Soccer et. al.: Which is the Best Spectator Sport?

[woodlands]

The best sports to watch, purely on the merits of their rules and styles of play, given all things equal (your knowledge and history watching it, how talented the players are, the venue, etc.) are in my opinion:

1. Gaelic Rules Football/Australian Rules Football
2. Rugby
3. Lacrosse, indoor
4. Lacrosse, outdoor
5. Ice hockey
6. Soccer, indoor
7. Soccer, outdoor
8. Basketball, NCAA rules
9. Basketball, NBA rules

Here are the aspects that I gave preference to:

- Is the play continuous (not stopped every few seconds)?
- Does it require speed?
- Does it require endurance?
- Does it require strength?
- Are there bone-crunching impacts and players knocked on their asses?
- Does it require teamwork?
- Does it require creativity?
- Would a "lard ass" like Babe Ruth be unsuccessful at it?
- Would a "human mountain" like Refrigerator Perry be unsuccessful?
- Would a "sissy boy" like 148-pound Landon Donovan be unsuccessful?
- Would the players be considered "total" and well-rounded athletes?
- Does it not require any sort of artificial device like a stick or skates?

And here are my picks for women's sports:

1. Soccer, women's
2. Field hockey
3. Lacrosse, women's
4. Basketball, women's

[MNAFETSC]

So a sport that averages over 67 k spectators on the pro level and 46 k spectators on the college level cant be considered one of the best spectator sports?

[woodlands]

So a sport that averages over 67 k spectators on the pro level and 46 k spectators on the college level cant be considered one of the best spectator sports?

I grew up watching gridiron ball and that's where my deepest fan history goes. But, as a spectator sport, it sucks. We watch a 3-hour game and 90% of it is watching players walk to and from the huddle, the line of scrimmage, and the sidelines. Without instant replays, it would be nearly unbearable.

It's also a flawed sport in so many ways; the offense and defense are really 2 different teams (not including special teams, which is a 3rd and 4th "team"). These guys never take the field at the same time. How they can even say they're truly on the same "team"? In the old days, the same players would play both offense and defense.

And with the line of scrimmage and the stoppage on downs, you can have these "human mountain" slobs on the defensive and offensive lines who couldn't run a couple miles around a track without finishing in under an hour or avoiding a heart attack. Those aren't real "athletes". They're human walls. More like cattle or horses. And watching them slam into each other, while entertaining, is more like Sumo Wrestling than a true team sport. They're not even allowed to touch the ball unless it's a fumble. How can they truly be "ball players" if they never touch the actual ball itself???

And the whole point-scoring by kicking (field goals and extra points) just doesn't fit in with the rest of the game. It's very much a separate game within a game. Very confusing and "disconnected". Like a "side show". In the old days, some of the quarterbacks would also punt - at least that was a step up toward connecting everything.

To someone who didn't grow up watching gridiron football like we did, it must seem like a bizarre series of disconnected rituals. If it weren't for the bone-crunching impacts and intermittent sprints, no one would watch it all. I still love it because I grew up on it and it's in my blood, but as a spectator sport, it stinks compared to the ones I listed above.

[Fanaddict]

Australian rules football where you punt the ball through goalposts to score the middle two worth more points is a stupid game. no goalie, no saves, can't stand it.
rugby- no plays like gridiron no forward passing, stupid scrum can't stand it.
lacrosse and hockey ball goes so fast you can't really see ball go into the net most of the time -you can have them.

[Justin O]

The best sports to watch, purely on the merits of their rules and styles of play,

You can't base something on "the merits of their rules and styles of play" when that something is completely subjective and a matter of opinion.

[woodlands]

You can't base something on "the merits of their rules and styles of play" when that something is completely subjective and a matter of opinion.

I judged pro spectator sports based on the criteria I subjectively selected, and I listed those criteria to show how I made my picks. For example, if you value players "doing nothing for hours except getting a suntan while standing in the outfield", then baseball would be your #1 spectator sport. Maybe golf would be your #2. What are your top spectator sports, and what criteria do you favor?

[bigredfutbol]

What was your criteria for putting this thread in the "MLS: General" forum?

[Callum_nufc]

Football (soccer), american football, rugby are all great spectator sports, If they are interesting and you have fun watching them then that makes them great spectator sports.

[woodlands]

Australian rules football where you punt the ball through goalposts to score the middle two worth more points is a stupid game. no goalie, no saves, can't stand it.


Actually, they have that "Gaelic Football" in Ireland which is similar to Australian Rules Football, but they have a soccer goal. You get 3 points for scoring a (soccer) goal, and 1 point for kicking it over the crossbar. The have a goalkeeper and everything.

[Mountainia]

I judged pro spectator sports based on the criteria I subjectively selected, and I listed those criteria to show how I made my picks. For example, if you value players "doing nothing for hours except getting a suntan while standing in the outfield", then baseball would be your #1 spectator sport. Maybe golf would be your #2. What are your top spectator sports, and what criteria do you favor?

