The Ultimate Sporting Question

[Becka]

Originally posted by Simon Darkshade
It's soccer, and it is most definitely NOT a beautiful game, but a boring little event of prima donnas running up and down a pitch for no real result.

Amen, brother, testify!




But the REAL beauty is REAL football. As the Spanish might say, fútbol americano.
Or at least, the real beauty of American football are those football pants.

 

[MrPresident]

a boring little event of prima donnas running up and down a pitch for no real result.

You could say that about almost any sport in the world, particularly American ones.

They play for 1 hour and a half, have enourmous nets, how come they only do one goal per game??

Only in recent times have there been less goals in a game. However I prefer a goaless hard fought draw to basketball's 100 points a piece. I mean what makes a goal so special is the fact that there are so few of them. As for the beautiful game debate, I ask anyone who thinks it isn't to watch Beckham's freekick in the last-minute against Greece to put England into the World Cup. I don't think there is any other American sport that can put the fate of an entire nation on the kicking of one ball, talk about excitement. If that doesn't convince you then watch Liverpool in last years UEFA cup final. This game is not only special because Liverpool won (1 of our 5 trophies that year) but also because it 4-3 with an 'golden' own goal scored in extra-time. Last but not least where else can you get non-league or even part-time teams playing the best the sport has to offer (see FA cup). I rest my case.

 

[ainwood]

Originally posted by MrPresident
I mean what makes a goal so special is the fact that there are so few of them.

I thought that Canterbury's drubbing of NSW in the super 12 was "beautiful", and there were PLENTY of tries there!

As for the beautiful game debate, I ask anyone who thinks it isn't to watch Beckham's freekick in the last-minute against Greece to put England into the World Cup. I don't think there is any other American sport that can put the fate of an entire nation on the kicking of one ball, talk about excitement. If that doesn't convince you then watch Liverpool in last years UEFA cup final. This game is not only special because Liverpool won (1 of our 5 trophies that year) but also because it 4-3 with an 'golden' own goal scored in extra-time. Last but not least where else can you get non-league or even part-time teams playing the best the sport has to offer (see FA cup). I rest my case.

Any game can generate this type of excitement; even the American ones. Last-second wins are commonplace in the NBA for example.

 

[Zwelgje]

Soccer is the best game, what other sport is there in which almost all countries in the world participate in the (qualification for) world championship? It's the ultimate sport event with so many nationalities participating and so many countries actually having a chance to win.

 

[polymath]

It's football, no question, and agree with Mr P that basketball points are silly, with the proviso that nobody, but NOBODY, likes a 0-0 in football.

 

[andycapp]

You keep gnawing away MrPresident - or has this issue been gnawing at you?

I (and others) have made the point before that when people refer to 'football' it reflects what they are familiar with.

The underlying theme of this topic is that only followers of 'Soccer' have the right to refer to their sport as 'Football' which is both arrogant and ignorant.

I understand the love and passion people have for 'their' sport but that doesn't mean that people should close their minds to the possiblity that another sport can also be exciting to play, watch and follow.

I have played Soccer, Rugby Union and Australian Rules Football and have no hesitation saying, IMO, that Aussie Rules is a far more enjoyable game to play and watch but I am also happy to admit I enjoy a good game of Soccer and Rugby Union.

Does it matter whether Aussies and Americans refer to Association Football as 'Soccer' and their indigenous codes as 'Football' - I think not.

 

[MrPresident]

I think that nil nil drwas can be exciting. For example, an FA cup match between a Premiership team and a non-league side. The Premiership team has lots of chances but they all go wide or saved brillantly or hit the crossbar/post. That to me is just as exciting as any high scoring game. However having said that I hope no one has to endure a nil nil between Crystal Palace and Derby County at a freezing cold Baseball ground. But let they anything can happen in football. It truly is a game of two halfs.

The underlying theme of this topic is that only followers of 'Soccer' have the right to refer to their sport as 'Football' which is both arrogant and ignorant.

It is not arrogant or ignorance. The game is called Football and we want you to give it the respect it deserves and call it by that. If someone tells you their name, do you call them something completely different? no. If you are in a foreign land and someone tells you the name of some native village, do you call it something completely different? no. If a scientist invents something and names it, do you call that something completely different? no. Football is the world's most popular game and deserves to be called its name. I think it is arrogant of other sports to think that they can call their sports football.

 

[andycapp]

Calm down MrPres, you're making a mountain out of a mole hill.

As it happens when I'm in Britain, I do refer to Soccer as Football because that is what the locals understand by the term. When I'm at home I refer to Aussie Rules as Football because that is the common meaning here - not so difficult to understand is it?

You can jump up and down about "lack of respect etc" all you like it won't change the reality.

If you're fortunate enough to visit the southern states of Australia and you wish to be understood make sure you are talking about Aussie Rules when you speak about 'Football'.

