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Who's watching the World Cup?

selmaborntidefan said:
I take the “to each his own” approach, but l think basketball is stupid and beyond boring myself. A friend of mine who was a huge basketball fan (Seattle Supersonics - you can figure it out from there) got back into it this year because he REALLY wanted the Knicks to win it all, nostalgia thing (between him being old enough to recall 1973 and the OJ chase in 1994). He wanted me to tune it in, and I did.

For about five minutes. I'm old enough to remember complaints about the "three step travel" of Dr J. Well, I watched some five and six-step travels and said, "I ain't missing nothing."

I myself have said over and over that soccer WILL NEVER catch on in the USA as a national sport. In most other countries where it is the equivalent of our NFL, they don't have many other sports to follow, if any. We already get more excitement here from football, hockey, and yes, even basketball. Personally, I like baseball, but I've been disappointed in how corporate the whole thing has become with the pitchers in particular. (A pitcher is now such an investment that it's not that they CAN'T go 8 innings, it's the team won't let them).


Having said that, however, I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a guy in 1990, when one of the most boring World Cups in history concluded. He mocked soccer, saying, "How preposterous to play 120 minutes and then basically line up and whoever hits penalty shots wins the game!" I happened to know this guy was a huge college football fan, so I got him: "So you think it's better to play three months of games, bowl games where the best teams never meet and then let a bunch of sportswriters and coaches VOTE on who wins the championship? I'll admit the shootout isn't ideal, but at least they settle it on the field."

As I said....1990, so those of you who remember how that CFB season ended are smiling right now.

Before I was Alabama, I lived in England and lived (and died) with Ipswich Town F.C. Still do, especially now that my Saturday mornings are free since they forever screwed up college football.
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Good to hear from you again, Bill. I was going to shoot you a PM to check in, so glad you posted here - and with your usual informative commentary! :)
 
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Coach D said:
Those comments seem to lean more off a lack of understanding or playing. Football used to be very low scoring. But I do understand not every sport is for everyone. I think baseball is incredibly boring. Love college basketball hate nba now with run and chunk play and that has even more acting in it than soccer. But I also respect the sports and understand it takes skill and strategy still. Just don’t like the American hate on it instead of just saying it’s not for them.
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Soccer is slow basketball, with no shot clock so you can poke and prod the defense, back out, try again, and wait for a lane to open, or an opponent to make a mistake so you can make a shot on goal.

What about it is so difficult to understand?
 
BhamToTexas said:
The ignorance here is hilarious. And people take the time to come back over and over again to try to convince people of their opinion, as wrong as it is.
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It is what is beautiful about this Country and this Board. Agree to disagree over and over again. So be it. Tide football is what unites us. Roll Tide y'all!
 
AlexanderFan said:
Soccer is slow basketball, with no shot clock so you can poke and prod the defense, back out, try again, and wait for a lane to open, or an opponent to make a mistake so you can make a shot on goal.

What about it is so difficult to understand?
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If you over simplify any sport that’s basically it. lol No need for the snark. It’s not the sport for you, that’s ok I just don’t understand the need people have to actively go and try to degrade it for no reason.
 
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Bazza said:
Good to hear from you again, Bill. I was going to shoot you a PM to check in, so glad you posted here - and with your usual informative commentary! :)
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I mentioned over on the NS board, I've been in a lot of pain in my back the last six weeks or so.
It comes and goes, but one thing that hurts me is sitting in front of a computer too long. That's why my participation here has been less than normal (which is unusual with an election this year).
 
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AlexanderFan said:
Soccer is slow basketball, with no shot clock so you can poke and prod the defense, back out, try again, and wait for a lane to open, or an opponent to make a mistake so you can make a shot on goal.

