[The CEO]

I don't know what your comment about 'anybody liking soccer, it should be you' means, but it doesn't mean anything to me now, as I have no idea what it's supposed to mean, lol.
Comparing Ricky Martin or Lady Gaga is also a cheap shot. People around the world like bad music, generally if sport around the world is popular, it's usually for a reason, and bad sports are never popular, unlike bad music, which can be popular. So while I understand you comparing soccer to those pop artists is another cheap shot (surprise, surprise).

Look, I don't have a problem if someone doesn't like the sport. I just find it funny when people suggest it needs some changes, so it can suit the minority (ie-you). It's going along perfectly, the sport is dominated world wide and doing something right. It doesn't need too much changing.

There are sports like MMA, NFL and such that maybe doesn't appeal to me strongly. Is there something wrong with the sport? Not necessarily, maybe, just maybe it could be that the problem is on my end. I may not have the patience or something. It just doesn't appeal to me. Doesn't mean something is wrong with the sport and I am going to start saying what needs to change in the sport (despite it flourishing and me being in the minority).
That's all I'm saying. Some people seem to think that if the sport doesn't appeal to them, there is automatically a problem with the sport, when in fact it just isn't for you.
I suppose the same thing if someone tried to tell you that beer sucks and something is wrong with it. Maybe you would feel that the person just doesn't like beer, but the guy would be an idiot if he started saying that they need a more 'sweet' flavour, more like a soft drink so it can appeal to him.
You know what beer drinkers would say? Get fucked, beer is fine the way it is, the rest of the world loves it. The problem is you and you not enjoying it, not the beverage itself.
That's all I'm getting at, and why I laugh when people point out what needs to change in something that is so dominant and by a country mile.

Well...I didn't tell YOU to get fucked or type out paragraphs worth of rebuttal when you said Beer was piss, did I?...lol...I simply told you that you might wanna try styles of Beer other than Pale Lagers...lol

and fyi, I don't feel it's a cheap shot calling Soccer the Lady Gaga of sports...I think it's a very good and funny comparison...so popular, overly dramatic, and made with an emphasis to have a Global appeal....


You're trying to make it sound like Americans who don't think Soccer is great have the problem...you can say that...I don't care....but the fact of the matter is that most of us grew up around "The Big 3"...Football, Basketball, and Baseball...that's what we're mainly exposed to and offered growing up....

Most Americans really DO NOT give a shit about the sport and don't care to give it a chance...that's the God's honest truth...and that's understandable as it's barely showcased around here...

I've personally given a shit and tried to care, and I STILL can't get the fever though...lol...that's all there is to it...


As far as changes...look at what Lloyd said earlier...as a self confessed, REAL Soccer fan...he admitted it needs some changing...I'm sure you can concede that as well...

[rusty_trombone]

Well...I didn't tell YOU to get fucked or type out paragraphs worth of rebuttal when you said Beer was piss, did I?...lol...I simply told you that you might wanna try styles of Beer other than Pale Lagers...lol

and fyi, I don't feel it's a cheap shot calling Soccer the Lady Gaga of sports...I think it's a very good and funny comparison...so popular, overly dramatic, and made with an emphasis to have a Global appeal....


You're trying to make it sound like Americans who don't think Soccer is great have the problem...you can say that...I don't care....but the fact of the matter is that most of us grew up around "The Big 3"...Football, Basketball, and Baseball...that's what we're mainly exposed to and offered growing up....

Most Americans really DO NOT give a shit about the sport and don't care to give it a chance...that's the God's honest truth...and that's understandable as it's barely showcased around here...

I've personally given a shit and tried to care, and I STILL can't get the fever though...lol...that's all there is to it...


As far as changes...look at what Lloyd said earlier...as a self confessed, REAL Soccer fan...he admitted it needs some changing...I'm sure you can concede that as well...

I gotta tell you CEO, I've been to a lot of cool sporting events in my time, but the single coolest one(and maybe the most awesome thing I've ever done) was seeing Fiorentina play Liverpool in FLorence in a Champions League match. It was by far the best sporting event I have ever been to.

[The CEO]

Now, let me get this shit straight. Are you defending the fact that FIFA continues to refuse to utilize the most basic technology to avoid a comedy of errors like what happened today?

Do you enjoy watching grown men roll around on the ground acting like they just got shot in order to get their opponent penalized, then jump up and go score a goal?

Are you satisfied with the ludicrous preponderance of ties in the round robin phase of the World Cup?

I have admitted repeatedly that I am not a soccer expert. However, I have been playing it since I was in 4th grade, the first year it was introduced into California public schools. We won the first three elementary school city championships thanks to a PE coach that had played in college and my neighbor who was a half Dutch and Indonesian immigrant. There are more serious soccer fans in America than most guys around here realize. I'm watching Portland v Tampa Bay right now.