 

[allhailIndia]

It's football, football, football.

The other one should be called the "Girlie, Wimpy, protection-wearing-excuse for rugby."

You decide which

 

[MrPresident]

If you're fortunate enough to visit the southern states of Australia and you wish to be understood make sure you are talking about Aussie Rules when you speak about 'Football'

But won't you Aussies (and Americans) be confused when I say that I support Liverpool Football Club?

Calm down MrPres, you're making a mountain out of a mole hill.

A mole hill is a mountain to an ant.

 

[andycapp]

A "jockstrap" (one word) is an athletic support for the male genitals.

Originally posted by MrPresident

But won't you Aussies (and Americans) be confused when I say that I support Liverpool Football Club?

We've heard of Liverpool in the colonies - it's a suburb of Sydney.

A mole hill is a mountain to an ant.

And I thought you were a human!

 

[ainwood]

Originally posted by MrPresident
If you are in a foreign land and someone tells you the name of some native village, do you call it something completely different?

So, when in Germany, do you have the decency to call it Deutchland?, Munich: Munchen etc?

I think it is arrogant of other sports to think that they can call their sports football.

Although, as AndyCapp says, he calls Association Football "football" when he is in the UK. By your own logic, you should call it "soccer" when you are in Aussie, NZ or the US.

 

[Lab Monkey]

Soccer is it's real name derived from the name of the original Victorian period association, I don't remember where the CER on the end comes from. Football was coined later. The Yanks just took rugby (named after an English school where it originated), gave the players body armour, and called it Football.

So be proud to call it soccer. It's ugly, too wealthy for it's own good, and inspires unhealthy amounts of nationalism, but we love it. Just don't talk to me about those pathetic Capital Radio football comentators who go into orgasm every time England scores...

 

[Lightforce]

I think it actually comes from association.

Either way, it was coined by the toffs, who called Rugby "Rugger", and Football "Soccer". The fools.

SOCCER of course. Football is what Europeans call American football.

Since when??

 

[duke o' york]

Originally posted by Lab Monkey
Soccer is its real name derived from the name of the original Victorian period association, I don't remember where the CER on the end comes from. Football was coined later.

I know! I've just invented a wonderful new sport! Who fancies a game of Association?
What a load of nonsense. Labmonkey - you ought to know better than that. The only reason it is called soccer is because the governing body is the Football Association. It was then known as association football to differentiate it from Rugby football, named after the school (traditionally), which derived from football.
I am quite happy for other nations to call it soccer, but am rather curious to hear them insist that they are right to do so.

Act I Scene iv of King Lear (1606): "Nor tripped neither, you base football player" (Kent).

And the pilgrim fathers set up their gridiron when exactly?

Is it now possible for mods to merge threads from different forums? Like Gamecatcher for example?

 

[Lab Monkey]

Thank you very much.

I meant that Soccer is the name given to the game played by today's rules. I couldn't give a toss what we called it 100s of years before we were civilized enough to invent rules.

To be honest, it seems to me that soccer fans were too daft to think of a real name, so they said "Duh, you kick a ball, so we'll call it 'Foot-ball'!". At least they'll have no problem remembering the name.
It's like calling 'Golf' 'Club ball'. Or 'Rugby' 'Mindlessviolencewithaball'.

 

[Daaraa]

People tend to call it soccer here in Canada. But if someone says football and they do not have an American or a Canadian accent we assume they are referring to soccer. I did not know the Aussies referred to it as soccer because of Aussie rules football.
As to whether or not which one is right, WHO CARES!
(However if we were to decide it by a soccer/football match I'm afraid the "Football" side would defeat the "Soccer" side.)

 

[knowltok2]

I call it soccer here in America. When in Rome, do as the Americans do, right . When reffering to it internationally I refer to it as football. If some of you Europeans are so worked up about it, why don't you get us back by referring to our Football as something else? Maybe you could call it ArmBall. Then Americans can get righteously indignant about it and perhaps feel your pain. Then an international treaty could be formed to change names, and...I'm getting carried away, aren't I?


As far as Golf, they call it that because Sh!t was taken.

 

[allhailIndia]

IIRC, the name 'futeball' came during the 14th-15th centuey when the game was played like hell on the streets of London and was banned for a 100 years or so.Imagine!

 

[Daaraa]

Originally posted by knowltok2
I call it soccer here in America. When in Rome, do as the Americans do, right . When reffering to it internationally I refer to it as football. If some of you Europeans are so worked up about it, why don't you get us back by referring to our Football as something else? Maybe you could call it ArmBall. Then Americans can get righteously indignant about it and perhaps feel your pain. Then an international treaty could be formed to change names, and...I'm getting carried away, aren't I?


As far as Golf, they call it that because Sh!t was taken.

They could've called it garbage. Wanna go out on the garbage course? How about a round of garbage?