Are y'all watching the World Cup? And if not, why not?

WayDog

June 15th, 2010
10:36 am

Love everything about it, but I played for 30 years.

Mark Z

June 15th, 2010
10:38 am

soccer sucks

D B Cooper

June 15th, 2010
10:40 am

love Brazil’s fans. Remember them from Atl Olympic beach vollyball, very cool. Dont watch much World Cup but those horns are terrible. Imagine the noise on the field How can the players communicate.
Watched US vs Eng with 2 euro socker fans and they said it affected the play

WayDog

June 15th, 2010
10:41 am

By the way, Ronaldo’s early dive was quite annoying. Still, Demel didn’t have anything to gripe about on the next tackle and certainly deserved the card, but what did Ronaldo do to deserve his? Looks to be shapeing up to be a good match.

gadawgs

June 15th, 2010
10:42 am

Not watching. BORING…………. How many 1-1, 1-0 games can you stomach watching. I did watch a very small part of the US v England to see what all the hype was. Didn’t get it. But it was comical to watch grown men grimace and cry when they get kicked in their itty bitty little shins though….

WayDog

June 15th, 2010
10:44 am

Wow Mark. The comments aren’t exactly coming fast and furious. I guess you were right about not many of your readers watching or caring. I can understand if you didn’t grow up with it or have someone to explain many of the subtleties of the game, there might not be much interest.

steve brown

June 15th, 2010
10:45 am

I tried but went to the bathroom and missed the only goal. Continued watching and developed a migraine. Now I can’t get that infernal buzzing out of my head. The term bush league comes to mind.

F-105 Thunderchief

June 15th, 2010
10:46 am

One, I find it pretty boring, because of the lack of scoring. I played it in high school and college and enjoyed that. But watching it? No. Two, I find distasteful all the people who are suddenly World Cup “fans,” because it’s trendy.

Justyn

June 15th, 2010
10:47 am

I am an avid soccer fan. I mostly enjoy the way the game is played, a 45 minute half, 15 minute halftime, another 45 minute half then game over. Watching American sports that are filled with eons and eons of commercials and are almost constant stop-start is at time infuriating for me. Soccer has its downside with the lack of scoring and simulation at times but the game keeps going

Reptiles Rule

June 15th, 2010
10:50 am

Because it is boring and because it is audibly annoying with those stupid horns. I think most of those people just go to those matches so they can act like hooligans and blow those horns.

kbrab

June 15th, 2010
10:50 am

It’s like the Olympics, it only really happens every 4 years and I watch it. I can’t help myself, it’s just an amazing event.

Michael

June 15th, 2010
10:51 am

I’m not watching as much as I’d like to, given that the games are in the morning/afternoon and I have to work. And those damn horns are ruining the whole tournament. One of the great thing about watching the World Cup was hearing the chants, cheers and songs. Now, it’s just noise. Terrible.

Hawk Str8Talk

June 15th, 2010
10:51 am

love soccer – grew up playing it, but I think the lack of truly world class soccer in the States is why people don’t connect to it. It took me going to a game in Argentina to soak up the passion and action and nuances of the sport. Kinda like hockey to me – I’m not riveted by hockey’s action on TV since I’ve never played, but whenever I go to a good Thrashers game – I’m reminded how fun hockey can be. I think it’s simply exposure and the American belief that if we don’t embrace it something must be wrong with it.

Dayman

June 15th, 2010
10:52 am

I have been watching the Cup. The only soccer i watch is the world cup though, can’t get into the mls. And will you people stop complaining about the vuvuzelas, watch for five minutes and you don’t notice them anymore. Anyone got an over/under numbers of rednecks that will post soccer sucks or some variation of that.

Nope

June 15th, 2010
10:52 am

I’ll tell you why I am not watching the World Cup. It’s not because I dislike soccer (which I kind of do), but because of those stupid unbearable horns that the fans blow throughout the entire game. For the love of God!! I also agree with the guy above, it is very boring to watch. Soccer seems like one of those games that can be very fun to play, but sucks to watch

Gucci Mang

June 15th, 2010
10:53 am

I’d rather watch Alaskan Ice Fishing…

World Cup Soccer

June 15th, 2010
10:54 am

Rules. If you are a hater stay in your little world that only baseball and football matter. On the world stage there is no other event this big. Period.

droopydawg

June 15th, 2010
10:56 am

I tried…I really, really tried…to get into the World Cup this year, but those damn horns ruined it. Even in a game like UK/USA, that hornet-like racket trumped the performance on the field and gave me a headache.

So much for the emergence of soccer in the US.

Clint

June 15th, 2010
10:58 am

I am not. I just don’t get what is so exciting about the sport. I mean it’s 90+ minutes of sitting around to maybe see one goal. I’m not going to bash it, because I know that it takes a well conditioned athlete to play it, but there are just way more exciting sports out there to watch.

birddawg92

June 15th, 2010
10:59 am

As someone who used to write for this paper used to say on another subject, soccer “is a dark, evil thing hurting this country.”

http://www.saturdayinathens.com

The Real Fan

June 15th, 2010
11:00 am

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!

So tired

June 15th, 2010
11:00 am

of all the anti-world cup crap from Americans. It’s the most popular sport in the world, period.

Yes the horns are unbearable but the World Cup is just that, A true tournament on the world stage to crown a World Champion for 4 years. It’s not like the superbowl or world series where the winner is nothing more than the US Champ.

"Chef" Tim Dix

June 15th, 2010
11:01 am

soccer incites hooliganism and is why I love it.

droopydawg

June 15th, 2010
11:01 am

FYI WayDog, I actually played, coached, and refereed soccer, so it isn’t like the disinterest is engendered by a lack of understanding the game (the rules of soccer and the strategies are far less complex than baseball, football, basketball, hockey, Aussie rules, Rugby, cricket, etc, etc) Arguably because it is so simple (the “beautiful game”) yet you can go 45 minutes without seeing more than 1-2 shots on goal, like the US/UK second half, is what leads to the lack of interest.

gtm

June 15th, 2010
11:02 am

The sport is ok to watch, but the flopping/diving is worse than even the NBA and gets old fast. The constant action is a nice change of pace from the typical American sports.

SC Ace

June 15th, 2010
11:03 am

I love it Mark and wish that ESPN3 worked in my office!

How many of these people who complain about the lack of scoring love a good “pitcher’s duel” in a baseball game? And why do they? Because they understand, appreciate, and enjoy the fine play that goes into that result, the nuances of the game, etc.

Frankly, when I was watched some baseball the last day or two (and I like baseball and watch regularly), I found it to be really boring, disjointed, and choppy after a weekend full of world class soccer. Most other games give you play, stop, play, stop, play, timeout, etc. Soccer has a certain flow and elegance to it (see Pele’s famous description of “the beautiful game”) that most sports lack.

I don’t get into MLS though I wish I could. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a club anywhere in the South. I wish I had regular access to the EPL but, alas, don’t get Fox Soccer.

Roland

June 15th, 2010
11:04 am

I don’t understand why people have to be so negative about something they don’t understand. I don’t enjoy NASCAR, but I don’t post comments about how NASCAR is boring… with all of the fans it has, clearly there must be something to it, even though I personally don’t understand it.