What about it is so difficult to understand?
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No, it isn't, but at the same time I actually side with you in the fact that nobody should be trying to persuade you to like something you don't like, that you've (at least to your satisfaction, which is all that matters) tried and don't particularly care to watch. This discussion reminds me of my ex-wife telling me that if I'd watch this or that program, I'd like it. No, I won't. (For the record, "Star Wars" was incredible when I was 11, it's pretty damn lame if you're over 15 but that's just my opinion, too).

Soccer DOES have something in common with basketball (unlike, say, football) in that certain teams or players are (for the most part) protected from consequences based on their name. FIFA has been a cesspool of corruption rivaling the old Southwest Conference and Fiesta Bowl scandal for decades. When the same six teams win 98% of the VAR reviews in the Premier League at the expense of the other 14, that type of statistic defies all reason and possibility.

In the NBA, who committed the foul more often than not has nothing to do with the rules and everything to do with how big a star committed the infraction. When Shaq was a rookie, he said what we all already knew. He got called for a series of fouls (He may have even fouled out, but it's not like I was ever a big fan) and after the game said, "Next year I'll be a veteran and I'LL GET THOSE CALLS." And everyone who had ever watched more than five NBA games knew it. It's also the sport where you can plow into a guy on your way to the basket and THE GUY YOU RAN OVER gets called for a foul...unless you ran over a superstar and then it's "charging."
 
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selmaborntidefan said:
I mentioned over on the NS board, I've been in a lot of pain in my back the last six weeks or so.
It comes and goes, but one thing that hurts me is sitting in front of a computer too long. That's why my participation here has been less than normal (which is unusual with an election this year).
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Sure, I remember but that was a while back and as you WELL know.....when it comes to matters of health, things can go south fast!

Just good to hear from you again. :)
 
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AlexanderFan said:
Well they took away the red card, dude is good to go versus Belgium.

www.espn.com

USMNT's Folarin Balogun has red card suspended by FIFA, available to face Belgium

FIFA has suspended the red card USMNT striker Folarin Balogun received in the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, meaning he is available to face Belgium in the round of 16.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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From watching the France vs. Paraguay game yesterday I don’t know how they even gave it to him in the first place. The refs are all over the place.
 
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Con said:
From watching the France vs. Paraguay game yesterday I don’t know how they even gave it to him in the first place. The refs are all over the place.
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As others have alluded to, corruption most likely.

Several questionable calls in most games, but I would expect blood or smelling salts to get suspended from the next game. From what people are saying his was a ticky tack foul.
 
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AlexanderFan said:
As others have alluded to, corruption most likely.

Several questionable calls in most games, but I would expect blood or smelling salts to get suspended from the next game. From what people are saying his was a ticky tack foul.
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The one on Balogun might have been the most dubious red card I've ever seen in my life.

At most - absolute most - a yellow card. I could have lived with that.

But then I began wondering if they wanted to set up a match between Belgium and their former colony just for the clicks and kicks.
 
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Balogun being ruled eligible really a shot in the arm to us. Feel much more confident with him up top and Richards in the back. Gonna be a match for the ages in regards to US Soccer especially if we can get through.
 
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AlexanderFan said:
Well they took away the red card, dude is good to go versus Belgium.

www.espn.com

USMNT's Folarin Balogun has red card suspended by FIFA, available to face Belgium

FIFA has suspended the red card USMNT striker Folarin Balogun received in the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, meaning he is available to face Belgium in the round of 16.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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No, the red card stands. Additional cards for him prior to the semis will still carry the additional penalties of him carrying the red card.

What they removed was the 1-game suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium.

Of course, the red card never should have been issued as VAR was misapplied in that context, but FIFA isn't ready to set that precedent, quite yet...
 
uafan4life said:
No, the red card stands. Additional cards for him prior to the semis will still carry the additional penalties of him carrying the red card.

What they removed was the 1-game suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium.

Of course, the red card never should have been issued as VAR was misapplied in that context, but FIFA isn't ready to set that precedent, quite yet...
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Saw a little Apple News blurb that the appeal was being appealed by Belgium.
 
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