"Official" 2014 World Cup thread and poll, now with 100% more vuvuzelas

[squarecut1]

The money is in the TV contracts. MLS has 7 year deal for $720million total.

NHL is $2 Billion over 10 years.

NBA i think is roughly 8 years $7.5B - expiring soon.

NFL is $27B over 9 years.

PGA golf is at $280m per year, details aren't as open I don't think.

Interesting. The difference between NHL and MLS is less than I would have thought

 

[smackababy]

Interesting. The difference between NHL and MLS is less than I would have thought

I don't think the NHL TV viewership is that large. Their attendance is though, even if they take like a week off after the Stanley Cup before the season starts again and they play as many games as the MLB...

 

[Blackjack200]

Interesting. The difference between NHL and MLS is less than I would have thought

Hockey has lousy TV ratings. It gets its revenue selling really expensive tickets.

 

[squarecut1]

Yeah, hockey, like racquetball or squash, isn't really a TV sport.

 

[William Gaatjes]

2 and a half hours for the game.

 

[ShadowOfMyself]

This is now the fourth longest dedicated to one topic thread on this forum. Who says soccer isn't popular in America (given that is the country where the majority of posters are from).

The truth is its just 4 or 5 of us posting over and over especially when the matches are live, we have our own ATOT gamecast going on
Though honestly how can anyone have seen the USA - Belgium game and say "soccer" is boring?

Its like any other sport really, depends entirely on the game... Can be extremely boring or extremely exciting
Plus, you need to have a certain level of knowledge to really enjoy it to its fullest... Going into a football game without understanding wtf is going on and claiming its boring is completely ignorant

There is a reason its by far the most popular sport worldwide - what we have here is just the usual case of stubborn americans being overly patriotic and only caring about their own thing (aka NFL)

 

[AznAnarchy99]

The truth is its just 4 or 5 of us posting over and over especially when the matches are live, we have our own ATOT gamecast going on
Though honestly how can anyone have seen the USA - Belgium game and say "soccer" is boring?

Its like any other sport really, depends entirely on the game... Can be extremely boring or extremely exciting
Plus, you need to have a certain level of knowledge to really enjoy it to its fullest... Going into a football game without understanding wtf is going on and claiming its boring is completely ignorant

There is a reason its by far the most popular sport worldwide - what we have here is just the usual case of stubborn americans being overly patriotic and only caring about their own thing (aka NFL)

I still don't understand how people complain about "boring" soccer and then go watch baseball for 4-5 hours, which consists of mostly the batter adjusting his gloves and stance.

 

[Blackjack200]

I still don't understand how people complain about "boring" soccer and then go watch baseball for 4-5 hours, which consists of mostly the batter adjusting his gloves and stance.

The soccer that was played in the group stage this year was fantastic, but that's hardly been the rule for top level international and club play. Not that long ago, 1-0 finals and 0-0 ties were common, and the lack of scoring reflected a lack of scoring opportunities. I don't know what's changed, but there are a lot more exciting attacks nowadays.

 

[dank69]

I still don't understand how people complain about "boring" soccer and then go watch baseball for 4-5 hours, which consists of mostly the batter adjusting his gloves and stance.

Every sport is boring if you don't know what the fuck you are watching.

 

[squarecut1]

Every sport is boring if you don't know what the fuck you are watching.

Yet the reverse is not true. Even if you know what you are watching, there are sports that are still boring

 

[zinfamous]

I still don't understand how people complain about "boring" soccer and then go watch baseball for 4-5 hours, which consists of mostly the batter adjusting his gloves and stance.

You don't watch baseball, I guess.

 

[dank69]

Yet the reverse is not true. Even if you know what you are watching, there are sports that are still boring

Like?

 

[smackababy]

The soccer that was played in the group stage this year was fantastic, but that's hardly been the rule for top level international and club play. Not that long ago, 1-0 finals and 0-0 ties were common, and the lack of scoring reflected a lack of scoring opportunities. I don't know what's changed, but there are a lot more exciting attacks nowadays.

Mostly, Spain is out of the tournament. They had a real "park the bus" type of defensive play that a lot of soccer fans didn't like watching. It was boring, but it worked.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Like?

Baseball is as boring as any "entertainment" product has ever been. Baseball has a handful of good plays in an entire season, spread out over 2,600 games. It's just mind-numbingly dull. And it's not because I don't understand the sport; it's just not terribly exciting from my perspective.

Pool is another one that is dreadfully dull to watch. I actually like watching pool because I'm an insane pool junkie, but for the most part, watching someone else hit balls around a table is the epitome of boredom.

 

[Blackjack200]

Mostly, Spain is out of the tournament. They had a real "park the bus" type of defensive play that a lot of soccer fans didn't like watching. It was boring, but it worked.

I thought parking the bus meant that the other team has the ball and you pull all your lines back to block passing lanes.

Spain was all tickatak, ten thousand short passes, then kick it to Villa to score.

 

[smackababy]

The higher the skill involved in pool, the more boring it is to watch IMO. You get a handful of actual misses and mess ups, and just a bunch of back and forth "make every shot and set up the next one good enough to make it". Baseball is similar. The higher the skill of the pitcher, the less exciting it is. Watching a pitcher's dual is like watching paint dry.

I think a lot of people are against soccer because it isn't "our sport" in America. Football, baseball, basketball were all created in their current form in the US. Soccer isn't a traditional US pastime, so we hate it!

 

[AznAnarchy99]

You don't watch baseball, I guess.

Nope. I also don't get why people complain about scoreless soccer games yet everyone gets all excited about a no hitter game.

 

[momeNt]

The higher the skill involved in pool, the more boring it is to watch IMO. You get a handful of actual misses and mess ups, and just a bunch of back and forth "make every shot and set up the next one good enough to make it". Baseball is similar. The higher the skill of the pitcher, the less exciting it is. Watching a pitcher's dual is like watching paint dry.

I think a lot of people are against soccer because it isn't "our sport" in America. Football, baseball, basketball were all created in their current form in the US. Soccer isn't a traditional US pastime, so we hate it!

While I'm not a big baseball fan at all, judging by when I listen to sports radio, there are a ton of people that love to see good pitching.

Good pitching is better to watch on TV than in the park though, because you can appreciate the pitch selection and placement a lot more when looking right down the line. In the park, all you see is batters come up to bat, and sit back down.

 

[squarecut1]

Which of these two are likely to give a tougher competition to Germany?

 

[squarecut1]

I sense a Dutch beat down on the Argentinians

 

[Gooberlx2]

Rooting for Argentina. Anything to stoke the flames of a rivalry. Surely the Brazilians would feel even worse if their rivals succeed where they failed...in their own house.

 

[Remobz]

GOOO Argentina!

 

[Ns1]

Rooting for NED cuz I want to see what happens to
The dude when he loses all his grant money.

 

[smackababy]

Rooting for NED cuz I want to see what happens to
The dude when he loses all his grant money.

I am more interested in what happens to his GF. /fullcreepermode


I actually think NED will be a better matchup against Germany, but if they play like they did yesterday in the finals, I don't think either of these two teams has a chance.

 

[JEDIYoda]

FIFA drup tested the whole German team after the game!!

Supposedly they claim there was no way that Germany could totally ass rape Brazil that badly!!