Roland

June 15th, 2010
11:05 am

As for why I love the World Cup, it is the opportunity to watch the U.S. compete internationally as the underdog… someday we will shock the world and make it to the final four, and it will be like the “Miracel on Ice” all over again…

gadawgs

June 15th, 2010
11:05 am

Oh..did I forget to mentiion those da** horns. I watched for about 20 minutes and left with a constant humming in my head for an hour.

J.J.M.

June 15th, 2010
11:05 am

E3 Live is better then soccer

Cry Baby Spice

June 15th, 2010
11:06 am

If I want to watch people run aimlessly around a field, cry when someone bumps into them, and ultimately end the game in a tie, there are plenty of little league baseball games I can attend.

Bobby

June 15th, 2010
11:06 am

Funny to hear people say soccer games are boring. These are the same who will sit at a 4 hour football or baseball game, where the ball is actually in play for a tiny percentage of that time.

East Atlanta

June 15th, 2010
11:06 am

I would maybe be able to tolerate it if the fans here at home weren’t so pretentious. They love to tell you that a) in twenty years, soccer will be bigger here than football (which, so far as I can tell, they’ve been saying for fifty years now), and b) how cultured they are because they “get” this “beautiful game”. What’s to “get”? Uruguay said before their game with France that their ideal outcome was a scoreless tie (mission accomplished, btw). How un-American is that? ESPN’s relentless promotions implying that apartheid ended because everyone loves soccer so much were also pretty unbearable. Other than that, enjoy your little third-world celebration, Pierre!

Dennis Murray

June 15th, 2010
11:06 am

It’s not a great TV sport, the way it’s typically televised. Most of the game is shown from the high camera angles so you can see the progression of the ball – not unlike hockey – but so much of the physicality of the sport is better seen close up at field level. I photograph High School and Club soccer regularly and see it from this standpoint.

I’m a late comer to the sport – played when I was really little 20+ years ago and started playing again 6 months ago. Started watching the EPL/UEFA Champions League about the same time and have watched as much World Cup as I can.

There is a lot of intricacy to the sport – but more so than others? Not really. Are formations or set plays in soccer more complex than NFL defensive schemes? Is offside more difficult to understand than icing?

I really enjoy the continuous flow of the game – no stoppage, no commercials. Wish we could get basketball played more like that (even with some timeouts thrown in)!

droopydawg

June 15th, 2010
11:06 am

gtm: good point on the flopping diving. Can you imagine that sort of garbage happening in the NFL? That is also one of the reasons I am not a huge fan of the NBA post-Vlade Divac (sp?)

Hankie Aron

June 15th, 2010
11:08 am

Not enough scoring and people in the South are never going to get that much excited over a foreign game. At the same time I wouldn’t expect them to get excited at all over our American “football”. It’s not their cup of tea

BAMAToNE

June 15th, 2010
11:08 am

Only reason I’m not watching right now:

SERVICE ALERT: WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES WITH USERS ACCESSING ESPN3.COM FROM COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND MILITARY BASES. PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER.

I work on a college campus. Sigh.

Tech Rules

June 15th, 2010
11:09 am

Anytime I spend more than 3 minutes watching soccer, I find myself thinking “These guys could be playing football right now. Instead, someone made them play this poor excuse of a game”.

Soccer is the sport of the future in this country. Always has been, always will be.

J.J.M.

June 15th, 2010
11:10 am

“Funny to hear people say soccer games are boring. These are the same who will sit at a 4 hour football or baseball game, where the ball is actually in play for a tiny percentage of that time”

uhhhh NO!

Matt

June 15th, 2010
11:10 am

Yes, I am watching whenever I can. (Even while at work) However, so far the play has been rather uninspired, except for the Germany game. Teams are playing far too cautiously at the start of this tournament. Really interested to see how Brazil plays this afternoon against North Korea.

Crow H

June 15th, 2010
11:11 am

World Cup is awesome! i don’t get into it as much as say… NCAA football, or MLB, but it’s just behind MLB. It only comes around every four years and it’s a world wide event! Who is the best in the WORLD!!! I treasure it because it’s a battle from the first whistle to the last. No time outs, no time to catch your breath… and NOOO COMMERCIALS!!! The skill involved it tremendous – kicking a ball 60 or 70 yards to a teammate who, receiving a ball from 60 or 70 yards traps the pass in mid-stride and runs down the field like he’s had it the whole time. The strategy, different styles of play… it just gets better and better. And the fact that it is extremely hard to score a goal makes it that much better when you finally do score one. I also enjoy the subtle, and sometimes brutal, contact that is exchanged on in almost every game at one point or another. (Zinedine Zidane’s head butt in 2006 World Cup Final – still makes me giggle)

And on a more patriotic note, its a sport/contest that embodies patriotism around the world. I can’t think of any other sport in which so much national pride is hanging in the balance – not even the Olympic Games equal the prestige of the WC. It’s like the entire globe is at war, struggling to get to the top of the pyramid. And along the way you have heart breaking losses, soul renewing last second goals, the immensely stressful shootouts after a long, long game hasn’t decided a champion.

The World Cup is the sporting lifeblood for all nations around the world – for a good reason. Check it out this time around and you’ll see it doesn’t take long to figure out why.

PMC

June 15th, 2010
11:11 am

Yes and I’m loving it. I could care less if anyone else in America likes it. I do. I’m enjoying it and I’m glad that I can at least catch it on the weekends though this time zone is much better than the last one.

Jim

June 15th, 2010
11:12 am

Flopping and manipulation of referees happens in every professional sport. Just watch Paul Pierce, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, or Kobe Bryant tonight and watch how they flop, flail their arms, fall down, etc. Or watch a baseball catcher frame a pitch outside to try and draw a strike call. All professional athletes know how they can manipulate officials and get what they want.

Dayman

June 15th, 2010
11:13 am

Portugal is really not playing well at all especially considering CIV best players is on the bench.

So tired

June 15th, 2010
11:13 am

Crow H… Best post thus far and really all that there needs to be said on the matter.

Crow H

June 15th, 2010
11:14 am

Thank you, thank you very much GO USA!!!

PMC

June 15th, 2010
11:15 am

I watch EPL all the time on Fox Soccer Channel although it would be nice to have in HD. I occasionally watch MLS but I find it a bit boring as they dribble too much and don’t play at the same speed and pace that they do in most of Europe. I grew up playing the game and played it into college so I developed a love for it early on. My favorite sport is still probably American football but I like all sports really. The World Cup is a big world party and I’ve always enjoyed it. The Vuvuzela’s don’t bother me because after 5 minutes I don’t notice them.

Pi$$onaDawg

June 15th, 2010
11:16 am

It is soccer why even comment other than it is a great sport to keep kids from getting fat and tires them enough to go to bed.

Supes

June 15th, 2010
11:17 am

Of course I’m watching it…it’s on now here in the office (in the background) even during the day.

