Why Americans will never accept Soccer as a "real" sport.

@MikeGosot: Care to elaborate? Latin countries tend to play more of a "finesse" style which basically means they bitch any time they get touched. European players tend to play more of an "aggressive" style which means they don't mind getting hit as much and certainly don't mind hitting someone else. I have observed this to be true through watching many world cups, watching how the two styles interact with each other on the big stage. I have even listened to announcers talk about this exact thing on several different occasions.

So again, care to elaborate?

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Soccer is just a less exciting variant of Hockey.   Everyone loves hockey, AMIRIGHT?

@Axxol said:

The typing in the OP isn't terrible. It's as if Hardgamer took that drug from that Bradley Cooper movie and his grammar improved.

And that right there, is the first, and last, time that movie will ever be referenced.

@Evilv6 said:

@NickL: I don't see how Latin American football players whine more than European players, have you seen a Barça match? Anyways, lol indeed at the 3 hours games guy

I never said european players don't ever whine, I just said they are far less prone to doing it then latin players.

I enjoy Football and Other Football equally. 
 
Problem?

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both types of football are terrible, american speaking. Football is just way too boring to actually watch (the video games are fun though), and soccer, while technically more exciting, the large field makes it boring as well.

@Marz said:

Soccer is just a less exciting variant of Hockey. Everyone loves hockey, AMIRIGHT?

I love hockey (go Blues), therefore, you are correct.

I don't watch soccer because it's never on TV here. I pay for Center Ice, and I don't want to become the guy who pays for two sets of sports channels.

  Finally, soccer games are accompanied by what Dan Nosowitz aptly describes as the “grating, stab-your-ears-with-a-pencil drone of the vuvuzela,” an obnoxious plastic horn which was apparently first adopted by the Zulus of South Africa to replace their dreaded iklwa Soccer as it is known to Americans, is the worlds most popular sport! It is played by millions in every country around the world. The World Cups in 2006 and 2010 had and estimated average of 700+ million viewers not including people inside and outside the stadium. The two biggest leagues (English Premier League and Italian Serie A) have more fans than the NFL, MLB, NHL or any other American professional sports league. The fans are amazing (I mean they riot for the most pointless games, yet in the US you have to win a World Series to riot). Games have near 100,000 people at them, every one sings songs, drinks, celebrates, and cheers on their favorite club. Every one I know that has traveled to Europe and gone to a match has become a soccer fan because of the atmosphere at a game. Yet why do Americans still consider it a "sissy" sport?     Professional Soccer players or as Americans insist on calling them "Foot fairies" have a skill and athletic ability that most people can only dream of. Last years World Cup took place in South Africa from June 11th through July 11th. The United States actually had a good team that year yet no body seems to care. Is this because the MLS has been a huge failure? Or are people in America too stubborn to realize that this sport is truly a great sport! Sorry Americans but your version of Football is only watched by 1 country, REAL FOOTBALL is watched in every country in the world! Does any one know why soccer cannot be accepted in the United States?

@NickL

@billnyethesciencepie said:

To everyone quoting me: I know a soccer games 90 minutes but with the whiniest players ive ever seen in a sport, it extends the length to at least twice that

You are thinking of soccer players from latin america, and yes, I agree, fuck those whiny bitches.

European players don't whine nearly as much, if someone hits you, you don't lay on the ground and whine, you go hit them back.

That's what real soccer is, fuck latin american soccer.

@Marz: Yeah hockey is awesome.

As an American I respectfully ask you to check your head. I would argue that football is a slower, more boring sport. Run a play, 40 second break, run a play, timeout, run a play, tv timeout(commercial). Oh yeah and I just love the challenge calls where they take a 5 minute break to review a play. Soccer IS more exciting. Don't judge a sport by it's scoring.

Americans like complicated sports with a lot of rules and contact. Soccer is just so simple, and if you so much as touch someone else you get a penalty.

Football is a real sport. Soccer's not!

The only time i watch soccer is when Mexico plays in the world cup and when i'm watching Univision so i can hear this guy go crazy :)
 
  

God, it's like listening to my Grade 3 class talk about soccer. Grow up, guys. Just because there isn't a whole lot of scoring does not mean that it can't be exciting. I'm a Canadian and I love watching soccer; I find it about a billion times more exciting than baseball, basketball, and american football combined.

God, it's like listening to my Grade 3 class talk about soccer. Grow up, guys. Just because there isn't a whole lot of scoring does not mean that it can't be exciting. I'm a Canadian and I love watching soccer; I find it about a billion times more exciting than baseball, basketball, and american football combined.

I dont see how any American can bitch about Soccer being slow with  NASCAR and Baseball being so huge here in the States.

Opinions, I don't care if you like your sport better than my sport.  I feel differently.  Guess What?  It doesn't matter.

Americans like complicated sports with a lot of rules and contact. Soccer is just so simple, and if you so much as touch someone else you get a penalty.

