BORING?

Not near as boring as pro baseball. That of course is not true if you like to see em chew tobaco, look and throw to first base, rub the ball, hack up a big brown one and try to spit it beyond the pitchers mound so they wont slip in the slime. Nobody watches the game anymore so they want to strike for more money. That way we can pay more to go see this kind of spittle. I guess it's becoming a rich mans entertainment to break up thier boring lives. I don't think I ever heard of a player of baseball ever play a keyboard. Maybe because drooling thick dark brown tobaco juice on the keys would gum them up. Could be the thick brown color would remind them of something else and they would get sick to their stomach. I do like the part where the pitcher is just about ready to throw the ball and the batter backs out of the box, hits each shoe with the bat, spits and then looks around. I think the batter does this on purpose because the pitcher and first base guy have a little game of catch making the batter wait, hoping he will get too nervous to be able to hit the ball. They probably call this strategy.

Grandpa Doug

Stir the pot. (an Americanism)

The big problem with football (soccer) is that it now has virtually nothing to do with sport - it's all about money. I used to enjoy it when I was much younger but now, the very mention of it on TV or Radio has me reaching for the ON/OFF switch.

This topic certainly is is becoming very varied - but interesting and a bit of light relief....

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Willum

I never said soccer isn't popular in Europe. I just don't understand why. What's the point in watching men run around and many times the game ends in a 0-0 tie . Whoopie...now that's exciting. No wonder fans riot, they are bored !

Hi Bill,

You're right about sport being all about money these days. It is likely that all Americans playing sports as professionals are millionaires if they become regular members of a team. I think the same is true of professional sportsman around the world, certainly in the developed countries. It is big business on an individual and collective basis - pure and simple.

The fans could exercise some control over player's salaries and reduce the cost of attending games considerably by boycotting them until ticket prices came back down to earth, but that won't happen. The fans are
essentially stupid in my view to pay the ridiculous admission prices charged today. A few years ago I read in a Los Angeles newspaper that it cost a family of four nearly three hundred dollars to attend a Los Angeles Raider football game. What would it cost today? The cost included tickets, programs, food and snacks. I love American football, but you wouldn't catch me within ten miles of a football stadium because the ticket prices are outrageous. I'll watch games on TV and if they start charging viewers for that service I won't be watching football at all. I'll buy a newspaper and read about it the next day!

One of my pet peaves is the complete absence of sportsmanship in sport. The Roy Keane's of this world, and we have them in America, should be banned - period! It will never happen because we are talking about businesses, not "sports" any longer.

I'm off my soap box now and back to my KN. Take care, Bill.

Oh, and by the way Iahawk, fans are not bored with soccer even if the score is 0-0. They are connoisseurs of the game and are quite capable of appreciating the nuances of the game and athletic skills of the players - just like you can as a fan of American football. You cannot compare soccer and American football. They are two distinctly different games requiring different skills to play them.

Goodnight Gentlemen, Chuck

[This message has been edited by Chuck Piper (edited 12-13-2002).]

Hi Chuck,
Prima Donnas ; selling overpriced goods (which seem to change every season) to kids ; despicable behavior both on and off the field...... You've said it all.... I rest my case...

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Willum

Good Morning Bill,

You summed it up perfectly and I agree. Have a great Saturday doing whatever you choose to do - and take care.

Chuck

Bill are you talking about Pro Atheletes or Pro Musicicans ?

(Prima Donnas ; selling overpriced goods (which seem to change every season) to kids ; despicable behavior both on and off the field...... You've said it all.... I rest my case...)

Wow! This must be one of the longest threads todate, and no one on this side of the pond has yet mentioned cricket.......?

Ogre

Hi Larry, I'm referring to 'Professional' soccer players in UK and the game in general.

Ogre, re. cricket - have a look at Derek Ladkin's post on page 1 of this thread.

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Willum

Hi Bill,
Yes I heard that it was the French who invented cricket, that's why I said "the English game of cricket" otherwise at "tea" instead of "cups of tea and cucumber sandwiches" we would be having "wine and frogs legs" and that's " not Cricket old boy" is it
What made them give it up do you know?
Was it Napoleon thinking it would keep us busy working out the rules and field positions whilst he quietly invaded us ?
I used to keep wicket so I didn't have to run all round the boundary

Derek