Soccer

[MintJulie]

I started following Tottenham about seven years ago. They're one of those "close but not too close" teams, who have been hovering between 5th - 3rd place for the last four or five seasons. And I'm very happy to see them in 2nd place.

I love soccer.  I was never a fan until a few years ago when I started going to games with my friend whose son plays h.s. soccer.  They even went to the state finals.  So fun.
I enjoyed the world cup also.  This is a sport I enjoy anytime I see it and would love to follow it a bit more.

So, with the sport not being as popular in the US and not televised, where do the soccer fans here watch it on the television? 

[MissBarbara]

So, with the sport not being as popular in the US and not televised, where do the soccer fans here watch it on the television? 

Soccer is VERY popular here. Sure, not popular as elsewhere in the world, but it's still popular.

And soccer IS televised here. Granted, I'm still an old-school cable girl, But many MLS matches air on ESPN and FOX Sports One, and a local sports channel (MSG) airs MLS matches as well. Every single World Cup match was aired live here, though, with the time difference, many aired at inconvenient times. Many UEFA Champions League matches air here as well (and, in my opinion, that's the best soccer you'll watch). And many European matches air her as well. NBCSN airs several Premier League matches every weekend, and BeIN Sports (yes, it's a weird name) airs most Real Madrid and Barcelona matches, along with other matches from La Liga, Ligue Une, Serie A, and the Bundesliga.

And that's just the English-language channels.

[watcher1]

If you have Comcast, hit the search button and then type in the word, soccer, and it will show you every game currently being played plus upcoming games. Pretty sure other cable companies have similar search features.

I agree with MissB. Pro teams in Europe and in England are the cream of the crop right now. MSL here in the United States is okay, but they do keep adding veterans who are in the twilight of their career from UEFA but may have a few years left to play.

US College soccer games, especially the semi-finals onward, prove pretty entertaining.

[_priapism]

Football (soccer) is like a lot of other things.  It’s there, if you look for it.  I have friends who are avid fans, and get up very early to drink beer for breakfast, while watching European league play on satellite.  I have other friends who don’t know it exists.

It is the game of the future, and the past.  Far fewer concussions and traumatic brain injury than the American football causes.

[Jed_]

I historically watch every 4 years.  But it’s like baseball for me; I only see the scoring on replay, because my mind has wandered during the boring parts, which is 99% of it for me, and I miss when something finally happens.  Sorry, just not a huge fan of most sports.

If Peru had only done well this past year, I might be more interested.  My gf’s nephew went all the way to Russia to watch them lose.  He managed to get on Peruvian TV, and a clip of that was sent to my gf and we watched him cry at the loss.  Poor guy was devastated.

[MissBarbara]

Football (soccer) is like a lot of other things.  It’s there, if you look for it.  I have friends who are avid fans, and get up very early to drink beer for breakfast, while watching European league play on satellite.  I have other friends who don’t know it exists.

It is the game of the future, and the past.  Far fewer concussions and traumatic brain injury than the American football causes.

I'm not really a sports fan, other than following the Cubs and Bears in season. I only played soccer as a young girl, but at one point I became enchanted with the sport, and I've been avidly following it ever since. 

But it's not for everyone. While many American "sports guys" seem to hold the sport in complete disdain, I've no problem with those who don't like it. And, to Jed's point, I don't have a problem with people who find it "boring." Granted, I'd be happy to explain to Jed why soccer is not boring, and how it's more exciting than the other major U.S. sports, but that's a different discussion.

You're right: The growing body of evidence for a causal link between repetitive head trauma and CTE has, ironically, proven a huge boon for the sport. As more and more parents are not allowing their children to play football, especially at a younger age, those kids are finding an alternative in soccer. Soccer has been very popular with kids for decades, and it's seen a sharp increase in popularity in recent years. As a result, it's becoming more popular at the high school level. Soccer used to be one of those "other" sports (like wrestling, swimming, or gymnastics), while the "best athletes" played football, basketball, and baseball. In recent years, it's become more prominent in high schools, becoming more mainstream and acceptable. This bodes very well for the future.

The English call soccer "The Beautiful Game," and once you gain an appreciation for it, you'll quickly see why.

[MintJulie]

Yeah, I guess I misused the word 'popular' there.

We are cord cutters.  I don't have cable.  I have internet coming into my house only.  I have a mini antenae that picks up broadcasts from a nearby city.  I get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and some others.   I have appleTV and a Roku that has apps for other things.  Doing this has cut $120 a month off my bill.   I seem to have gotten off track, so...

When I used 'popular' in my opening post, it was more in reference to it not being followed, or on the television major networks.   I have never channel flipped and come across a soccer game being played.

Now, just this past Tuesday, we figured out a way to get ESPN over the Roku and AppleTV without paying for it.  I shouldn't really say how because it's not exactly ethical in how we do this.   We are also able to get other channels now, TLC, HGTV, FoodNetwork, etc.  I still can't get FoxSports1, which is what I believe the Tigers are played on, but we both want to for the Tiger games.  I'll task Mark with figuring that out.  I will have to look at the ESPN listings and see what is coming up.

When we were in Ireland and England last summer I really got hooked.  We were in some pubs and the atmosphere was so exciting.  I actually had goosebumps watching some of the games with those crowds.

[IdleBoast]

Sorry, but no.

I don't find football boring, but I don't enjoy it.  I also find it extremely annoying that the "best" players get paid more in a week than I get paid in ten years, when most of them have the IQ of a walnut.

Also...

