Why does Europe like Soccer (Football)

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Hello everyone. I'm pulling this topic from another thread.

The question is: Why to Europeans like Soccer (Football)?

This always perplexes Americans. It really does! Maybe it is due to the fact that we have Ice Hockey - which is simular but far more fast and aggressive. It could also be the result that Soccer is a played only by children in the United States - just like dodgeball and tetherball. Or it can be the result that Soccer (Football) is not considered "manly" in the U.S.

Of course, Europe has Ice Hockey as well, which makes the popularity of Soccer even more perplexing.

Why? Why? why? I haven't a clue.

 

As an American, I'd just like to say it doesn't perplex me in the slightest. I wouldn't sit down and watch the sport but I used to play it here and there. I would say most Americans I know don't find it perplexing at all because, frankly, they don't care enough to find it perplexing. If someone wants to watch soccer, *shrug*, more power to em.

 

Well I think the biggest reason is that Americans are in general unable to appreciate a game in which there isn't a lot of scoring. Even ice hockey has limited popularity because of this (granted not here in Minnesota where it is insanely popular). I personally think soccer is an incredibly cool sport.

 

IF it is any comfort, we don't understand why you americans like american football that much. In our eyes its all about roughing around waiting for the judge to allow someone to throw the ball to the quarterback, so he can throw it to someone on the loose. He runs and gets tackled. And the circle starts over. Thats it. How fun is that to watch, over and over and over. We don't get it. But should we? Basicly, why do russians speak russian? and danes speak danish? culture.


Here goes anyway. Why European Football?)

A) Culture

B) you can pick up a ball and play anywhere without any equipment. Comfort/cozy

C) Culture

D) Its not a rough sport, so everyone can chip into the same game. Kids and adults side by side.
Comfort/cozy

E) Culture

F) No headgear. No beef-up helmet. no nothing. So you can acutally communicate with both people outside and inside all the time, with ease. Comfort/cozy

G) Culture

H) Based on the broad family/friend way of playing this game as a comfortable and cozy sparetime occupations, it always gains a broad national thrill, to see professionals do what, you do as an amateur in the backyard with a sweatshirt as a goal. or what we do at the local sports club each sunday.

I) Culture

[ June 04, 2003, 03:56: Message edited by: Nobleman ]

 

I think the limited scoring idea might not explain.... baseball. It is true though that the popularity of baseball is declining. However, given that NASCAR has now become the second most popular sport in the US (don't ask me how and whether car racing is a sport is another issue - it's on Sportscenter ipso facto I guess) and given the rise of completely non-scoring sports like the X-games I'm not sure about that reason.

May be right though, I'll admit that baseball scoring is higher now than it was in decades past.

I don't think soccer is popular in the US primarily because other sports are so popular. This is particularly true in the South which produces a disproportionately high number of our athletes and is obsessed by football (junior high football spring practices and year round training anyone?) and still loves baseball (ever take a look at the little league facilities in the south for baseball - temples.) Then you've got a lot of our great athletes are from poor neighborhoods and its cheaper and easier to play basketball than it is soccer imo. And those are the big three - baseball in the spring and summer, football in late summer through the fall and early winter, and then basketball from winter to spring when baseball starts again.

The plate is already pretty full for a sports fan in America and has been for decades and that's why I think soccer would have a difficult time making headway - we're paying attention to other things.

Oh, and hockey is way down the list of things most Americans pay attention to. The rating back this up I think.

EDIT - agree with Nobleman if what he means by culture is that it's just part of the culture and has been for a while (but not if he means it is somehow a "cultured" sport kinda like holding your little finger up while drinking tea is cultured.) That's why I don't think this is something which perplexes Americans at all. Soccer isn't on the map enough for us to be perplexed about it. Like a tree falling in the middle of the forest I guess.

And for the life of me I can't understand how someone can't recognize how clearly college football, particularly in the SEC, is without debate the greatest sport around but people like Nobleman won't understand that because he never grew up with it and probably most who don't grow up with it won't make the effort to learn an insanely complex sport. Likewise, I'm not going to make the effort to learn soccer, too busy. Culture.

 

But the kings of footbal are the Latin-Americans. Africans play it too. East-Asians seem to start with it.

I'm under the impression, that in American games nothing ever happens. Baseball and American Football seem to me consisting out of waiting, waiting and waiting, whereas in Football, if it's a good game, there's always something happening.

All what's needed is a goal (if none aviable, two sticks in the grass will do fine), a ball, some players and whoopie. Football's king.

