Let's boycott football

Alright, is there anyone here with even a shred of common sense who can actually speak up about this absolute nonsense? It feels like we’ve all collectively sacrificed our time, our sanity, and our hard-earned money to the altar of Football. Seriously, think about it. We sit there glued to the TV or crowding the stadiums, screaming our lungs out for a bunch of pampered idiots who couldn't pass a basic intelligence test if their lives depended on it, let alone string together a coherent sentence. And then you listen to them bicker incessantly about hundreds of thousands of dollars in contract disputes, whether they got paid or not.
For what exactly??????
For kicking a ball around a field!!!!!!

Meanwhile, most of you fanatics wandering through forums and scrolling through endless websites are grinding away, trying to finish your degrees just to land some entry-level desk job. You’re struggling to make ends meet, while those lucky few get positions paying maybe $4,000 or $1667 a month. And yet, people actually drop two or three whole paychecks just to cheer on those same players, all while those athletes laugh in our faces, parading around with supermodels on their arms.

Honestly, I’m at a loss for how to even begin boycotting this massive Football mania, but I truly believe that everyone—and I mean everyone—has gone way too far. We just sit there quietly, letting ourselves be brainwashed by people who are significantly less intelligent than we are.

There. That's my rant.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy playing a game of Football myself from time to time, but I absolutely despise seeing people get so obsessed with something that offers them zero actual benefit (and please, don't even bring up sports betting, because that’s just another layer of the scam designed to keep us distracted), especially when they end up blowing an entire paycheck or two on it. So, don't go thinking I'm some die-hard hater of the sport.

Let me hear your thoughts...

I’m into all kinds of Football. Lately, I've been playing more myself, but watching it at a stadium or on TV is like sitting through a movie where the ending changes every single time. It's the same deal with any other sport—it's just fun to watch. As for the money side of things, it works just like any other job. The top performers get the biggest paychecks. An FC Barcelona player is obviously pulling in way more than a player on the Spanish national team, just like the CEO of General Electric is making significantly more than the manager of the local corner bodega.

Sophia Patel8, I’m actually loving this thread. There was this one stretch in my life where I was obsessed with Football—I was constantly glued to the news, catching every game, heading to the stadium, and even dropping cash on official jerseys just to cheer my heart out for "my" team.

That was back when I was maybe 14 or 15. Fast forward six years, and looking back at that version of me is honestly hilarious... I remember pretty clearly when everything about the sport just started feeling gross. All those players and fans who turn into thugs, those extremist nationalists who act like Football has completely brainwashed them, and then there's the sponsors—massive American corporations that basically wreck the environment and exploit people just to pad their bottom line. It’s all just a massive money grab at this point.

The actual sport itself? Sure, it's interesting to watch, even if I don't play. But the pro leagues? They make my skin crawl. I have to side with Sophia Patel8 on this one... honestly, I've already pretty much boycotted the whole thing.

The topic itself is kind of pointless...

I don't even know where to start with this. Honestly, most of the arguments I'm seeing are just stupid. Like, how is anyone actually supposed to enjoy watching 22 idiots just kicking a ball around a field? You could say that about pretty much any sport, or hell, anything in life—school, college, even your job.
On the flip side, I get why this "modern Football" vibe has gotten under everyone's skin, but I don't see how boycotting is going to fix a damn thing. To be honest, I don't see a solution at all, and if I'm being real, I don't even think there's a real problem to solve.
Look, it’s true that for us die-hard fans, Football used to feel different. It felt like people played for the love of the game, or they were volunteering, or maybe making a modest paycheck just to cover the bills. But dammit, that was fifty years ago. Things are different now...

Remember when people actually talked about a single "transfer"? Now, every club is buying and selling 50 players a year, and we're talking about numbers with ten zeros attached to them. 🙄
Players are being traded for tens of millions, and even guys on the national team are being bought and sold like commodities...

It is what it is. But I'm not boycotting anything. I'll be right there in the stands like always...

Moving this to Football, nothing to do with the World Cup

I’ve always absolutely loathed those morons who love to drone on with their pathetic little "how can someone who can't even string a coherent sentence together make more in a single month than I do in ten years??" routine... 🙄

It’s called a market economy, plain and simple. An athlete’s value is whatever the market is willing to pay for them. Personally, I don't see any issue with that whatsoever. I am not even remotely jealous of the massive amounts of money they pull in. They earned it fair and square, and honestly, good for them. If I actually had the talent to play professional soccer, I’d be raking it in too, but I don't.

