|
Post by ScottishProWrestling on Dec 30, 2010 9:19:16 GMT -5
Seriously, where is the passion? Over here and in Europe you are pretty much born into supporting a club/team. In the USA it feels to me like alot of the time people just pick a side. I just came across this article helping fans from the US pick a team from the English Premier League (Real Football or Soccer to you guys ) Its the most absurd thing I've read regarding sports, actually analysing what team you should support in English Football. Craziness! Here are his conditions on picking a side: I kept six goals in mind throughout the screening process: Goal No. 1: Avoid the whole "jumping on the bandwagon" thing. I didn't want to be like those losers in the mid-'70s who started rooting for the Cowboys or Steelers just because they were winning. Goal No. 2: Avoid a team that's too tortured. Already went down that road with the Sox. Once was enough. Goal No. 3: If possible, gravitate toward a city that could double as a potential vacation spot. (Translation: London.) Goal No. 4: Put it this way: I'd rather have less hooligans in my life than more hooligans. I don't even like when my dogs get rowdy. Goal No. 5: Pay careful attention to the list of celebrity fans attached to each team. For instance, one of the EPL teams (we'll reveal which later in the column) counts John Gotti and Osama bin Laden among its fans. I'm not a celebrity, but just in case somebody mistook me for one, that's not a list I'd want to be on. Goal No. 6: Pick a team that's successful enough to crack Channel 613 from time to time and will avoid the ignominy of getting kicked out of the EPL. And by the way, that can happen. At the end of every season, the bottom three teams are relegated to the second division, with the top three teams from the second division getting called up. (Imagine if baseball did this?) You don't want to be stuck with a team that gets relegated. So that factored in more than anything else. There are 20 EPL teams in all. I ruled out nine immediately because of relegation dangers and other factors. This just comes across as pathetic and completely against the spirit of Football in my opinion. Football is about passion over here, it's not something where you pick and choose a team. That why football games have unrivaled atmospheres, the fans are die-hards and it means something for their team to win every week. Losing against rivals usually means being on the receiving end of intense ribbings from colleagues and friends alike. Its a way of life over here, not a choice. If you want to watch football for the enjoyment of it, then hell yeah go for it, in time you'll enjoy a team and grow an affinity for them, but, don't go looking for a side based on certain parameters. Full Article here: sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060719Opinions?
|
|
|
Post by Baixo Astral on Dec 30, 2010 9:35:59 GMT -5
As a detached casual fan who just wants to enjoy soccer (not describing myself, BTW*), why would you choose a team that was going to suck, and hate itself (hi there, Birmingham City), and never get on the TV? Go ahead, pick Man U, you might as well.
*Nottingham Forest fan here. How's THAT for tortured?
|
|
pegasuswarrior
El Dandy
Three Time FAN Idol Champion
@PulpPictionary
Posts: 8,748
|
Post by pegasuswarrior on Dec 30, 2010 9:40:29 GMT -5
Thanks for posting this.
I would agree for the most part, but one point I personally don't agree with is picking a team that's actually on TV. If you do that with baseball in America, then you only have four or five teams to choose from, and you can't invent a measuring device that registers how badly that ticks me off. My favorite baseball team is one that I haven't been able to see unless I travel over 300-400 miles to see ... and yeah, that's pretty much it.
In the past, I could always try to find them on satelite TV, but it's against the board rules for me to explain why they (and pretty much ANY small market team on regional TV) are now completely inaccessible. It has to do with government and politics and business and commerce and regional blackouts and such.
I still try to keep up, but boxscores are the only way to do it. ESPN sure the **** isn't going to show any *real* highlights or pay any real attention to anyone except THEIR teams.
But I do scratch my head at American "sports-team-choosing" more and more and more. It's like the songs on the radio listener: "Whoever gets exposure is who I'll like." (Not saying everyone here is like that; I'm just saying that a lot of American fans seem to be that way.) I hate that people can't see it from the other perspective when they're trying to talk sports with you, and they ask, "So who do you like?" You tell them and they laugh and giggle as if to say, "For God's sake, why?!" And then you realize who their team is, and the only thing they expected as a response was one of the three-five teams who EVER get talked about on television, as if they are the only teams around.
|
|
|
Post by ScottishProWrestling on Dec 30, 2010 9:53:45 GMT -5
As a detached casual fan who just wants to enjoy soccer (not describing myself, BTW *), why would you choose a team that was going to suck, and hate itself (hi there, Birmingham City), and never get on the TV? Go ahead, pick Man U, you might as well. *Nottingham Forest fan here. How's THAT for tortured? Think we can say for sure that you didn't choose your team on a "glory-hunting" basis. Though they do have a rather magnificent history, namely under legendary manager Nigel Clough!
|
|
Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
Celestial Princess in Exile.
