Are y’all watching the World Cup? If not, why not?
I’m watching the World Cup. Many of you, I know, are not. I’m watching because international soccer is the one sport I follow for pleasure. (As opposed to following something so I can, you know, write about it.)
I’m not trying to convert anybody to anything here. You’re free to hate/ignore/lampoon the sport. But I am kind of curious: If you hate soccer, what is it you hate? The lack of scoring? The absence of timeouts? The lack of shoulder pads? The vuvuzelas?
(A word about the latter: Vuvuzelas are plastic horns that are blown during soccer games in South Africa, which is the site of this World Cup. They make quite the racket. Indeed, vuvuzelas have become the dominant story of the event to date: TV viewers are reaching for the mute button; the BBC is pondering a vuvuzela filter and FIFA president Sepp Blatter has come out foursquare behind the vuvuzelas.
(I’m agnostic on the issue, but I can tell you this: If you think the noise is oppressive on TV, try listening on radio. I did yesterday — all the games are on ESPN Radio and Sirius XM – and I could barely make out a word JP Dellacamera and Tommy Smyth were saying.)
But enough about vuvuzelas. I’m interested in your feelings on soccer itself. Are you so opposed to the sport you wouldn’t watch it if it were being staged in your den? (I know I feel that way about, say, Arena football.) Have you tried watching and were simply left cold?
Again, I’m not looking to mount a rebuttal. I’m just curious as to your feelings. And I thank you in advance.
But I would offer this programming note: Portugal and the Ivory Coast are playing at the moment, and one of the world’s most stylish players — Cristiano Ronaldo of the former — is at work. (The great Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast suffered a broken arm earlier this month and is, alas, on the bench.) And later today comes Brazil. And even if you hate soccer, you’ve got to like Brazil. Don’t you?
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220 comments Add your comment
Westurd
June 15th, 2010
11:17 am
People who say they don’t watch because of the horns and just idiots. Stupid dumb idiots. Seriously? You wouldn’t watch it on mute with your favorite Color Me Bad song on so don’t blame all your hate some so stupid horns….morons!
PMC
June 15th, 2010
11:18 am
There is the problem with the TV angles. You cannot tell on TV the pace of play. you cannot really appreciate the speed of everything because it’s all high angle and they are mostly so even in talent that scoreing great goals is rare and most of them are generally scored on mistakes.
Delbert D.
June 15th, 2010
11:19 am
When I lived in England, I found Rugby League to be more interesting (Rugby Union is much more boring.) Even though my Leicester City team did well enough to be promoted to the top division (1st Division at the time; Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa, etc.), watching it as a non-player I could not pick up the subtleties nor the strategies. Gary Linecker was the top Leicester player and became a star.
Rich
June 15th, 2010
11:20 am
My disdain for soccer is what makes me so tolerant of those who lampoon hockey, which I love.
Tim
June 15th, 2010
11:20 am
you are an ignorant sports fan if you dont appreciate the world cup. i wont walk across the street to watch an epl game, but watching your country play on the world’s stage is a rarity we should all enjoy.
Dayman
June 15th, 2010
11:21 am
Drogba just checked in for Ivory.
GaDawgs7
June 15th, 2010
11:22 am
Just have more exciting things to do…been watching grass grow….counting drips from the faucet….waiting for water to boil….ANYTHING…ANYTHING to keep from watching soccer. When I’m that bored i’ll be dead!
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Barry
June 15th, 2010
11:22 am
I appreciate the World Cup. I even appreciate soccer. I just don’t enjoy watching it. I was in Germany the last time they won the Cup, and it was an amazing cultural experience. You could walk down the street and know what was going on. But I find soccer boring. If a team scores a couple of goals, the game is over. I appreciate the athleticism, but I would rather spend my time doing something else. And besides, I need to get into another sport like I need a hole in my head.
Brock
June 15th, 2010
11:23 am
enough with the complaining about the horns. if you can’t get over them turn the sound down. I watched on espn3 (I would rather listen to the guys that don’t speak english) and didn’t notice it at all after about 5 minutes.
