Those freaking flying flags

[Melanie_]

Woo hoo, Portugal! England has been eliminated, Portugal advances!

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear BHS and Black Dog,

but that doesn't equate to some sort of general comparison between the sports wherein soccer players are somehow more skillful or atheletic in the mean

Years ago, a study was done, where it was found that soccer players were the fittest of all athletes. Second, believe it or not, were motocross racers. Might have been a biased article, because it was in 'Motocross Action" magazine, or something similar. This was also 'the average', and I am sure some sports had 'more fit' individuals.

It is tough to compare sports in such a simplistic way, since they involve different tasks. Soccer doesn't require 'hand-eye' coordination, since you can't 'hands' the ball. Baseball involves hand-eye coordination, but a good pitcher, First baseman or DH could get away with 'tipping the Toledos' at 300+ lbs. Basketball, sure you need hand-eye, but a freak of nature like Manute Bol, at 7'2" and 88 lbs, can excel at basketball yet would be snapped in two like kindling on a football field.

I think the true test of athleticism is not just fitness, and certainly not genetic anomolies like basketball or football, but the ability to play other sports equally well, and at any position. Here comes my bias, the hockey player. The average build, stature, fitness level, and 'hand-eye' coordination of a hockey player is demanded at every position, and they, on average, could fit into most other sports at a high level more easily that any other sportster.

[RB]

Degree of Difficulty: Sport Rankings

based on:

ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, POWER,SPEED,AGILITY, FLEXIBILITY, NERVE,DURABILITY, HAND-EYE COORDINATION, ANALYTIC APTITUDE

#1 is boxing

Boxing

Ice Hockey

Football

Basketball

Wrestling

Martial Arts

Tennis

Gymnastics

Baseball/Softball

Soccer

Skiing: Alpine

Water Polo

Rugby

Lacrosse

Rodeo: Steer Wrestling

Track and Field: Pole Vault

Field Hockey

Speed Skating

Figure Skating

Cycling: Distance

Volleyball

Racquetball/Squash

Surfing

Fencing

Skiing: Freestyle

Team Handball

Cycling: Sprints

Bobsledding/Luge

Ski Jumping

Badminton

etc.

etc.

[RB]

Woo hoo, Portugal! England has been eliminated, Portugal advances!

how disappointing!! and sorrowful

I have no teams to root for now

I have stopped watching football

[Shady]

play proceeds virtually uniterrupted for the full 90 minutes

Just because play is uninteruppted doesn't mean it's exciting to watch.

I used to joke that volleyball and basketball were for people who were afraid to go

outside

You've obviously never played streetball or beach volleyball.

Basketball does not require the degree of skill or athleticism that soccer does

How do you come to that conclusion? Technically, you have to score with the same size ball, on a goal that's 10 times smaller. Referencing one or two odd examples doesn't enforce your premise.

but I always wonder why no discussion of soccer can ever occur without some jokers coming along and putting in his two cents about how boring the game is, blah blah blah. 'Cause, you know, that's really origina

Ditto for baseball.

1) Describing a soccer match as 90 minutes of virtually uninterrupted action ignores that fact that 95% of that "action" is a bunch of guys standing around watching two or three guys kick the ball back and forth amongst themselves in the midfield. Whoopee.

Great description!

That being said, I've still enjoyed most of the World Cup. Aside from the disgrace known as Portugal. That type of behavior has no place in soccer and no place in sports.

[geoffrey]

well, all weekend I was very clued in with my games.

First rounds I was crossing my fingers for the US team

But, now I am backing England, they won today over Ecuador, Beckham scoring their only goal. I mean truly you could see besides being the captain that he was a motivation for the players, they did a lot better when he was out in the field.

(well, truly I was surprised to see the ethnic representation from Ecuador, I was expecting sort of more Amerindians kind of folks) and so I wondered about their history

I watched Netherlands and Portugal playing with spite, lots of yellow and red cards and badly behaved boys

Anyway if England loses to Portugal - I am a Brazilian fan

I'm pretty sure all your teams lost RB... which is amazing considering you picked about 5 favourties to win there.

My bleus are still on track though. Played so well against Brazil, how could anyone stop them if the Brazilians can't?

[RB]

I'm pretty sure all your teams lost RB... which is amazing considering you picked about 5 favourties to win there.

No kidding!!

this is some streak of luck for all my teams

and thank goodness i am not into betting yet

but I will watch reluctantly Italy v. Germany tomorrow - what can I can say except that I really love my sports

[BHS]

Basketball does not require the degree of skill or athleticism that soccer does

How do you come to that conclusion? Technically, you have to score with the same size ball, on a goal that's 10 times smaller. Referencing one or two odd examples doesn't enforce your premise.