Posts: 45,788
|
Post by Allie Kitsune on Dec 30, 2010 9:55:06 GMT -5
Seriously, where is the passion? Over here and in Europe you are pretty much born into supporting a club/team. In the USA it feels to me like alot of the time people just pick a side. I just came across this article helping fans from the US pick a team from the English Premier League (Real Football or Soccer to you guys ) Its the most absurd thing I've read regarding sports, actually analysing what team you should support in English Football. Craziness! Here are his conditions on picking a side: I kept six goals in mind throughout the screening process: Goal No. 1: Avoid the whole "jumping on the bandwagon" thing. I didn't want to be like those losers in the mid-'70s who started rooting for the Cowboys or Steelers just because they were winning. Goal No. 2: Avoid a team that's too tortured. Already went down that road with the Sox. Once was enough. Goal No. 3: If possible, gravitate toward a city that could double as a potential vacation spot. (Translation: London.) Goal No. 4: Put it this way: I'd rather have less hooligans in my life than more hooligans. I don't even like when my dogs get rowdy. Goal No. 5: Pay careful attention to the list of celebrity fans attached to each team. For instance, one of the EPL teams (we'll reveal which later in the column) counts John Gotti and Osama bin Laden among its fans. I'm not a celebrity, but just in case somebody mistook me for one, that's not a list I'd want to be on. Goal No. 6: Pick a team that's successful enough to crack Channel 613 from time to time and will avoid the ignominy of getting kicked out of the EPL. And by the way, that can happen. At the end of every season, the bottom three teams are relegated to the second division, with the top three teams from the second division getting called up. (Imagine if baseball did this?) You don't want to be stuck with a team that gets relegated. So that factored in more than anything else. There are 20 EPL teams in all. I ruled out nine immediately because of relegation dangers and other factors. This just comes across as pathetic and completely against the spirit of Football in my opinion. Football is about passion over here, it's not something where you pick and choose a team. That why football games have unrivaled atmospheres, the fans are die-hards and it means something for their team to win every week. Losing against rivals usually means being on the receiving end of intense ribbings from colleagues and friends alike. Its a way of life over here, not a choice. If you want to watch football for the enjoyment of it, then hell yeah go for it, in time you'll enjoy a team and grow an affinity for them, but, don't go looking for a side based on certain parameters. Full Article here: sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060719Opinions? My opinion is that Bill Simmons is, has always been, and will always be an idiot. I'm sorry that you had to be exposed to his idiocy.
|
|
sryans
Don Corleone
BROOKLYN, BROOKLYN
Posts: 2,001
|
Post by sryans on Dec 30, 2010 9:56:26 GMT -5
How exactly would you want us to pick a team? We want to watch the team on television, which substantially lowers the amount of available teams, because we don't get all the games to view over here. We are not born into a long line of Liverpool supporters or whatever.
If I asked you to choose an American football team to support, who would you choose? How would you choose them? And that is not even a close to perfect analogy, because American football has so much more parity than the EPL, so odds are, you won't choose a team that will get proper coverage if they are doing well that season.
I had a good friend from Leeds, so I decided to support Leeds FC, a team I have not been able to watch in years because they were relegated and American channels never show the ECL or whatever it is called.
One of the main problems for Americans picking a team is the lack of parity. Of course everyone picks Man U or Chelsea, they winn the league every year.
|
|
|
Post by hossfan on Dec 30, 2010 10:00:39 GMT -5
My opinion is you really shouldn't be complaining if an American shows any kind of interest in your sport, since most of us couldn't care less.
Also, how is someone trying to get into soccer from America supposed to choose a team to follow if he's going into it without any past connection to it? Should he throw a dart at a map? Pick the team with the coolest uniforms? Hottest wives?
Finally, Simmons rocks.
|
|
Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
Celestial Princess in Exile.
Posts: 45,788
|
Post by Allie Kitsune on Dec 30, 2010 10:01:07 GMT -5
But I do scratch my head at American "sports-team-choosing" more and more and more. It's like the songs on the radio listener: "Whoever gets exposure is who I'll like." (Not saying everyone here is like that; I'm just saying that a lot of American fans seem to be that way.) I hate that people can't see it from the other perspective when they're trying to talk sports with you, and they ask, "So who do you like?" You tell them and they laugh and giggle as if to say, "For God's sake, why?!" And then you realize who their team is, and the only thing they expected as a response was one of the three-five teams who EVER get talked about on television, as if they are the only teams around. Honestly, the worst thing is when your team goes from one of the "God, why would you ever watch them?" teams to one of the overexposed teams almost overnight. You go from being "A loser who likes to root for losers" to "A bandwagon fan who only discovered the team yesterday". Only for people that subscribe to the ESPN "Everybody Loves Boston!!! EVERYBODY. NO EXCEPTIONS." Ethos.
|
|
|
Post by Red Impact on Dec 30, 2010 10:31:27 GMT -5
Wait, you're complaining that people who haven't exposed to a league from birth, aren't grown up with it, and probably never see a game of it outside of specialty channels actually get interested and have the audacity to "choose" a team to root for if they actually get interested in it? That'd be like someone complaining about you getting interested in the Russian Hockey League and picking a team to root for.