If you can’t understand the game without an american announcer guiding you then read a friggin rule book. It took me and my wife all of 2 minutes to pull up rules online I didn’t understand and now I can watch the games sound or not. Just because YOU don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s not good. Fine, you have your opinions but does it have to be typed just because it’s negative?
Learn some culture for once in your lives.
Pi$$onaDawg
June 15th, 2010
11:25 am
Dawg7 I am sure you would rather read the Athens Herald Crime Blotter to see what the UGA players are up to.
Ted M
June 15th, 2010
11:26 am
I watched the whole USA/England game but I’m done unless the US goes deep in the torney. Those horns are so annoying the games just aren’t exciting enough to have to deal with that buzz. Plus the horns also drowns out normal crowd noise it’s as if no one is cheering the action which makes it even more boring.
gadawgs
June 15th, 2010
11:26 am
Westurd…It’s not the horns so much (even though they are ridiculous) it’s the the lack of scoring and big plays. I do not dispute that these are great athletes and it takes alot of skill to play and if you play it you probably enjoy it but it is boring to watch.
So tired
June 15th, 2010
11:28 am
I know this isnt a world cup link but GOD I WISH Falcons fans at home games were half as enthusiastic…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11MQnQ8QjJs&feature=related
RAMBLE ON!!!
June 15th, 2010
11:28 am
Boring, hockey sucks too.
jeffrey d
June 15th, 2010
11:29 am
It’s just too boring for me, Mark. Not too much happens over the span of a game that’s exciting. I don’t mean to be condescending, but I’m not sure how fans all over the world are so passionate about the sport. I’m happy for them, but unless I’m playing, I lose interest very quickly. The only soccer game I ever attended ended in a 0-0 tie in overtime.
On another note, I don’t like how soccer fans are so high and mighty when talking down football or other American sports. “I’m watching a REAL sport, unlike American football!!!!” You can’t compare soccer to football….it’s like comparing sprinting to distance running or apples to beef jerkey.
joe
June 15th, 2010
11:29 am
I’d rather watch paint dry
Pi$$onaDawg
June 15th, 2010
11:30 am
Ted I was driving back from Alabama Sat and listened on the radio for about 20 mins. I couldn’t take the BUZZING or HUMMING so I went to sports talk radio.
Delbert D.
June 15th, 2010
11:31 am
Other than my 1st sentence in my previous post, I was of course speaking of soccer.
As far as the annoying horns, they are not as annoying as Bob Davie (or Brent Musberger!) on college football. I turn off the sound completely when I have to watch a game with either of them in the box.
gadawgs
June 15th, 2010
11:33 am
I just saw on ESPN.com that Portugal v Ivory Coast is scoreless into the seventy third (73!!) minute. I must turn it on and see the action.. Another scoreless tie on the horizon give me a break.
PMC
June 15th, 2010
11:35 am
Most home runs… mistakes. Most long Touchdowns….mistakes. Most dunks…. mistakes.
Part of the problem I guess is that people don’t like “soccerfan” or the constant… It’s going to take over… blah blah.
In the United States we are never going to have our greatest athletes playing soccer. I guess some of that argument is in machismo or not wanting to admit that the guy playing football or basketball is better… Soccer is not going to attain the level of success of those sports here… but it’s already thriving and our team is light years better than they were in 1990 even with some major injuries.
Soccer is not the “next big thing here” it’s big enough to be available to consume if you want it and that’s fine with me.
Dayman
June 15th, 2010
11:36 am
People who complain about scoring are not true sports fans. There is more to a sport than scoring, no matter what that sport is.
Delbert D.
June 15th, 2010
11:38 am
I haven’t figured out Hockey, but the 4 Chicago Blackhawks on Leno last night with the Stanley cup gave some insight into the passion and the physical play involved. Watching on TV, I can’t follow the puck. The one live game I saw was a top-level minor league game in Phoenix, and those guys couldn’t complete a pass very often. Not very compelling to watch.
Nerds that say soccer is boring...
June 15th, 2010
11:38 am
Ever watch one of your GIT football games?
learn something everyday
June 15th, 2010
11:40 am
love to play it. but watching it is awfully boring. I don’t care for ties. I like a winner and a looser.
