I Do Not Like Soccer...

[THXGEEK]

... but I'm definitely rooting for Norway!

From PetaPixel:

"The Norwegian soccer side has let it be known that they are heading to the United States in warrior-like fashion via a spectacular team photo."

Story here.

 

[Only RF]

Don’t get the rest of the world angry. It’s Football

I could never get into it myself. My best friend and shooting buddy has always been a huge fan and a lot has to do with spectator passion. I’m used to North American football and hockey that has a lot of scoring and scoring chances.

The last FIFA cup I decided to watch some games and I change my approach to it. Instead on scoring/chances I payed attention to how difficult it is to get a chance to take a shot at net. It became more interesting. Now I know why they drop to their knees with the head down when they miss.

 

[David Stallard]

I can say in all honesty - I am 60 next year and have never watched a single game of football (soccer) - for me it's a bit like religion, brain washing the masses and I just don't get the fanatism of it.

 

[Grumps]

I can say in all honesty - I am 60 next year and have never watched a single game of football (soccer) - for me it's a bit like religion, brain washing the masses and I just don't get the fanatism of it.

I went to a football match. Once. (that'd be 1979, when Brighton and Hove Albion first made it to league 1). Hemmed in by fences, dodging opened and unopened beverage receptacles.

On another occassion, I got chased through other peoples' back gardens (hopping fences) by drunken football supporters.

You could say that these experiences set the tone of my opinions about fototball from then onward.

 

[Cybot996]

Don’t get the rest of the world angry. It’s Football

I could never get into it myself. My best friend and shooting buddy has always been a huge fan and a lot has to do with spectator passion. I’m used to North American football and hockey that has a lot of scoring and scoring chances.

The last FIFA cup I decided to watch some games and I change my approach to it. Instead on scoring/chances I payed attention to how difficult it is to get a chance to take a shot at net. It became more interesting. Now I know why they drop to their knees with the head down when they miss.

I always find it amusing that Americans call it football but the foot hardly ever touches the ball

 

[Only RF]

I always find it amusing that Americans call it football but the foot hardly ever touches the ball

I suspect it is an offshoot from Rugby.

 

[Bryan Conner]

I always find it amusing that Americans call it football but the foot hardly ever touches the ball

A foot is the first thing to touch the ball....

I grew up watching American Football and had zero idea about soccer, or football as it is known outside of North America. After living in Germany for 16 years now, I still have basically zero idea about the game. I have tried to understand, but just can't get a grip on it. I do think that some of the most Oscar worthy performances happen when a player thinks that they have been fouled. They lay on the ground in terrible agony, looking like they will die from pain at any moment. And when they see that the official is not reacting to their performance, they are magically healed and are 100% healthy.

About 20 years ago, when soccer started becoming really popular with children/young people in America, one of my friends commented that after watching a professional soccer game on tv that he understood why the fans sometimes riot during a game. He said it is because they got angry because they watched a bunch of people run around for over an hour and only one person scored.

 

[Only RF]

I can say in all honesty - I am 60 next year and have never watched a single game of football (soccer) - for me it's a bit like religion, brain washing the masses and I just don't get the fanatism of it.

In Rome like everyone checked out the Coliseum. There was a sign at the entrance. "When the games were on something died every two minutes". Or something like that. Started with the animal hunts, prisoners and then the gladiators. I guess they had no real organized sports and there wasn't much other entertainment.

I've been a hockey fan my whole life. Lot's of fun going to live games. Going to local pub/bar with a bunch of friends to watch is a blast. I don't know if anyone watched the series Welcome to Wrexham but for many small working class communities it's all they have. That is what brings them together. Something to unite and be proud of. I'm not going into the hooligan part as I don't agree with it.

You can roll that fanatsism into pretty much anything. People love and entertainment. You know what people pay for Super Bowl tickets, Stanley Cup finals, current pricing for Knicks vs Spurs. Heck look at what people paid to see Tayler Swift.

Football is one sport where all kids can play from a young age is why it has become a world event. You don't need to replace skates and other gear. My friends son played goalie. He told me once what it costs to outfit him every year as he grew. In football all you need is a ball.

Just my views on it. Doesn't mean I'm right.

 

[Only RF]

From another perspective. I have been shooting for over 40 years. I bought my first DSLR in 2005. The 20D. Did I really need all the subsequent XXD bodies including the 7D and 7DII? 5D v1 to V4. R, R5, R7, R6II and R6III? Not to mention all the lenses I owned. Some I called novelty lenses because I only used them a few times a year.

Not really This is my first BIF from 2009 using my 7D.

 

[Si Keen]

I've never understood the love of football, the balls are the wrong shape... If we are talking about a proper ball game such as Rugby that has the right amount of sporting violence to get passionate about. Roll on Feb 27 for the 6 Nations then the world cup in Oct.

 

[PKM-UK]

Come on England!

Phil and Karen

(PS. Karen has drawn Spain in her work’s sweepstake, so we hope they do quite well too - perhaps 2nd place?).

 

[marineboy]

I've never understood the love of football, the balls are the wrong shape... If we are talking about a proper ball game such as Rugby that has the right amount of sporting violence to get passionate about. Roll on Feb 27 for the 6 Nations then the world cup in Oct.

I agree Si, but which code? For me, a really exciting game of union is hard to beat, but too often it is dominated by kicking and interminable scrums involving a high degree of technical prowess which is not apparent to the spectator. League is, well, in a different league. More or less non-stop action, brutal physicality, and often sublime ball handling skills. But both variants share the same approach to sportsmanship - both teams have spent 80 minutes knocking seven bells out of each other yet they still come together at the whistle to shake hands. You rarely get that in football.

 

[Only RF]

A tough crew those rugby players are.

 

[Only RF]

Going off topic a bit the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley cup. Since our team didn't make the playoffs for anyone from Carolina or Denmark we cheered for them all the way because of Nikolaj Ehlers. He played for the Jets for about 10 years. We were yelling for him to score the empty netter last night and he did it! It was nice to see him hoist the cup.

 

[Si Keen]

I agree Si, but which code? For me, a really exciting game of union is hard to beat, but too often it is dominated by kicking and interminable scrums involving a high degree of technical prowess which is not apparent to the spectator. League is, well, in a different league. More or less non-stop action, brutal physicality, and often sublime ball handling skills. But both variants share the same approach to sportsmanship - both teams have spent 80 minutes knocking seven bells out of each other yet they still come together at the whistle to shake hands. You rarely get that in football.

I'm a union man myself, played a lot of union in my youth (Hooker), but then discovered motor bikes and more importantly racing them (badly). After many years of picking myself out of the kitty litter (ambition often out-wayed skill) I'm now full of metal work and a limp so I'm content to watch England embarrass themselves... but continue to hope we will get our act together for the next 6 Nations and then the World Cup in Oz... but I'm not going to hold my breath.

One thing I will say its been quite fun watching the Americans reaction to the Tartan Army in full vocal and drinking swing in Boston, especially when a few thousand of them went to a rounders game, sorry base ball and brought Scottish chanting to the stadium. There's few supporters than can match them for their passion.