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U.S. eliminated from 2018 World Cup

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by LongTimeListener, Oct 10, 2017.

  1. Stoney

    Stoney Well-Known Member

    Oops. Seems typefitter wasn't expecting anyone to actually look at his link.
     
  2. doctorquant

    doctorquant Well-Known Member

    One more golf acquaintance story: One of the guys I play with regularly, his grandson (now about 11 or 12) is very gifted athletically. Fast as shit, apparently, and very balanced and spatially aware. There are some genes swirling around there, because the kid's big sister was a D1 conference's volleyball POY (three times she was all-conference) as an outside hitter. This grandson's youth football coach is the father of one of DaughterQuant's teammates and he straight-up admits that if he merely wanted to win every game (rather than let the players develop), he'd simply hand it to the kid and let him outrun everybody.

    Now let me emphasize that I have no idea whether the kid would have what it takes to play top-level soccer someday. I do know, however, that: 1) he's very gifted athletically; and 2) he's absolutely not getting in those hours (playing soccer) that might come in very handy someday when being 5-foot-10 with well-above-average speed doesn't mean shit on a football field.
     
  3. doctorquant

    doctorquant Well-Known Member

    It was an honest mistake. I can't help myself when it comes to numbers, and averages, and numbers, and ... you get the picture.
     
    typefitter likes this.
  4. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    The dirty little secret here, and this applies to the current setup of youth baseball too, is that the people most invested in the system might not want the system to change. The money they spend in a limited talent pool gives them a competitive advantage that benefits their kids.

    U.S. Soccer is in the position of pitching a development program that, if it works, will severely impede the chances of virtually every kid who is currently involved. That's a tough sell.
     
  5. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    Pay-to-play must die.
     
    LongTimeListener likes this.
  6. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    You can add lacrosse to that list.
     
  7. Fly

    Fly Well-Known Member

    And hockey.
    And volleyball.
    And swimming.
     
  8. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I’m glad my kid has an aptitude for distance running. Pair of shoes, a sidewalk, and a stopwatch.
     
  9. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Fencing
    Sailing

    Just about every single sport.

    Unless you think Ted Turner was an incredible athlete, and could have dominated sports other than sailing.
     
  10. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    Football and basketball are still great at finding athletes and eliminating the cost barrier. Football maybe even moreso in the future because the wealthier parents won't let their kids play it.
     
  11. SpeedTchr

    SpeedTchr Well-Known Member

    In my experience, NFL players are pretty fucking terrible overall athletes. They are exceptional in a couple aspects of fitness (power, to be exact), but shit city in others. The need for bulk precludes being elite in other aspects. Sure, there are some exceptions, but for the most part they are in the NFL because they are the very best in a narrow scope of abilities.

    Professional footballers have a very different set of athletic requirements, and are also generally crap in the aspects outside that realm.
     
  12. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Oh sure.

    I meant most every other sport.
     
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