Soccer ... *YAWN*

[Filbert]

@bump

Football and basketball have the advantage of being pretty dynamic, even for the casual watcher. You can watch a basketball game and enjoy it without having any notion of zone defenses, pick and roll plays, etc… and you can watch football and only understand the rudiments like four downs to get ten yards, etc… without needing to be aware of the intricacies of why coaches call certain plays at certain down/distance/time combinations, or why certain plays worked or didn’t.
Soccer (and baseball) aren’t quite like that- a lot of the enjoyment is a little bit deeper.

I’m not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I cannot agree that American football is ‘dynamic’ for the causal watcher. It stops, constantly, for no apparent reason. There’s no flow. I’ve watched one match, out of curiosity, thought it was mindbogglingly dull, and was later told it was one of the most exciting matches a friend had ever seen.

Basketball I don’t understand but I can see the appeal, same as hockey; football (non-American) I have been forced to understand by exposure, am bored by, but can see the appeal, rugby ditto. American football is in the same dull category for me as cricket and golf as a spectator sport. I’ve never watched baseball.

[Colibri]

@Riemann

OP did start a separate thread, rather than threadshitting a football thread - that’s the classy way to do it if you do feel the urge.

I can still express my opinion that soccer-bashing threads are boring and predictable, even to someone who finds soccer boring themselves.

[Colibri]

@Colibri

I can still express my opinion that soccer-bashing threads are boring and predictable, even to someone who finds soccer boring themselves.

What I find far more interesting and constructive is when someone asks, “I find this [activity that huge numbers of other people find extremely interesting] boring. Please explain its appeal to me.” That’s trying to fight your own ignorance, rather than wallowing in it.

[naita]

@Jasmine

By the way, many of the countries that embrace soccer never had another major sport to embrace or compare it to. It became king by default. The reason soccer has not become huge in this country is that we DO have other major, established sports to which to compare it. Evidence would indicate that it palls in the comparison.

Name a few. I’m willing to bet that nearly all of them have other sports big enough to have a professional league, and many of them will have a professional basketball league. And yet soccer continues to reign supreme.

You are correct that the top sport in each country to some extent is the result of what grew big first, but you’re wrong about the variety of options in countries that aren’t the US, and you’re wrong in thinking this is evidence for the point you definitely aren’t making about soccer being objectively boring.

[Velocity]

You can’t argue someone into liking or disliking something.

The people trying to argue the OP into feeling that soccer is interesting are like those trying to argue people into feeling that soccer is boring. A feeling is a feeling.

[harmonicamoon]

I used to be in the same camp as the OP.

But, as I watched soccer, I saw it as an art. Imagine kicking a round object, with a pointed object (the foot) 15 meters down field, accurately to a team mate surrounded by opponents. It is a ballet with a ball.

And the sport is cheap to enjoy. All you need is a ball. No gloves, bat, or protective gear. Everyone can get into it. And they do from a very young age.

Vamos México!

[RaftPeople]

So it doesn’t seem like I’m picking on soccer, these are my thoughts on watching a variety of sports:

Baseball
I loved playing baseball when I was growing up, but I was a pitcher so I was doing something, not just sitting around, when I was in the outfield, it got boring
I find it boring to watch because it takes so long to see some action (like maybe a hit or a base runner)

Basketball
I loved playing basketball when I was growing up
I find it boring to watch because it’s too much scoring, it’s just back and forth, none of it seems to matter until the last 2 minutes, then it gets exciting

Soccer
I loved playing soccer when I was growing up, although I played it only in pickup games, not organized
I find it boring to watch not because of low score but because each team only possesses the ball for about 3 to 5 passes which amounts to about 10 to 20 seconds, it never feels like they are building towards possibly scoring, it’s just back and forth

Football
This is the game that my DNA is naturally attracted to, I loved playing this game from my earliest memories
I love watching this game also, I’ll spare you the reasons, but one significant factor is that it’s not a high volume of changing possession like Basketball and Soccer, it’s fewer changes with more plodding towards a possible outcome which builds suspense/excitement

Golf
I play it and enjoy it but it’s to slow to interest me in watching

Women’s College Softball
This game seems to move quicker than MLB and I tend to enjoy watching it

LaCrosse
I never played it but my youngest played it
I enjoy watching this one, it has a reasonable amount of control per possession so it’s not just back and forth, the game doesn’t stop on contact like basketball

Rugby
I never played it
I enjoy watching this game but not as much as football. I understand the “flow” complaint from rugby fans about football, it’s definitely true. Football is more of a chess type game where there are stops and each move takes some time.