Being able to construct a perfect sentence isn't everything, and having a high IQ isn't the only thing people pay for. That isn't the only human quality that holds value, and thank God for that. People get so incredibly worked up about how much soccer players earn. But let me ask you this: does it bother you just as much that Mick Jagger is practically drowning in cash? Or that Brad Pitt makes more from a single movie than the average person would in ten lifetimes? Does it grind your gears that Kate Moss earns money you couldn't even fathom just by modeling a few outfits? There are thousands of examples like this. People make money in all sorts of ways, and soccer happens to be one of them. As for those of you who can't grasp that, or who insist on making it an issue—just go ahead and die of jealousy. Leave the rest of us alone so we can actually enjoy the game without obsessing over someone else's paycheck.

I honestly believe what people actually *do* with their hard-earned cash matters way more than the amount itself. You’ve got people like Kate Moss blowing everything on substances, or Justin Timberlake riding around on a Harley-Davidson, while a bunch of other absolute morons just throw money at insanely overpriced junk they don't need. But then you look at someone like Darijo Srna, who consistently steps up to donate to hospitals and various charities. And he isn't some outlier; there are plenty of athletes, including pro football players, who follow that same path.

On the flip side, I am dead certain that our local "genius" pundit—if he actually possessed even a fraction of the talent Srna has on the field—wouldn't dream of turning down that kind of money just to spend it all on himself. But hey, as long as he gets to sit there and talk trash about professional athletes, right?

telesto said:Alright, is there anyone here with half a brain who can give some straight talk to all this nonsense?

Yes, there is. I’ve already laid out my entire argument in my last two posts.

telesto said:We’ve all basically sacrificed our lives and our bank accounts to soccer and its matches. Think about it. We sit there watching on TV or at the stadium, cheering for a bunch of morons who don't have a single intelligent thought in their heads and couldn't even string a coherent sentence together if they tried.

Look, I haven't "sacrificed" my life to soccer; soccer is just something I do for fun and entertainment. I love the game and I enjoy it. Why on earth should I care about the IQ of some player? Besides, your generalizations are completely off base. There are plenty of incredibly capable, highly intelligent athletes out there who take their massive earnings and invest them wisely to build a legacy once their careers are over.

telesto said:And then they go on about hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid to them—or not paid!
For what??????
Just for kicking a ball around!!!!!!

No, and I can kick a ball too. They get that money because they are the absolute best at the most significant secondary activity on the planet, and that is no small feat.

telesto said:Honestly, I don't even know what to do or how to boycott this massive soccer mania.

So now players are stupid... 😁 Listen, kid, I'll give you a practical suggestion on how to boycott. Stop watching soccer on TV! Don't go to the stadiums! And when you're walking through town and see advertisements on jerseys from, say, Chevrolet, go buy a Ford instead!! If a JVC ad catches your eye during a match (which you shouldn't be watching anyway 😠), fine, go buy an LG DVD player! Instead of hitting up McDonald's, go grab a burger at a local diner. Switch from T-Mobile to Verizon! When you grow your first little mustache, shave it with Wilkinson instead of Gillette! That'll solve all your problems!!!! 👍

telesto said:but I think everyone, and I mean everyone, has gone way too far, and we just sit here calmly letting ourselves be brainwashed by people who are stupider than us.

It would be a lot smarter if you just stopped stressing over things you clearly don't understand.

telesto said:Look, I enjoy playing soccer, but I can't stand how people get so incredibly worked up over things that offer them absolutely zero practical benefit.

Why do you even care what people get excited about? Personally, I'm into hot women. There’s zero "utility" in that, right? So, what, are you suggesting I boycott women and just become gay??? Seriously folks, HE hates it when people obsess over stuff like that... Honestly, we don't give a damn about what you love or what you hate.

nimblemarlin17 said:Look, I'm into all kinds of soccer. Lately, I've been playing it more myself, but watching a match at the stadium or just catching it on TV is like sitting through a movie where the ending changes every single time. It's the same deal with pretty much any other sport—it's entertaining, it's fun, whatever. As for the money side of things? It’s just like any other job out there. The top tier makes the big bucks. An FC Barcelona player is obviously pulling in way more than some guy playing for the Spanish national team, just like a CEO over at General Electric is making way more than the manager of the local corner bodega.