 

Yes, you put the hammer to the nail Laches. We never grew up with it so we really don't make an effort to understand it. And without understanding how can we enjoy. And without joy, when will we ever bother understanding. As Yago says, your american football is all about boring waiting around. Followed by more waiting around... But that is our view. To those dedicated, it is intense silence before the storm, right? The thrill of unknow? The excitement of all tactical possibilites that can happen? Yago, we don't think a penalty kick is boring either, do we? But if we don't understand and apreciate all the breaks, pausing and moreso traditions and strategies behind american football, how can we ever enjoy? We live in different cultures, learn different things, play for different reasons and in different games. But we shouldn't strive to change that actively, should we? It would be a shame

I must admit ,that I too can throw down a sixpack with my friends at the Superbowl final. Just for getting a glimse of the culmination of american feelings. But my heart wil always be with soccer.

PS OUT OF TOPIC: Weird Question. Black Hawk are you Sir Bel? The Directory search of sir Bel's Recent posts says you are.

[ June 04, 2003, 04:08: Message edited by: Nobleman ]

 

Blackhawk wrote:

Hm, have you ever thaught about the homoerotic implications of American-Football ?

 

A few months ago a comedian claimed that Americans are so braindead, the only way the brain can be stimulated is by seeing a car going 200mph, more than 100 goals in one game and exploding stuff.
If they watch football, they just fall asleep

 

Great one Morgoth

@Blackhawk
The question you asked was

right?

Well around most of the world people are asking Why do Amaricans like Football?

 

Football is as has been said both the simplest game imaginable and can be drawn to such heights of skill that it is dazzling. I would say that it is alot easier to play football than baseball, for baseball you need both a ball and a bat, for football you need only the ball. As for those that think that football is a soft game, it isnt. I prefer a well played and fair game but anyone that have ever seen Roy Keane plant the soles of his feet in someones groin cannot say that it is a soft game. Protections are for the weak.

I would like to add that football is really on the rise in the US. As you say, the kids play it and what the kids play the adults will play as well. Football has concquered all the world except North American and I think it is but a matter of time until it takes over there as well. Time as in a bunch of decades but still. The US national team is already very good and can if not win stand up against the best, wont take long until they can beat them too. Alot has happened just in the last decade or two.

I also think that the fact that most World Cups are cramped tight things play in to the fact that the Americans are not very fond of football. The World Cup is the only time football get any real exposure in the US and so much rides on the World Cup and there are so many nerves involved that the football played is often cramped and tight, not daring to make a single mistake and waiting out the opponent. Instead of the fast paced technical wonder it can be when two great teams both agree to dance the dance.

 

The answer to either Blackhawk's or RotKU's question is simple: money

People like what they know. They know what they see on TV. TV stations show what advertisers will pay more for. Hence, in Europe, soccer is aired; in the US, it's football. It's a self-perpetuating cycle.

I've said for many years that if a broadcaster would take the time to explain another sport so people could understand it - and therefore enjoy it - they'd create themselves a audience. But no, they'd much rather spend the time with rehash and cross-anaylsis. Anyone else remember how much airtime was devoted to replays of Joe Theisman breaking his leg back on MNF?

 

HHH UUU HHH ? I can not believe this. A Swede which passes by on this thread, which includes Ice-Hockey described as a "US-sport", without commenting that ? Is the loss versus Canada still hurting ?

At Rallymama:

Hm, women.

Well, there are women playing football too.

I think you hugely overestimate the power of the media and seriously underestimate the power of playing it and loving it and wanting to see it. I don't know about the American sports, but Football is played on a daily basis everywhere, where there is a goal and grass. Hm, to be exact, even on grounds of concrete. It's played in schools in the breaks, after School and then again after the homework. And on Saturday and on Sunday, down by the sea, on the beach, everywhere.

There is no way, that any important match, and there are plenty, is not aired. And everything has to yield the airing-space. Everything. That's why it also called the second most important thing in life.

You will not find any audience for any other sport, if it competes with a football match. And if it's not football or, in my country, Icehockey, it does not exist. Period. It's not a principal distaste for anything else, there is simply no space for anything else.

So, media indoorsment will, on this side of the great pond, have no impact at all.

He, he and by the way, I've heard that the finals of American Football are actually watched by the big part of the people only because of the commercial breaks there, which have some kind of cult-status.

A question, have Americans similar festivals after won-matches, like the next day off and Brazilian girls running naked through the streets ?

I just decided to view myself in the future as northern-south European. It's the southern blood, the southern blood.

 

All i can say is that everytime i see a football game or play one with my friends i forget everything outside the game. I have seen many sports but none reaches the levels of beauty, technique, strategy that football does . I played basketball and i was still feeling stressed by the events of the day, i played football and afterwards i felt like i have just been born.
I believed that the USA soccer was rising (i think they have a championship). But if you have never played football you will never understand why football is called by the majority of the planet the king of sports.

