World Cup

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by 12lives, Nov 24, 2022.

  1. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    Your first paragraph made it clear enough. Ironically, you might just take a quarter and call someone to let them know your feelings on soccer, and let these guys talk about the world cup with out turning this thread into yet another endless debate...
     
  2. Jim Weise

    Jim Weise EFI/DIS 482

    If you don't want to know, then don't ask. You act like I started this thread out of the blue to bag on soccer..

    I was asked, if I am watching, and attempted a bit of humor in expressing my opinion.

    How that turns into not letting guys talk about soccer if they wish, only exists in your head.

    I don't mind other's having a different opinion, nor do I feel that they need to be silenced. Apparently you think differently, otherwise I can't figure out for the life of me why your even posting here.

    JW
     
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  3. Mister T

    Mister T Just truckin' around

    I played soccer as a kid, usually goalie. Occasionally blocked a shot with my face, which typically broke my glasses. I was one of those kids with tape holding them together since my father was both mad at me for breaking them, too cheap to buy me a new pair, or he knew I'd just break them again with another face save. :D

    If you really want excitement, try watching curling. :p My years of experience playing all positions provided me a solid understanding of its nuances and strategy. Got fairly good at the game as well. Played with, and against some top echelon players who competed at the national level. Curling is about the only sport I know where casual participants could drink alcohol before, during, and after a game. Even smoking on the ice was permitted prior to all the bans.

    The costs associated with attending today's major league games has gone beyond the reach of many more people than it once did. I've never been to a Winnipeg Jets home game since they returned in 2011. Went to several dozen during the old WHA days, and when the original Jets joined the NHL in 1979.

    I remember, and have the photos to prove it, attending a Toronto Blue Jay/New York Yankee game on August 9th, 1988. Bought a ticket behind home plate earlier that afternoon for I think $7.00. Parking cost me $5.00, and the attendants locked the keys in my car.:eek: Still wonder if they figured I was some out of town hick who'd just walk away so they could strip my car. Dude looked disappointed when I produced my other set and headed to my car saying no problem, got it covered. :D Gave him a fin anyways. Jays won 5-0 and Don Mattingly had a 17 game hitting streak end that night. I bet that same seat is substantially more $$$$ today.
     
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  4. 2manybuicks

    2manybuicks Founders Club Member

    Plenty of sports are fun to play but are a drag to watch on TV. I played ultimate for years, but I aint about to watch it on TV. Maybe read about it in Obscure Sports Monthly, but that's about it.

    Most every major sport features great athletes. I think the NBA and tennis might be at the top. Great athletes alone do not make a sport watchable.

    "yeah, but soccer is the most popular sport in the world! That means it is the best!". Hey, poverty is the most popular way of living in the world, and that doesn't make it the best...
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2022
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  5. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    I tried to watch USA vs. England. Everyone, including the announcers, got very excited several times but nothing actually happened. Occasionally a player would fall down, appear mortally wounded, and then miraculously would recover. Sometimes the refs (?) would wave a flag and a kick would happen, sometimes not. 90 minutes later it was over, tied 0-0, as if the game hadn’t occurred. Apparently the US did a great job of not losing and England did a (great? poor?) job of not scoring. I think.
    Patrick
     
  6. CCM

    CCM Gold Level Contributor

    Screenshot_20221125_174936_theCHIVE.jpg
     
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  7. 2manybuicks

    2manybuicks Founders Club Member

    Hey if I ever get seriously hurt in an accident, I want those soccer sideline guys to be my first responders. They can cure anything!
     
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  8. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    Exactly as I thought. I read one paragraph in which you springboard this thread into complaining about Confederate statues coming down. Its nonsense. You are simply baiting others into yet another social arguement.. no surprise there.
     
  9. 442w30

    442w30 Well-Known Member

    I was in Buenos Aires during the last Cup, which was kinda cool just going to bars and restaurants catching a game.

    Now, it seems kinda boring. I haven't seen most of the games due to work at the office, and what I've seen over the past two days seems to be overshadowed by the corruption of both FIFA and the Qataris. I kinda remember maybe 10 years ago on "60 Minutes" some puff piece on Qatar. They must have a fantastic PR wing of the government.

