World Cup Mania

Soccer fan is angry.

 

Am glad it's over.
I was starting to feel peer-pressured to give it praise.

 

It's a pitch!

 

It's partially interesting that FOX did such a huge number when there were concerns about getting potentially horrible placement on Sportscenter killing the product when the rights deal switched over.

 

A bigger problem would have arisen had the Grateful Dead played their three shows in Brooklyn.

Dodged a bullet.

 

What were their ratings for the non-US games? Americans, like all other peoples, are both front-runners and in international sports only interested in their national teams.

 

PS: I was/am a big Dead fan. Have seen them at least 30-35 times. But not since 1995. When Jerry Garcia died, the Dead ceased to exist. I feel the same way about the Who minus Keith Moon.

 

Mixing up your demos there, Dick. Not that there isn't overlap in the Venn diagram between soccer players and Relix readers - just look at Alexi Lalas - but your typical Brooklyn hipster isn't into the Dead.

 

Quit feeding the troll.

 

Here's a typical conversation between a soccer fan and a non-soccer fan, about soccer:

FAN: MAN, that was a great game between Watford and Stoke City! Watford scored on an upper 90 PK in the 90th minute. Deeney is so good.
NON-FAN: Meh. I'm not much of a soccer fan, sorry.
FAN: WHAT!!!?? How can you not like soccer!?
NON-FAN: Just haven't been able to get into it. I'll watch the World Cup. That's cool. But there's just too many teams and leagues to follow, they seem like they're always playing something different, the coverage is hard to follow. It's just confusing.
FAN: (Condescending 20-minute explanation of the difference between the EPL, Bundesliga and Serie A goes here)
NON-FAN: (Eyes half-glazed over) ... hurm. I get all that. The game itself just isn't my cup of tea either. It's kind of slow, not much scoring.
FAN: What!!?? You know those guys run about 12 miles in a game, right? That they're the best athletes in the world? An NFL game has about 12 seconds of action the whole time. Soccer is non-stop for 90 minutes. It's a fact. Studies prove it. Science, bro.
NON-FAN: (Starting to look for the exit) Really ... it's just not my thing.
FAN: If you just give it a chance, I bet you'll like it. You know it's the fastest-growing sport in America, right? In 30 years it'll be bigger than the NFL. Tell you what. The Red Bulls are playing a friendly with Kiev on Saturday night. Game's on ESPN News. I'm having a watch party with some friends. You should come over. I guarantee you'll love it.
NON-FAN: Oooohhh .... yeahhhh ... that sounds great and all, but I have to get my cat shaved.
FAN: Aw, come on. You just need to give it a chance. The rest of the world can't be wrong, right?
NON-FAN: (Sighing) ... Look, soccer sucks, OK. It's slow, it's boring, I don't know any players and I'd rather pluck my ass hair with a pair of tweezers than sit through a random MLS game. I just. Don't. Like it.
FAN: 'Murica, huh? Fascist dick.

 

The EPL teams play in some other tournament on the weekends. It's bizarre. But they aren't best two of three. Instead, I think it's just who scores the most goals. And then they go and play in the regular league during the week again.

No one fucking understands what the fuck is going on. I've tried to ask people who are self-professed "big soccer fans." They just bullshit their way around answering it.

 

There are certain causes I don't think people necessarily disagree with on a fundamental level -- marijuana legalization, gay marriage, certain religions, indie music -- it's just that the people pushing the causes tend to be so damn obnoxious that it turns neutral people off. Not to the other side, just to a point of indifference. They come on so strong, with such a "If you don't like it, there's something wrong with you and you just don't get it!" approach, that people tune out the argument.
Soccer is squarely in that category.