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lostintheforest
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PostThu Jun 19, 2014 11:15 am 
While they are changing things, maybe throw a few lions out on the field. That always livens up things yeah?

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teamravegreen
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PostThu Jun 19, 2014 12:08 pm 
Based on some of the suggestions and comments in this thread, please... PLEASE... don't change a thing about my beloved sport. It is getting more popular every year in the states. Slow growth is fine by me, especially if it keeps all you wackos away dizzy.gif wink.gif

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trestle
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PostThu Jun 19, 2014 2:51 pm 
Say whatever you want about soccer but you cannot judge the US interest in soccer during a World Cup year. Our interest is up because of nationalism, not interest in the sport. Therefore, I cannot in any way support the contention that soccer is "growing" nor that it's becoming popular in the US. Frankly, we're on the verge of seeing the sport become a caricature of itself as the governing body continuously ignores the problems within its own house, on and off the field (much like baseball).

"Life favors the prepared." - Edna Mode
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Voxxjin
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PostThu Jun 19, 2014 2:55 pm 
teamravegreen wrote:
especially if it keeps all you wackos away
I think the soccer fans are more rabid than football, basketball, baseball and hockey. http://soccerlens.com/football-violence-worst-football-riots/23093/

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coldrain108
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PostThu Jun 19, 2014 4:15 pm 
Voxxjin wrote:
I think the soccer fans are more rabid than football, basketball, baseball and hockey.
its the crazy beer stipend they give in England. At least we aren't that dumb...yet. When I was in high school we lived in the East Bay and I went to a lot of A's games. They had 2$ bleacher seats and served rot gut beer in a gallon jug. The fights were epic. There would be a tumbling mass of bodies rolling around out there, it was funny to watch from the regular seats, an early example of the wave lol.gif

Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
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teamravegreen
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PostThu Jun 19, 2014 4:41 pm 
trestle wrote:
Say whatever you want about soccer but you cannot judge the US interest in soccer during a World Cup year. Our interest is up because of nationalism, not interest in the sport. Therefore, I cannot in any way support the contention that soccer is "growing" nor that it's becoming popular in the US...
I don't think interest is up because of the World Cup or nationalism. I know it is up because of a rise in attendance of MLS games, more sponsorship money being thrown at the sport, a continued increase in money being spent on the players and rosters, and continued expansion and increased expansion fees, etc. etc. All this didn't happen in the last year. It's taken many years, but it is happening. (Edit) I didn't mean to skip over the second part of your comment trestle. I agree, FIFA is corrupt and needs to be fixed, badly. I don't believe that will happen unless Sepp Blatter gets voted/kicked out.
Voxxjin wrote:
I think the soccer fans are more rabid than football, basketball, baseball and hockey.
Yes, maybe. I was actually just trying to have fun and be playful by calling all the trolls and also you people that wanted to change rules "wackos" smile.gif

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rocknclimb
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PostThu Jun 19, 2014 7:54 pm 
trestle wrote:
Say whatever you want about soccer but you cannot judge the US interest in soccer during a World Cup year. Our interest is up because of nationalism, not interest in the sport. Therefore, I cannot in any way support the contention that soccer is "growing" nor that it's becoming popular in the US
Published by Forbes 11/08/2013 http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2013/11/08/after-flirting-with-failure-major-league-soccer-popularity-now-surging/ "MLS — which as recently as 2011 signed a three-year deal with NBC worth a meager $10 million per year, according to the Sports Business Journal." "There are 19 teams – with another New York City team scheduled to launch in 2015 and one in Orlando in the works. And with Hunt selling his second soccer team, Columbus Crew, for an MLS record $68 million this July, ownership is as dispersed and valuable as ever. Average attendance has surged to 18,600, a more than 35% increase from the 2000 nadir of just over 13,700." "According to the Luker on Trends – ESPN Sports Poll. It’s a 24% increase from five years ago and a 33% increase since 2002. Avid fans of the league — now at 7.3% — grew 35% from 2007 and 43% from a decade ago." I admit to being biased as a soccer fan, but the numbers don't lie.