I grew up with it in Europe, and when I moved to the US, I became a fan of baseball, football (american) and hockey. I learned to love and adopt to the sports that are being played in my COUNTRY (The US is now my country). However, the love for soccer has remained and I support the US soccer team during these international competitions.

if the level of CLUB soccer in the US would improve, and the league expand a bit more, who knows…maybe more natural born americans may embrace the sport, but unlikely.

I think most americans are taught what to like or dislike (as far as international sports…and face it…soccer is the most international sport out there).

DCbravosfan

June 15th, 2010
11:17 am

I LOVE FOOTBALL (world, as well American). At its highest form, football/soccer requires artistry, athleticism, team work, endurance, tactics, passion and courage. It is the most beautiful of games and I am an unabashed partisan. That said, I cannot watch any of the two main US leagues because the quality is so low. In that vein, the beauty of the Copa Mundial is that ALL OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD (whose teams have qualified) compete in the tournament.

The Copa is must-see tv and my production level at work has dropped to markedly as a result!!!

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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11:22 am

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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).

Glitchy

June 15th, 2010
12:01 pm

Why am I not watching? Two words……

Nil – Nil.

F*FIFA

June 15th, 2010
12:04 pm

I’d rather manscape myself with a blowtorch that watch that mess.

Pi$$onaDawg

June 15th, 2010
12:05 pm

MATT R please don’t stop the clock. To watch a game go for 4 hours with no score will totally kill any chance of people watching it. I think most G.R.I.T.S should have to play soccer from 6th grade until graduation. The girls wouldn’t be fat and they would have nice legs. G.R.I.T.S are Girls Raised In The South for those that didn’t know.

wawel78

June 15th, 2010
12:06 pm

unfortunately work gets in the way

Otto

June 15th, 2010
12:06 pm

I agree NBA and arena Football bore me as their is to much scoring. The NFL has lost my attention thts to their QB/WR protection rules which also promote more scoring.

I love International Soccer and the Wolrd Cup is the top level of International Soccer. The strategy is great and points are special. The skill level used at this level is just amazing to someone who played the sport. It is not as easy as it looks.

If the sport comes down to who has the ball last as the sports mentioned above often do I could care less.

soccer

June 15th, 2010
12:08 pm

Would also point out that the first games in the group stages of world cup are typically low-scoring affairs because teams don’t want to give up the point that comes with a tie. A loss in the first game almost always results in a team not making it out of the group stage. In the second batch of games the scoring will improve.

meh

June 15th, 2010
12:09 pm

world cup can be great, i plan to keep watching, but these games have been horrific. ivory coast – portugal was supposed to be a great game, ended with a nice plump sum of 3 shots on goal. that mark, is why people aren’t watching soccer

Billy Peeler

June 15th, 2010
12:09 pm

I’m not watching the World Cup because:
1. It’s soccer…who gives a rip?
2. The crowd is filled with obnoxious fans whose idea of fun is blowing a plastic horn ALL the time, regardless of what happens on the field. I always thought those air-filled “bang sticks” were awful…but damned if these vuvuzelas ain’t the worst yet. Sounds like they’re playing the matches in the middle of a swarm of angry bees.

Can some soccer fan explain to me why there’s the “offside” rule? If a team is willing to play short-handed on defense…taking the risk in the hopes of picking up an easier goal if you steal the ball and can get it down field….why not let ‘em? After all, it’d be available to either team…and might actually liven up the game a little.

Otto

June 15th, 2010
12:09 pm

Jason, Soccer has tackles, shots, set plays (Corners/goals kicks/PKs) and amazing keepers a this level which make it very interesting if you know what is going on. I hear baseball is the same way but I never had interest to learn the sport.

Archie

June 15th, 2010
12:10 pm

I’m watching every bit that I can, it really is a great game to watch if you have enough perspective. ANY sport would be boring if you didn’t know anything about any of the players, didn’t know any story lines surrounding the game. For example, I can’t watch a baseball game if the Braves aren’t playing in it because, I try to watch college baseball but I just can’t do it. With football, there is so much in the news it’s easy to stay up to date on what’s going on, so there’s ALWAYS something interesting about each game. Without any of that perspective, it’s easy to say soccer is boring. However, I spend a lot of time watching English Premier League and I’ve followed the entire qualifying process for team USA, so there is a lot follow even if the games are slow.

GIVE ME A BREAK

June 15th, 2010
12:10 pm

The field is too big, the scores are too low. BORING.

Pi$$onaDawg

June 15th, 2010
12:10 pm

Dear POAD so you get a point in the World Cup, but you don’t get a point system like that in all regular soccer games and therefore you are wasting an afternoon. Hockey has that same crappy scoring system. Play until someone wins ie. Cricket. Play for 12 hours but somebody is going to be a winner.

soccer

June 15th, 2010
12:11 pm

Jason: Will the cross come in, will he beat him off the dribble, will he get his head on it, was the tackle fair, will the overlap result in a cross, there are things in soccer

Otto

June 15th, 2010
12:12 pm

Offsides is when a player on the offense is behind the last player (other than the keeper) in the defense when the ball is kicked to him. IMO it adds to the strategy as the defense wants to play up but they have to stay far enough back to keep up with speedy strikers,

Thenumber34

June 15th, 2010
12:16 pm

Any game that is allowed to end in a tie need not be played at all.

SC Ace

June 15th, 2010
12:17 pm

Offsides prevents cherry-picking, adds immensely to the strategy on both offense and defense. Timing matters, speed matters, defensive cohesion matters (this is why South Africa allowed a goal to Mexico, for example).

Bubba

June 15th, 2010
12:22 pm

UGA football is king with me, but you’ve got to appreciate the intensity and athleticism on display at the World Cup. It’s a great sport — and best of all, NO TIME OUTS!!

Driver 8

June 15th, 2010
12:32 pm

Soccer on the radio??!! Wow Mark, you are a fan!

I’ve been captivated by the hype and tried to watch it under the premise that any sport played at it’s highest level is compelling. There are inetresting moments to be sure, but after giving it an honest airing I find myself drifting off into something else and actually forgetting to come back to it. That tells me my time is better spent elsewhere.

Michael Scharff

June 15th, 2010
12:35 pm

I will be the first to admit that the players are gifted atheletes in tremendous condition. That said, I’m not a big fan of watching games on t.v. The halves are too long, and the low scoring affairs are very boring to me.

Braves Fan

June 15th, 2010
12:35 pm

One word: BORING

Billy Peeler

June 15th, 2010
12:37 pm

Otto, re. your note at 12:12….it seems to me that it LESSENS strategy. If the defense wants to play up, just do so…if “speedy strikers” get behind them, so what? They can’t do anything because of the offside rule.
Seems like it would INCREASE strategy if you toss out the offside rule. Then the defense has to choose between…do I play up, and have more players involved in the midfield action, or do I stay back to defend against a cherry-picker. And the offense has to choose between sending a snowbird up close to the goal and perhaps getting an easy score, or keeping him at midfield to help get the ball.
Just one man’s opinion…but it’d make both soccer and hockey (which has a similar rule) much more interesting and exciting if there were more scoring.

Silas Marner

June 15th, 2010
12:39 pm

I came to soccer late (just turned 60) but have become a real fan. World Cup is great fun with some truly exceptional athletes. and of cours, all the bizarro’s in the stands. I particularly like the announcers who aren’t afraid to tell the truth. As in, “that was just awful.” Or, “hew should be ashamed.”
Its a hoot!