Add to that this cups bumble bee buzzing humming airplane annoyance and forget it.
Red-State BLUELANDER
June 15th, 2010
11:41 am
Why are we NOT watching the World Cup?
A.) It is boring.
B.) It is for simple-minded, third-world simpletons who aren’t smart enough to be playing baseball.
C.) Liberals like it.
D.) International Soccer has “Jeff Schultz” written all over it. (It’s FAB-U-LOUS!!!!)
E.) Bear Bryant wouldn’t waste his time on it.
F.) Watching Braves Baseball Goes Better with Hot Wings.
G.) It isn’t Hockey. Go, Thrashers!
Ted M
June 15th, 2010
11:41 am
Mark
You said the BBC is pondering a vuvuzela filter. What about ESPN & ABC?
Pi$$onaDawg you tried listening on the radio, that’s brave. I played soccer in high school but that was so long ago, I don’t remember much about it. Anyway it would be completely meaningless to me on radio. I wouldn’t know what they were talking about or what players were on what team.
The last game I watched was when the women won the world cup. What year was that? That was when what’s her name pulled off her jersey at the conclusion and threw it up in the air leaving her with only a sports bra on. That’s not the only thing I remember…it really was a great exciting game.
Matt
June 15th, 2010
11:45 am
Ronaldo dives more the Ilya Kovalchuk!! Stop writhing around in “phantom pain” whenever someone comes near to marking you!!
Big time?? Not
June 15th, 2010
11:46 am
1 – 0, 1 -1, 90 minutes of boredom. Would rather watch tech nerds practice math
Mid-Life Crisis
June 15th, 2010
11:46 am
I’ve become bored with the sports of my youth- football, basketball, baseball. I am now an avid convert to soccer, hockey and rugby. They are all very exciting to watch if you learn the basic rules and strategies. It does help to watch a few games in person to garner an appreciation for all that is happening off of the ball. Television tends to narrow your lines of sight. Soccer and hockey have restored my passion for sport, but my wife is now becoming very predictable.
gdawginkalamazoo
June 15th, 2010
11:46 am
I played soccer so I am watching a little of the World Cup. The absolute best players in the world are showcased. Watching it is not as fun as playing I can tell you that. That said I do channel surf while watching only to flip back and see that someone has scored that elusive goal. Doh!
Peachtree Pete
June 15th, 2010
11:48 am
Having had two kids who played on the high school level I actually came to appreciate the sport. “Love” would be too strong (I reserve that for football and baseball) but I have been following the World Cup, watched four games so far, and will watch more. It really is an elegant sport if you give it a shot. What bothers me most of all is the aggressive soccer fan who wants me to love it as much as he does. That ain’t gonna happen. a for the vuvuzelas, they ruin the experience for me; I have to mute the TV.
gdawginkalamazoo
June 15th, 2010
11:48 am
I do like those Brazilian vulvas though.
Hollywould
June 15th, 2010
11:49 am
Dayman, There is a reason there is a scoreboard.
gadawgs
June 15th, 2010
11:49 am
Dayman…I appreciate a low scoring hard fought game just as much as the next “true sports fan” as you say I am not but not in EVERY game that is played in that sport. I love watching a great pitching duel that ends up 1-0 every once in awhile. I enjoy watching a 10-7 American football game every once in awhile but if every game that was played was that low scoring it would not be as enjoyable. I appreciate the fact that these are world class athletes and it takes alot of skill and stamina to play their sport but a 5-4 or 8-7 soccer game every once in while sure would go along way in making it tolerable. Also, I assure you that I am a true sports fan. Not many sports that I don’t like or haven’t played I just don’t like this one.
RedandBlack
June 15th, 2010
11:50 am
I enjoy following the USA Men’s National Team in soccer. This is the Super Bowl of soccer worldwide and it is not played every year, but only once every four years. The US team should be fun to watch. The other teams are good to watch also, but the diving that Ronaldo is doing in the Portugal game is ridiculous. He should get a red card.
The game could be improved by possibly playing ten against ten on the same dimension field. However, it just proves out that scoring a goal is not a very easy thing to do as it is very rewarding for the team endeavor. Go USA!!
hmmm
June 15th, 2010
11:50 am
Have tried to watch some two cups running – two items inhibit it from being entertaining to me.
