Americans and 'Soccer'

Joe · 05-30-2006, 04:26 PM

Took this snippet from an article that I read, just shows you how insular Americans really are....

.......Soccer has entrenched itself well in America, not only among men but among women also. The first women's teams were formed in England in the 1880's and participation has expanded dramatically. (1000 Years of Football Trivia) More and more women are playing every year. In America, the women's national team is enjoying much more success than the men. In 1991 the US Women’s National Team captured the first ever FIFA Women's World Championship in China with a 2-1 win over Norway on November 30. This was the only time an American team had ever won a world title. In the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta the women's team won the gold medal. Now more programs are being started for young girls to have their own soccer team to play on. These "feeder" programs help increase the level of play in high school and college. This in turn helps the sport’s popularity.

We have all seen it, heard it, and read it. Soccer isn't a "real" sport. Soccer is boring. Soccer is only for geeky, gym-class kids with pocket-protectors and thick glasses. Soccer is a foreign game for hooligan, drunken psycho-fans. Soccer is just plain un-American. Just before the 1994 World Cup, Mike Barnacle of the Boston Globe described soccer as "a mindless sport where hordes of incomprehensible athletes run aimlessly in a circle until everyone is dehydrated and, finally, some guy uses his skull to score a touchdown." (American Attitudes Toward Soccer) No other sport is treated to such consistent degradation in the press. Tom Weir wrote in USA Today in December 1993, that "hating soccer is more American than apple pie, driving a pickup, or spending Saturday afternoons channel surfing with the remote control." (American Attitudes Toward Soccer) What is it about soccer that generates this degradation? What is often called "soccer bashing" is really based on century-old notions that branded football as the manly, American games, while soccer was either a sport for immigrants or a sport for fitness.....

Homer MacSimpson · 05-30-2006, 05:23 PM

Unbelievable!!!!

Lets americanize football so the yanks can understand it.

The Goalie is now The Goal Tender.

A Header at goal is now a Head Shot.

Anyone got anymore?

beartons · 05-30-2006, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homer MacSimpson

Unbelievable!!!!

Lets americanize football so the yanks can understand it.

The Goalie is now The Goal Tender.

A Header at goal is now a Head Shot.

Anyone got anymore?

a cheeseburger is a cow with no horns! greedy b*******

Joe · 05-30-2006, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beartons

a cheeseburger is a cow with no horns! greedy b*******

LMAO.

hairy haggis · 05-30-2006, 06:21 PM

the problem is obviously summed up in those last few words. a sport for fitness. what self-respecting yank would admit to playing a game that that gets you fit? hey, they've spent whole lifetimes and on those guts, and cultivating games that last for four hours and lets everyone have a wee rest in between their shots. When they say 'real men' they quite clearly mean 'men with little or no neck' (what little there is should be med to dark red, natch). But a game for immigrants?! hello people!!!

Joe · 05-30-2006, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hairy haggis

the problem is obviously summed up in those last few words. a sport for fitness.

This is a very good point, in fact maybe that is why the Americans hate it so much.

American Football has more breaks than an English World Cup squad.

I am sure that Americans invented the phrase 'time out', maybe they should try and concentrate on 'time in' play and lose the bellies.

hairy haggis · 05-30-2006, 06:51 PM

but then when would everyone have time to drink their beer?

goldenHuddlestone · 08-13-2006, 09:24 PM

it seems to have been getting better recently. When Chelsea went their people seemd to know what they were talking about

05-30-2006, 04:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Joe Football Talk Admin Join Date: May 2006 Location: Glasgow Posts: 14,425 vCash: 500	Americans and 'Soccer' Took this snippet from an article that I read, just shows you how insular Americans really are.... .......Soccer has entrenched itself well in America, not only among men but among women also. The first women's teams were formed in England in the 1880's and participation has expanded dramatically. (1000 Years of Football Trivia) More and more women are playing every year. In America, the women's national team is enjoying much more success than the men. In 1991 the US Women’s National Team captured the first ever FIFA Women's World Championship in China with a 2-1 win over Norway on November 30. This was the only time an American team had ever won a world title. In the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta the women's team won the gold medal. Now more programs are being started for young girls to have their own soccer team to play on. These "feeder" programs help increase the level of play in high school and college. This in turn helps the sport’s popularity. We have all seen it, heard it, and read it. Soccer isn't a "real" sport. Soccer is boring. Soccer is only for geeky, gym-class kids with pocket-protectors and thick glasses. Soccer is a foreign game for hooligan, drunken psycho-fans. Soccer is just plain un-American. Just before the 1994 World Cup, Mike Barnacle of the Boston Globe described soccer as "a mindless sport where hordes of incomprehensible athletes run aimlessly in a circle until everyone is dehydrated and, finally, some guy uses his skull to score a touchdown." (American Attitudes Toward Soccer) No other sport is treated to such consistent degradation in the press. Tom Weir wrote in USA Today in December 1993, that "hating soccer is more American than apple pie, driving a pickup, or spending Saturday afternoons channel surfing with the remote control." (American Attitudes Toward Soccer) What is it about soccer that generates this degradation? What is often called "soccer bashing" is really based on century-old notions that branded football as the manly, American games, while soccer was either a sport for immigrants or a sport for fitness..... Thanks for visiting FootballTalk.org. You could register now and have your say.

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05-30-2006, 05:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
Homer MacSimpson Coach Potato Join Date: May 2006 Location: Springburn Posts: 125 vCash: 1381	Unbelievable!!!! Lets americanize football so the yanks can understand it. The Goalie is now The Goal Tender. A Header at goal is now a Head Shot. Anyone got anymore? D'oh

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05-30-2006, 06:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
hairy haggis Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 132 vCash: 0	the problem is obviously summed up in those last few words. a sport for fitness. what self-respecting yank would admit to playing a game that that gets you fit? hey, they've spent whole lifetimes and on those guts, and cultivating games that last for four hours and lets everyone have a wee rest in between their shots. When they say 'real men' they quite clearly mean 'men with little or no neck' (what little there is should be med to dark red, natch). But a game for immigrants?! hello people!!!

05-30-2006, 06:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
hairy haggis Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 132 vCash: 0	but then when would everyone have time to drink their beer?

08-13-2006, 09:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
goldenHuddlestone Admin Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 5,653 vCash: 480	it seems to have been getting better recently. When Chelsea went their people seemd to know what they were talking about