Nick

June 15th, 2010
12:41 pm

Love football, play it when possible, love the chants, love the disses against (mainly) the referees.

Not watching the World Cup. Call me old fashioned, but I grew up watching football with the crowd being part of the game, and where players can verbally communicate for strategy’s sake. Now South Africans decided that the WHOLE world watches football the wrong way, and that THEIR way is the only way that the .. ahem.. Wooooorld-ah Cup should be watched. Meh… Can’t wait for the brazilian sambas.. those have beat and melody… and thus a cultural heritage beyond plastic horns made in China.

db

June 15th, 2010
12:43 pm

Heck yea. I am more involved in watching the USA and their group. There is some serious passion throughout the world when it comes to soccer. Go USA!

reality

June 15th, 2010
12:45 pm

No, because soccer is an awful and dreadful sport to watch. I would rather watch women’s golf, bowling, or darts then the world wide sport of the down trodden.

reality

June 15th, 2010
12:51 pm

I actually played soccer for about 5 or 6 years growing up, and it can actually be a fun game to PLAY. However watching the sport is quite possibly the most torturous affair I can think of doing as a means of leisure. I wouldn’t attend a soccer match if you paid me to do so.

DHD

June 15th, 2010
12:52 pm

I would rather hear Celine Dion in concert.

Paul in RDU

June 15th, 2010
12:52 pm

Delbert D – Leicester City eh? As a native of Liverpool and a life-long Everton supporter I would like to thank you for selling us Gary Lineker when he was coming into his prime. My dad never forgave the Everton management for selling Lineker to Barcelona.

gcs

June 15th, 2010
12:53 pm

1. Are we really supposed to get excited about a tie??? Two words: “Bud Selig”.
2. If a team is up 3-0 at any point in the game, it’s basically over.
3. Crybaby theatrics – these guys whine and moan like little 2-year olds. When they are “injured” (real or not) they lie on the ground like they have been paralyzed.
4. Scoring theatrics – I know it is rare that a person actually gets the ball in the goal in soccer but they act like the biggest idiots after scoring. I don’t appreciate that kind of grandstanding. Do that in other sports and the next pitch, tackle, block attempt or check is at your head.
5. Portugal vs. Ivory Coast. Most Americans couldn’t find these countries on a map, much less have feelings either way about them. In regards to your buddy Ronaldo, see #3.
6. What is the point of blowing a vuvuzela? Are they supposed to rattle the goalie? If so, why blow them the whole game? It’s idiotic and juvenile. Continuously blow one at an American football game for two and a half hours and see where it ends up at the end of the game.
7. Soccer is just plain lame. Anybody can play – athletic talent not necessary. If you can stand and move one leg forward then you are eligible to play. Why do you think every little kid in the country plays? Because it’s easy and takes minimal intelligence.

.

Paul in RDU

June 15th, 2010
12:53 pm

Mark – I would have thought that having the vuvuzelas blaring made listening to Tommy “ol onion bag” Smythe and his partner bareable

Steve

June 15th, 2010
12:54 pm

Cant stand the horns. They are not making it very fan friendly.

CraZyTRaDeMaN

June 15th, 2010
12:54 pm

For all of you that are not watching you are missing out big time. It only takes me about 5 minutes of hearing that buzzing noise and seeing the same thing over and over to fall asleep. Its a early afternoon cant miss TV. MAN I’ve had some of the best naps that i’ve had in a long time over the past few days. Its better than the naps I get when watching NASCAR.

AppalachiaBrave

June 15th, 2010
12:57 pm

No, I am not watching. Too boring. And those horns are tooo loud.

Boses

June 15th, 2010
1:00 pm

Yes I’m watching it. I should be working, but it is so much fun to watch. This World Cup has actually made me stop obsessing about the DAWGS.

Cracker Jacket

June 15th, 2010
1:04 pm

Yellow Jackets need those buzzing horns! Can’t watch soccer because of that noise on TV but it might be cool at a football game!

DawginJax

June 15th, 2010
1:05 pm

I like to watch big-time soccer (World Cup, Confederations Cup, Champions League, Euro, and the big Premier League matches every once in a while), but admit that I don’t watch M.L.S. or even the Premier League on a regular basis. I absolutely love the World Cup, though. There is no sport in this world that showcases the pride and passion of its fans or contains more drama more so than World Cup soccer, and that includes SEC (American) football, which I love more than just about anything. The haters are either 1) ignorant of the sport and try to get into the World Cup but just don’t understand it enough to enjoy it; or 2) are dumb hick rednecks who think that somehow their masculinity is at risk if they like a sport that is king in Europe (and everywhere else in the world).

Most of the comments hating on soccer do not offer any rationale as to why they don’t like it – just that they don’t, and the ones that do are mistaken. Take Jason, who commented at 12:00. He thinks soccer consists of just passing the ball back and forth and taking only a few shots on goal per game, with a whole lot of nothing going on in between. Meanwhile, he likes 10-7 football games, because third downs get converted, turnovers occur, long returns, etc. between scores. The same things happen in soccer – corner kicks and other set pieces, turnovers, breakaways, red cards, etc. Just because there are not a whole lot of goals does not mean its not exciting – just the opposite. Its the drama and anticipation caused by the rarity of a goal that makes soccer so interesting. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

P.S. About the vuvuzelas – I hate the vuvuzelas because they drown out the crowd noise, which is the best part of international soccer, especially the World Cup, although the noise itself I’ve found myself to forget about five minutes into the match.

IlliniBrave

June 15th, 2010
1:06 pm

@Red-State Bluelander: A retort to your ridiculous argument:

A.) It is boring.

I actually find it incredibly exciting – far more than watching golf or NASCAR or even your beloved hockey.

B.) It is for simple-minded, third-world simpletons who aren’t smart enough to be playing baseball.

Interesting. I have four degrees, and most of my friends who love soccer are also well-educated.

C.) Liberals like it.

I’m extremely conservative – and so are most of my anti-Obama friends who I watch soccer with.

D.) International Soccer has “Jeff Schultz” written all over it. (It’s FAB-U-LOUS!!!!)

For the record – Schultz has written passionately against MLS coming to Atlanta.

E.) Bear Bryant wouldn’t waste his time on it.

Can’t say what the Bear would think, but rednecks from Bama generally suck at soccer!

F.) Watching Braves Baseball Goes Better with Hot Wings.

Actually, the Buffalo Wild Wings up here are jammed with soccer fans for big games like the Champions League finals or the World Cup!

G.) It isn’t Hockey.

And thank God it isn’t!!! I’ve been to three Trashers games and those guys are perhaps the sorriest bunch of clowns that I’ve ever seen represent our great state of Georgia. I hope to God that they are shipped up to Canada where they belong!

Diving in the Box

June 15th, 2010
1:06 pm

Gary Lineker, my all time favorite England player. Never forget his Golden Boot performance in ‘86. Man, that also just reminded me of Maradona… Doh!

BTW, why is Rooney such a cry-caby?