Man, you're something else... Everything seems so simple to you because you've basically built this little bubble of yours to live in... I gotta hand it to you... I'm not saying anything bad here, it's just that you have your stance, and you don't let anyone—not even yourself 🙄—talk you out of it, and honestly, you just don't give a damn what anyone thinks... If everyone was even half as stubborn as you, Robi...

I honestly don't get why the OP is so worked up about soccer. If he’s genuinely obsessed with boycotting guys who rake in obscene amounts of cash without having an impressive IQ or actually saving lives, then fine, man—go ahead and boycott.

But if we're playing that game, just go boycott Hollywood movies too, since Cameron Diaz is a total airhead herself. Boycott MTV as well, considering Michael Jackson was a predator and you've got 17-year-old girls signing multi-million dollar deals to pose in tight leggings for Pepsi.

Take LeBron James, for example. Before he even played a single Minuta in the NBA—he was basically just a high school kid under 18—he already had $100 million sitting in his pocket from Nike, thanks to some ten-year deal if I recall correctly.

Soccer isn't any different. Ronaldinho pulls in something like $160,000 a week, and the players over at Chelsea FC, AC Milan, Manchester United, or Juventus are in the exact same boat... some more, some less.

But hey, if it bothers you that much, why don't you go watch some local high school ball in the Appalach Mountains against some kids from Gomirje? Those guys play for a bag of peanuts and maybe a ride to whatever field they call a stadium. And look, RADE does his actual job and only plays soccer on the weekends, training a couple of times a week.

If this massive commercialization of soccer—which has become way more than just simple entertainment—really bugs you that much... Look, I wouldn't say it's on the level of religion or "more important than life," but it definitely holds a top-tier spot in people's lives. To quote Ćiro, it's basically a case of being "permanently infected."

So, the guy gave you solid advice: go buy a Ford, grab some Wilkinson, and pick up a paddle. Actually, grab two. Get in a boat and start rowing. Eventually, you'll get bored, and maybe then you'll realize what a stupid thread you started.

👋

David Phillips4 said:You’re something else... Everything is just easy for you because you live in your own little bubble. Respect. I’m not even being mean here, it’s just that you have your views, you don't let anyone—including yourself—🙄 change your mind, and you honestly couldn't care less what people think. If everyone was like you, nimblemarlin17...

Even my girlfriend told me the same thing tonight. I've got my own way of doing things and I don't give a damn about anyone else's opinion.

Brandon Castillo4 said:Fine, then just boycott Hollywood movies altogether, since Cameron Diaz is nothing more than a total airhead.

😁 😁 😁

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=trippin

nimblemarlin17 said:My girlfriend actually said the exact same thing to me tonight. Look, I have my own system and I don't give a damn about anyone else's way of doing things.

Are you kidding me? You think you should just get everything you need exactly when you want it while she's just supposed to figure it out on her own? 😬

I’ve always been a huge sports fan—handball and basketball are my top picks, mostly. I actually got into soccer because of my brother; one of my favorite high school memories was touring the Real Madrid stadium and somehow managed to snag a seat in the stands for just five minutes...

Look, I don't have a problem with soccer as an actual sport, but the way it completely hijacks the media is just infuriating. It honestly turned me off so much that I haven't sat through a full match in probably four years.

It drives me crazy—since last year, the TV is constantly counting down to whatever tournament is next, not to mention how every single day, without fail, the newspapers dedicate six 😲 whole pages to soccer coverage (even when there aren't even any games being played)

It’s ridiculous... Janica becomes the greatest skier of all time, and she gets maybe two pages of coverage—and of course, even then, she’s still stuck behind the soccer news.