Even with the attaboy, I still have to quibble. Such is the depth and perversity of my argumentativeness. But I know you'll forgive me.

I went and looked up the FIFA and NBA standards. A standard FIFA soccer net is 8'x24' square and a standard NBA basketball net is 18" in diameter. Doing the math, a basketball goal is approximately 1/108th the size of a soccer goal, not 1/10th. Just so we're all clear. I wouldn't want that order of magnitude to go overlooked and unmentioned.

[Black Dog]

1) Describing a soccer match as 90 minutes of virtually uninterrupted action ignores that fact that 95% of that "action" is a bunch of guys standing around watching two or three guys kick the ball back and forth amongst themselves in the midfield. Whoopee.

And baseball is one guy throwing a ball at another while the remaining 10 or so guys watch. Every sport appears absurd when you break it down into it's components. If you don't like football, that's your perogative, but please spare us footie fans the trite, unoriginal commentary.

[RB]

gosh, those flags are irritating, its overdone, how many flags should we allow per car?

[BHS]

...please spare us (footie fans) the trite, unoriginal commentary.

(Brackets added.)

Holy. I guess I been served.

[Shady]

went and looked up the FIFA and NBA standards. A standard FIFA soccer net is 8'x24' square and a standard NBA basketball net is 18" in diameter. Doing the math, a basketball goal is approximately 1/108th the size of a soccer goal, not 1/10th. Just so we're all clear. I wouldn't want that order of magnitude to go overlooked and unmentioned

Great point. It's even more difficult then I had previously stated.

unoriginal commentary

Unoriginal doesn't mean untrue. One could say the same about your criticisms or American sports. Same type of unoriginality, mixed in with a healthy dose of ethnocentrism.

[Black Dog]

Unoriginal doesn't mean untrue. One could say the same about your criticisms or American sports. Same type of unoriginality, mixed in with a healthy dose of ethnocentrism.

"Ethnocentrism"? Jesus, what are you on? And truth, in this matter, is purely subjective.

[geoffrey]

Les Bleus won again today!! YEEHAWW!! TO THE FINALS!

[RB]

Les Bleus won again today!! YEEHAWW!! TO THE FINALS!

Yep I can see that.

So, I won't miss the game Sunday and will pick France to win.

I was watching a news report the other day, what I didn't realise is that the how BIG this football is ... really a fever and has worldwide cheers, just pick a team. It is great to see nations all over bond in a common sport.

[Liam]

...I was watching a news report the other day, what I didn't realise is that the how BIG this football is ... really a fever and has worldwide cheers, just pick a team. It is great to see nations all over bond in a common sport.

Come on! I thought FIFA would be HUGE in Canada, particularly after constatly hearing how much more "worldly" and "European" you are than your cousins to the south. (not picking on you, RB, just poking some fun)

[Black Dog]

Crap! Stinkin' Italians. Lousy Domenech. Silly Zidane. Scumbag Materazzi (the dirtiest player in Italian football: and that's saying a lot.)

I can't wait to see how quickly the cream of Italy's crop stampede for other destinations should their domestic squads get demoted for match-fixing (cheating in Italian soccer? I'm shocked! Shocked!) Unless of course the Italian judiciary decides that winning the World Cup absolves them from all other sins. It wouldn't surprise me.

Anyway, I'm off to buy a Zidane shirt...

[RB]

The best game I watched and not even the teams I was rooting for:

Italy v Germany

For Zidane to lose his cool something harsh must have been said. Zidane behaviour is intolerable and inexcusable and is not one of a captain.

But, I understand some words in the nature of terrorist was used.

Well, I don't believe you can fight the current culture of dislike for certain assigned groups. Whether they are good or bad, they fit within an invisible boundary.

I mean with so much tensions of terrorist (alludes to Muslims currently) and terrorism (meaning destruction) good people wanting to be separated from the same is proving to be very difficult, never mind you are a soccer star.

You see the underlying subtle hostility in the interplay, even if it is a casual comment, people are singled out as targets is surreal.

He is of Algerian decent.

[geoffrey]

The best game I watched and not even the teams I was rooting for:

Italy v Germany

For Zidane to lose his cool something harsh must have been said. Zidane behaviour is intolerable and inexcusable and is not one of a captain.

But, I understand some words in the nature of terrorist was used.

Well, I don't believe you can fight the current culture of dislike for certain assigned groups. Whether they are good or bad, they fit within an invisible boundary.

