Oh Boy, Check Out This Soccer Basher

He's right when he says he's in the fast decreasing minority.

And he is right that he is entitled to his opinion. Everyone is entitled to one. There are still folks who believe that the earth is flat. But does anyone care about them? Do people start threads saying how upset and hurt they are because some people believe the earth is flat?

Well this guy is right up there with the flat earthers. Let's not glorify him by starting threads. Let him enjoy watching grass grow or paint drying or whatever he gets pleasure from.

For us, let's enjoy the greatest party on earth. It's halfway through. just 2 more weeks to go and it won't come again for another 4 years. Let's get drunk on the greatest sporting spectacle on earth and not let anyone spoil our enjoyment.

 

Exactly, though I was thinking more along the lines of the moon landing deniers.

 

We got a hater thread already lined up:
https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1446417

Can a Mod merge this into that please?

 

He would have a point if he didn't conveniently leave out facts that poke holes in his argument:

1) He compares NHL hockey players with flopping/faking Italian soccer players -- I wonder how tough native Italian ice hockey players are...

2) Americans and English and Germans are tough and physical players. They don't typically dive or fake injuries. You can hate fakers and like these teams at the same time -- I do!

3) Think the floppers and fakers represent the sport the most because they're the best in the world? Italy and France are going home. So maybe the play will be more palatable for people who hate that kind of garbage.

4) If flopping is inevitable in every match, then we are in for teams with respected pedigrees advancing by cheating. If FIFA allows this, then it truly is disgraceful to the sport -- which didn't use to be about pretty boys faking injuries...

But this WC has so many right things going for it in Rnd of 16: USA and other relative "minnows" showing that it's not just a game for ENG/SPA/ITA/BRA/& ARG; Italy and France have gone home; and Coach Bradley is coming out against flopping in press conferences. Maybe stuff like that will fall deaf on Sepp Blatter's French ears, but it at least shows our own media that our team hates it too and will win or lose by playing the game the RIGHT way! The way that hard-nosed immigrant factory workers and their sons played the game dating back to Fall River Marksmen and Bethlehem Steel. The heart and soul of this immigrant nation with a forgotten soccer past will power it's team and it's large community of new fans who value fairplay, hard work, and guts towards influencing how the game is officiated -- because you better believe FIFA wants a chunk of our full-time sports market like the NBA and MLB fall all over themselves to get a chunk of China's.
And THAT is what will drive the give and take between FIFA's status quo and our demands as sports fans.

And if this guy wants a pissing contest about who's tough, he should have dug a little deeper to hear about Jay Demerit lacerating his tongue and playing the full match against Algeria while swallowing his own blood. And, yeah, he got stitches put in on the bench -- after the game was over!

And that's the kind of hardass story the American public need to hear more about, to combat images of Carlos Teves writhing around on the ground in fake pain. That BS makes opinions like his justified.

 

I didn't read the whole article, just what was put up here but he basically says he doesn't like soccer, and the popularity the US soccer team has right now is a simple bandwagon excercise. Which I completely agree with. The general US public watching soccer every 4 years does nothing for the sport in this country. I mean a BILLION people in this country watch the Indy 500 or the Kentucky Derby, but neither Indy Car racing or horse racing is a sport I'd say has taken over the country nor ever will. Don't get me wrong, it's a strong move forward, but I have a feeling soccer will fall back down to #7 or 8 on American's favorite sports list after the world cup.

 

I think that's most likely the case. But if you read the whole article, he makes an unfair connection that he shouldn't be watching the US team because he sees Mediterranean and South American teams diving and faking and getting away with it -- this is unfortunately true about those teams, but have nothing to do with how the USA goes about playing. If you hate these other teams for those dispicable manuevers (and rightly so), don't take it out by withholding your support of the Americans; who won their group without penalty kicks derived from diving. Italy, meanwhile, goes home with several goals under their belts from the practice of diving in the penalty area.

But despite Italy's bad fortunes, many other teams still use this as strategy. And as long as they continue to get away with it, they are more likely to have success, which makes them more and more the poster children for the sport -- based upon a foundation immature poor sportsmanship. You start getting more physical yet talented teams racking up more high-profile victories by leaving their blood, sweat, and banged-up faces on the field; and these arguments will fade away...

