# AmeriDopers: Do you know the World Cup starts in 17 days? Do you care? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896 "2006-05-23T13:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Twotwofive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Twotwofive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twotwofive)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/61 "2006-05-24T12:50:32Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > But soccer is \*constant \* motion. And they still can’t hardly score! Guys running back and forth with no payoff makes about as much sense as guys driving cars around a circle for 3 hours. I hate myself for getting drawn into this (especially as I’m not even that big a fan - I love international games, but just can’t get into club football), but I just can’t let that comment slide. There is such a thing as a great football game that ends 0-0 (although I’ll admit that they’re few and far between). Football is not a game whose interest is derived from simply watching the ball go into the net. It’s _how_ it gets there that makes it a beautiful thing to watch. The best players are not necessarily those who score the most, but those whose ball control skills (effortlessly tackling, passing, dribbling past half the other team unchallenged, etc) are the most highly developed. And the longer it takes to score - and the more near misses that are incurred in the process - the greater the build up of tension and anticipation. If the ball just repeatedly rolled up the pitch and into the goal, then back to the halfway line for a repeat performance, “soccer” would be as dull as American football. ---
**Author:** ![total\_blank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@total\_blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/total_blank)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/62 "2006-05-24T12:58:13Z")
> [@Wee Bairn](#): > > Can’t wait for Landon “Bayern Reject” Donovan to crash and burn in front of a worldwide audience!! But I do hope real players like Brian Mcbride and Claudio Reyna do well. [QUOTE=Yookeroo] Landon rejected Bayern, not the other way around. [QUOTE] > [@Wee Bairn](#): > > Landy “quits” a major league he can’t excel in to be a big fish in a small pond, where the adoring masses can cheer him on as he scores goals against Honduras and Red Bull New York. Actually, the team Landon left is Bayer, as in Bayer Leverkusen, which is a lot less successful than Bayern München. Also, the year before he left, he was relegated to playing on Bayer’s second string team, so it was a lot more like leaving the class A minor league team of the Royals to go play in Japan. I will also bet you there were a lot more fans watching him score against Red Bull New York than when he was playing against Holstein Kiel or Carl Zeiss Jena in the Regionalliga. The level of play was also higher. So it was really not a bad decision for him, and he shold not be blamed for “quitting”. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/63 "2006-05-24T13:18:53Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > Now I am a huge baseball fan and can appreciate the nuance and tension (not to mention the pitchers’ mastery and great supporting defense) in a 1-0 game. But I just don’t get that from soccer. Baseball is 90% static and only about 10% motion, so you usually don’t expect a ton of scoring, though it does happen. But soccer is \*constant \* motion. And they still can’t hardly score! Guys running back and forth with no payoff makes about as much sense as guys driving cars around a circle for 3 hours. So I take it you won’t be watching the Indy 500 this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/64 "2006-05-24T13:38:53Z")
Response to OP: Yes and No. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/65 "2006-05-24T14:30:30Z")
> [@Twotwofive](#): > > Rightly or wrongly (I’m not here to judge; just to educate 😉 ), there is a perception amongst Europeans (and probably other “soccer” playing regions) that Americans don’t enjoy “soccer” primarily because their attention spans are too short. The argument goes that they can’t appreciate the skill or the grace of the game, and lose interest if goals aren’t being scored often enough. Thus, games that are popular in the US are designed exclusively to ensure that points are scored every minute or so. Lest this shouldn’t be enough to hold the American viewer, any pause in the action is punctuated by scantily-clad dancing girls with pom-poms. I’m not here to start a debate on whose sports are “better” (I don’t know enough about baseball or hockey to comment on those, although the above descrition would seem to be about right for American “football”, but grossly unfair on basketball), but **chriscya’s** post doesn’t do much to dispel the stereotype. > > Incidentally, am I right in thinking that, by and large, Americans only follow those sports at which they are either vastly superior to other nations, or where no other nations compete for the title of “world” champion? Are you right? No. Baseball and American football’s popularity arose during periods of time when America rejected soccer as being an inferior game better left to the old country. They didn’t become popular in America because they were the only ones playing those sports, they became popular because Americans judged them to be better games. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/66 "2006-05-24T14:33:07Z")
And note that I don’t want to hijack this thread into an anti soccer/pro soccer debate. As I’ve said, you soccer fans enjoy yourselfs during the WC and have fun. That’s what its for. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/67 "2006-05-24T14:45:34Z")
> [@Twotwofive](#): > > Rightly or wrongly (I’m not here to judge; just to educate 😉 ), there is a perception amongst Europeans (and probably other “soccer” playing regions) that Americans don’t enjoy “soccer” primarily because their attention spans are too short. The argument goes that they can’t appreciate the skill or the grace of the game, and lose interest if goals aren’t being scored often enough. Thus, games that are popular in the US are designed exclusively to ensure that points are scored every minute or so. This was undoubtedly said by someone who had never seen a baseball game. All non-baseball fans deride baseball as being boring and moving at a glacial pace. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/68 "2006-05-24T15:14:58Z")
I’m certainly aware of it, but I’ll probably see little of it. I don’t have cable TV so if it’s not on broadcast TV during watch-able hours I can’t see it. I’m curious to see what happens at the Iran - Angola game since neo-nazis have supposedly targeted that game for demonstrations supporting Iran’s anti-Semitic president Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad is threatening to attend the match despite German pleas that he skip it. Now there’s some drama for you! I like the US team. They’re a bunch of non-stars who could probably walk down the street in practically any US city without being recognized - even if they were wearing their jerseys (kits if you must). There was a story on ESPN’s website four years ago about British coverage of the US v. Portugal match in the last WC in which the announcers referred to many of the US players by incorrect names and kept on doing it throughout the match. The US team is still largely thought of as a joke in the rest of the world (but are not underdogs - the US is never treated as an underdog in any sport.) I kind of like cheering for these guys who are really outsiders in the sporting world, unknown at home and jeered elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/69 "2006-05-24T15:17:31Z")