Trey

June 15th, 2010
1:10 pm

Watching but this WC is so far a letdown compared to others. Not sure if it’s the ball or just lack of good players. To the idiot who said getting kicked in the shin doesn’t hurt. Care to let me give you a kick there? I guarantee you will fall to the ground. With that said, there are the fakers ala floppers like you had in the nba. They should be yellow and then red carded if they do it more than once.

gdawginkalamazoo

June 15th, 2010
1:10 pm

Mark, admit it. Sure you started watching the Ivory Coast v Protugal game but you fell asleep and had a great nap. When you awoke you thought hey I better change shirts because I have a big drool stain from my nap, then I will check on the blog. Come on admit it!

JPW

June 15th, 2010
1:10 pm

Watching as much of it as I can. Love the World Cup. Having played soccer for going on 30 years now, and comparing that to playing just about every other sport growing up, I laugh when people say the best athletes aren’t playing soccer. When you look at somebody like Prince Fielder and place him against Oguchi Onyewu, it’s no contest who the better athlete is.

Soccer truly is the beautiful game. Too many Americans are close-minded to the sport, and that’s all right. I don’t particularly care if this country embraces it or not.

sleeze

June 15th, 2010
1:11 pm

There’s no football and basketball’s almost over. Might as well watch the World Cup because the alternative is too horrible to think about – having to read Mark Bradley’s blog every day.

Bob

June 15th, 2010
1:13 pm

I enjoy the world cup. It’s different and there’s not much else going on this time of the year. Looking forward to it coming back to the US. I went back in 94.

Robert

June 15th, 2010
1:13 pm

Too many people in the South are narrow minded and ignorant of things other than college football, NASCAR and Braves baseball. I’m from Atlanta, so don’t think that I don’t know my own hometown. Soccer is an amazing sport to watch one you understand the nuances of the game, just like baseball. Both sports CAN be boring, but most of the time they aren’t. Just give it a chance. Watch it with no pre-conceived ideas or feelings. You’ll like it.

FutbolDawg

June 15th, 2010
1:14 pm

Love the game and almost everything about it. There are plenty of outlets (Fox Soccer Channel, Gol TV, internet, etc) to satisfy my desire. Really tired of the people who complain non-stop regarding their dislike of the game…..don’t like it? Don’t watch!!! Baseball & NASCAR are on too!!!

MikeR

June 15th, 2010
1:21 pm

MLB is the only sport that matters. Willie Mays never played soccer.

James

June 15th, 2010
1:22 pm

Mark,

I’ll admit, I only watch a few soccer matches a year. It is a very cool sport though, and it is obvious why so many countries LOVE ‘football’. As for the world cup, I am totally into it. I mean, I would imagine a lot of Americans treat this like the Olympics: who follows track and field year round? But everyone can get on it for the Olympics. I know some real soccer fans who are offended by that, but I find it exciting!

Dr Philistine

June 15th, 2010
1:23 pm

To complain that soccer is boring because there’s not enough scoring is akin to complaining about NASCAR because they only turn left. It’s an important element of the game that scoring be difficult; that’s what makes goals great.

StingerSplash

June 15th, 2010
1:28 pm

The three great televised sporting event naps are:
1) Golf nap. Can’t beat a good golf nap. And I love golf. But man, a non-major on TV on a weekend afternoon … that’s good napping.
2) NASCAR nap. Maybe it’s the constant engine drone that lends itself to white noise, like when a vacuum cleaner is running.
3) Soccer nap. A hard, deep sleep, almost Rip Van Winkle like in effect.

DawginJax

June 15th, 2010
1:37 pm

Yes, I find ironic the hypocrisy that most of the people who are hating on soccer because it is boring also are most likely nascar fans. I’m sure even you can appreciate that someone who does not know much about cars or about racing would find driving around in circles all day boring. The same thing applies to soccer. Learn the rules of the game (not hard, there are only 17, and only about half of those concern actual gameplay) and then about the individual players, and you will find it much more interesting, even exciting if you can get behind a side.

Bubba

June 15th, 2010
1:41 pm

I know a great way to increase scoring in soccer – count every goal as 7 points!

Brock

June 15th, 2010
2:01 pm

gcs

June 15th, 2010
12:53 pm

4. Scoring theatrics – I know it is rare that a person actually gets the ball in the goal in soccer but they act like the biggest idiots after scoring. I don’t appreciate that kind of grandstanding.

Um- have you EVER seen an NFL game? Yeah- they don’t do anything after scoring a TD.

dawgfan

June 15th, 2010
2:08 pm

I watched the US v. England game and found it surprisingly entertaining. Will I watch Poland vs. Umpa Lumpa Land or some random game like that? No, probably not.

The US need to WIN and go deep in this thing and people will start paying attention. Its just like any other sport. Win and people will come. Its that simple.

Stop the buzz: Broadcasters filtering vuvuzelas

June 15th, 2010
2:23 pm

[...] Are y'all watching the World Cup? If not, why not? Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) – Jun 15th – 10:35 [...]

Deirdre

June 15th, 2010
2:29 pm

Bubba…LOL!

I love soccer and do NOT get why people think it’s boring. Even a 0-0 game is exciting. People who are bored because of lack of scoring are probably the same people who watch NASCAR for the crashes and hockey for the fights.

and gcs…on your “anybody can play” statement. I challenge you to 90 minutes on the field running non-stop with a 50 yard sprint every minute. Then we’ll talk about “anybody”!

fishtales

June 15th, 2010
2:45 pm

Yes the vuvelas are annoying…but I’m sure many of you have been to Starkville for a football game.

St. Clarkston

June 15th, 2010
2:46 pm

I’m watching until the US is out.

UGA Alum

June 15th, 2010
2:51 pm

American Football. Basketball. what a buch of sissies. “Football” is the only game where you play continuously for 45 min plus added time for two halves. No wimpy timeouts to call when you get tired or to stop the clock. played the game for 20 years. I also played baseball, american football, and basketball

DollarDawg43

June 15th, 2010
3:08 pm

Not watching but not hating on it either. It is just not a sport I am interested in.

I had to play on the very first soccer team my High School ever fielded because I owed the head coach (who was an assistant football coach) a favor. He bailed me out of a mess caused by my smart mouth and called in the favor by “encouraging” me to try out for the soccer team.

Damn that was a lot of running!

GOOOOOOOOOOL!

June 15th, 2010
3:10 pm

I guess these same people who cry about 1-0 games LOVE a 1-0 baseball game. You know why? They will talk about the “stragety” and “brilliant pitching”. The same can be said about soccer, but you have to understand the game to know that.

Yes, I am watching it …….. It’s ratings on TV are kicking butt!

ATLBadger

June 15th, 2010
3:12 pm

Some of the folks calling soccer boring are the same people who find NASCAR stimulating. I don’t get that, but different strokes for different folks.

Plus, sports without commercial breaks every few minutes is a great thing.

