American volleyball players are the highest paid actually. Beach volleyball is reasonably popular in some regions. Proper volleyball is a women's sport, as it should be.Fat man's Cricket..
Sports are so much about culture, tbh..or how do you in' explain Volleyball--arguably the most entertaining sport even as non-contact discipline-- hasn't yet taken off professionally in America..It should be the a white man refuge instead of getting pummeled in pro basketball..
It's the most mentally difficult job in sports, tbh, so the great closers deserve the hype. It's easy to say that they "just have to get three outs," but if you look at the leverage stats, every run given up by a closer is something like twice as damaging as the average run given up by a pitcher. It's a pressure-cooker situation that most pitchers can't handle.
So by your logic, anything that finishes 1-0, 2-1, etc is boring? Baseball also has those similar scores over a 4 hour span. So does hockey. So does the NFL if you divide by 7 (i.e. 21-14 --> 3-2).
I suppose FIFA should multiply each goal by 7, then it will be fun in your book lol.
Agree, but it's also simple. We all like simplicity.
Also the number, you can play a soccer game with 5-5 or 6-6 or 7-7 depending on the size of the field.
From my personal experience, I have watched and played both sports. Soccer is not in the same league as in baseball.
In baseball, I sit on the bench watching and cheering the other guy until it's my turn to hit, talk about slow. Soccer I was always on the move and had to be ready.
In baseball I could eat dinner and not lose a beat. lol
Watching baseball is just atrocious. Soccer I can watch it with friends/families, don't mind.
Last edited by webshad; 11-03-2016 at 11:52 AM.
I will say this, though.
Soccer fans are the most passionate and can make boring matches, which 99.9% of soccer matches are, watchable because of the atmosphere they create. I do understand the chanting was created so soccer fans can keep themselves awake during yet 0-0 tie, but it's a great shtick nonetheless.
FIFA and the big leagues market their stars better than any other sport on the planet. It's amazing how big of stars Messi, naldo, et al are when they score about 0.70 goals per game and can easily see their touches limited from good defense. Stars in American sports are usually ball dominant, like Lebron, Curry, Quarterbacks, Running backs, and pitchers. Really incredible the following these twinks have when they don't do anything for minutes/games at a time.
I think this is what killed soccer's hype the first time around here. Pele (or any soccer star) were sold as guys who do bicycle kicks, nutmegs, and other silly acrobatic every game, and then you tune in, and you see them just lightly jogging around for 85 minutes. Pretty underwhelming.
Again if Americans are that stupid, can't help.
That's like me watching an And1 mixtape then watching the NBA and saying, the NBA is boring.
If people can't use their logic, then so be it.
Baseball and football were smart enough to incorporate other goals into the sport. A 1-0 game will be exiting because you'll see great pitching. You might see a lot of hits with pitchers working themselves out of jams in key innings. Football has 1st downs, turnovers that are actually exciting, big hits, and other things going to keep you engaged during a low scoring game. 3-2 or 5 scores per game is about 80% higher than the average soccer score of 2.7 goals per game. Don't see your point?
Yes, I know soccer has saves, but when the average shot on goals per match is like 4, you don't get to see many of them. Other than that, soccer is bunch of static midfield play, parking the bus, and the occasional dash through the defense which will probably be called off-sides.
I have a lot of respect for the classic "fireman" who comes out in the 7th or 8th inning and brings it home. Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Mariano Rivera in the present day. But then you have someone like Chris Perez who called himself "Pure Rage" and thought he was Billy Badass for getting the last three outs of a 5-2 game. A guy like that kind of personifies the absurdity of the three-out closer.
First "LOL" at exiting!
Not a strong argument. Anyone can make that argument for their sports. I can easily say, well look at Jose Mourinho's tactical change, he changed his formation half-way through the game and it finished 1-0. Which is true by the way.
Anyways, coming from a guy who played and watches (not baseball anymore though especially after the PED scandal exposed all the cheaters) both sports, soccer is my vote hands down. Much more fun to play and it's fun to watch with friends/families.
I don't know if that theory is true or not, just a shot in the dark. And yes, I do agree that modern sports fans in general (not just Americans) are highlight and star obsessed.
My problem with soccer is that it doesn't do anything special compared to what we have in American sports. Not to mention its flawed design, as I've pointed out.