You are engaged in a quixotian task. To objectively rate something as purely subjective as enjoyment.

[obie]

The answer depends on whether you're talking about watching something in person or on TV.

NHL hockey is a fabulous live sport, as good as top-flight club soccer. TV can never match the live in-person experience of a Stanley Cup Finals game. The NHL is the league that could benefit the most from HD, but sadly, Bettman has squandered all good opportunities to increase the NHL's TV footprint.

NFL football is the greatest sport to watch on TV. Every change that both the NFL and NCAA football have made over the past 20 years has been about improving the game's TV viewability, and all networks have billions of dollars invested in it. As a result the production quality on the major networks is insanely good.

[woodlands]

What was your criteria for putting this thread in the "MLS: General" forum?

Spawned from a discussion in an MLS-related thread about which is more entertaining as a spectator sport: gridiron football or soccer. Or other more popular American pro sports like basketball and hockey.

It all connects to what kind of a "sellable product" MLS has. If it's truly a more entertaining product than these other American sports, it should eventually replace them in popularity.

[JoseP]

Boxing.

[Ismitje]

As this is about soccer and sports broadly rather than MLS, I am moving it to where soccer (The Beautiful Game!) is discussed in a wide context. Carry on.

[Martininho]

As this is about soccer and sports broadly rather than MLS, I am moving it to where soccer (The Beautiful Game!) is discussed in a wide context. Carry on.

Thank you. Good choice.
Leaving aside the other arguments (and I love football. Association Rules, American Rules, aka gridiron, Aussie Rules, Rugby, etc.) The only football I have never actually played is Gaelic, and I would submit that a post that delineates indoor/outdoor Lacrosse is doing an injustice to both Gaelic and Aussie Rules by linking them together.

Please carry on.

[mrtandy]

In my opinion only.
1. Association Football.
2. Cricket.
3. Baseball.
4. Rugby League.
5. American Football.
6. Ice Hockey.
7. Hockey.
.
53. Rugby Union
.
.
999. Basketball.

[LoudCrowd]

Hockey and Soccer cause goals are so significant and do not come too often, therefore you stay glued to the action and on edge. These sports also stop alot less than others.

Worst is Basketball and Baseball. American Football can be a pain in the ass with all the stoppages.

[devioustrevor]

I haven't been able to watch a full game of baseball on TV since the player strike in '94.

Personally, I think College Basketball is the most exciting spectator sport. Especially during the NCAA tournament in March. The most exciting game in any sport I've ever watched was the Gonzaga-Arizona game a couple years ago that Arizona won 98-96 in either double or triple overtime. I couldn't take my eyes off the television.

The Inter-Dynamo Kyiv game in the Champions League a few years ago (played in Kyiv ended 1-1) was the most exciting soccer game I've ever watched.

[woodlands]

and I would submit that a post that delineates indoor/outdoor Lacrosse is doing an injustice to both Gaelic and Aussie Rules by linking them together.

Agreed. I actually initially had them as separate listings, but I was afraid no one had ever heard of Gaelic Football, so I lumped it in with its cousin Aussie Rules. I originally favored Gaelic as #1 because it had the goalkeeper and the real soccer goals. But then I learned that Gaelic doesn't have all the bone-crunching of Aussie Rules. So I think I'd have to put Gaelic as #2. If they could get rid of those high posts (field goals or whatever) and just make it soccer goals, and keep all the bone-crunching, that might very well be the perfect sport. It would sort of be like "soccer with no rules" - where you could use your hands or feet to move the ball, and you could knock opponents flat on their arses. I guess it would be like that ancient MesoAmerican game, or like football as played in ancient Europe. Maybe they could call it "Ultimate Football", kind of like that Ultimate Fighting stuff that is so popular now.

[Martininho]

Agreed. I actually initially had them as separate listings, but I was afraid no one had ever heard of Gaelic Football, so I lumped it in with its cousin Aussie Rules. I originally favored Gaelic as #1 because it had the goalkeeper and the real soccer goals. But then I learned that Gaelic doesn't have all the bone-crunching of Aussie Rules. So I think I'd have to put Gaelic as #2. If they could get rid of those high posts (field goals or whatever) and just make it soccer goals, and keep all the bone-crunching, that might very well be the perfect sport. It would sort of be like "soccer with no rules" - where you could use your hands or feet to move the ball, and you could knock opponents flat on their arses. I guess it would be like that ancient MesoAmerican game, or like football as played in ancient Europe. Maybe they could call it "Ultimate Football", kind of like that Ultimate Fighting stuff that is so popular now.

That's a hoot. Long before I ever saw a match, an English coach of ours was giving a lecture on the history of football. I paraphrase; "Then there are other forms...Australian rules, which of course means that there are none." :) I couldn't wait to see a match after that one, and when I did (early ESPN), it was as good as advertised!!! :D