Let's boycott football

Donna Ruiz48 said:I see you think you’ve actually won this one with those "irrefutable" points of yours. Clearly, logic and sound argumentation are your absolute strongest suits. 👍

If you’re actually looking for some decent argumentation here, all you have to do is scroll up. I’ve already laid out three or four perfectly reasonable posts right there.

Well, I can see now that there’s absolutely no point in trying to explain things to these idiots.

nimblemarlin17 said:Look, you could write six pages about soccer. There are endless clubs, players, matches, and leagues. Janica is just one person, her career lasted about thirty years, and the competitors stay mostly the same. Plus, the sport itself isn't some deep philosophy—it's basically "run through a set of gates as fast as you can." There isn't enough tactical depth or variety to fill six pages on skiing every single day. It's nothing special here. Take Valencia, for example; they have a local version of this site where 20 out of 25 daily pages are dedicated solely to Valencia F. C.. Imagine what it's like in Madrid or Barcelona...

There really isn't much to write about over six pages.😕
Skiing isn't a philosophy, so I don't get why soccer is considered one. You just chase a ball around for 90 minutes and try to kick it into a net, and when it goes in, everyone celebrates.

Brandon Castillo4 said:Volleyball, water polo, handball... honestly, nothing matters except the trophies and the score on the board right now. Maybe it isn't the fairest way to play, but hey, that's just how it goes. Nothing's changing.

I don't see how soccer is any different???
Trophies are the bottom line in any sport, including soccer. Without them, you've got absolutely nothing.

Donna Ruiz48 said:while the big philosophy here is just chasing a ball around for 90 minutes🙄

We’re talking about tactics, not some kind of "transcendental greatness."

I only used Janica as an example; there’s a whole heap of others. I literally just heard that Ljubičić is sitting at number three on the latest rankings👋 (now *that* is tennis—there’s actually something to write about when you consider how many tournaments they play in a year) or look at yesterday, where guys like Smith and Miller became club champions in the US, or Vujičić getting picked for the All-American five👍. None of that is ever going to get the credit it deserves.

Oh, they will. You just think they won't.

and you can't tell me there needs to be this much info even during the off-season (because what am I supposed to do, poor girl, if I don't know whether Coach Miller gained weight or some other nonsense?)

The winter break in the States lasts way longer than it does in the rest of the world.

James Roberts87 said:I don't even get why people say soccer is different from other sports.
Look, trophies are the bottom line in any sport, period. Soccer included. Without hardware, you’re basically nothing. You're just playing games for nothing.

It's because it's more popular than anything else out there. Seriously, ask yourself why. Just look at the numbers and figure it out. 😉

L. Nimoy said:It’s because he’s more popular with the fans. Why? Honestly, just ask yourself that. 😉

At the end of the day, all that matters is the trophy count.😕

Who actually told you that trophy counts are the only thing that matters? What about those 25,000 die-hards filling up the stands at St Pauli? Or the 50,000 screaming fans down in Naples? And don't even get me started on the Schalke faithful—they’ve been knocking on the door of glory for years now, always getting so close, yet somehow everyone just looks the other way when they struggle.

What about the supporters of Crewe, Nottingham Forest, or QPR?

Does their loyalty only count if there's silverware to show for it?

James Roberts87 said:There isn't much to say about page 6.😕
Skiing isn't some deep philosophy. I don't get why people act like soccer is some intellectual pursuit. You just run around for 90 minutes chasing a leather bladder and try to shove it into a 7x2.5 goal frame. When it happens, everyone loses their minds. That's it.

Does soccer draw crowds of over 100,000 to a stadium, or does skiing? The answer to that tells you everything you need to know about "why." It explains why there's more money in soccer, too. Using Ljubičić as a comparison to soccer players doesn't even make sense since he pulls in more than most pros anyway. Tennis is extremely well-paid and highly respected. Plus, it's actually interesting to watch.

Look, everyone, just hold on a second. This isn't about me saying we should all collectively decide to hate soccer as a sport. Personally, I find the game fascinating, and honestly, I still love getting out on the pitch and playing myself. But that’s exactly where the issue lies—the media treats soccer with this obsessive, disproportionate intensity compared to any other sport, and we all know exactly what kind of circus is happening behind the scenes. We're talking massive player transfers, match-fixing allegations, scandals involving club debts... the list goes on and on. The real problem is that you can turn on the TV and see an advertisement for absolutely anything—perfume, credit cards, holiday sales, or even some grim PSA—and they’ll somehow wedge a soccer theme or hype about the World Cup into it.
I mean, seriously, tell me if there's any logic left in that. Like, I have nothing against soccer as an athletic pursuit, but this consumerist society is quite literally trying to play us for fools. And don't even get me started on the hordes of young people who are capable of tearing an entire city apart just to prove their club is the greatest on the planet. Forgive me if I say that has absolutely nothing to do with sportsmanship; it's just pure, unadulterated savagery.

Sophia Patel8 said:Look, everyone just chill for a second. It’s not even about hating soccer as a sport. Personally, I think soccer is actually pretty cool and I love playing it myself. The issue is specifically that the media gives soccer way more attention than any other sport out there.

So what?
Everything written above is true, but you're totally missing the point! What are you even trying to say with this?

Maybe we should just start some kind of association to fight for equal coverage for all sports on TV or whatever. Something like that.😕

soccer 👋

If anyone finds this bothersome, they should probably find a more productive way to spend their time.