1)If you fall down and stay down – you are injured. Go to the bench for 5 or 10 minutes to “recover” (that will take a good deal of the dives out of the game).
2)Lack of chances to score – yes baseball has low scores (don’t care for that sport either) but every batter has the chance to score so there are a multitude of opportunities – how many “shots on goal” in a game?
Sorry, the rest of the world can have this sport (fun to play, boring to watch)
David Granger
June 15th, 2010
11:51 am
Enter your comments here
leland
June 15th, 2010
11:51 am
Dear Mr. MB–speaking of TV, did you see Chuck Dowel the other day? He’s the guy used to do sports on Channel 2, when they let him. Remember? Anyway, like I say, he was on TV the other day talking about the UGA women’s softball team. Pretty good team, as it turns out. (You ought to take a good look at that catcher.) ‘Ol Chuck started talking about what the future held for them and noted they were going to be really good, the reason being, according to him, is that “all the returning players are coming back next year.” Your pal, Leland
learn something everyday
June 15th, 2010
11:52 am
curling has a better chance of becoming the next big thing in the USA than FIFA does.
gadawgs
June 15th, 2010
11:52 am
gdawginkalamazoo… Now that’s funny!!
Pi$$onaDawg
June 15th, 2010
11:53 am
I have an IDEA flip a coin to start the game and whoever wins the COIN TOSS wins the game if it ends in a TIE. Then the time playing the game will not be a total waste of an afternoon.
Ken Leebow
June 15th, 2010
11:54 am
If the world cup was being played in my backyard, I wouldn’t be watching it.
SC Ace
June 15th, 2010
11:56 am
As much as I love it, I know that it will NEVER be in the same conversation with American football (which I also love) and baseball. No big deal. I think, given the changing demographics in this country and the increasing availability of the sport on TV etc., that soccer will eclipse hockey (it probably already has) and could one day be on par with basketball. (The USA-England match had better ratings than any game in the NBA Finals, for example, though that certainly wouldn’t be said of the Germany-Australia match on Sunday)
We just need better quality at the MLS level (and a team in Atlanta!!) and more coverage of the EPL on basic cable (like ESPN2 or even Versus).
For now it’s something of a niche sports, as most sports are. But that niche is getting bigger.
But if you can’t appreciate what Tim Howard did on Saturday, like others have said, you’re just not a sports fan.
soccer
June 15th, 2010
11:57 am
The sport will become more popular for teenagers in the U.S. as salaries in the MLS rise. Once people of demographics realize that you can make a living and there are domestic opportunities, it will truly take off.
I would also point out that average attendance at MLS games this year is on par than NBA and NHL.
matt r
June 15th, 2010
11:57 am
Is this the only sport in the world that can’t figure out a way to stop the clock during stoppages?
Dear pissonadawg
June 15th, 2010
11:58 am
You are a complete moron and a NERD none the less. It’s called the group stage, a tie is a 1 point which is better than a loss at 0 points. Ohhh why am I even trying to explain this to your dumba$$…
true Soccer fan
June 15th, 2010
11:58 am
Prefiero ver pintura seca o pasar mi tarde de afeitar mis partes bajas con un soplete que el fútbol reloj.
Let me know when you translate that. http://translate.google.com will do it for you if want to cut and paste.
soccer
June 15th, 2010
11:59 am
Different sports for different folks: NBA bores me to death. 1 guys dribble, three or four guys stand around….different strokes for different folks.
Jason
June 15th, 2010
12:00 pm
Not counting the games that are played today, there is one goal scored every 56 minutes, fifteen seconds in the World Cup. BORING!
That’s like expecting to see a 7-0 or 10-7 football (the real kind) game, every single time you watch. But even those games are somewhat exciting, as there are moments of excitement other than scoring in (real) football. Will a third-down be converted? Game saving tackles. Turnovers. Long returns. Something to keep it interesting.
There is just no reason to watch these guys just pass the ball back and forth and take only the occasional shot on goal (usually with so little chance of actually going in that the goalie doesn’t even react to the shot).