Post by: MLS_man_64 on January 11, 2007, 09:21:45 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=399471&cc=5901
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=399495&cc=5901
Post by: IceCold on January 11, 2007, 09:27:30 AM
QuoteI doubt that.
The world's most popular athlete!!!
Post by: vudu on January 11, 2007, 09:31:37 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on January 11, 2007, 09:41:53 AM
Still that's pretty big news for MLS. Like most North Americans I don't follow soccer but I do know who David Beckham is and it isn't from watching the World Cup. He's just that soccer player that everyone has heard of. So there isn't a better player to join the MLS and give the league some credibility and advance the sport over here.
Though I doubt soccer will ever really catch on here like it is in the rest of the world. Any time the World Cup is on the people I know pay attention and watch some soccer and I always hear the same complaints about how the rules don't really make sense with the clock never stopping and seemingly random extra time being awarded and the game just stopping abruptly out of nowhere. That and championships being decided on a shoot-out. I think it's too different from the North American big four sports. Football, baseball, hockey and bastketball are really structured with clear starts and stops on the timer and logical commercial breaks. The rules are tight in a near scientific way. And though I believe American football is a little goofy with overtime (Canadian football has a different overtime method so I'm not familiar with the American rules) the other three sports have very logical fair methods of overtime. That is somewhat reflective of North American life in general. We follow schedules and form lineups. Order and structure is important. Our sports work the same way. So a sport with "extra time" seems odd.
Post by: JonLeung on January 11, 2007, 09:54:43 AM
Post by: MLS_man_64 on January 11, 2007, 12:06:29 PM
By the way, congrats on their championship win in the USL this last season.
I am very likely the only guy in Texas to know that fact
Post by: Djunknown on January 11, 2007, 03:48:36 PM
Beckham coming Stateside? That should pique the interest of the American folk for a minute. Will the rest of MLS cower before this soccer god?
Post by: Dasmos on January 11, 2007, 07:17:37 PM
Quotelol
Originally posted by: JonLeung
All I care about Beckham is that he married the hottest Spice Girl, Posh Spice.
Post by: wandering on January 11, 2007, 07:34:42 PM
Quote
Though I doubt soccer will ever really catch on here like it is in the rest of the world. Any time the World Cup is on the people I know pay attention and watch some soccer and I always hear the same complaints about how the rules don't really make sense with the clock never stopping and seemingly random extra time being awarded and the game just stopping abruptly out of nowhere. That and championships being decided on a shoot-out. I think it's too different from the North American big four sports. Football, baseball, hockey and bastketball are really structured with clear starts and stops on the timer and logical commercial breaks. The rules are tight in a near scientific way. And though I believe American football is a little goofy with overtime (Canadian football has a different overtime method so I'm not familiar with the American rules) the other three sports have very logical fair methods of overtime. That is somewhat reflective of North American life in general. We follow schedules and form lineups. Order and structure is important. Our sports work the same way. So a sport with "extra time" seems odd.
I think you have just described, perfectly and beautifully, why I prefer soccer to the other four sports you mentioned.
Post by: Shift Key on January 11, 2007, 09:27:01 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: JonLeung
All I care about Beckham is that he married the anorexic Spice Girl, Posh Spice.
Fixed
EDIT: In regards to the difference between soccer and other sports, I just cannot tolerate soccer matches on a regular basis. Sure, the World Cup was nice, but I found myself yelling at the TV whenever there was a questionable call - and there certainly seems to be a lot of them at critical times in your average soccer match.
I'd rather watch NFL or NHL or to a lesser extent MLB in that case, because at least the referees are in some sort of control without dominating the match. Plus there's nothing better than seeing a quarterback get sacked or fisticuffs on the icerink.
Post by: oohhboy on January 12, 2007, 01:31:45 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: DasmosQuotelol
Originally posted by: JonLeung
All I care about Beckham is that he married the hottest Spice Girl, Posh Spice.
You mean the only one you could look at without wondering why your throwing up?
To be honest, I don't give a rats ass about celebs, sports or otherwise. We spend way too much money on them. Nobody should be paid that much per year.
Post by: BranDonk Kong on January 12, 2007, 02:43:06 AM
Post by: Pale on January 12, 2007, 03:07:28 AM
Post by: nitsu niflheim on January 12, 2007, 03:30:59 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on January 12, 2007, 04:46:09 AM
In soccer my team would be Portugal and I really only watch soccer during major events like the World Cup that get TV coverage in Canada. If I watched local soccer I would be a Whitecap fan. The only Toronto team I'm a fan of is the Blue Jays since there are no other Canadian MLB teams.
Oh and I think the diving in soccer hurts it in North America too. Diving gives the impression that soccer players are wimps. Hockey is the top sport in Canada and it's full of body checks into the boards and fights. No wimps there. Football is the top sport in America and tackling guys to the ground is part of the objective of the game. No wimps there. The top North American sports are built around tough guys getting banged around. How can you expect a game where it's common for guys to sell little taps on the shin as if they just broke their leg to compete?
Post by: Caliban on January 12, 2007, 05:33:48 AM
Ian: I hate the diving too, specially in regards to the Portuguese national team and the Portuguese league, it's disgusting actually and it just makes it worse to my national pride lol (I'm Portuguese btw). Anyway, if you want to watch football with less diving and more roughness, then watch the England Premier League (I think that's what it's called), there are very, very, very few dives, unless Cristiano Ronaldo is playing but then again he has this explosive energy that if he truly wanted he could be a true football "hero".
Post by: JonLeung on January 12, 2007, 10:15:23 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: nitsu niflheim
Posh is now hideous, once she was cute, but now she looks like vomit!
Depends. Like most female celebrities, she has her good days, and then she also has her icky days. Like anyone, really. When she looks good, she LOOKS GOOD.
Post by: matt oz on January 12, 2007, 03:50:51 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: JonLeungQuote
Originally posted by: nitsu niflheim
Posh is now hideous, once she was cute, but now she looks like vomit!
Depends. Like most female celebrities, she has her good days, and then she also has her icky days. Like anyone, really. When she looks good, she LOOKS GOOD.
You have got to be kidding me.
She's hideous!
She used to be normal and good-looking and whatnot, and now she's a plastic alien monster. She's had so much botox and other facial surgery that her face looks like a strange mask. Her body is emaciated. Her (fake) breasts look like orange halves glued on a wooden board.
And she's orange!
Post by: Caliban on January 13, 2007, 08:57:17 AM
Post by: Ages on January 14, 2007, 01:50:21 PM
Post by: matt oz on January 14, 2007, 02:29:22 PM
Do you study "biologies" and "Spanishes" as well?
Post by: IceCold on January 14, 2007, 03:43:57 PM
Post by: Ages on January 14, 2007, 06:14:22 PM