[MissBarbara]

Also...

Also...

The word "soccer" is British in origin, derived from the official name of the sport, association football.

And speaking of football:

[IdleBoast]

I saw a match once - chap came on just to kick a ball over the post. 20 seconds play...

[MissBarbara]

I saw a match once - chap came on just to kick a ball over the post. 20 seconds play...

It was likely closer to 6-7 seconds...

[Remington555]

I'd have more interest in soccer (and hockey for that matter) if they eliminated the goalie. I get the action in the trenches (in the middle of the field/rink) but when one of those players bests the other he still has to get past another guy who is just standing there waiting for him.

How popular do you think basketball would be if there was someone stationed by the basket at all times whose only job was to reject shots?

Remmy (admittedly a sports Luddite)

PS: Don't beat up on me... I'm old and feeble. 

[MintJulie]

I get the action in the trenches (in the middle of the field/rink) but when one of those players bests the other he still has to get past another guy who is just standing there waiting for him.

Everytime I do go to a hockey game, I can't help but wonder why the Red Wings don't go over to China and get the biggest sumo wrestler they can and put him in pad in front of the net.    Get a 400 pounder.  More area filling the net, less likely to get the puck in.  You're welcome Red Wings GM.

I LOVE hockey.  60 minutes of action up and down the ice.  Similar to soccer.  Maybe that's why I have taken to soccer.

I saw a match once - chap came on just to kick a ball over the post. 20 seconds play...

Sound more American to your chaps, say, "Through the uprights."

[MissBarbara]

I saw a match once - chap came on just to kick a ball over the post. 20 seconds play...

Sound more American to your chaps, say, "Through the uprights."

And it's a game, not a match.

[Jed_]

Everytime I do go to a hockey game, I can't help but wonder why the Red Wings don't go over to China and get the biggest sumo wrestler they can and put him in pad in front of the net.    Get a 400 pounder.  More area filling the net, less likely to get the puck in.  You're welcome Red Wings GM.

Um Jules, maybe they should go to Japan where they have sumo wrestling, not China?

[watcher1]

Sorry, but no.

I don't find football boring, but I don't enjoy it.  I also find it extremely annoying that the "best" players get paid more in a week than I get paid in ten years, when most of them have the IQ of a walnut.

A transfer fee of something like $73 million was just paid for an American player in the English Premiere League, making him the highest paid American ever in football.

[MissBarbara]

Sorry, but no.

I don't find football boring, but I don't enjoy it.  I also find it extremely annoying that the "best" players get paid more in a week than I get paid in ten years, when most of them have the IQ of a walnut.

A transfer fee of something like $73 million was just paid for an American player in the English Premiere League, making him the highest paid American ever in football.

He's Christian Pulisic, probably the best American player at this moment. He's the star of the U.S. Men's National Team, with 9 goals in 23 appearances, and he's played for Borussia Dortmund, one of the top teams in the German Bundesliga, for the past three seasons. Earlier in the week he was signed by Chelsea, one of the top teams in the English Premier League.

He's a lot of fun to watch. He plays with both style and aggression, and he's an amazing ball-handler, equally adept with both feet. He's a natural center forward, but his skills lend themselves to either wing.

[psiberzerker]

http://time.com/4913284/kids-sports-cost/

At the cost of being a complete hypocrite, we can't talk about Soccer, in America, without it becoming a discussion of Football.  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/09/20/the-nfls-highest-paid-players-2018-aaron-rodgers-leads-with-76-million/#4cea756c117b

A $73 million dollar transfer fee is a 1 time cost, right?  ^That's just the top 10, Annual incomes. 

[MissBarbara]

http://time.com/4913284/kids-sports-cost/

At the cost of being a complete hypocrite, we can't talk about Soccer, in America, without it becoming a discussion of Football.  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/09/20/the-nfls-highest-paid-players-2018-aaron-rodgers-leads-with-76-million/#4cea756c117b

A $73 million dollar transfer fee is a 1 time cost, right?  ^That's just the top 10, Annual incomes.
 

You CAN have a discussion about soccer without it becoming a discussion of football (well, at least what we American's call football).

That's one of the two things that American soccer fans loathe the most: The fact that their looked down upon with haughty disdain by Brits and others in Europe, and the fact that they're dismissed by American fans of the big sports, who cannot but compare soccer with "their" sports.

To your point, transfer fees do not exist in American sports (as least as far as I know). A transfer fee is paid when one team purchases the contract of a player from another team, and the fee is listed in the player's contract. The purchasing team pays the fee to obtain the contract (and, thus, the player), and the purchasing team is still responsible for paying the player the salary in the contract. As such, it's unlike either a trade or a free agent signing, and it us not a factor of how much the player is paid under his contract.

Your linked article says that Aaron Rodgers's current contract pays him $33.5 million per year. That's his his annual salary. Lionel Messi's annual salary (with bonuses) is $80 million, Neymar's is $73 million, and Cristiano Ronaldo's is $62 million. And that does not include endorsement deals.

[psiberzerker]

To your point, transfer fees do not exist in American sports (as least as far as I know). A transfer fee is paid when one team purchases the contract of a player from another team, and the fee is listed in the player's contract.

You're right.  It's one of those "biscuits" things, or right hand drive.  Here, they're called a signing bonus, and get payed to the player.

In my defense, I'm a Texan.  The worst kind of American when it comes to talking about sports.  I just wanted some perspective numbers on that transfer fee.  That's a good Year in the NFL, not counting the Signing bonus your first year.

Bloody colonials.