None of that makes me an expert. But I can tell you this; the abominations that happened today are not unlike the Whittaker v Chavez Jr draw. They drain life out of the sport for me. There is 0 excuse for that shit. It is disgusting.

We can all sit here and conclude that the superior teams won. That is a sick joke. England's goal would have tied the game in the blink of an eye. England had come roaring back. If the goal had been allowed, nobody can determine what might have happened. England may have steamrolled the Germans. What if England's goal had been allowed and one of Germany's goals had been disallowed?

And the utter bullshit suggesting that Argentina is just that good based on today's performance is sickening. The Mexicans had played them even until that offsides goal. In fact, in my opinion they had outplayed the Baby Blue up until then. If not for the illegal goal, the game was only 2-1. What if that had given Mexico the 1st goal? Would the Mexican defender have made the absentminded blunder he did?

Today's events undermine the legitimacy of the World Cup.

By the way, one of the reasons I enjoy watching soccer is that it is non-stop. No commercial obstructions. I also love American Football but the commercial interruptions are so frequent that it is hard to watch a whole game these days. It is also distressing that the commercials are often more memorable than even the championship game itself.

Some good stuff in there...

and I wanna add this...I haven't REALLY followed ANY sport other than Boxing and MMA for almost 20 years!...so it's not only Soccer that doesn't do it for me...I don't get the fever for Football, Basketball, OR Baseball anymore (I played all 3 for many years and was a highly regarded prospect in the latter)....I might go through fleeting phases where I watch some Grand Slam Tennis or Golf, and play those sports even...those are good sports by me...but my interest for them never lasts...

It's strictly Fighting for me...nothing comes close to a great fight.

[The CEO]

I gotta tell you CEO, I've been to a lot of cool sporting events in my time, but the single coolest one(and maybe the most awesome thing I've ever done) was seeing Fiorentina play Liverpool in FLorence in a Champions League match. It was by far the best sporting event I have ever been to.

I'm sure that was cool, and I could have fun at an event like that....but then again, I'm the type of person who can have fun at a Cancer Fund Raiser...LMAO

and while I'm LMAO...what you said reminds me of how people have told me I would love Nascar if I went to a race live...once again, I would probably have fun...but I can guarantee you I wouldn't become a fan of Racing...

It really all boils down to my Hater Nature...I'm a fan of very few things...lol

[SmartyBeardo]

Some good stuff in there...

and I wanna add this...I haven't REALLY followed ANY sport other than Boxing and MMA for almost 20 years!...so it's not only Soccer that doesn't do it for me...I don't get the fever for Football, Basketball, OR Baseball anymore (I played all 3 for many years and was a highly regarded prospect in the latter)....I might go through fleeting phases where I watch some Grand Slam Tennis or Golf, and play those sports even...those are good sports by me...but my interest for them never lasts...

It's strictly Fighting for me...nothing comes close to a great fight.

You know Boss, your are correct. It is good to be back to the fight game, warts and all.

[Mean Mister Must...]

I'm sorry...I know some of you grew up on El Futbol and follow it religiously....you should know this isn't a personal jab at all....only a fair and honest opinion...

If any American should dig Soccer, it would be me....some of you that really know me behind the scenes could probably vouch for that...

but just because the world likes a Ricky Martin or a Lady Gaga the best....it doesn't mean I have to like them too...lol

Lord knows I've tried...in fact, I believe Soccer has gotten worse and worse over the past few decades...the bad acting and stalling is running rampant now...it used to be not nearly as prevalent...

The difference between Football and pop stars is that the pop stars are adored mostly by teenagers and their fame will more than likely fizzle out. Soccer has been the #1 sport in the world for decades and millions have the capacity to enjoy the finer aspects of it. Actually if you think about it, conventional wisdom says that it shouldn't really be popular because of the points you presented. And yet it is.

[STEVENSKI]

STEVENSKI, give yourself a pat on the back. Thanks to the mighty Germans putting on a footballing clinic, it will indeed, once again be, A.B.E!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drinks.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drinks.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drinks.gif)

England deserved everything they got. That is balance for them getting a goal that was not a goal in the 66 final against the Germans.

England you are a bunch of never will be's & your nation should be ashamed of you & your performance. You are so pathetic you cannot even produce a national coach that is English but rely on a import.

ABE ABE ABE ABE


(IMG:http://www.sumosamtshirts.co.uk/ekmps/shops/sumosam/images/anyone-but-england-t-shirt-kelly-green--762-p.gif)

[Guest_Fitz_*]

Now, let me get this shit straight. Are you defending the fact that FIFA continues to refuse to utilize the most basic technology to avoid a comedy of errors like what happened today?

