Yup, and I'm only watching soccer on TV. Mind you, high definition TV on big screens. I thought the men's World Cup was exhilarating. It was brilliant. I appreciated the struggle, the strategies, the great goals, the fabulous saves, and I liked the video reviews. I thought the officiating was pretty damn good. Naturally, they are going to have the best soccer officials in the world working the WC (something I assume... I was pretty impressed). In comparison, I think the NBA is a farce now. Maybe I shouldn't, but even though I live less than 20 miles from Oracle Arena, where the Warriors played for decades (they're first home game not there in decades is played tomorrow against the L.A. Clippers) I haven't enjoyed watching them all that much. Honestly, I have found it painful a lot of the time... again, on my hi def systems.A little bit over a year ago I went to a LAFC MLS game for like $20 and have been sold on soccer since. It was their atmosphere that sold me on it - which was and is still by far the best I have been a part of in any sporting event AINEC. I assume the only events that would exceed it would be... soccer games in Europe.
I am very hyped to be attending LAFC vs LA Galaxy playoff matchup tomorrow. I just hope Zlatan isn't too quick of a buzzkill.
Soccer isn't as boring as a 0-0 game might depict from the outside once you start to realize that all rushes and crosses effectively are "good scoring chances" even when they don't register shots on goal.
NFL refs are pretty damn good. They usually get the calls right. And they know the rules!
When there are a lot of calls, I don't blame the refs. They are usually spot on. The fault is with the teams... players and to some extent, their coaches, who aren't coaching up the players correctly to know the rules.I think the problem is that there is too many damn rules - and when every play for 10 straight plays get called back, penalized, etc... then it's no longer a game anymore.
That and plenty of the "calls" are INCREDIBLY subjective and not always a "yes or no" such as pass interference and even facemask calls.
Huh? Have you eyes to see?
Hockey: High speed soccer with weapons.I even played soccer all through my youth and into high school, until one day I realized this is a sport for little children to tire them out. It's a great sport for ages 5-13 but it's not a spectator sport. I want violence and risk as a spectator watching professional athletes, not grown men pretending to be hurt and rolling around on the ground faking injury to try and get a penalty kick.
I just ignore any injury faking. I think the women do that less! I really do think it's a great spectator sport. You don't, but look, it is the world's game and that's because the world enjoys observing it!I even played soccer all through my youth and into high school, until one day I realized this is a sport for little children to tire them out. It's a great sport for ages 5-13 but it's not a spectator sport. I want violence and risk as a spectator watching professional athletes, not grown men pretending to be hurt and rolling around on the ground faking injury to try and get a penalty kick.
True that baseball is way less about the officiating. But... it is slow. What the NFL has going for it is the mental/strategy aspects. Play calling!!! On the offensive side, but also the defensive side. Baseball, well, there is some strategy, decision making, but nothing like other major sports.
I would welcome automatic balls and strikes calling by a laser system. Until about a year ago I thought the umpires had gone crazy for the last couple decades with their expanded strike zone. TV commentators would excuse this by saying "as long as they're consistent." It drove me nuts and I thought "what message are you sending the kids with this?" I don't watch TV baseball except the world series, although I missed it so far this year. What? Games 1 and 2, right? But last year (IIRC), or at least the last game or 2 or 3 I watched, I had the impression that B&S are being called much much more accurately than they had been for many years. I think this is a really really good idea. I think they've juiced the ball, right? That's really not a good idea. They should come up with a way to make a baseball a baseball and STICK WITH IT. INDEFINITELY.It is just as much officiating considering that the homeplate ump calls every single pitch... It's just that each call they make has FAR less of an effect of if it will be a game-changer or not... I mean... unless you're down by 3 in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded with 2 outs and the last pitch is a called strike I guess.... Either way, you still can't insinuate that if the batter had 1 more ball that it would have been a grand-slam.
Whereas in the NFL a lot of times the penalty call or not can literally be the full difference maker in the game.
My last GF took a rigid stance that watching sports on TV is a waste of time, period. Didn't stop me.haven't watched sports in about 2 decades. Saved me hundreds of hours which allowed me to nef a lot
My last GF took a rigid stance that watching sports on TV is a waste of time, period. Didn't stop me.
Nef (from Urban Dictionary)
Created in the Anandtech forums, it was a member who posted useless crap to increase his post count. Hence, the term eventually branched out in to other forums and became a popular term among forum goers. Lifers are usually a harmless bunch, not as vicious as trolls. All they care about is the postcount..
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nef
I agree with this. They typically don't mess up when you consider the number of plays per game....but these days, they're actually defaulting to making calls in favor of the offense (or defense in the case of a fumble) because they know a play will be reviewed... So they're letting the game be played a lot more, rather than calling plays dead pre-emptively.NFL refs are pretty damn good. They usually get the calls right. And they know the rules!
On the flip side, I think that anyone who can't understand this has:I also just really am turned off by the whole "Go local sports team and/or college!" Thought process from people. I mean if a team name that has your city in it wins a "championship" is what makes you get emotional, cry, or celebrate extatically then you seriously have some mental issues.
You didn't win anything. You didn't do anything. Someone else did something.
You can basically that about any sport though. Nothing beats "_______" in anything you are a fan of is basically true. Especially when it's a local team. I was saying the exact thing when the Capitals made their Stanley Cup run.MLB is still the best thing going. The post season has been great. The WS thus far has been outstanding. I understand baseball isn't for everyone, but when things get exciting, nothing beats baseball.
I played almost no soccer but it didn't take me long to develop a love for watching high level soccer on TV. At that level it's really hard to score goals. The teams are very defensive minded.i think it's really hard to appreciate soccer without either: 1) playing it for years or 2) watching it for years.
It can be a beautiful game (as a matter of fact, that's kind of its 'unofficial' nickname ), there are lots of nuances and strategies that you really don't appreciate unless you've done one of the above.
Watching grown ass adults run up and down the pitch for 90 minutes can get boring. But the anticipation just builds and builds throughout the match and when someone scores, it can be an incredible feeling.
here are some great goals scored on some fantastic passing
and just because my daughter is a goalkeeper.. here are some great saves
Mark Twain famously said "golf is a good walk spoiled." I played a round of golf this morning (and I walked the course!). So, you see, Twain and I can differ. I also can really get into an NFL broadcast. I don't watch a ton of those. The 49ers are undefeated, so I am watching them now. I'm kind of a fair weather fan, and TBH I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Why should I root for losers?I only watch the occasional NFL game.... -snip- ... A walk in the woods is a better day spent.
I think the problem is that there is too many damn rules - and when every play for 10 straight plays get called back, penalized, etc... then it's no longer a game anymore.
That and plenty of the "calls" are INCREDIBLY subjective and not always a "yes or no" such as pass interference and even facemask calls.