Bowling vs Soccer

[MoValley John]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion on the Ballmer Peak.

[Ferd Berfel]

Ballmer Peak

I do know that on a sales call with a builder I am much more effective at getting my point across after downing a few shots of Jack Black and a couple of Buds.

Just short of slurring my words is the best time to ask them to buy.

I have also found out that getting to drunk and puking all over the table can have a negative effect on a sales call.

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

I give you credit for this, parts of your rant were both semi lucid and cogent. The offsides rule makes sense, otherwise an opposing forward could just stand on the goal mouth at all times. It makes it so an offensive player has to make a disciplined, well timed run. Two things that should be valued. Even in hockey, they have offsides meaning that an attacking player with the puck has to enter the blue line first before other teammates. Makes sense in that sport too for similar reasons.

As for a yellow card, that is sufficient penalty by itself. It means you cannot play as reckless again or you will be off the field for good. I'm sure you would not advocate for a football team to play 11 v 10 if someone committed a personal foul so it will be as silly in the sport of soccer.

It is the most popular sport in the world. I should remind the critics that you all are the ones in the minority on this issue. It has started to take a foothold in the United States and will continue to do so. Learn to like it friends or take up another hobby because ESPN is only going to increase coverage.

The difference between the offsides in hockey and in soccer is day and night. In hockey, the blue line is at a specified place on the ice and the offensive player with the puck has to be the first across this established point (64' from the goal). Offsides in hockey has no relationship to where the defenders place themselves. In soccer, on the other hand, offsides is predicated by a point established by the defense. That is a huge difference. Hockey also has a two line pass rule and an icing rule to deter sandbagging offensive players, but at the same time, icing is waived off if the puck is determined not to be a pass and the offense can beat the defense to the puck. In soccer, offsides is simply the offense being more aggressive and assertive than the defense.

As for the yellow card, it is totally subjective, the ref must "feel" the player deserved the yellow card. And yellow cards are 99.9% issued to an overaggressive defense. There is no further penalty, except the defense gets the advantage of regrouping and the ball is placed at the spot where the infraction occured. Stupid. In football, yardage and downs are given and taken away for penalties; in hockey, you skate a player short. In other words, penalties hurt. Badly.

There is no real "penalty" for receiving a yellow card or penalty in soccer. In soccer, the ref issues a yellow card that essentially says, "Hey, buddy! Don't do that again!" And if the guy does it again and gets kicked out, the team doesn't play short, they sub a guy in and the play resumes where the penalty took place. Oh yeah, except the defense gets to regroup. Advantage to the defense.

And I have plenty of hobbies, if ESPN shows more soccer, I'll simply watch ESPN less, no biggie.

John being that you are not a big soccer fan I have to correct you a bit, if you get red carded you are gone and cannot be subbed. Your side with have to continue down a man or a woman. Really serious thing that puts you at a huge disadvantage. Would be like a permanent major penalty in hockey for the remainder of the game.

Totally disagree with your offsides analysis, but I will let it go. I will just leave it with, most of the world agrees with me and not you on the sport of soccer. I think a lot of the hate just comes from ethnocentricism and xenophobia. Watching it won't kill you, but I respect people's opinion to disagree even if it leads me shaking my head trying to explain away the simplicity of some backwater folks to my foreign friends.

[Snaggletooth]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion on the Ballmer Peak.

probably why bowling is more popular than soccer.

[MoValley John]

John being that you are not a big soccer fan I have to correct you a bit, if you get red carded you are gone and cannot be subbed. Your side with have to continue down a man or a woman. Really serious thing that puts you at a huge disadvantage. Would be like a permanent major penalty in hockey for the remainder of the game.

Totally disagree with your offsides analysis, but I will let it go. I will just leave it with, most of the world agrees with me and not you on the sport of soccer. I think a lot of the hate just comes from ethnocentricism and xenophobia. Watching it won't kill you, but I respect people's opinion to disagree even if it leads me shaking my head trying to explain away the simplicity of some backwater folks to my foreign friends.