Heyward

June 15th, 2010
3:15 pm

I understand how people that do not enjoy soccer feel as I once took the same position for reasons similar to those already stated. I had to learn to appreciate the game since its acceptance is not embedded in our heads as kids like the predominately American sports. After spending time in Europe, actually attending a few matches it finally clicked. I don’t know exactly what is was but somewhere I found an appreciation for the game that I currently don’t have for any other American sport except maybe College Football. Some matches are more exciting than others but it just doesn’t get any better than World Cup soccer. If you think you hate it give it another try, there’s a reason it’s the world’s most popular sport, even if you have yet to understand why.

timthebrave

June 15th, 2010
3:16 pm

I watch it every 4 years for the world cup but not able to get into it as much because of all the early starts since it is in South Africa. I was listening on the radio and you can only hear annoying horns. They should just do the announcing on radio from a noice proof room. USA USA USA

G8R GRAD

June 15th, 2010
3:17 pm

fishtales:

Hear, hear!
The cowbells are painfully annoying.
The only way to suffer the cacophony is to drink heavily!
Wait.
Never mind!

Nickie

June 15th, 2010
3:26 pm

Nothing happens for 90 minutes. Even in a low scoring American football game or a NASCAR race there is always the potential for great action at any second. Soccer seems like a nice game for kids to play and their parents to watch but for the average sports fan it is DULL. No, I won’t we watching any of it.

Michael

June 15th, 2010
3:44 pm

I like it a lot. As you wrote, I don’t expect everyone else to. It just seems kind of annoying how a lot of the haters boil it down to the simplest form. I sorta like baseball, but it’s boring because there is a lot of wasted time. Speed up the game between pitches and it will get much more exciting. Golf is the same way when someone spends 30 seconds trying to figure out how to smack the ball into the hole. If everybody just hits it on a timed scale, it’s fair and doesn’t bore you.

Same goes for our football. It can be boresville, but the NFL and NCAA have done a great job of reducing the dilly-dallying between plays and series. NFL games seem to take three hours on the nose, which is much better than the four hours some college games used to take.

For those of you who like to watch things like NASCAR racing, how is it not boring yet soccer is? It takes 3 to 4 hours for any “scoring” since the only thing that matters is the finish. Could it be the sport is interesting because of everything else that happens, not just the scores?

Plus, if scoring is such a huge part of things being exciting, why does everybody love to see a pitcher throw a perfect game?

Shawny

June 15th, 2010
3:46 pm

Soccer. Boring. Would rather watch paint dry.

Unless it is world cup, which is kind of like the olympics where even a distance race becomes interesting.

But I gotta tell ya, my watching time has been drastically reduced due to those stupid horns. It is either watch on mute (or very low volume), or watch something else. Trying to listen to the announcer and ignore what sounds like a very large swarm of hornets is way too annoying.

Andy

June 15th, 2010
3:58 pm

I don’t hate soccer. I have no feelings about it at all. I just don’t care. It is not last on my list of sports to watch though, NASCAR is the absolute rock bottom. I would gladly watch soccer instead of NASCAR.

Arthur

June 15th, 2010
4:05 pm

The only cup I care about:

1. My first cup of coffee every morning

You Got a Lot of Nerve

June 15th, 2010
4:19 pm

The nerve, the audacity of people getting upset over the horns. That is their culture and that’s what they have always done at their games. FIFA did there research when picking a site to host the games. They knew this. What happened to the freaking saying “when in Rome do as the Romans do?” America is full of hypocrites and most of them WHITE. Yeah, I said it!!!!

GBO

June 15th, 2010
4:21 pm

I enjoy it and watch some of the World Cup every four years. What I do get really sick of is listening to radio sports guys crusading for all of their reasons for not paying attention to it. I dont care, just shut up already. As far as I am concerned, the real boring sport is baseball. If it weren’t for watching the pretty women at Turner field, I’d be snoring every time I heard “Take Me Out to the ballgame”…and if I really want to take a nap on a Saturday, then give me baseball, a ceiling fan, and a cold beer. I won’t make it out of the inning.

Kristen

June 15th, 2010
4:23 pm

I watch the World Cup for the same reason every 4 years- shirtless hot men. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but soccer has the highest concentration of hotties out of any sport…period. I will endure listening to those da#@ horns all day long just to check those men out…wow…just wow.

Kdan

June 15th, 2010
4:41 pm

You’re asking why people don’t watch soccer in a city full of overweight, slovenly, barbecue eating troglodytes. To them baseball is a sport. 3 seconds of furious activity followed by 20 minutes of standing there watching one guy throw a ball. Yeah, that’s a sport. Sounds more like my neighbor’s Saturday night.

BugKiller

June 15th, 2010
4:46 pm

Why do I hate soccer?

Because of soccer fans.

Soccer fans are the most insufferable lot on the planet.

Soccer fans make Rush Limbaugh and Keith Olbermann look bearable by comparison.

Soccer fans are always quick to label you as “uninformed” or “uncultured” or “a dumb American” because you choose not to watch their incredibly snooze-worthy sport.

I hate soccer moms and everything they stand for.

Soccer moms (and their cuckolded husbands) are systematically destroying everything that used to make this country great.

I’m sick of kids being taught that “everyone’s a winner” by their moronic youth soccer leagues that don’t keep score and award everyone a trophy.

This sacrilege has now spread to baseball and other sports where they teach their kids to be losers in life.

Guess what soccer fans and soccer moms, in LIFE, there are winners AND losers. Teaching your kid HOW to lose is even MORE important than teaching them how to win.

We’ve had two whole generation of kids who believe the world will be handed to them because they’ve faced NO competition, controversy, or had anyone tell them they weren’t special and talented and gifted and wonderful.

When the world knocks them the hell down (and it will) and their parents aren’t there to wipe their noses and hand them a meaningless trophy (they won’t be), they won’t know how to get back up, and they’ll fold quicker than cheap patio furniture.

THIS is the world that soccer has brought us. THIS is what soccer has done to America.

And that is why I hate soccer.

Boneyard Randy

June 15th, 2010
4:57 pm

Lovin the World Cup…stopped watching baseball at night and watching tivo’d WC games instead. The vuvuzuelas don’t bother me as much as they did the first few games. Taking time off from work to watch the next 2 U.S. games live and hopefully at Brewhouse Cafe or Fado.

Bacchus

June 15th, 2010
4:58 pm

I know many Americans who watch it are dismissed as Euro-philes or French un-American or whatever. Vuvuzela cacophony aside, in the absence of ice hockey, basketball, college football, and NFL, there is no sport more exciting to watch every 4 years in June/July. Baseball is utterly boring and sleep-inducing in comparison. Plus there are no timeouts, play reviews, annoying commercials, etc. And the game is over in 90 minutes.

Go to a bar and pick a team to support and you’ll have fun.

Renee

June 15th, 2010
4:59 pm

I’ve been watching this year. I missed most of the U.S. vs England game but was impressed with the US showing. I’ve watched some of the other matches and I’m learning more about the game. My son played when he was young but didn’t like the running part.

Queen

June 15th, 2010
5:00 pm

Takes too long to score and the noise from the horns are awful.

LOL

June 15th, 2010
5:27 pm

Soccer is boring, but you have no problem watching golf or baseball on TV? Is that a joke?

Uncle Joe

June 15th, 2010
5:37 pm

What’s a World Cup?