Sophia Patel8 said:Look, everyone just take a breath for a second. This isn't about hating soccer as a sport. Personally, I think soccer is pretty interesting and I actually enjoy playing it myself. But the issue is exactly what I mentioned: the media gives soccer way more attention than any other sport, and we all know how that plays out—from massive player buyouts and match-fixing scandals to clubs drowning in debt, not to mention the rest of it. The real problem is that you can find an ad on TV for absolutely anything—perfume, credit cards, holidays, or even funeral services—and they'll somehow shoehorn soccer and the World Cup hype into it.
So tell me, does that make any sense to you? Look, I’m not against soccer as a game, but this consumerist society is literally trying to play us for fools. And don't even get me started on the crowds of young people who are willing to tear an entire city apart just to prove their club is the best in the world. Sorry, but that isn't sports; that's just pure savagery.

Man, you are jumping all over the place. Forget the hooligans and the savagery for a minute. You opened a thread titled "let's boycott soccer" with a main "reform plan" that focuses on soccer being overhyped by the media and among fans and general sports followers.

What's this about hooligans now? Drop that. What are you actually getting at here? The fact that there's soccer everywhere on TV and that every brand is pushing tickets or using soccer to market their products is perfectly understandable. They have stuff to sell, and those products need to move. Why wouldn't they make a soccer-themed commercial? What's the big deal? What's actually getting under your skin?

Boycott soccer on TV? Boycott the brands tied to the World Cup craze? Give me a break. What kind of call to action is that? You're foaming at the mouth like Michel Salgado stole your lunch or some crap. Your little boycott can go straight to hell. 😁😬

Brandon Castillo4 said:Seriously, what’s with this whole boycott call? You’re foaming at the mouth like someone just stole Michel Salgado's lunch right out from under him, for real.😁

🤣 🤣 🤣 🙏 🙏 🙏
Man, bravo, you absolute legend—I haven't laughed this hard in ages, seriously, take another look at this🙏🙏 🙏

Sophia Patel8, why on earth are you letting such silly little things clutter up your mind with all those "what if" scenarios?
Just take a deep breath and relax, man! Instead of boycotting everything and stressing yourself out, why not just head to a local MLS game, soak in the atmosphere, and enjoy the moment instead of overthinking every tiny detail?😉

Sophia Patel8 said:For heaven's sake, everyone, just take a breath. This isn't about hating soccer as a sport. Personally, I find soccer incredibly engaging, and I actually enjoy playing it myself. The issue lies in the fact that the media pours an absurd amount of attention into soccer compared to any other sport, and we all know exactly why that is—from massive player transfers and match-fixing scandals to the endless debt crises surrounding certain clubs. It’s everywhere. You can turn on the TV and see advertisements for anything—perfume, credit cards, holiday sales, or even funeral services—all of which somehow find a way to pivot back to soccer and the World Cup.
Tell me, does that sound rational to you? Look, I am not anti-soccer, but this consumerist society is quite literally treating us like idiots. And don't even get me started on the hordes of young people who are capable of tearing an entire city apart just to prove their club is the best in the world. Forgive me if I say that has nothing to do with sportsmanship and everything to do with pure savagery.

Get a grip. Soccer gets this much media coverage simply because it is by far the most popular sport on the planet. People love it and they follow it more than anything else. That is just a logical, perfectly normal progression of things.

Who gives a damn about biathlon? Is anyone actually going to want a credit card featuring some random biathlete? No.

How can you say that? What about Nordic skiing 😁? You can't ignore Bjorndalen 👋

Donna Ruiz48 said:I’m fairly certain that a tennis match—well, handball, volleyball, basketball... whatever—isn't going to end 0:0. It just wouldn't make sense. 🙄

Look, lady, this whole post says a lot about how you view the greatest sport on the planet. And let’s be clear—part of the reason soccer is king is because of those 0-0 draws. There isn't another game in existence where a single goal is celebrated with more intensity than in soccer. Would the sport actually be better if every single match ended 3-3, 4-4, or some wild 5-6 scoreline? Not even close. It would suck. It would lose the very essence and allure that made it what it is today. That grueling, ninety-minute chase for the ball that ends in a scoreless deadlock can be infinitely more gripping than some high-scoring handball game ending 36-30. That's just the reality of it. If you aren't ready to accept that, maybe it’s best if you just steer clear of this subforum entirely.

I haven't seen anything from zzigaj lately. Not that I was looking for it. It’s just one of those things you notice when the feed goes quiet. Everything feels a bit too still. kaže:
There are roughly ten million soccer players out there on the global stage. When you run the math on that, being an elite pro at the pitch is worth a million times more than being some top-tier skier. It’s just basic logic. One path leads to actual wealth; the other is just expensive hobbies and cold wind.

I suspect there are a few more than ten million of them... 😬

casualpuma71 said:I reckon there's gotta be more than ten million of 'em. 😬

So, I was scrolling through the Free Press the other day when I saw this absolute joke of a giveaway. They’re tossing out some Brazil sticker like it’s actually worth something. And get this—they’re claiming they have something like 3.4 million registered soccer players. Give me a break. What a total load of crap.😁

So, here it is.

I wasn't quite sure where this belonged on the board, but I felt compelled to share it with you wonderful people who actually understand English 😬

Anyway, Soccer team Advanced in a Cup match by deliberately scoring against itself

In the last five minutes, spectators were treated to the incredible sight of both team's defending their opponents goal against attackers desperately trying to score an own goal

🤣

And some people actually want to boycott this sport?? 😠

Torch said:I wasn't quite sure where this belonged on the board, but I felt compelled to share this madness with you wonderful people (who actually understand English 😬 )

Anyway, The 1998 Arizona Cardinals

In those final five minutes, fans witnessed the absolute absurdity of both teams desperately guarding their opponent's net while the attackers tried everything in their power to score an own goal

🤣

And people actually want to boycott this sport?? 😠

🙏 🙏 🙏