Why does Europe like Soccer (Football)

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Hmm, why do we like soccer..?

It's faster than football (football effectivly is "lawn-chess"; in Europe, an slow and boring soccer match is called the same), slower than hockey and not as complicated (and long) as baseball.

The only american sport really popular in Europe is Basketball (okay, ice hockey too). It's adequatly fast, simple and short.

I like american football, because I like the tactical part in it.

MfG

 

Hmm I like Soccer and Basketball , nothing else. Maybe it's because they are the most popular games in Europe or maybe I don't know other games really well. It really seems stupid to me that people punch each other to get the ball and a field of lunatics laugh at that!
Soccer is pure tactic and condition.If anyone does think that it's not mannish enough, I want to know what is?(save basketball)
Really, fighting seems stupid to me.

 

Right LOL

They lost the national cup with 4-1 against some meager footyclub

 

Off topic

War Eagle!

 

American football a "man's sport"? Come on, those girls playing it wear body armor and helmets! Afraid they might break a finger nail, perhaps?

Play some rugby, now that's a man's sport!

On topic, soccer in Europe is about money, big money, that's why it's omnipresent in the media and in the culture. In America, the big money is in other sports.

 

@ Morgoth

Thanks for reminding me.
I live in that city, remember ? I spent two days among celebrating Utrecht supporters, i was the only one NOT celebrating.

 

why european like soccer better than football? What are you talking about? The whole world prefer soccer over football. (Actually, Philippinos don't like soccer as well, but they are not found of football either.)

i have this litte theory of mine on "Why a particular sport become popular?"
(In priority, the most important one list first)

1 - Simple rules.
When you are expecting everyone to engage in a particular "thing", you must have simple rules. Rules that can be understand easily by any layers, every classes of humanity. Simple rules result in easy understanding. I was lucky enough to witness in TV the last play between New York vs San Francisco post season game earlier this year. When the game finishes, all the TV analyists says that Terry made a stupid mistake, he should throw the ball down and stop the game. But then, the day after, everyone says he made the right choice. Rules so complicated that even expert tv analyists make mistake, this is not good for spreading the game around, not good at all.

2 - Fast pace.
100 meters and Marathon, both have identical rules. Which one will you get more excited watching? One of the reason we watch sport is to seek excitement. Slow pace/no pace = dull, no one wants to watch this.
This can be extend a bit to continuity. While people are watching, they don't want to wait. Play for a few seconds, the clock stops, play another few seconds, clock stops, and so on is not really fasinating and attractive to people, unless when it comes to the final crucial moment. Which entertaining wrestling sounds better, Goldberg and Stone Cold beat the hell out of each other from start till end or Ric Flair gives Hogan a cheap punch, plea for mercy, run around, another cheap punch, mercy, run around and so on?

3 - Easy equipment.
Pele and Marodona both grew up playing football made of waste cloths and later become soccer legends. You have to know, not every country is rich like America. And certainly not every groups of neighbourhood kids can afford a plastic American football, not to mention the helmets and pads for schools. However, anyone can easily find a field, a ball of any meterial and just mark where the goal is and they can engage in a simple soccer game.
Extand this and you can easily understand why no one is Southeast Asia is found of ice hockey.

If you apply these three rules, you can know easily why the top four Americans sports differ in the popularity throughout the world. You can easily know that soccer is really the way to go.

 

Once in a while a certain topic in the alley attracts my attention and this is it.

I like soccer a lot, and there's actually only two sports I play and like and that's soccer and Tennis.

Soccer for me is tension, excitement and fast paced. I mean look at a baseball match

I am amazed though to see this much soccer fans, I know it's Europe's number one sport but not a lot of people who visit this kind of boards like soccer/sports in general.

EDIT: Oh I forgot........AJAX AMSTERDAM OLE OLE

 

I don't wonder at all. Soccer is a sport and the fans who like it like it. Many people can't understand why Americans like baseball (which is one of the sports that I follow).
Many people here have made the very valid point that soccer requires almost no equipment. This makes it playable almost anywhere. You could make a ball out of rags and play. This is why it has caught on in impoverished nations so well. Basketball seems to be following for the same reasons.
That said, I still think it's boring. On about the same level as baseball. I was raised playing and watching baseball, so I like it. If I had been raised playing and watching soccer, I would probably like it.

 

Eeeerm...Apeman... i just removed you from my christmascard list.

 

Still thinking about last years national cup he Pac Man

I'll explain it to non dutchies, last years national soccer cup went to ajax who scored the 1-1 in, I don't know, the last minute of the game. But it was like 3 metres off side. They won the game in after-time. That was pretty funny

 

LOL No, that one didn't bother me at all. Read back what i said earlier in this thread, and you'll find out that the rivalry between MY team and Ajax goes waaaay beyond that petty little cupfinal.

 

Well, I didn't bother to read the other replies, so forgive me.

I am European and I say that I truly think that football is...

*drum roll*

UTTER CRAP.

That goes for hockey as well.

*casts protection from angry males*

 

Why women don't like soccer:
You should be tactical
You should be sensible
It's hard, walking with your legs spread...
(Ahum, sorry for that)

 

I don't like football(soccer). Actually, I hate football(soccer).
*mumbles* Well, basically, I hate any sport but this is another matter.

I can't understand why Americans like their football and baseball. Despite hating football, I'd rather play this sport than baseball or American football.

 

I love soccer (i hate the name soccer - why did americans have to hijack the name football) but I hate watching it. Every time I see a game I just want to go and play it. I can always find out the result later.

I have seen an ice hockey, american football and baseball game live.

The ice hockey was ok (it was a pretty boring match) but i do enjoy watching it on tv when its on (rarely in england).

The cheerleaders at the american football game were more interesting than the match. I'm not an expert on the game but I do know some of the rules and the whole thing was just so slow. Rugby beats american football any day.

The baseball match was even less interesting. I remember meeting the baltimore oriole and also that cal ripkin (is that his name?) was about to beat some record for playing every game in the last 100 years but other than that I havent a clue. Cricket is way better (and harder).

Generally I enjoy playing football but prefer watching other sports. Most american sports have too many breaks to be even remotely interesting.

Perhaps soccer is not popular in america because it does not have enough opportunities for advert breaks.

Come on the Spiders!!! (Queen's Park FC for anyone wondering)

 

Why is rugby called FOOTball, when all they do is run around with a ball in their arms. The only reason I can see to call it football, is that one single time a player kicks the ball, because he realizes that's the only way to score in a goal at such heights.

 

Rugby is called football because a guy (I think called Webb Ellis) was playing football at Rugby school (a school in England) when for some reason he decided it would be easier to pick the ball up and run with it and so the resulting game became known as Rugby Football.

 

*ahem*

Just came across this thread, so I might be a bit late, but I have one thing to say to Blackhawk and his original post:

We invented the sport, punk, so none of this American “we” crap!
All you guys have done is watered down the talent so that its nothing more than a freakin’ clutch-and-grab sleep-fest! (At least in the NHL)

Thank you for your attention.

(As you can see, I’m always looking to make new friends )

[ June 10, 2003, 19:14: Message edited by: Splunge ]