LOL

June 15th, 2010
5:38 pm

Bugkiller, you are an idiot.

What you speak of is what stupid Americans have done to the game of soccer. Go to Italy, England, Spain, Brazil, etc and see if they play youth soccer without keeping score. I agree with you about what youth sports have become, but that sure as hell did not start with soccer. I have played soccer all of my life and have never played in a game where score was not kept. I can, however, remember my friends playing tee-ball when we were little and score was not kept so maybe you need to direct your little rant at the biggest sissy game of all, baseball.

PS-Thanks for being that stupid redneck who makes all UGA fans look bad.

Paul's Johnson

June 15th, 2010
5:40 pm

Lovin’ it. Just wish those damned horns would go away, though.

best1andonly

June 15th, 2010
6:05 pm

Watching World Cup Soccer – YES. Watching NBA Finals – No.

1gill

June 15th, 2010
6:07 pm

ABsolutely watching it! Die hard fan..Americans and the rest of the world will agree to disagree about REAL sport or not, just respect the game as with most sports the discipline is different it may not make sense to some about Soccer/American football/Baseball/Basket Ball ETC just respect it or SHUT UP!

Steve

June 15th, 2010
6:09 pm

Americans are so pathetically stupid (i’m one of them). Americans like football where a bunch of stupid oafs pile on top of each other and cannot speak a legible sentence. How many football teams outside the lousy U.S. are there???? Oh, i forgot, Americans like nascar. LOL!!!! What a bunch of intellectuals that group of people are. LOL America….the land of the dumbasses.

Jen

June 15th, 2010
6:25 pm

Of course, became very interested in the sport while in Europe. Go Germany!

Carioca

June 15th, 2010
6:32 pm

Way to go Mark, didn’t know you were a soccer fan. It’s my No. 1 sport followed by American football. My family moved to Brazil when I was 5 and I came back at 18 to go to college. Lived in Rio most of the time and cheered for Flamengo. Had played all my life until age of 49 when I lost my right leg due to a physiological problem, or would still be playing here at 62.

My take on why we Americans, in general, have a difficult time watching soccer is that our sports are so structured, for example we look for a counter play for every situation or play. Soccer on the other hand is not so structured so that plays come from individual skills, creativity and from the heart (i.e. the “jogo bonito” of the Brazilians). Low scoring is also an irritation for Americans. By the way, I don’t like the horns either.

Paul in RDU

June 15th, 2010
6:35 pm

Bugkiller’s comments about the soccer bringing down the entire country because people don’t keep score cracks me up. One of the biggest complaints in England is that kids don’t develop their skills because they are playing competitive soccer at too young an age. I was playing in full field 11 aside games (albeit with 6 ft x 18 ft goals) at 8 and winning was the only thing that counted.

Ken K

June 15th, 2010
6:50 pm

The World Cup is fantastic. These players are world class and the quality of the play is superb. I only wish I could watch the World Cup year round. I grew up on American football but love to watch soccer played at this level..

KZGuy

June 15th, 2010
6:58 pm

World Cup! Great now I can catch up on my sleep. Who needs sleeping pills. I dozed off for an hour and thought I might have missed some ‘action’. (insert snicker here) Nope the score was still the same. Sorry but I have to replace the air in my tires or watch the grass grow before I can watch more than five minutes of this.

mui88

June 15th, 2010
7:20 pm

I like watching the World Cup, but I will not be watching a single game unless they ban those stupid horns.

I have absolutely zero interest in listening to thousands of bees buzzing in my ears while I watch a game.

The World Cup board really screwed this up, and I hope the viewer numbers drop and prove that they are handling this all wrong.

Denise

June 15th, 2010
7:29 pm

I watch it everyday and I am enjoying it. Not to mention this is my first time ever watching soccer.

Denise

June 15th, 2010
7:32 pm

In reading some of the comments, I guess it’s safe to say that kickball and horseshoe would be local favorites, eh?

Frank

June 15th, 2010
8:35 pm

Watch more of the World Cup than Baseball…
I only watch baseball in the playoffs, too many games and cheaters… too boring to watch on tv and the only thing worse is watching baseball live… unles you are a fat and nasty and eat and drink the whole time at the ballpark…

Softball is more fun to play…

spectacular spectacle

June 15th, 2010
9:00 pm

we love it at our house… I played baseball through college, but I do truly think that soccer is a better sport, with much more athleticism. CC Sabathia or John Kruck on a soccer field anytime soon?

it’s not perfect, but what sport is?

Bob O'Boewy

June 15th, 2010
9:04 pm

Love football. Watching almost all games. Oh yeah, baba booey to you all.

Dennis Murray

June 15th, 2010
9:12 pm

@Bugkiller….every youth sport is everyone gets a trophy. My 6 year old has half a dozen already.

His basketball league didn’t keep standings either.

The reason for a lot of youth soccer not emphasizing game outcomes at a young age is the consensus is building skill (dribbling primarily) is more important at a young age. Most of the kids have a good idea of what the score is when they get to 8 years old or so.

There’s a lot right and wrong with all youth sports – football (US), Soccer, Baseball, Basketball and anything else. The biggest problem isn’t keeping score or trophies – it’s that kids in the US don’t care to play 90% of the time if there isn’t a field, uniforms, gear, scoreboards, and the externalities of the sport and don’t just play it for fun and to get better.

nativefalcon

June 15th, 2010
11:29 pm

OK If you get past, this is like watching paint dry then you have a sport. I watched several games, the USA-British game was good, Germany game was good because of the scoring, but in the end its like watching paint dry. I’ll probably watch it some more, but at times, I can’t believe this game is so big as it is.

Chuck Steele

June 15th, 2010
11:35 pm

Before I begin my rant, I just want to make it clear that this is intended for the soccer haters out there. My use of the pronoun “you” is not intended to include any reader who understands the greatness of The Beautiful Game.
I find it highly ironic that people who embrace football and baseball (both of which have roughly 15 minutes of actual game time action out of about 3 hours of TV time) would choose to carry the worn out banner of “soccer is too boring”. For the record, I like football and baseball and I reluctantly accept the vast expanses of dead time that inherently come with them. Regardless, they are still great sports.
With that said, soccer is not boring. There are around 95 minutes or so of non-stop time when the ball is in play; with neither a commercial nor a timeout anywhere to be found, other than halftime. The simple fact is that you do not understand the subtleties of the game, and you’re afraid to admit your ignorance. If I’m wrong about that, then the only logical conclusion is that you soccer haters are the epitome of sports Machiavellianism. Yes, there are not a lot of points scored, but why is that a bad thing? The beauty is in the body of work, not how distracted you were by the final score and the pretty sound of jangling keys. Oh, and speaking of jangling keys, don’t even get me started with NASCAR. Talk about boring!
Honestly, the bottom line is that soccer doesn’t need you. It is the greatest sport in the world, and will continue to be so, despite your puerile, mindlessly regurgitated excuses for why it is so horrible. Deep down, you hate that fact. Deny it if you want to. I don’t advise it, though. It will only end up making you look more pathetic.
So, keep on hating, you vast expanse of athletic-ADHD‘ers. Missing out on any World Cup is truly your loss and an experience you can never get back. All your vitriol against soccer is as useful as a dying person’s begging for a few more hours of life. It is just a waste of time and a pointless resistance against the inevitable.