Example:
- You won't sell Americans on the tactical and strategic "depth" in soccer. We have football, which is a far deeper game.
- You won't sell Americans on the "athleticism" of soccer players. They are underwhelming athletically.
- You won't sell Americans on the slow build/score dynamic of soccer. We have baseball for that.
- You won't sell Americans on the "flow" of it. We have hockey and basketball.
Fans across the world are already culturally attached, but soccer tried to become a "thing" here long after those other sports were solidly established in American culture.
Changing the formation is not an in game "objective" like a strikeout or double play is in baseball. A save is an in game objective, and most of them are relatively mundane (weak kick easily caught). I do like a great save, though.
Not a strong counterargument.
Yet very complicated. People like simplicity. I can take all the girls, mothers, grandmas, and explain them soccer (self-explanatory), but I can't do the same thing with football.
All sports have that, in boxing we have the feeling out round, same in MMA, same in soccer, same in basketball (Popovich and others experiment a lot).
I don't think soccer really wants/need America. It's already great as is. However, for monetary reasons they might want it (but that's a political debate i.e. american dollar). But as for being popular, soccer doesn't need America.
But it is, the opposing coach will go more offensive or risk when he is down, and the other coach has to counter attack. There is a lot of tactical change and shuffling in soccer that you won't comprehend at this point.
Of course, when you and I play at the park, we just play the simple game, try to stop the ball and try to move it forward.
Oh, and here's the beautiful thing about baseball from a playing it standpoint (which you'll probably hand wave away due to some ADD need to run around all the time).
Because you have to "take your turn," ANYONE can be the hero. There's really no strict hierarchy of player importance (because there can't be) that has one player getting all the "touches" offensively (yes, there is a lineup). You'll likely get the same amount of at bats and chances in the field to make a play as the best players on the team. Rajai Davis, a mediocre utility player who's been on like 20 teams, was nearly Cleveland's biggest sports hero of the past 42 years aside from Lebron. And the final at bat for Cleveland came down to a rookie who played in like only 3 games. If he hits a homer there, wow. And a rookie for the Cubs almost closed the game out.
Yes, I know it happens occasionally in other sports. Steve Kerr, John Paxson were unlikely heroes, but the difference is their heroics had to be assisted by the star players. In baseball, it's just you against the pitcher/batter/ball.
It's not, brother.
I'm talking about achieving some kind of in game objective. A tactical change isn't an in game objective like a first down, strikeout, etc. In game objectives in soccer would be free kicks, corner kicks, and saves. Soccer doesn't have as many of these as football, baseball, and hockey.
We don't need it, either. Aside from the immigrant population who enjoy the game. And yes, FIFA badly wants the American market which is why soccer has been pushed down our throats since the World Cup came here in '94. And before that, they tried to sell the game to us through Pele.
I'm tired of reading and hearing about how Americans need to embrace "the world's game."
Americans deulding themselves into thinking baseball is more fun
It does in a different way. Like how France neutralized "mighty mighty" Ronaldo who was suppose to kill them in the world cup.
In boxing, how the opponent neutralizes your jab by standing slightly outside or coming over the top.
Every sports has their secret tactics that the normal eyes are not trained for.
Americans deulding themselves into thinking baseball is more funYou just come in every hour to pour oil on the fire.
Delusional is thinking that a "sport" built around jogging, flopping and 0-0 ties is "fun."
Americans deulding themselves into thinking baseball is more fun
Agree.
Agree.
Every organization wants a percentage of the American market, from car companies to sports to refrigerators, cell phones, etc. It has to do with money. That's why I said FIFA could careless about gaining american viewership for the sake of popularity.
Of course I will...I forgot their names when I made that thread. But if Ward is winning that fight the odds of it being entertaining are not very high. Love Andre and Ive had the honor of sparring with him lightly once (lightly because he could ether me in seconds) but hes boring as
Idk man, I've talked to people who really love MMA (not being one myself), and they all describe it as infinitely complex. Joe Rogan described it as "high level problem solving with dire physical consequences."
I agree that grappling is boring if you don't know what you're watching (like anything). Knowledge influences perception. In psychology we call this "top-down processing."
HAHA, if not you would have been toothless.
Not necessarily, you can never turn you head away when watching a big puncher like Kovalev.
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