When asked "Why do you climb"? Simply respond "Why don't you"?
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Voxxjin
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PostFri Jun 20, 2014 9:12 am 
teamravegreen wrote:
Yes, maybe. I was actually just trying to have fun and be playful by calling all the trolls and also you people that wanted to change rules "wackos" smile.gif
I misread it and thought you were saying fans of other sports were crazier. embarassedlaugh.gif Anyway I have nothign against soccer, it's just not my cup of tea. Unless they do decide to add lions to the field as stealthelight suggested, then I might reconsider.

Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war
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trestle
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PostFri Jun 20, 2014 5:45 pm 
OK, I'll acknowledge your numbers but I still have a hard time accepting the MLS as a national sport or that there is true national interest in soccer. Of course the rise in interest is aided by it being a Cup year and the build-up from the USMNT has been compelling to watch for the past year, drawing in fans of sports drama who otherwise couldn't care less about soccer. Sports fans like a good story as much as anyone. However, I still see plenty of empty seats at MLS games, including in the playoffs. I bet if you took away the attendance records of Seattle and LA, the average attendance numbers you quoted would be far lower. Your second line of quoted statistics is lacking background information so I can't make sense of it. And if only 7.3% of overall fans are considered avid, that's not good for a "growing" sport. I'm a soccer fan, not bashing the sport; I just don't see the huge "growth" that so many are touting.

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rocknclimb
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PostFri Jun 20, 2014 6:32 pm 
trestle wrote:
I bet if you took away the attendance records of Seattle and LA, the average attendance numbers you quoted would be far lower.
Can't argue w/ your statement. smile.gif I agree that the popularity of soccer still doesn't come close to other classic American sports such as Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Just glad we have a local team to root for up.gif Edit: Had the wrong link posted earlier.

When asked "Why do you climb"? Simply respond "Why don't you"?
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509
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PostTue Jun 24, 2014 2:47 pm 
I really tried to watch soccer last night. Last night ESPN presented a "highlight" version. They just skipped to the parts where "something" happened. Not a goal, but something.....anything. It was still boring....but I did notice that every five minutes or so....something happened. Much higher than I thought possible, but it is the world cup.

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cascadeclimber
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PostTue Jun 24, 2014 8:11 pm 
I've tried and tried to do anything but yawn uncontrollably at soccer/non-American football. More than any other sport, including golf and even chess, it just bores me to tears. I'm clearly in the global minority and maybe it's because I never played it and so have no context, but I can't think of any other sport where fans remotely consider a 0-0 draw exciting. Even hockey, which is my favorite sport, is boring at 0-0. Some ideas: Make the field 1/2 the size Make the goal 50% bigger Let the players mug each other (like Australian Rules Football) Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the players from the field Unless there is impending death, let the fake-hurt players lay on the field or limp off (like hockey) Eliminate offsides Make all corner kicks into free kicks from 5 meters I have a hard time making an plausible argument that a 12-9 soccer game with 50 saves/stops on each side could be less exciting that a 1-0 game with 4 saves a piece. Edit to add: No-hitters are interesting in baseball because they are very rare. Low scoring soccer games are neither. If baseball had 300 no-hitters ever year, people would complain, and rightfully so.

If not now, when?
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Gil
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PostWed Jun 25, 2014 1:24 am 
Anyone who claims that soccer is boring but baseball is not ... snore. And for this kind of argument:
Boywonder wrote:
Because you only need a ball to play, that is why it is popular worldwide. It is an inexpensive sport for less fortunate countries.
I guess he's talking about places like Qatar, site of the 2022 World Cup. You know, the Qatar that has nearly twice the per-capita income of the U.S. And last time I checked, the only thing you needed to play American football was, well, a football.

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cascadeclimber
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PostWed Jun 25, 2014 8:33 am 
Gil wrote:
And last time I checked, the only thing you needed to play American football was, well, a football.
And a team, or at least one other person. I've seen lots of people kick soccer balls alone, but I've never seen anyone play with a football alone. And a soccer ball can be fashioned from many raw materials, including animal innards and vegetable matter. A football? Not so easy. I agree: Soccer is a very accessible sport.

If not now, when?
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coldrain108
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PostWed Jun 25, 2014 9:34 am 
they could just make each goal worth 7 points like US football. Now a 3-2 game becomes 21-14...that looks like a familiar score. clown.gif

Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
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