Football is superior to American football. Nobody outside of America gives a **** about American football.

But looking at drunk girls peeing in the toilet is kind of gross.

sorry

Please. They're so secretly bored by soccer that they need to get in riots afterwards just to get the frustration of twelve hours of sheer boredom out of their systems. American football fans just cover themselves in tacky paint because they're so deliriously happy to be watching football.

OK I stay out of the Soccer threads in the sports forum, it'd be trollish of me to go into a thread that doesn't interest me just to dump on it. And TBPH I think that football, even though I enjoy it (especially college ball) is substantially overblown (it's a good game but it's way too popular IMO). But I have NO IDEA what the rest of the world sees in that IMO gawdawful boring game. I've tried, I've really really tried, to watch that game, up to and including the highest level of the sport, the World Cup, but it was just the most dreadfully dull non-event I've ever witnessed. I would rather watch the Winter Olympics Biathlon than World Cup soccer. If I had to choose between World Cup soccer and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show I'd be faced with a difficult decision unless there was a third option of turning off the set and twiddling my thumbs.

Now, having said that, if anyone likes that game, power to you. I utterly hate the game but it doesn't make me right. Notice, I didn't say that what you guys call football IS dreadful and boring, I only said that was MY take on it.

The World Cup isn't the highest level, the Champions League is. And I'm guessing you watched games from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa? That was the most boring, shit on a stick World Cup I've watched. The most boring team (Spain) won the most boring tournament by asphyxiating their opponents. World Cups are generally more cagey as it's over a year of qualifying and the tournament is every 4 years so no margin for error. You shouldn't let that decide your opinion on the sport tbh.

It's more dramatic than the Champions League but if you don't care about the sport you can't really make yourself care or buy into the drama imo, saying that, Barcelona vs Chelsea 2nd leg in 2012 is one of the best matches I've ever seen.

Football is popular worldwide for a reason.

Oh and the fan culture is 5*.

I've watched other World Cups, with the same level of disinterest. Soccer is IMO 99.9% a ball going between the two offensive zones at a snails pace. I"m a huge hockey fan, so I do enjoy games that involve bringing a "ball" (puck) into a zone onsides and attacking a net protected by a goaltender. Soccer is like hockey on lithium and ether IMO.

But, I will concede you that there's something to be said for tension even as there's not a lot of action. I catch a lot of flack for being a baseball fan, people telling me how boring that game is, and I understand why they might think that, but there's palpable tension between the pitcher and batter in baseball, esp. post season/World Series, that few if any sports can equal.

'98 and '06 were the best recent World Cups imo. Brazil next year will be special though.

Hockey is faster paced than football but it's not a problem for me. Snooker is a slow paced game and I love that and often the most enjoyable part of the game is the tactical battles and safety shots.

Also the skill involved in football is ridiculous. Watching Ronaldo or Messi live and in full flow is fantastic. And you're controlling a ball with your feet, that's not as natural as controlling something with your hands, I can't really understand how someone who isn't a football fan, can't enjoy watching those players or Ronaldinho in his pomp. I'm not an athletics or boxing fan but there are athletes that make me want to watch those sports, so that's the way I see it.

A lot of this is cultural tbh, football is like a religion here, whereas I get the feeling in America 'Soccer' is a wimp's sport and people think they should play something tough, like American football (w/ pads)

I'll concede every other point as opinion except this one. Every time I hear someone deride football because they wear pads (nearly always either a Brit or an Aussie) it really chaps my hide. This game is played by 350 pound behemoths that can bench 500 pounds like it's nothing and run a 4.2 second 40 yard dash. Without pads players would become a bloody pulp on the field. Even with the pads, the injuries these guys sustain car be horrific. In fact, if there's anything about football that has to be addressed and changed, it's these type of life-altering injuries, esp. brain injuries (concussions). (Concussions are also a serious problem in hockey).

Please get off it with the pads. It is a horrendously unfair criticism.

I was being slightly facetious as Americans tend to call football a wimp's sport but American footballers are covered in pads and helmets.

Although rugby players don't wear pads.

It'd probably help if the players weren't juicing too.