Errors happen. I could say the same thing about boxing not utilising basic technology either, but I still love it. I take the good with the bad, mistakes happen and you being a boxing fan should know this and I should not have to explain it to you.

Do you enjoy watching grown men roll around on the ground acting like they just got shot in order to get their opponent penalized, then jump up and go score a goal?

I don't think anybody enjoys that part of the game. I am not really against diving, people need to do, what they need to do. Though I do become disgusted if it's blatant and over dramatic. I don't mind players diving if they disguise it well and do it discretely. Just like I don't have a problem with fighters throwing low blows, or using elbows if they disguise it. When it is blatant, obvious and no disguising it, I don't like it.
I think people need to understand that in soccer as well, scoring is a lot harder to come by, which is why they dive more as it matters more to them. That said, I don't enjoy that aspect, and not many people do.

Are you satisfied with the ludicrous preponderance of ties in the round robin phase of the World Cup?

Newbie question, but will answer it anyways. Yes, draws are fine. People just don't fucking understand the sport, which is why I go back to some people just being too simple. First off, soccer has many different formats. They have leagues, group stages and knockout tournaments. Not all games can end in draws, and if you knew, you would know that only draws occur in the first group stage. After that, there are no draws.
Like I said, it isn't like basketball. Scoring doesn't come frequently. They play 90 minutes, and in some cases, at the end of 90 minutes, if a winner isn't declared. Both teams get 1 point, and that is fine if the group stage. What do you want them to do? Play another 90 minutes or keep going until a score occurs?
If your suggestion is going into penalties in the group stage, that's a dumb idea. Nobody likes penalties, it's basically a 50/50, and no way to do it in group stages.
Win = 3 points
Draw = 1 point
Loss = 0 points

In the group stage, the team with the most points win, if you are on the same number of points, the team with the most goals or the best goal difference (Goals for - Goals against). Explain to me how this scoring system doesn't work?
I would much prefer this, than to shitty teams luck out on penalties in the group stage.

None of that makes me an expert. But I can tell you this; the abominations that happened today are not unlike the Whittaker v Chavez Jr draw. They drain life out of the sport for me. There is 0 excuse for that shit. It is disgusting.

I can jot down about 50 inexcusable things that have occurred in boxing. Maybe that will help you walk away from the sport? I'm not defending mistakes, but oh the irony and the cheek you have to criticise one errors, and out of all sports, you follow fucking boxing. Please.

We can all sit here and conclude that the superior teams won. That is a sick joke. England's goal would have tied the game in the blink of an eye. England had come roaring back. If the goal had been allowed, nobody can determine what might have happened. England may have steamrolled the Germans. What if England's goal had been allowed and one of Germany's goals had been disallowed?

Saw the goal and it was a bad mistake, and I'm not condoning it. But once again, what about knockdowns in boxing that aren't scored knockdowns, what about when Cintron got stopped by Martinez and said it was a headbut (when it was clearly a punch). Is this the type of scenario where you would say:

"SmartyBeardo - Now, let me get this shit straight. Are you defending the fact that FIFA continues to refuse to utilize the most basic technology to avoid a comedy of errors like what happened today?"

Do you think boxing could have utilised the most basic technology to determine the outcome of that fight?

And the utter bullshit suggesting that Argentina is just that good based on today's performance is sickening. The Mexicans had played them even until that offsides goal. In fact, in my opinion they had outplayed the Baby Blue up until then. If not for the illegal goal, the game was only 2-1. What if that had given Mexico the 1st goal? Would the Mexican defender have made the absentminded blunder he did?

Cool, so you think Mexico outplayed Argentina for like the first 1/4 of a full game, haha. Argentina win 3-1 and you are suggesting this? Talk about grasping at straws. Man, I don't care whether you like the sport or not. It clearly isn't for you, and I have gathered that from this little discussion.
You just don't understand it/and or like it. That's fine. It's easier to just walk away from it, rather than tell me how they should fix the game that is the most dominant sport in the world, and the biggest sporting event (World Cup) by a country mile so the minority can find it more enjoyable (ie-you).

[Guest_Fitz_*]

Well...I didn't tell YOU to get fucked or type out paragraphs worth of rebuttal when you said Beer was piss, did I?...lol...I simply told you that you might wanna try styles of Beer other than Pale Lagers...lol

lol, I see you remember me saying that I don't like beer. I can't remember if I explained myself in the thread as it was a while ago. But I like beer (not a fan of the Euro stuff....which I bet surprises you, lol). I actually do like beer, I just don't like it anywhere near as much as most beer drinkers. Can't drink it for the entire night like some, after a while I just need a switch to spirits. I can drink it, and I do like it. I just need to eventually stop with beer after I have had a few,

and fyi, I don't feel it's a cheap shot calling Soccer the Lady Gaga of sports...I think it's a very good and funny comparison...so popular, overly dramatic, and made with an emphasis to have a Global appeal....