For American sports, it's exactly as you described. Most fans have ties to the team, either familial or geographical, that they support. But this is a foreign league for a sport that America as a whole cares about once every 4 years. If any American cares about it at all, they pretty much have no choice but to "choose" a team to root for.
|
|
|
Post by Baixo Astral on Dec 30, 2010 10:33:35 GMT -5
As a detached casual fan who just wants to enjoy soccer (not describing myself, BTW *), why would you choose a team that was going to suck, and hate itself (hi there, Birmingham City), and never get on the TV? Go ahead, pick Man U, you might as well. *Nottingham Forest fan here. How's THAT for tortured? Think we can say for sure that you didn't choose your team on a "glory-hunting" basis. Though they do have a rather magnificent history, namely under legendary manager Nigel Clough! Did you just say under manager NIGEL Clough?
|
|
Phosphor Glow
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Is a real girl!
Posts: 19,866
|
Post by Phosphor Glow on Dec 30, 2010 10:33:41 GMT -5
What I don't understand is what business it is of anyone's who anyone else likes. I don't really see the point in getting upset about someone liking your team for the "wrong reasons". It doesn't affect your life any, so why should it matter?
|
|
|
Post by N E O G E O B O Y S on Dec 30, 2010 10:34:15 GMT -5
Instead of trying to pick a team from the premier league, if an american loves football/soccer, why they don't better support the mls?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2010 10:36:15 GMT -5
Instead of trying to pick a team from the premier league, if an american loves football/soccer, why they don't better support the mls? I was going to say that. I mean, we have our own soccer/football league. I support the Houston Dynamo, anyways.
|
|
Allie Kitsune
Crow T. Robot
Always Feelin' Foxy.
Celestial Princess in Exile.
Posts: 45,788
|
Post by Allie Kitsune on Dec 30, 2010 10:41:54 GMT -5
Instead of trying to pick a team from the premier league, if an american loves football/soccer, why they don't better support the mls? As someone who did support MLS this season, it's because the rest of the world treats MLS like a joke (as the best players don't really want to play there). The best players in the world aren't ever going to come to MLS unless they're hanging on way past their prime (and therefore, just aren't that good anymore), the money isn't there in MLS when compared to the Euro, South American, and Asian leagues. That, and I'm not saying ALL of them are this way, but a number of American Euro-league fans are Euro-league fans as a way of trying to look more "cultured" than your typical American NFL, NBA, or MLB fan. I think if there was a way to get better players and coaches in the MLS, and if some of our best athletes actually wanted to be professional soccer players (and stay in the US to play, instead of going over to Europe (again, where the money is)) instead of (American) Football, Baseball, or Basketball players, you'd see MLS's profile rise.
|
|
Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
|
Post by Jiren on Dec 30, 2010 10:41:56 GMT -5
Think we can say for sure that you didn't choose your team on a "glory-hunting" basis. Though they do have a rather magnificent history, namely under legendary manager Nigel Clough! Did you just say under manager NIGEL Clough? ooohhh for a Forest Fan that must sting
|
|
|
Post by ScottishProWrestling on Dec 30, 2010 10:48:12 GMT -5
My opinion is you really shouldn't be complaining if an American shows any kind of interest in your sport, since most of us couldn't care less. Also, how is someone trying to get into soccer from America supposed to choose a team to follow if he's going into it without any past connection to it? Should he throw a dart at a map? Pick the team with the coolest uniforms? Hottest wives? Finally, Simmons rocks. Watch the sport, take in as many games as you can enjoy and choose a team that you enjoy watching because of thier style of play, personalities on the park, how hard they like to tackle. Its a sport with many varietys of styles of play and not all are enjoyable to watch. I'm not saying you cant support if your not born into it but just don't analyze each team and pick one that is suited from where they may place in the league table or what thier stadium is like. Just watch and enjoy and take a basis from there.
|
|
|
Post by ScottishProWrestling on Dec 30, 2010 10:50:37 GMT -5
Think we can say for sure that you didn't choose your team on a "glory-hunting" basis. Though they do have a rather magnificent history, namely under legendary manager Nigel Clough! Did you just say under manager NIGEL Clough? Haha sorry, there was an article on little Nigel I was reading the other night and automatically filled the spot in. Brian!!! Apologies, major difference in managerial qualities!
|
|
|
Post by VenomFang on Dec 30, 2010 11:15:10 GMT -5
On tv in American for example they will put a Sunderland vs Bolton game on and Im wondering why do they bother since the vast majority of people around the world support the Man U's, Chelseas, Arsenals, etc and couldnt care less about the lower teams.
|
|
|
Post by Cyno on Dec 30, 2010 11:23:00 GMT -5
I like all the teams I like because of my dad (except for hockey. I'm a Devils fan, he's a Rangers fan) and geographic location. Of course, being born in New York City and living in New Jersey, my local teams are also the bigger teams in their respective leagues, especially the Yankees.
I don't have that connection with English Premier League, so I just don't give a shit about it. Or soccer in general. The closest to a connection I could make is Arsenal, and only because they show their regular season games on YES here, which is the Yankees' TV network.
|
|
|
Post by Baixo Astral on Dec 30, 2010 11:27:34 GMT -5
I don't understand why someone from a basically non-soccer (as a major professional sport) country would be expected to sift through the Sunderlands and Derby County's of the world to find a team. Watch the ones that play the best, most exciting, and most meaningful games.
|
|