That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Chat about non-baseball topics. No political discussions!
Post Reply
M1IRONMIKE
Well hello, pilgrim
Posts: 4140
Joined: October 7 06, 7:23 am
Location: springfield illinois

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by M1IRONMIKE »

jim wrote:
UK wrote:
UK, travel baseball will probably run in the $300-$400 range in Geneva for a season not counting hotel stays for tournaments etc... But that's nothing compared to hockey, one friend of mine says that the estimated cost if you want your kid to play hockey from ages 7 through high school is over $100,000.
When they get to HS and play travel baseball and showcases and stuff, I bet they are spending 7500-10000 that Summer.
I can just imagine the laughter of my parents when i was playing at some figure like that. Seriously, we had showcases and stuff too. It was called American Legion ball, and I recall that it was free if you were good enough to make the team.
You are probably right because businesses kicked in a lot of money in those days to teams like that. Today there are so many travel teams that businesses just can't afford to sponsor all of them so they don't sponsor any.

jim
Red Lobster for the seafood lover in you
Posts: 50608
Joined: May 1 06, 2:41 pm

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by jim »

M1IRONMIKE wrote:
jim wrote:
UK wrote:
UK, travel baseball will probably run in the $300-$400 range in Geneva for a season not counting hotel stays for tournaments etc... But that's nothing compared to hockey, one friend of mine says that the estimated cost if you want your kid to play hockey from ages 7 through high school is over $100,000.
When they get to HS and play travel baseball and showcases and stuff, I bet they are spending 7500-10000 that Summer.
I can just imagine the laughter of my parents when i was playing at some figure like that. Seriously, we had showcases and stuff too. It was called American Legion ball, and I recall that it was free if you were good enough to make the team.
You are probably right because businesses kicked in a lot of money in those days to teams like that. Today there are so many travel teams that businesses just can't afford to sponsor all of them so they don't sponsor any.
I played for the best franchise of Khoury League - Dairy Queen. Everyone wanted to play for DQ, because after the game you got a deal and always got better stuff. Other kids would get Mister Mistys after the game, we got banana splits for the cost of a Mister Misty.

Only if you won of course. We didn't get squat if we lost.

M1IRONMIKE
Well hello, pilgrim
Posts: 4140
Joined: October 7 06, 7:23 am
Location: springfield illinois

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by M1IRONMIKE »

jim wrote:
M1IRONMIKE wrote:
jim wrote:
UK wrote:
UK, travel baseball will probably run in the $300-$400 range in Geneva for a season not counting hotel stays for tournaments etc... But that's nothing compared to hockey, one friend of mine says that the estimated cost if you want your kid to play hockey from ages 7 through high school is over $100,000.
When they get to HS and play travel baseball and showcases and stuff, I bet they are spending 7500-10000 that Summer.
I can just imagine the laughter of my parents when i was playing at some figure like that. Seriously, we had showcases and stuff too. It was called American Legion ball, and I recall that it was free if you were good enough to make the team.
You are probably right because businesses kicked in a lot of money in those days to teams like that. Today there are so many travel teams that businesses just can't afford to sponsor all of them so they don't sponsor any.
I played for the best franchise of Khoury League - Dairy Queen. Everyone wanted to play for DQ, because after the game you got a deal and always got better stuff. Other kids would get Mister Mistys after the game, we got banana splits for the cost of a Mister Misty.

Only if you won of course. We didn't get squat if we lost.
Dairy Queen is one that no longer sponsors anybody!

User avatar
Transmogrified Tiger
Puppy Murderer
Posts: 9334
Joined: April 25 06, 6:07 pm
Location: Across the River

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by Transmogrified Tiger »

jim wrote:
Transmogrified Tiger wrote:
The one thing that I don't understand, and I'm just making an observation about no one specifically, is how many baseball fans I've seen decry soccer as a boring sport with not enough scoring, and at the same time can really cherish a pitcher's duel in baseball. I guess because soccer's more fluid and there aren't as many concrete successes/failures like there are for each at bat, but still it's something I've noticed.
I can tell you that I officially went from ambivilent to downright hatred of the game when I coached youth baseball.
That's a shame. Why hold soccer responsible for crazy parents?

FWIW, I played both baseball and soccer from a young age. I never played on a travel league for either(save one tournament during my little league years), played baseball in the summer, and a season of soccer in the fall and spring. Even through high school when I played both I didn't miss anything except maybe a summer game or two all 4 years, and a couple of the pre-pre-season lifting sessions each season.

jim
Red Lobster for the seafood lover in you
Posts: 50608
Joined: May 1 06, 2:41 pm

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by jim »

Transmogrified Tiger wrote:
jim wrote:
Transmogrified Tiger wrote:
The one thing that I don't understand, and I'm just making an observation about no one specifically, is how many baseball fans I've seen decry soccer as a boring sport with not enough scoring, and at the same time can really cherish a pitcher's duel in baseball. I guess because soccer's more fluid and there aren't as many concrete successes/failures like there are for each at bat, but still it's something I've noticed.
I can tell you that I officially went from ambivilent to downright hatred of the game when I coached youth baseball.
That's a shame. Why hold soccer responsible for crazy parents?