    U.S. did well today against England. Tomorrow is Argentina vs. Mexico, always a good matchup. All the good teams seem to be losing (Argentina, Germany) so there may be some entertainment value, but the time difference and time of year doesn't engender excitement.
     
  10. Steve73GS

    Steve73GS 73 GEE YES

    In 1998, my son was on a very good club team and we had a trip to Italy and France to play in tournaments which coincided with the World Cup in France. We were supposed to have tickets for the quarter finals in Paris as part of the trip. This trip was booked a year in advance so we had no idea which teams would play in the game we had tickets for. As it turned out, the game ended up being France vs Italy in Paris. Well, the tickets we supposedly had all at once "weren't available"...we got screwed. Someone sold those tickets for big money. We were in Paris anyway so watched the game at a bar....France beat Italy in a shootout after overtime. The scene in Paris afterwards was unbelievable, it was party time! My son's team ended up going 12 wins, 3 losses against the best club teams in Europe including the Swedish National team who they wipped 4 to 1. Quite a trip but will never forget getting screwed on the tickets.
     
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  11. John Codman

    John Codman Platinum Level Contributor

    As to JW's comment on the tension of a (baseball) game - I still remember watching Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 world series. There were four of us in the neighbor's sunroom and the only noise was from the TV set.
     
  12. Jim Weise

    Jim Weise EFI/DIS 482

    For me it was the 91 World series.. Twins vs Braves.. 6 guys in my living room who were breathless all night. Great play by both teams.. We were drained of emotion after Pucket's walk off HR in game 6 a day earlier. Jack Buck's call of the game was classic..

    Most baseball fans are "fair weather fans".. and I will admit to that.. could not tell you how the Twins fared last year.. I usually start paying attention t them if they make the playoffs.

    JW
     
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  13. Mister T

    Mister T Just truckin' around

    I'm too young to remember that, but I do recall watching Joe Carter's walk off 3 run homer to win the 1993 World Series. He later said it was the only walk off home run he ever hit.

    I also recall watching Kirk Gibson's 1988 Game 1 walk off homer in his only at bat of the World Series.
     
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  14. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

  15. CCM

    CCM Gold Level Contributor

    I find baseball just as boring as soccer and golf. Can't watch any of them and stay awake.
     
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  16. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    I really enjoy baseball; started as a fair weather Braves fan in the ‘80s. I’ll admit baseball is a slow and studious game, especially so if one doesn’t know all the strategy and suspense. (I try to watch soccer with that awareness, but it just doesn’t click.) Soccer is a great sport to play but watching it, I can’t seem to grasp enough to care.
    Patrick
     
  17. CCM

    CCM Gold Level Contributor

    Agreed, I would rather play any of them than watch. I'm sure part of my baseball issues is living in Pittsburgh and being stuck with the Pirates as the hometown team.
     
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  18. Steve73GS

    Steve73GS 73 GEE YES

    Back on the Europe trip I mentioned and a connection to Baseball. The first week of the trip was in Italy. Driving to the fields, we drove through a couple of miles of grape vineyards down these narrow winding roads to an opening where the perfectly manicured fields were smack in the middle of the vineyards. Just like Field of Dreams but with grapes instead of corn.
    A funny part of this trip was the topless ladies on the beach. To see a team of 12 year olds plus possibly, maybe some adults move to one side of the bus to catch a look as we went by the beaches was hilarious...the whole bus was leaning heavily to the beach side.
     
  19. John Codman

    John Codman Platinum Level Contributor

    Another great game was the Baltimore Orioles vs the Boston Red Sox; Rick Wise against Jim Palmer. The Red Sox won 1-0 in the 11th inning by scoring their only run on a Baltimore fielder's error. Both pitchers went 11 innings without giving up a run. I have always felt that Palmer should not have had a loss entered on his record for that magnificent pitching effort.
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2022
  20. 2manybuicks

    2manybuicks Founders Club Member

    Remember how names of baseball players, their teams, their positions, and World Series results were used as friend-or-foe passwords in WWI and WWII? Most of those GI's actually followed baseball. My grandfather and my dad both would have known.

    Nowadays not so much. I personally had no idea who was in the playoffs, whereas thirty years ago I did. I can know of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and know they play for the Yankees but could not do the same for any other player -- zero knowledge of the Marlins. And there are a ton more like me. It aint the "national pasttime" any more.
     

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