Most of the world believes that the US is evil and hates us, does that make them right? No, it makes them xenophobes. Most of the world doesn't have clean drinking water, does that make polluted water the right way to go? No. Some countries in the world drive on the left side of the road, are we driving wrong?

Those foriegn friends of yours are just as ethnocentric as we are and probably moreso on the xenophobe side. In fact, if your foriegn friends have you shaking your head because "we are backwater folk" that defines them as xenophobes. This whole reply you wrote is simply insulting to Americans. I'm not wrapping myself in the American flag and rah rahing patriotism here, either. What you wrote was simply stupid.

In the majority of the world's population, human rights are not inalienable, China, Iran, Iraq, Russia and many of the former Soviet Bloc states, Indonesia, both North and South Korea. Even in Mexico. I guess we ethnocentric xenophobes here in America have that human rights thing wrong, too. Based on your comment, the majority of the world is always right!

Not liking soccer doesn't make me wrong or a xenophobe simply because the Euro's like it, it just means I have a different taste in sports. I don't care if the Euro's or whomever like soccer, I hope they enjoy it, seriously. In my opinion, soccer sucks, it doesn't make me a xenophobe. Thanks.

Maybe you should stop kissing your foriegn friend's behinds and understand that there are differences in cultures. They can have their soccer, I don't think any less of them for it, they shouldn't think any less of us because the majority of Americans haven't embraced soccer. We aren't backwater folk simply because we haven't jumped on their game.

[WSUbballer]

MVJ scored a big fat goal on this one.

That is the definition of pwnage.

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

John being that you are not a big soccer fan I have to correct you a bit, if you get red carded you are gone and cannot be subbed. Your side with have to continue down a man or a woman. Really serious thing that puts you at a huge disadvantage. Would be like a permanent major penalty in hockey for the remainder of the game.

Totally disagree with your offsides analysis, but I will let it go. I will just leave it with, most of the world agrees with me and not you on the sport of soccer. I think a lot of the hate just comes from ethnocentricism and xenophobia. Watching it won't kill you, but I respect people's opinion to disagree even if it leads me shaking my head trying to explain away the simplicity of some backwater folks to my foreign friends.

Most of the world believes that the US is evil and hates us, does that make them right? No, it makes them xenophobes. Most of the world doesn't have clean drinking water, does that make polluted water the right way to go? No. Some countries in the world drive on the left side of the road, are we driving wrong?

Those foriegn friends of yours are just as ethnocentric as we are and probably moreso on the xenophobe side. In fact, if your foriegn friends have you shaking your head because "we are backwater folk" that defines them as xenophobes. This whole reply you wrote is simply insulting to Americans. I'm not wrapping myself in the American flag and rah rahing patriotism here, either. What you wrote was simply stupid.

In the majority of the world's population, human rights are not inalienable, China, Iran, Iraq, Russia and many of the former Soviet Bloc states, Indonesia, both North and South Korea. Even in Mexico. I guess we ethnocentric xenophobes here in America have that human rights thing wrong, too. Based on your comment, the majority of the world is always right!

Not liking soccer doesn't make me wrong or a xenophobe simply because the Euro's like it, it just means I have a different taste in sports. I don't care if the Euro's or whomever like soccer, I hope they enjoy it, seriously. In my opinion, soccer sucks, it doesn't make me a xenophobe. Thanks.

Maybe you should stop kissing your foriegn friend's behinds and understand that there are differences in cultures. They can have their soccer, I don't think any less of them for it, they shouldn't think any less of us because the majority of Americans haven't embraced soccer. We aren't backwater folk simply because we haven't jumped on their game.

I should have chosen a couple of my words more carefully. Not trying to imply a lack of patriotism or anything, I just get defensive when the "beautiful game" of futbol is attacked sometimes.