 

Sort of, lately we like to riot and burn stuff. Dunno why, but we do. We don't always have to win to enjoy this either. Just being in the championship game is sometimes enough.

Kinda unrelated -- historically the most difficult thing to do in sports according to the experts in the US is to hit a major league baseball. For comparison saving a penalty kick in soccer most recently was rated #9. Here is the list and an article corresponding with each number as well as the complaints of people reading the article (including the "you're just American soccer is harder" complaint that can be found in the chat along with the reply):
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ten-hardest-splash.htm

While the popularity of the sport has declined drastically, this past year they surveyed some pundits and they still agreed it was the toughest thing to do in sports. The argument is only in baseball is 30% success (.300 batting average) considered a stupendous achievenment and 40% success (a .400 batting average) a virtually unobtainable dream. To me, football (the American kind with 200 + possible play calls) will always be first and foremost but baseball is a highly skilled, highly... strategertized.... game but its really, really subtle.

While soccer has spread in popularity baseball has the same power imo. It doesn't require much money, look at the kids in the Dominican Republic who play with cardboard mitts and sticks. It has become wildly popular in the far east in Japan and is gaining rapid steam in places like Korea. Mexico and South America are ripe markets. If baseball was smart, they'd move some of the struggling franchises out of the north and into Mexico and see what its like to draw 50k fans per game to a baseball game. If managed correctly, baseball could really go neck and neck with soccer in my opinion in many parts of the world. Of course, baseball shows no signs of being managed correctly.

 

@Yago: What do women playing soccer have to do with anything?

The rest of your post actually supports the point I was trying (perhaps unsuccessfully) to make - people play/watch what they know best. The question then becomes, do they know it best because it's always on TV, or is it always on TV because of the demand?

Like I said before, it's a self-perpetuating cycle.

 

Women actually have nothing special to do with it at all, but I may have misunderstood your post. That's maybe the New England style. I don't know.

Women -> I bet it's more or less the same issue, over on your side of the pond. Lament, lament, lament. First things first. Football is always first.

Yes, then I agree. To play it means wanting to watch it. If you don't play it, you don't get the point, you don't want to watch it.

I thaught you meant stimulating demand for another type of sport on TV through starting to showing it, which then leads to a want to play it. This, misunderstood view, immedietly braught the women issue in my mind. You know, the stereotype.

 

I must agree with Laches. American football is an incredible game. I know the same can be said about most sports, but the nuances stagger me. Where else can you see a team use the same play three or four times simply to lull their opponent and then line up in the exact same formation apparently ready to run the same play again and pull off something altogether different and score as a result. In what other sport can you see a team down by three with less than ten seconds to make it seventy-five yards down the field toss the ball up on a wing and a prayer and score on a tipped pass as the opposing teams fans rush the field and stop in stunned silence (Bluegrass miracle anyone?). I also agree that college football is better than pro, and the SEC is preeminent among the conferences. Geaux Tigers!

 

Nobleman,

Ok, I played soccer in youth leagues, both rec. and premiere, I also played indoor until just recently. Your claim that it is not a rough sport is a little misleading. People can play a friendly game, and not get rough, but then people can play American football with flags and accomplish the same thing. As far as playing competitively, soccer is extremely demanding on your body (as my bad knees and hips can attest), and I personally have, or have seen others, legally break another players (not all at one time) ribs, leg, ankle, arm, and skull (that one I did playing indoor, checked another player into the wall and he hit head first, he never played again, and I have not checked a player into the boards since).

As far as culture, the hooligans are starting to put a damper on that.

That said, I would love to still be able to play (bad wheels prevent it), but watching outdoor soccer on TV is like watching paint dry. I understand the intricacies and strategy of a match, and I recognize them while watching, but I just find myself yawning.

 

The US is the only continent where football (not soccer) never became popular. Maybe it's because Amercans suck at it ?

I've heard some pretty stupid reasons about why it never got a foothold in the US. One of them was that the players are sissies, not tough enough, stuff like that.

For those who think that way... football is not about being tough. It's about outsmarting your opponent, being faster when in possession of the ball. Take a look at the greatest players from the past... Pele, Maradonna, Cruyff... they were all featherweights, with a good set of brains. That's why they became the best in their sport.

You have no need for a big fat ass and a belly like a boulder, like the defensive linesmen in the NFL, you won't make it in this sport with muscles. All you need is speed and wits. Oh... and a healthy condition might work as well. There's no option to go sit on the bench for a while and then return to the game like in the big American sports.

Like it or not, football is the king of sports worldwide.

Edit: And Feyenoord owns you all.

[ June 04, 2003, 19:35: Message edited by: Pac man ]