Hugsy

June 16th, 2010
4:48 am

Two things 1) lack of goals. Lack of goals means the best teams can (and often are) beaten by inferior teams – this adds to passion, frustration and excitement. Upsets are statisically more likely to happen in football(sorry Soccer) than any other sport. Also how much more will you celebrate a score if there is only going to be 2 or three in a match.2) playing – in the UK I still play weekly socially and competively with guys in their 40’s – most people who watch in the UK play or played for years therefore you can appreciate the game greater – even a 0-0 (thiugh not always) ! One other point American Owners are destroying two of the worlds greatest clubs i.e Liverpool FX (Hicks) and Manchester Utd (Glazier).. Could some one have a word?!

Jen

June 16th, 2010
10:03 am

Watching teams that are evenly matched keeps me interested for the entire game. However if the team I support can’t get on the board then it becomes a struggle.

That said my actual preference is to be at the local club games supporting my brother. I have fond memories of my brother and the games he played for his local club. Watching on from the sideline for all of those years, I became accustomed to being amongst the action. For me I get real enjoyment from being there amongst the crowd, the atmosphere. It is for that reason I created an iPhone app uScore Football, which helps me to keep score and to show the ref what I think if a player looks to be getting a red or yellow card! haha

Check it out: http://www.uscoreapps.com/football/

bruce

June 16th, 2010
6:11 pm

what are the rules of soccer?

Bobe Hope

June 17th, 2010
1:11 pm

The way the game is designed makes it impossible for an individual athlete to display his talents in scoring a goal. Almost all goals seem to be the result of a ball being lobbed into about 20 guys in front of the goal, and it might bounce off somebody’s head into the goal, or it might not.

I’ve never watched a soccer match and said “wow! Did you see the play that guy just made!”

JaxDawg

June 17th, 2010
1:52 pm

Bruce – there are only 17 of them – about 50 pages worth. Google “Laws of the Game” during your next lunch break. Bobe Hope – you are an idiot. I’ve seen hundreds of goals that blew my mind. Get on youtube or somthing. Jeeze. Where have you been? You’ve never seen a bicycle kick or a a guy fully laying out for a diving header off a corner kick or a one-timer blast from forty feet to the top corner of the net? Some of the keepers’ saves are just as athletic, too.

Scott

June 18th, 2010
6:33 am

Soccer is awesome. Start attending the youth games locally and see our redneck parents going crazy for their kids. Things will change through our kids as the parents were just poorly training during the US sporting Isolationist period. My 11 year old and her friends talk about the World Cup all the time on facebook.

Our homegrown sports are getting old to me now. It seems childish that all we care about are sports that we invented. It makes me laugh to see the commercials for American sports. There is no attachment to anything human – the pro-football robot captures it pretty well. In soccer, the players walk onto on the field with a child and inspire all children. American sports hero’s walk on the field acting like they are something special – they are jokes. No wonder the rest of the world hates us. We are close minded dunderheads.

Hopefully after the World Cup Atlanta can garner huge for support the Atlanta Beat WPS team and secure a MLS team. If we can’t get and support an MLS team then we begin to become a backwards second rate city.

And while we are at it, let’s get the Tour of Georgia back. World Sports rule!

sharon

June 20th, 2010
9:26 pm

it’s funny how many people can sit through 9 endings of scoreless MLB games, yet resist 90 minutes of soccer. i rather like soccer, partly for the game itself and partly for the beautiful men who play it!

Bill

June 20th, 2010
11:21 pm

Boring. And with the added bonus of the vuvuzelas buzzing in my ears, it is now annoying.

Dawgs88

June 20th, 2010
11:25 pm

Soccer players are great athletes and everything, but I’m sorry this has got to be the most boring to watch ever invented. I’ll take American football any day over soccer.

Dawgs88

June 20th, 2010
11:27 pm

Soccer players are great athletes and everything, but I’m sorry this has got to be the most boring sport to watch ever invented. I’ll take the World Series or the Superbowl and day over soccer.

Mike

June 21st, 2010
12:19 am

Boring?? Let’s talk about boring…cars going really fast in a circle is boring and that’s on every Sunday! Baseball is becoming really boring and that goes on for months. The World Cup happens every four years and is what some players only dream of ever taking part in. It is truly a “world game” yet we Americans stay sadly isolated from it because of what….Nascar being better?? You can still drink beer at soccer games and you can sing too!!
I can only dream of one day running into the street when the US wins the World Cup and partying like a madman. I was fortunate enough to be working in Brazil when they won their last World Cup and as a Pittsburgher who lived through all the Steeler super bowls and a few Penguin championships there is nothing I have experienced in celebrating those victories that remotely comes close to what happens when a nation goes crazy in celebration after winning the world cup. I hope one day we get to see that in the US because the winners get to brag to the world for the next four years that they are the truly world champions. Let’s hope the US goes deep in this Cup and can surprise a few teams and get more respect. Plus there is something great about the announcer yelling at the top of his lungs…GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLLL for a full minute as the crowd and country go wild.
GO USA!!

Steve

June 21st, 2010
12:31 am

No … Too busy.

Steve

June 21st, 2010
12:31 am

and boring

Claire

June 21st, 2010
12:34 am

I’d rather watch paint peel, grass grow, and Obama read from a TelePrompter (in that order) before a soccer game.

Timeless

June 21st, 2010
12:56 am

Robert @ 1:13 pm: You are right that people in the South are narrow- minded and ignorant of things other than college football, NASCAR and Braves baseball. I would add beer, hamburgers and fries to that list. Atlanta is the nly town I know of where people would drive half-way across town to try a new hamburger joint. Guys: hamburger is a hamburger is a hamburger!

Tom

June 21st, 2010
3:39 am

Americans just can’t bear to think that soccer is the most watched sport in the world and that the World Cup is larger than any Superbowl. Soccer totally eclipses American football, a sport which very few people care about in the rest of the world.

CraZyTRaDeMaN

June 23rd, 2010
9:56 am

Tom, Very few American’s care about the rest of the world!!! Fact is Soccer is a very cheap sport to play all you need as a kid is a ball and a wall or two trees. I’m not narrow minded I have tried to watch the WC but, as a sports fan there is way to many options that I find way more interesting than soccer. For example women’s softball or bowling or the game show channel.

Shawn

June 23rd, 2010
10:26 pm

I tried watching the first game vs. England, but I fell asleep during the second half. I gave the sport a try, but I just don’t like it. It bores me. Before the soccer nerds get up in arms, I know that boredom is a subjective question- but soccer subjectively bores the hell out of me.

Patrick

June 25th, 2010
8:13 am

Check this out Bradley, you’re either not American or don’t have a pulse. This is why people watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w&feature=player_embedded

johnny

June 26th, 2010
12:37 pm

boring

Are y’all watching the World Cup? If not, why not?

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Are y’all watching the World Cup? If not, why not?

220 comments Add your comment

About Mark Bradley

We’ve Moved!

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Search this blog

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More from the AJC

Categories

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