The Off Topic Topic

[Grey Fox]

I think the big determinant in whether you find soccer boring or not, is whether you can find excitement in the positioning, strategic, and tactical play that does not directly involve attempts at goal.

If you cannot, and only things fairly directly related to scoring are exciting to you, then you'll likely find association football boring. Conversely, if you can find a 10 minute long battle for supremacy on the midfield strategically engaging, then you'll find it a lot more engaging; but it seems, to a lot of non-fans of association football, that's just pointless dickering about.

You have a point. Hell, NBA Basketball has totally done away with anything happening midcourt.

[crazy canuck]

You have a point. Hell, NBA Basketball has totally done away with anything happening midcourt.

It is very difficult to press a team in the NBA because the skill level is so high.  But even so you still see teams who can put on an effective half court trap. The NBA hasn't "done away" with anything.   

The other thing is that the most important aspect of basketball his how fast a team can move the ball on a fast break to score on a primary or secondary break.  It might not seem like much to the uninitiated but the next time you are playing some pickup ball try getting the ball down the court as fast as an NBA team...

[Jacob]

I think the big determinant in whether you find soccer boring or not, is whether you can find excitement in the positioning, strategic, and tactical play that does not directly involve attempts at goal.

I find that exciting in hockey;  unfortunately soccer doesn't seem to have any of that.  Just a bunch of swarthy guys running around and falling down in pain when they're not touched. 

I dunno, it seems to me that there's rarely more than a few minutes that pass before a brawl, a shot on goal, a faceoff, or a commercial break in hockey.

There's definitely tactical positioning and build-up and all that in hockey (and in basketball/ American football for that matter), but it tends to be in smaller discrete chunks. I can't speak to baseball, though.

[celedhring]

When played well it is a very good game to watch.  The problem for North Americans is we rarely get to see the quality of play the rest of the world takes for granted.

That's not it at all. When we do watch it's generally World Cup or possibly Premier League games. These aren't compelling enough to make us look for it as a regular thing.

Well yeah, the World Cup only happens every four years which was my point.

We swarthy peoples play more pleasing football than the English, imho. The Premier League isn't the be-all and end-all.

[crazy canuck]

When played well it is a very good game to watch.  The problem for North Americans is we rarely get to see the quality of play the rest of the world takes for granted.

That's not it at all. When we do watch it's generally World Cup or possibly Premier League games. These aren't compelling enough to make us look for it as a regular thing.

Well yeah, the World Cup only happens every four years which was my point.

We swarthy peoples play more pleasing football than the English, imho. The Premier League isn't the be-all and end-all.

Agreed, I don't like the English Premiership as much.  Unfortunately its the only thing we get to see on a regular basis.

[Eddie Teach]

  It might not seem like much to the uninitiated but the next time you are playing some pickup ball try getting the ball down the court as fast as an NBA team...

Just hurl it to the guy who's still at your free throw line because he's too tired to get back on D.

[Jacob]

We swarthy peoples play more pleasing football than the English, imho. The Premier League isn't the be-all and end-all.

Yeah, there are few things more pleasing than Italians playing Catenaccio after an early 1-0 lead

[celedhring]

We swarthy peoples play more pleasing football than the English, imho. The Premier League isn't the be-all and end-all.

Yeah, there are few things more pleasing than Italians playing Catenaccio after an early 1-0 lead

That's no longer the case, really. Italian football is a shadow of its former self, yet it's far more entertaining than it used to be (probably both things are related).

One of the problems with the PL is that there's such a mind-boggling amount of money in it, that teams have become incredibly risk-adverse. It's sad.

[Valmy]

I think the big determinant in whether you find soccer boring or not, is whether you can find excitement in the positioning, strategic, and tactical play that does not directly involve attempts at goal.

Well you have to understand all of that.  And that takes time, it is an acquired taste.  Which is part of why it is going to take awhile to really be a factor in the US.

But, speaking personally, I have a huge problem with this in Basketball.  I just cannot get the strategic nature of the sport beyond the most basic concepts, and that does hinder my enjoyment.  And this is a sport I have watched for years.

[CountDeMoney]

But, speaking personally, I have a huge problem with this in Basketball.  I just cannot get the strategic nature of the sport beyond the most basic concepts, and that does hinder my enjoyment.  And this is a sport I have watched for years.

Heh, I love to watch (college) basketball, and I can even understand the nature of designing and running plays...but it's still the refereeing of the penalties I just can't grasp. How is that block a charge?  How is that charge a block?  WTF? Just seems so much more subjective than other sports, with the exception of the strike zone.

[Jacob]

Well you have to understand all of that.  And that takes time, it is an acquired taste.  Which is part of why it is going to take awhile to really be a factor in the US.

Yeah for sure, and it might not take at all. Why acquire a taste if you've already acquired other tastes and you're and happy about it?

But, speaking personally, I have a huge problem with this in Basketball.  I just cannot get the strategic nature of the sport beyond the most basic concepts, and that does hinder my enjoyment.  And this is a sport I have watched for years.

Yeah, there are few sports I understand on that level and it certainly impacts my enjoyment.

[Grey Fox]

That might be it. There is only so many sports you can understand/interest in learning every little strategic detail.

For me, that's Hockey & 4 down Football.

[Barrister]

I've tried watching soccer.  Both international play and Premier League (and I tried watching some brazillian league soccer on tv when I was there).

I love the passion of the fans.  I wish I could get into it... but I cannot.  It seems deathly boring to me.

I don't know that it's because I don't know soccer.  I mean, I'm not a huge hockey nerd - I have trouble following some of the strategies and plays that are used, but I can still enjoy the game on a simple level as well.

I'm not saying soccer is boring - clearly lots of peope love it.  But I am saying it isn't for me.

[Syt]

And now you know how a lot of people feel about curling.

[crazy canuck]

One sport that I really enjoyed watching after the rules and strategy were explained to me is Cricket.  But without understanding what I was seeing it seemed very boring.