When those soccer players beat a tiny underdog, they’re celebrated like national heroes, yet it’s pathetic how the arena sits empty for the Davis Cup winners after they take on Argentina (and that loudmouth Nalbandian 🤮)... meanwhile, I’m pretty certain a tennis match—or handball, volleyball, or basketball for that matter—wouldn't end in a 0:0 tie.🙄

Look, you could write six pages on soccer and still not cover it all. There are endless clubs, players, matches, and leagues out there. Janica is an outlier, and her career spans about thirty years, but even then, the competition stays pretty much the same. At its core, skiing isn't some deep philosophy; it’s just "get through the gates as fast as you can." There isn't enough tactical depth or constant drama to justify writing six pages every single day. It doesn't hold up here. Take Orlando, for example. They have a local version of the Sun-Sentinel where literally 20 out of 25 pages are dedicated to Valencia F.C. daily. Imagine what it's like in Madrid or Barcelona...

nimblemarlin17 said:Look, you could write six whole pages about soccer. There are endless clubs, players, matches, and leagues. Janica is just one person, and her career spans maybe thirty years or so. The competitors stay basically the same, and the sport itself isn't some deep philosophy—it's just "get through a set of gates as fast as possible." You aren't going to find enough tactical depth or constant drama to fill six pages every single day about skiing. It’s just not what we have here. Take Orlando, for example; they have a local version of the sports news where literally 20 out of 25 pages are dedicated to Valencia F. C. Imagine how much coverage they get in Madrid or Barcelona...

I'm with you. You see the exact same thing in England, where the local papers—and even the national ones—are almost entirely obsessed with soccer. I don't get why people act surprised by it. Personally, I'm a huge basketball fan, but it never crossed my mind to go obsessively follow State Farm's sponsorships or whatever. It's just how it is. Sure, there's plenty of bad soccer out there, but at this point, it's evolved into something way bigger than just a simple athletic competition.

Volleyball, water polo, handball... it's hard to find anything significant there besides whoever's holding the trophy or the latest score. Maybe it isn't exactly fair, but honestly, that's just the reality of it. Nothing's changing.

A little comparison between skiing and soccer
When you look at how many people actually get into skiing, you realize there are maybe 200 elite pros out there globally because, let’s face it, it’s an incredibly expensive sport, and it isn't exactly something that comes to mind for a kid growing up in a remote part of sub-Saharan Africa, nor is it realistically accessible to them. On the other hand, you have about ten million soccer players scattered across the globe, which makes being a world-class soccer player a million times more valuable than being a top-tier skier.

I wouldn't go as far as saying it's "a million times more valuable," but let's be real—it's definitely more attractive and gets way more coverage in the media.

nimblemarlin17 said:Look, you could write six pages on football alone. There are endless clubs, players, matches, and leagues. Janica is just one person—her career spans maybe thirty years, her rivals stay largely the same, and at its core, sports is just sports, not some deep philosophy ("run through a set number of gates as fast as possible"). There isn't enough tactical complexity or sheer variety in skiing to justify six pages of daily coverage. It’s nothing special here. Take Orlando, for instance—they have a local version of the Sports Network where literally 20 out of 25 pages go to Valencia F.C. every single day. Imagine what happens in Madrid or Barcelona...

whereas running after a ball for 90 minutes is considered high philosophy 🙄

I was only using Janica as an example—there are plenty of others. I just heard that Ljuba is sitting third on the latest rankings 👋 (now *that* is something worth writing about, given how many tournaments there are each year) or take yesterday, when the duo became European club champions, or Vujicich being selected for the top five 👍. None of that will ever get the treatment it deserves
.
And don't try telling me we need this much information even during the off-season—as if I truly need to know whether Kranjcar gained weight or other such nonsense

Donna Ruiz48 said:when "high philosophy" consists of nothing more than chasing a ball around for 90 minutes...🙄

I only used Janica as an example! You have a whole mountain of other athletes to choose from—I actually just heard that Ljubo is sitting at number three on the latest rankings👋 (now *that* is tennis, where there’s actually something to talk about given how many tournaments they run annually). Or look at yesterday: those two guys became European club champions, and Vujicic was even selected for the top five👍. And yet, none of it is ever going to get the recognition it deserves
.
And don't you dare try to tell me that we need this much information even during the off-season (because what would I do, poor me, if I didn't know exactly how many pounds Kranjcar gained over the break or some other mindless nonsense)

Don't be dense

Ashley Ortiz6 said:don't be dense

I see logic isn't exactly your strongest suit... 👍