Football is a real sport. Soccer's not!

Opinions, I don't care if you like your sport better than my sport.  I feel differently.  Guess What?  It doesn't matter.

I love football, Obviously as I am English, And I am from the North East of England where football is part of our culture, I am a Newcastle United fan, I never choose to be a Newcastle fan it was instilled in my through my parents at birth, I could have choose to support another team like Man Utd and be a glory supporter but I dont as I am proud to be a toon fan as its my local team, Most football fans across the world support the team that is local to them.
 
I would disagree that the italian league is one of the biggest in the world as its not its probably more on par with the german bundesliga, the English Premier leauge and the Spanish La Liga are the two biggest leauges in the world based on viewers across the world and revenue.
 
I really could not say why americans have never embraced football, My guess would be they are a proud bunch and so choose to stick with their own sports which is fair enough, But the way I look at it if american football was allot more fun and exciting than real football more people across the world would adopt the sport but they dont, Football is by far the greatest sport in the world and all the facts support this whether it be viewers or revenue the stats dont lie.
 
Allot of people I know find American sports boring just like the americans think football is boring, yes maybe their is only an average of about 3 goals per 90mins(not 3hrs as someone mentioned, shows how much they know) but the skill level in football is way higher than its is in American sports IMO, its allot easier to do something with you hand than it is with your foot, But i have supported and played football all my life so of course i am biased towards it, I love most sports so if i enjoyed more american sports i would say and i have tried to watch them, Maybe if i moved to the U.S it would be different i would probably start going to see a local team then supporting it.
 
Also those stupid horns are not a big part of football at all, they are not used in any stadiums across europe(maybe the odd one here and there) and you will never here them in an english match, You will here songs,cheers etc, the atmosphere at an english football match is unmatched in anything, the vuvulvuvuvuv whatever its called is a african tradition so for that "writter" to mention it as if every match has them just shows the lack of knowledge and research that guy did.
 
Its always makes me chuckle hearing someone say football is a sissys game considering  basketball for instance is based on a womens sport netball, even american football is a variation of rugby which is much more manly than american football, you dont see no huge plastic pads and helmets in rugby, Baseball is basically rounders, And Nascar is just terrible, I get the feeling they enjoy that because they have a chance at seeing a terrible car crash.
 
Also about the lack of goals, I think a game like basketball becomes a bit meaningless when its 97-117, The game is boring IMO, it goes like this you score, i score, you score, you miss, i score etc etc etc, During a game the cheering for a basket gets less and less untill the end when the last few baskets become more meaningful, American football is ok but the amount of time that is spent setting up the teams and actually not play football is crazy.
 
I like americans and aplaud the fact they have their traditions and sports and choose to stick with them just like we do, Everybody to their own.

Wait, did that post start off with making fun of football and then end with saying it's a great sport for anyone else...?

keep it up guys...this is some of the funniest shit I've read in a while. 
 
and for those that think 'soccer' matches aren't violent...you should check out the cup final rangers vs celtic....even the managers were fighting......

Who gives a sizzling shit about what Americunts think?  I hate Scoccer bawl ad have no interists in it.   All americants think is how many beefgurbers can I have in the interval and get home and firing six shootars and robbing anyone with darks kins of theyr oils.

I luv fußball.

@NickL said:

@Evilv6 said:

@NickL: I don't see how Latin American football players whine more than European players, have you seen a Barça match? Anyways, lol indeed at the 3 hours games guy

I never said european players don't ever whine, I just said they are far less prone to doing it then latin players.

You should qualify European players as just players who play in English leagues (mostly) and as much as I hate him for it, watching Sergio Biscuits crumble is hilarious. Spanish and South American who scream Gooooaaaaalll! need to have a knife rammed down their throat, I can see If I was an American hearing that would make me hate it regardless of quality. (More than likely low)   - Hardgamer's mini-bio is intense. Jesus

I'm from America and I thought soccer was a real sport. I played it when I was a kid but it just wasn't my thing then... also not my thing now. What's the problem?

If you think you're watching violence with American Football try watching Rugby. 

Football cannot be accepted in the US because you're shit it at it

I think an important aspect of the lower scoring in football is that due to the fact that you're not likely to see many goals in a match each goal is much more meaningful as a result. The ecstasy and dopamine/adrenaline release in watching you team score the winning goal in the last minute of a 1-0 match is on a far greater level to some random score in a basketball game. Some guy brought up the final score in a basketball game being 97-117, how many of those scores were actually meaningful? I strongly doubt people feel much resonance each score due simply to the repetitive nature of it. At least that's my take on low scoring sports Vs. high scoring ones.
 