 

Dude knows his stuff. He isn't really a soccer hater, just needed something to right about.

 

Yeah, probably.
But whether or not he was write about what he roght, is open to debate.

 

Nice!

 

Dont glorify this stupid writing. Dont you guys know that if you ignore something, less people will give it interest. I dont care anymore about what other people say about soccer. That is progress. Lets keep it moving.

 

This one is the worst I have seen in a long time.

Inside Columbia Magazine, August 2010, by John Littell

 

If you see the cover of the magazine, it's clear that he is supposed to be an exercise in self-parody rather than something worth taking seriously.

 

Why is it that every soccer-bashing column gets made a big deal out of here on BS? This inferiority complex is pathetic. I love the sport and I don't give a rat's behind about someone who's so insecure that he has to go out of his way to bash something he knows little about.

 

Yea, I don't get people's fascination with soccer haterdom either.

They don't like us, screw em.

The less attention those kinds of people are given, the better. And anyway, their generation is slowly dying off....

 

He doesn't like football. Let him.
I'm totally careless about baseball, basketball, american-football.

 

This guy seems to have some sort of mental problem.
My wild guess is he's an old timer at least over 50.

 

Slightly off topic, but I actually sort of like being not majority as a soccer fan in US.
Feel like having a unique special hobby.

 

there's far less than a billion people in this country

 

Here's my email to the author of the article:

Mr. Cook,

Just read your June 25th article about soccer and the World Cup. Nice to read a soccer bashing article, I haven't read one in a long time. No, you are not "un-American" for not following the world cup. You're close minded, hard headed, and clearly lack the ability to clear your misconceptions and biases to give a sport a chance. If you were to actually watch USA vs Algeria game, you would see a level of intensity, bravery, heart, aggressiveness, and determination to win just bursting out of the player's skin, something you will never see in any of the American big 3 (baseball, football, basketball). I must admit though, these 3 sports have definitely struck a chord in America. They've managed to keep the country entertained with a minimal amount of effort. The world, along with many Americans will agree that being enclosed in a box for 4 hours is arguably more of a thrill than watching a baseball game, where scenes of players kicking dirt, sitting in a dugout, and players standing in virtually the same exact position for long stretches completely outweighs actually playing time. Even baseball fans will agree, the average fan spends more time chugging beers, devouring hot dogs and nachos, texting on their cell phones, and chatting with friends than watching the actual game. Same with football, where we are treated to approximately 9 minutes of movement and actual play in expense of nearly 3 hours (and sometimes much more) of standing around, switching players, players talking in a huddle, a coach yelling at a group of kneeling players, etc. Basketball is respectable. It actually requires the player to be in great shape (unlike football and baseball where you can catch players with huge fat infested guts slipping out of their jerseys). But any sport that requires you to have a monstrous height to be successful, I don't consider to be much of a sport.

So of course, you are entitled to your opinion. And though I agree with you on a couple topics, such as players flailing around after a minor foul (that's about all I agree with you on), you really gave away your ignorance when stating that you hate nil nil ties. Typical ignorant comment of the brainless American who rather see a bunch of guys running around like chickens with their heads cut off than the masterfully planned and strategic game of soccer. No wonder why many football players can hardly read a Dr. Seuss book. Some nil nil ties I have seen were arguably the best games I've ever experienced. No, it doesn't leave you with the joy or despair of having won or loss, but it leaves you in absolute awe at the beauty of the sport. Of the absolute intensity, sacrifice, and quality of it. Yes there are games where I want to tear my eyes out in boredom. But they don't come often. And when they do, I don't watch it. Simple.

Kudos,


Roy

 

What a stupid letter. I'm sorry, why do you have to bash other sports to make soccer better?

 

You know, there are plenty of people out there who dislike soccer. Some of them are smart; some of them are average; some of them are stupid.

But it takes a special kind of stupid to actually bother signing up for a soccer forum just to post the sort of boring, cliched soccer bashing that every fan of the sport has encountered countless times elsewhere. It takes a special sort of cluelessness not to realize that's what you're doing.

I know you're old, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn how to properly use the Internet before trying.

 

What a bunch of faint-hearted sissies. Other sports have vigorous give and takes, arguments. Soccer seems to attract pansies.