FWIW, I played both baseball and soccer from a young age. I never played on a travel league for either(save one tournament during my little league years), played baseball in the summer, and a season of soccer in the fall and spring. Even through high school when I played both I didn't miss anything except maybe a summer game or two all 4 years, and a couple of the pre-pre-season lifting sessions each season.
I guess I just never got into the game at all, and then when I saw the competition between baseball and soccer it made it worse. If I understood and appreciated the game it wouldn't have happened.

This Beckem fad I think is going to wash out. Americans don't like soccer, and you could bring Babe Ruth back and put him on a soccer field and I don't think it would matter.

User avatar
Radio_Bugtussle
Perennial All-Star
Posts: 3451
Joined: July 26 06, 9:51 am
Location: Searching for the perfect microbrew

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by Radio_Bugtussle »

vinsanity wrote:
In all reality the game I'm very surprised doesn't have a larger following here in the states is Rugby. It's a fast paced brutal game to the likes of football and it seems like it should be more popular here.
I'm a bit surprised at that too.

Hurling looks to be more challenging than soccer. I'm oversimplifying a bit, but hurling is soccer played with a baseball and bats and no sense of self preservation or safety of others when it's time to take a hack at the ball.

A rather cynical friend of mine observes that:"Soccer is the world's most popular sport because most of the world doesn't know any better."

User avatar
Transmogrified Tiger
Puppy Murderer
Posts: 9334
Joined: April 25 06, 6:07 pm
Location: Across the River

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by Transmogrified Tiger »

Bryan Burwell had an article about "Soccer in the US" today. To sum it up: "Soccer, LOL". For an area that's supposedly pretty into the game, he sure has no idea about who follows it.

Online
User avatar
Popeye_Card
GRB's most intelligent & humble poster
Posts: 29876
Joined: April 17 06, 11:25 am

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by Popeye_Card »

Radio_Bugtussle wrote:
vinsanity wrote:
In all reality the game I'm very surprised doesn't have a larger following here in the states is Rugby. It's a fast paced brutal game to the likes of football and it seems like it should be more popular here.
I'm a bit surprised at that too.
I think it's because Americans are too lazy to learn the rules. Even though football is more complicated.

I think the big thing is that the typical American sports fan does not appreciate the subtle nuances of various sports. Even though football is quite complicated, most just tune in to see the quarterback throw the ball to the receivers, the running backs bust through holes and break tackles, and defensive guys jacking people up. The sports they don't seem to like as much--hockey, soccer, rugby, etc.--revolve a lot around the action away from the ball/puck. They like seeing breakaways in these sports, but don't appreciate what goes into running normal plays to set up goals/scoring.

I find it somewhat amusing that people claim to not like certain sports because there's not enough "action". Yet the most popular sport in America is football, which only has game action for like 14% of the game clock. Wheras hockey--a sport that's dying--has action for 99% of the clock, and like 80%+ of the telecast.

--P--

User avatar
JL21
NPR & THT Contributor
Posts: 36130
Joined: April 18 06, 7:44 am
Location: Chocolate City

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by JL21 »

It's a combination of a lot of things for me.

1. I do find it boring to watch. I fully ackowledge that it's because I've never played, had any interest in playing, or any interest in watching.

2. I have no idea where strategy comes in. It seems pretty straightforward to me. Sure, there are SOME nuances that I'm missing, but how much could there be?

3. Like UK and jim, I loathe it for the fact that it's biting into youth baseball. And I will also admit to being selfish about it. I just don't want ANYTHING to take away from baseball's popularity. I've come to terms with football and basketball biting into baseball because on some level, I can enjoy both of those. But soccer... I can't really enjoy it. Call me closed-minded or what have you.

Soccer on TV makes blood come out of my ears.

Online
User avatar
Popeye_Card
GRB's most intelligent & humble poster
Posts: 29876
Joined: April 17 06, 11:25 am

Re: That famous soccer player, will he bring attention to soccer

Post by Popeye_Card »

RC21 wrote:It's a combination of a lot of things for me.

1. I do find it boring to watch. I fully ackowledge that it's because I've never played, had any interest in playing, or any interest in watching.

2. I have no idea where strategy comes in. It seems pretty straightforward to me. Sure, there are SOME nuances that I'm missing, but how much could there be?

3. Like UK and jim, I loathe it for the fact that it's biting into youth baseball. And I will also admit to being selfish about it. I just don't want ANYTHING to take away from baseball's popularity. I've come to terms with football and basketball biting into baseball because on some level, I can enjoy both of those. But soccer... I can't really enjoy it. Call me closed-minded or what have you.

Soccer on TV makes blood come out of my ears.
Well, I ranted about people not appreciating the nuances of those sports including soccer, but I fully agree. I've never liked playing it, and don't care to watch it. I don't get the subtleties.

Now, ice hockey and rugby I love playing, and I think one gets a far better appreciation of those sports when they see it on TV after they've played them. I don't know if there's any sport I'd rather play (well, maybe skiing if that's a "sport") than ice hockey.

--P--

Post Reply