Well, I felt it was, lol. Pop singers are usually used as an insult in the music industry. You point out Britney Spears, Ricky Martin and so on to point out that the music is good, because it's popular. That is usually an insult in the music industry, when you have respected musicians. I felt that's what you were going for. You didn't say it in so many words, but I felt you were more saying.......It's like Ricky Martin, just because it's popular around the world, doesn't make it good, and clearly comparing other sports to maybe something like a Pink Floyd or someone respected and 'good'.
Like I said, you didn't say it in those words. But you are a smart guy, I am a smart guy. I know you are good at giving good subtle backhanders, lol, and I am not dumb either, I can pick them up. I'm about 95% sure that, this is what you were trying to get at. But if it wasn't and I misjudged it, I apologise. But we are both adults, I think we both know that I was on the right track, lol.

You're trying to make it sound like Americans who don't think Soccer is great have the problem...you can say that...I don't care....but the fact of the matter is that most of us grew up around "The Big 3"...Football, Basketball, and Baseball...that's what we're mainly exposed to and offered growing up....

Yes I am saying that, and you don't need to explain it to me. Australians were/are EXACTLY the same you guys are, though I must admit, they are improving and having a little more appreciation of soccer. Here in Australia, the big 3 are aussie rules, rugby and cricket. So you aren't much different to us. I have said the same thing about Australian's. We always used to hear, and still do hear the things that yourself and others have been saying, and it's why I said that the problem isn't the sport, the problem is you (not you directly).
When I say that, I say it that you just don't enjoy the sport. Nothing wrong with that. I don't aspects of the NFL that I have stated before (though I am a little ignorant on the sport), but I'm not going to say what needs to be changed. I could understand if people were pointing out problems and how to fix things in a struggling sport so more people can tune in and watch it. But like I said, this is the most popular sport and has been forever. Nothing needs drastic changing, if you don't like the sport, maybe it just isn't for you? Though I just always kind of find it funny, when people suggest things on how to fix something, that is already so dominant so the minority can enjoy.
I go back to what I was saying earlier. If I wanted people to go fix beer so I can enjoy it more, or maybe make blue cheese a little sweeter so I can like it more. Clearly, so many people enjoy it so something must be right. But I don't like it.....guess what? Maybe the problem is me? That's all I'm getting at.

Most Americans really DO NOT give a shit about the sport and don't care to give it a chance...that's the God's honest truth...and that's understandable as it's barely showcased around here...

And I believe you, though it doesn't make it a bad sport. Like I said, it's not much different to Australia. I don't even watch Australian soccer because it's garbage. Your league is probably garbage as well. All the great players go to England, Spain and Italy to play, which is the world stage.
I suppose think about it as your NBA. You get all the players, basketball leagues in other countries are probably no where near as enjoyable because the quality is much lower.
That's not to say that if you did have all the world class players, you would enjoy it. But keep in mind, that the highest level of club soccer is played at a higher level than the teams in the World Cup.

I've personally given a shit and tried to care, and I STILL can't get the fever though...lol...that's all there is to it...

That's good that you gave it a shot. It wasn't for you? No big deal, it isn't for everyone.

As far as changes...look at what Lloyd said earlier...as a self confessed, REAL Soccer fan...he admitted it needs some changing...I'm sure you can concede that as well...

Define changing? If it means harsher penalties on diving and things as such. I agree. If you are getting at what Smarty was getting at before about draws, absolutely not.

Also, I am not trying to argue with people who don't like the sport. I really don't care whether people like the sport or not. I more have a problem with people who troll, or keep saying how bad the sport is, and what's wrong with it (not being constructive or having a debate).
I suppose it's the same thing, if we get an MMA guy come into a boxing discussion and tell us how bad and boring boxing is, what's wrong with it, what needs to change, they aren't real fighters as it isn't street fighting and so on. That's what it's like with some people. They don't want to come here, have a discussion about it, they just want to come in here and tell you how bad it is. I think there is a difference.
The other thing is, and I'm not just talking about this thread on this forum (but it is the case here). You pretty much can't have a soccer thread or discussion without people coming in and trolling it and pointing out flaws. Yet you can have basketball, NFL threads and so on without soccer snobs going in there and trolling it.

[PR316]

Holland vs Slovakia about to be on. Backing the Dutch in this one.