soccer sucks" argument. If that side of the discussion is going to whine about people throwing out the same lazy bullshirt, they should do better than respond with their own same lazy bullshirt.

And saying you don't like something for certain reasons is not the same as saying the entire world should bend to your will and change it. It's just saying why you don't like it.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Rick Reilly has been reading this thread.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5288738