World Cup - "soccer is boring and stupid" thread

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the perception of soccer as a sport, with participants expressing varied opinions on its entertainment value compared to other sports like baseball and basketball. The thread also touches on cultural terminology differences, particularly the use of "soccer" versus "football," and how these terms are perceived in different regions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find soccer boring, comparing it unfavorably to other sports like baseball.
  • Others argue that sports in general, including soccer, are boring to watch.
  • There is a debate about the appropriateness of the term "soccer," with some asserting it is a legitimate name while others prefer "football."
  • Some participants express frustration over perceived cultural insensitivity regarding the terminology used for the sport.
  • A few participants joke about the seriousness of sports and the nature of the discussion, suggesting a lighthearted approach.
  • One participant mentions a preference for playing sports over watching them, sharing a personal anecdote about cycling.
  • There are references to the origins of the term "soccer" and its historical context, with some asserting it is not an American invention.
  • Concerns are raised about the use of "useless terminology" in language, with examples provided that extend beyond sports.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the entertainment value of soccer and the appropriateness of its terminology. Multiple competing views remain regarding the cultural implications of using "soccer" versus "football."

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various assumptions about cultural sensitivity and the definitions of terms, which may not be universally agreed upon. The conversation also reflects differing personal preferences for engaging with sports.

Borek
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I don't want to derail the discussion in the WC threads, but after reading these two pages:

http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2014-06-25.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-28065500

I think it deserves its own thread.

Bunch of thoughts:

While I agree soccer can be boring (and sadly often is), after watching a baseball game (or two) on TV I think it is much more boring.

I can understand those preferring fast games, with high scores - basketball, handball. I do. Doesn't make me ridicule soccer (unless it is a Polish team playing, but that's another thing).

If Ann Coulter were to post her text at PF she would get banned for intended misinformation :devil: (which is our politically correct name for an utter lie).
 
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If I could I would ban you for this:

Borek said:
soccer
 
Borek said:
If Ann Coulter were to post her text at PF she would get banned for intended misinformation :devil: (which is our politically correct name for an utter lie).

I would hope that if Ann Coulter posts *anything* (that's typical of her output) on PF, she'd be immediately banned as a flamebaiting troll.
 
Ann Coulter has achieved troll level: Ann Coulter.

And yes, baseball is extremely boring to watch.
 
I sentence Coulter to a year of physics in US Customary units.
 
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Sports in general are boring to watch...
 
mcknia07 said:
Sports in general are boring to watch...

I'd agree, but I wouldn't be doing the engineering stereotype any favors. So, no official comment.
 
Nick O said:
I sentence Coulter to a year of physics in US Customary units.

mcknia07 said:
Sports in general are boring to watch...

Nick O said:
I'd agree, but I wouldn't be doing the engineering stereotype any favors. So, no official comment.

:smile: I get the feeling PFers don't spend much time zoning out in front of the TV watching sports!
 
Nick O said:
I'd agree, but I wouldn't be doing the engineering stereotype any favors. So, no official comment.

Who cares, lol. We are all nerds here :-p
 
  • #10
Nick O said:
I sentence Coulter to a year of physics in US Customary units.

After thinking about this for a while, I've decided to start describing electric power in horsepower. My lights are 0.08 horsepower.
 
  • #11
I prefer playing to spectating.

On Saturday, I rode my bicycle about 25 miles (~40 km) on mostly hilly terrain except for the road along a canyon facing a headwind.

My goal is to achieve the speed limit on most streets/roads in town, even with a moderate grade.
 
  • #12
micromass said:
If I could I would ban you for this:

Why? It's a perfectly legitimate name for the sport, and less ambiguous than "football".
 
  • #13
cjl said:
Why? It's a perfectly legitimate name for the sport, and less ambiguous than "football".

The name football is not ambiguous for about 7 billion people. It only is for americans.
 
  • #14
And in your opinion that makes it ban worthy? Many of the posters on this site are american, I would think a little cultural sensitivity and awareness should be in order.Like the posters above, I think sports of all kinds are dreadfully boring to watch (not just soccer). I can understand the appeal it has to others a little bit... But like Astronuc I would rather go on a bike ride around some canyons. That sounds awesome.
 
  • #15
ModusPwnd said:
And in your opinion that makes it ban worthy? Many of the posters on this site are american, I would think a little cultural sensitivity and awareness should be in order.

It was clearly a joke... Relax. I am not going to ban anybody for saying soccer.
You shouldn't take everything so seriously :-p
 
  • #16
micromass said:
It was clearly a joke... Relax. I am not going to ban anybody for saying soccer.

I would hope not. Especially considering that you made a thread on "Futbol" while the PF rules clearly state that English is the only language to be used. (Don't worry, I won't report it. ;)
 
  • #17
ModusPwnd said:
Many of the posters on this site are american, I would think a little cultural sensitivity and awareness should be in order.

So we're down to cultural insensitivity for implying "soccer" is a poor term? Jesus christ is everything culturally insensitive nowadays?
 
  • #18
(Referring to a now-removed comment in an earlier post.)

When I say "football" here in Oklahoma, no one thinks of this game. We have to specify that we are taking about "soccer". How is that term useless when it is the only unambiguous name for the sport in some places?
 
  • #19
I don't think many people on this thread grasp the concept of a joke...
 
  • #20
I got your post. I don't think calling it "useless terminology, period" was a joke, though.

But, that seems to have been edited out of the post in question.
 
  • #21
I know micro, so I know he was joking. He teases me about it. I guess you can't make jokes about something as serious as sports. :frown:
 
  • #22
Nick O said:
I got your post. I don't think calling it "useless terminology, period" was a joke, though.

But, that seems to have been edited out of the post in question.

Well, I mean, it is a useless terminology. There is a perfectly good terminology for it: football. American football isn't even played with the feet. The term makes no sense.

But of course, I get that soccer is the only way of denoting football in the US and that it is never going to change. I am realistic enough to see that. But I have the right to complain about useless terminology, just as I can complain about stuff like using the word kidnapping when they abduct an adult person.
 
  • #23
Evo said:
I know micro, so I know he was joking. He teases me about it. I guess you can't make jokes about something as serious as sports. :frown:

I don't care for sports, but I'm passionate about language :p
 
  • #24
micromass said:
But I have the right to complain about useless terminology, just as I can complain about stuff like using the word kidnapping when they abduct an adult person.
This could make for an interesting thread, much more interesting than whether soccer is boring and stupid.

American football,
Kidnapping an adult,
Multi-valued function,
Dirac delta function,
Metric tensor (in general relativity),
Cartesian tensor,
Dwarf planet,

and

Red herring.And that's what this latest sidetrack of this thread is, a red herring.
 
  • #25
Evo said:
I guess you can't make jokes about something as serious as sports. :frown:

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Shankly
 
  • #26
Watching sports on TV is boring; if you want excitement, tune-in for chess games on the radio.
 
  • #27
WWGD said:
Watching sports on TV is boring; if you want excitement, tune-in for chess games on the radio.
Lol!
 
  • #28
Evo said:
Lol!

Looking for the joke... is there some puerile pun I'm missing? :confused:

Yeah, I invite all of my friends for radio chess. It gets lonely.
 
Last edited:
  • #29
I prefer the Chinese term for American Football: 橄榄球...literally: Olive ball.
 
  • #30
Nick O said:
Yeah, I invite all of my friends for radio chess. It gets lonely.
Golf radio. 15 minutes of silence, then "smack"...round of applause, repeat.
 
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