Regarding the USA and soccar 9football). In the 1930’s there were very active soccar leagues in the USA-they all seemed to fade away by the time the second generation rolled around. also, soccar is a very popular team sport in US elementary schools, and high Schools 9to a certain extent). But the interest doesn’t seem to carry forward-my nephew used to play, but he only watchs American football now. May be it is the limited scoring-soccar just doesn’t seem to catch on here. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/70 "2006-05-24T15:28:48Z")
To echo Ralph, soccer in the US is huge as a participant youth sport, but has gone nowhere as a spectator sport. ---
**Author:** ![Twotwofive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Twotwofive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twotwofive)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/71 "2006-05-24T15:34:55Z")
> [@Captain Lance Murdoch](#): > > The US team is still largely thought of as a joke in the rest of the world (but are not underdogs - the US is never treated as an underdog in any sport.) I believe that in women’s football, where all teams are equally underfollowed and underfunded, team USA is something of a force to be reckoned with. They might even have a World Cup or two under their belts. ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/72 "2006-05-24T15:48:06Z")
> [@Twotwofive](#): > > I believe that in women’s football, where all teams are equally underfollowed and underfunded, team USA is something of a force to be reckoned with. They might even have a World Cup or two under their belts. The US women did indeed win two World Cups. They won in [1991 and again in 1999](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Women's_World_Cup) ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/73 "2006-05-24T16:01:08Z")
Didn’t know, don’t care. If I want to be bored to death… I’ll just watch golf. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/74 "2006-05-24T16:43:23Z")
> [@Frosted Glass](#): > > The US women did indeed win two World Cups. They won in [1991 and again in 1999](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Women's_World_Cup) The USA women are “the Brazil” of women’s football. They’ve won 2 of the 4 Women’s World Cups, never finishing 3rd in the other two, won 2 of the 3 Olympic gold medals offered to date and taken silver in the other Olympics where women’s football was a medal sport. This is supposedly because of Title IX but the other countries are catching up fast and making it more competitive. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/75 "2006-05-24T18:24:33Z")
American here. I didn’t know until reading this thread. If I hadn’t run across this thread I may have never known unless America did well enough to start getting mentioned on the news. I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/76 "2006-05-24T20:04:23Z")
World Cup! WOOHOO! GO IRELAND!!! Roy Keane, baby!! What? > [@Twotwofive](#): > > Incidentally, am I right in thinking that, by and large, Americans only follow those sports at which they are either vastly superior to other nations, or where no other nations compete for the title of “world” champion? No, you are not. Canada is in the NBA and MLB and the US is in the NHL. Look at the diversity of players in those three sports, NHL regularly pulls European players, NBA goes as far afield as China and the African continent, and Baseball is full of Latin Americans as well as some Japanese. The problem with Soccer is that it’s just flat too violent for America. (not the game, obviously, just the fans) Most Americans follow the sports the networks tell us to follow… ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/77 "2006-05-24T20:07:29Z")
I should have included a smiley of some kind in that post. I have a lot of contempt for the major sports in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/78 "2006-05-24T20:18:04Z")
> [@Twotwofive](#): > > Incidentally, am I right in thinking that, by and large, Americans only follow those sports at which they are either vastly superior to other nations, or where no other nations compete for the title of “world” champion? Do you feel the same way about Canadians with hockey? Japanese with sumo? Australians with Australian rules football? Or is it just us? Baseball, football and basketball were all invented and popularized here. It’s little surprise they remain the big three sports. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/79 "2006-05-24T20:22:49Z")
Soccer wouldn’t be nearly as popular in Europe and the rest of the 3rd World if they had enough money to buy other sports. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896/80 "2006-05-24T20:27:57Z")
> [@Twotwofive](#): > > Rightly or wrongly (I’m not here to judge; just to educate 😉 ), there is a perception amongst Europeans (and probably other “soccer” playing regions) that Americans don’t enjoy “soccer” primarily because their attention spans are too short. … Incidentally, am I right in thinking that, by and large, Americans only follow those sports at which they are either vastly superior to other nations, or where no other nations compete for the title of “world” champion? The reality is this: Europeans forget that America is a big place and that it’s got an ocean on either side of it. The continental U.S. spans four time zones. Europe spans three (barely). Because of the oceans, there’s an eight-hour time difference between Seattle and London; it’s five hours from New York to London. There’s a similar gap between New York and Sydney — for rugby or cricket — or Seattle and Tokyo. Americans watch soccer when we play it, because it’s **on** when we happen to be awake. Ditto baseball, football, basketball, etc. We watch our sports because a) **we can,** and b) we don’t care enough to forgo a night’s sleep to catch a game eight hours away. Same as Europeans, really. Europe isn’t multi-national, multi-ethnic, all-for-one-and-one-for-all and let’s have an international sport because they’re inherently better, or have longer attention spans, or are better sports fans. They do it because they **can.** It’s convenient in Europe when you have 600 million people living in one time zone. Europeans don’t watch **our** sports much, for exactly the same reasons. They just take the high ground, as in the above post, with the **justification** that Americans are dumb, lazy, and ethnocentric. Same as Europeans, really. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ameridopers-do-you-know-the-world-cup-starts-in-17-days-do-you-care/357896.md?page=5)