@shadystx: 
I agree with most of your points except for the one about the atmosphere in English football being the best. It's not. I wish it was because I'm primarily an English football fan but it just doesn't compare to some atmospheres in South America and especially those in Germany and Eastern Europe. Seriously, look up some videos of football derbies in Eastern Europe on Youtube. It's insane. Hope Newcastle make some decent signings this summer :P

One of the greatest sporting moments was Landon Donovan's last minute screamer against Algeria in the World Cup last year. It's a shame he's getting on a bit because he's pretty much the best player on the USMNT.

@PenguinDust said:

Americans are only interested in sports we invented.  Baseball, basketball, American football.  End story.

Technically Canada made basketball, the Canadian that made it just moved to the US when he made it.

One of the greatest sporting moments was Landon Donovan's last minute screamer against Algeria in the World Cup last year. It's a shame he's getting on a bit because he's pretty much the best player on the USMNT.

Football is fun to watch, soccer is not, that is all.

@HandsomeDead said:

One of the greatest sporting moments was Landon Donovan's last minute screamer against Algeria in the World Cup last year. It's a shame he's getting on a bit because he's pretty much the best player on the USMNT.

Momentous occasion. But wasn't that goal pretty much a tap-in if I recall correctly? Hardly worthy of being dubbed a ''screamer''.

MY SPORT IS BETTER THAN YOUR SPORT. 

@Hardgamer:   As an American sports fan who knows a lot of other American sports fans I think my opinion might be reasonable on this topic.  I don't think American sports fans consider soccer to be a non-real sport.  We certainly understand that it is obviously a valid sport.  Those that don't are idiots.  But many of us just don't like watching it.  I know I personally don't like watching it because of the rampant flopping that I see.  I can't count how many times I see a soccer player clearly feigning an injury to get the officials' attention.  It is classless and is irritating to watch as a spectator.  But as for sports fans (I can't account for non-sports fans) in America we consider soccer to be a sport just as much as soccer fans.

From America here and honestly I can name NO US soccer teams, cities with a soccer team or anything. There is never advertisements or banners or anything here for our soccer teams! I didn't even know we had a league til 2006 during that world cup thingy! In 2010 during the thing in Africa though there was a LOT of attention to it and had a LOT of games taking up air time instead of showing baseball etc. So maybe it will become big soon with that who knows but if they actually showed up etc. then I would care.  
 
Also to all those NASCAR things its getting really unpopular here, IRL is taking over and F1 would have too if they resigned to make a race here.. 

I feel like a pariah. I detest watching American football due to the downtime between EVERY SINGLE PLAY!! Goddamnit! Soccer/football isn't any better with slow play, looong periods of nothing happening, people grabbing their face when they take a ball to the shin, etc.  Why soccer/football is the biggest sport is beyond me. 
 
I prefer watching rugby, K-1 and obscure competitions like that. Don't ask me why, I just like it. The All Blacks' Haka is a powerful. 

@Hardgamer:   As an American sports fan who knows a lot of other American sports fans I think my opinion might be reasonable on this topic.  I don't think American sports fans consider soccer to be a non-real sport.  We certainly understand that it is obviously a valid sport.  Those that don't are idiots.  But many of us just don't like watching it.  I know I personally don't like watching it because of the rampant flopping that I see.  I can't count how many times I see a soccer player clearly feigning an injury to get the officials' attention.  It is classless and is irritating to watch as a spectator.  But as for sports fans (I can't account for non-sports fans) in America we consider soccer to be a sport just as much as soccer fans.

@JasonR86 said:

@Hardgamer:   As an American sports fan who knows a lot of other American sports fans I think my opinion might be reasonable on this topic.  I don't think American sports fans consider soccer to be a non-real sport.  We certainly understand that it is obviously a valid sport.  Those that don't are idiots.  But many of us just don't like watching it.  I know I personally don't like watching it because of the rampant flopping that I see.  I can't count how many times I see a soccer player clearly feigning an injury to get the officials' attention.  It is classless and is irritating to watch as a spectator.  But as for sports fans (I can't account for non-sports fans) in America we consider soccer to be a sport just as much as soccer fans.

Also a valid point I forgot about the flopping in it! Heck in US sports if you see people do it the team gets penitalized for it! 

I have nothing against soccer, but as a hockey fan.. it's just a slower version of hockey, without hitting, to me.

@PeasForFees said:

@NickL said:

@Evilv6 said:

@NickL: I don't see how Latin American football players whine more than European players, have you seen a Barça match? Anyways, lol indeed at the 3 hours games guy

I never said european players don't ever whine, I just said they are far less prone to doing it then latin players.

You should qualify European players as just players who play in English leagues (mostly) and as much as I hate him for it, watching Sergio Biscuits crumble is hilarious. Spanish and South American who scream Gooooaaaaalll! need to have a knife rammed down their throat, I can see If I was an American hearing that would make me hate it regardless of quality. (More than likely low)   - Hardgamer's mini-bio is intense. Jesus

YES! OH GOD PLEASE DO THIS!

@supermike6: Your right, sorry I tarnished this intelligent debate.