I mean with so much tensions of terrorist (alludes to Muslims currently) and terrorism (meaning destruction) good people wanting to be separated from the same is proving to be very difficult, never mind you are a soccer star.

You see the underlying subtle hostility in the interplay, even if it is a casual comment, people are singled out as targets is surreal.

He is of Algerian decent.

Zizu was by far the best player of the current generation, don't let a little incident fool you.

Apparently, he is part black according to the disgusting filth out of Materazzi's mouth (typically Italian?):

The deaf lip reading expert Jessica Rees found that Materazzi said in Italian (which Zidane knows):

"Hold on, wait, that one's not for a nigger like you." followed by:

"We all know you are the son of a terrorist whore."

I would have more than headbutted Materazzi... it's too bad he didn't do some major damage to him (not permenant damage, but I would have liked to see some broken ribs perhaps?).

Could any of us just stand there and take it? Not likely.

Who wouldn't stand behind Zizu, the greatest since Pele, with that kind of language?

[Black Dog]

Racial slurs? What's the big deal? It's just furbo.

:angry:

[RB]

I can never understand why men take offense and are easily provoked on expletives of one’s mother.

Can someone explain this?

furbo?

Is it to do with being “shamed” or is it that the language is much coarser than they realize and that they feel obligated to retaliate

Men do stupid things in the name of honor and dignity to protect their mother, sisters etc. and are incapable of logical thinking

[Black Dog]

I can never understand why men take offense and are easily provoked on expletives of one’s mother.

Can someone explain this?

Not really. But I'll wager the slur went beyond a "yo mama" snap.

furbo?

Read the link. It's an Italian word for "cunning". It's also a philosophy that governs how they play the game which states, basically, that anything goes as long as you get away with it.

[geoffrey]

The Italians knew what ticked him off, and becauses they couldn't win with Zidane on the field (hehe) then decided to harass him to the point where he snapped. Very furbo.

I bet you the slurs and harassment went on the whole game too, I'm telling you, put yourself in the man's shoes. I would have done far worse. Still a minor incident compared to hockey fights or bench clearing brawls in baseball.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear geoffrey,

I bet you the slurs and harassment went on the whole game too, I'm telling you, put yourself in the man's shoes. I would have done far worse

Yuck.

I won several 'Most Gentlemanly Player' awards in minor hockey, but you won't win them if it isn't obvious that you are also trying your hardest.

Never heard of this Zidane fellow, but he most certainly should have been aware that 'verbal assaults' can be expected by 'poor sportsmen', and his reaction is entirely his own fault.

I hope August1991 takes note of this...'business' (or trade) is not 'cooperation', it is competition. It goes to show that there are no 'Morality 101' questions on an audit, nor a key for it on a calculator.

[August1991]

After my foray into hockey (about which I once sort of knew something), I venture into European football of which I know basically nothing. I avoided this final match but, if you can imagine, I was "locked" into a room with a satellite TV for the semi-finals last week - I vaguely remember England, Portugal and, uh, Brazil (?) were involved. I was reading a book.

I can never understand why men take offense and are easily provoked on expletives of one’s mother.

Good point, RB. Most swearing is sexual (Quebec being a notable exception) and so logically it has to involve women - although homosexual references are not uncommon. In this case (so I understand), it's not clear whether a sister or a mother was involved.

As the Arabs say, the family's honour lies between its womenfolk's legs so I guess the ultimate insult is to call one a fils de pute, or some variation on the idea. Dunno.

furbo?

Read the link. It's an Italian word for "cunning". It's also a philosophy that governs how they play the game which states, basically, that anything goes as long as you get away with it.

I think the idea of furbo in Italy extends well beyond sports. Anything goes if it's done with style and it means tricking an authority. Tax compliance in Italy, as one can imagine, is hit and miss.

Never heard of this Zidane fellow, but he most certainly should have been aware that 'verbal assaults' can be expected by 'poor sportsmen', and his reaction is entirely his own fault.

I hope August1991 takes note of this...'business' (or trade) is not 'cooperation', it is competition. It goes to show that there are no 'Morality 101' questions on an audit, nor a key for it on a calculator.

Trade is cooperation. A sports match is competition - at least when seen as two opposing teams. When you think of the 9 (is it 9?) players on one team, then it's rather cooperation they are aiming for.

----

Anyway, aside from the nationalism on display, it seemed to me that whenever someone got close to a goal, someone else slid in front, pushed the ball away and then someone rolled on the ground holding their shin. As I say, I wasn't paying alot of attention but this happened whenever I looked up and it struck me as odd.