[asterion]

@GreenWyvern

If you find soccer boring, I really suggest you skip the Cricket World Cup next year!

How’s that done? T20, ODI, or test?

[Baron_Greenback]

@asterion

How’s that done? T20, ODI, or test?

ODI. I do wonder how long a Test World Cup would take to play though!

[Lemur866]

@Velocity

You can’t argue someone into liking or disliking something.

The people trying to argue the OP into feeling that soccer is interesting are like those trying to argue people into feeling that soccer is boring. A feeling is a feeling.

It’s fine to find soccer boring. I find it boring myself. The fact that I find soccer boring is also boring.

I’m not trying to argue the OP into thinking soccer is interesting. I’m trying to argue them into not talking about topics that bore them.

[GreenWyvern]

@asterion

How’s that done? T20, ODI, or test?

ODI - One Day International. Each game takes about 6-7 hours, not including breaks.

T20 is the ‘extra fast’ version, which only takes about 3 hours. A ‘test’ cricket match is real cricket and takes 4-5 days (and may still end in a draw).

Cricket is the one sport that I actually enjoy watching. It’s very intellectual and tactical as well as physical. It can be riveting to watch, and very tense for long periods of time. But as with any sport, the more you know about it, the more you enjoy it.

[Colibri]

@Lemur866

It’s fine to find soccer boring. I find it boring myself. The fact that I find soccer boring is also boring.

I’m not trying to argue the OP into thinking soccer is interesting. I’m trying to argue them into not talking about topics that bore them.

Same here. I don’t think people care much whether the OP finds soccer boring or not. They are mostly explaining why they find it interesting.

[GreenWyvern]

@GreenWyvern

Cricket is the one sport that I actually enjoy watching. It’s very intellectual and tactical as well as physical. It can be riveting to watch, and very tense for long periods of time. But as with any sport, the more you know about it, the more you enjoy it.

Cricket at its most exciting.

The last 10 minutes or so of a one day international between England and Australia. You can get an idea of the complex tactical considerations from the commentators.

- YouTube

[Loach]

Get this boring crap out of my forum.

[Teuton]

@Baron_Greenback

I don’t think we’ve had the “I, who knows nothing about the game, propose some really ill-thought-out rule changes” one yet. Plenty time for it yet though

Extra time multi-ball!

[Jackknifed_Juggernaut]

I grew up in the US and baseball will always be my #1 sport. But I follow all sports religiously and have developed a huge appreciation for soccer and cricket, especially now that the most of the top level leagues are all accessible.

To someone new to soccer, I think watching the World Cup is the worst place to start. It’s like someone new to cricket starting by watching the first day of a test match. You really need to watch the top clubs in the top leagues play. You see clear differences in tactics, formations, lead-ups, etc. that make a difference. Even 0-0 draws are compelling. Unless it’s a Germany, Brazil, France and maybe a couple of other national teams, no one else is deep enough to have top talent at all spots on the pitch. Plus they don’t play enough together, so unless you have a bona fide system like Germany, that all kids have to fit into to play, it’s really hard to look like the cohesive units that a Barcelona, Man City, etc. look like.

To the OP, I suggest watching an El Classico or Manchester Derby next season and reporting back. Really most clashes amongst top clubs would do it. Stay away from Atletico Madrid though. That might have the reverse effect.

[lisiate]

@Baron_Greenback

ODI. I do wonder how long a Test World Cup would take to play though!

15 playing days - a round robin between the PIG three if the ICC’s current strategy continues.

[asterion]

@lisiate

15 playing days - a round robin between the PIG three if the ICC’s current strategy continues.

Honestly, that doesn’t sound that long. Even with some time in between, you’d still be done in a month, 45 days at most with the semifinals and finals.

I mean, I get why you do it ODI, but I’m a little surprised nobody’s pitched running a test cricket World Cup.

[AK84]

When it was first proposed England opposed it. Nowadays the ODI and T20 WC means that it would be saturation.

[chizzuk]

I used to think like OP, then I sat down and started watching enough soccer that I started to see what was going on and how the action built even when there was no scoring. Before that, it looked like a bunch of pointless kicking the ball around.

I will say, there is good soccer and there is bad soccer. Bad soccer that has no flow, such as a team that can’t string 3 passes together without losing possession, or a game that is constantly being stopped by fouls, is tough to watch.