US vs Cuba

dutyje:
Why is this in non-cigar related? I ain't talking cigars, I'm talking soccer... Specifically, soccer tickets.

The US vs Cuba World Cup Qualifier in Washington, DC is this weekend. I'll be there, and I'm sitting on a few extra tickets? Anybody wanna see some international soccer? I promise you'll be around more Cubans than you've ever been in your entire life. You can't smoke 'em, obviously, but the idea is that hopefully the US Soccer team will smoke 'em

Anyway, the plan is to drive up to DC on Saturday morning, tailgate, and catch the game (7 PM).. then we'll head out to the bars afterwards. Good times. Any interest? Maddy, you're somewheres around them there parts, ain't ya?

holy crap. i wish i could be there. however, i am going to be working about 30 hours from friday at 5pm till sunday at 4pm. have fun.

Fourtotheflush

How was the match?

Two Cubans defected the day before the match... They went on a sight-seeing tour in DC and never came back. Of course, having been to DC, I could argue that they simply became hopelessly lost, as that is the toughest city to navigate I've ever visited.

On to the match, the US dominated the game, winning 6-1, clinching advancement to the next round of qualifiers, which promise to be against very tough competition. There are several problems which will need to be addressed in the interim, like our inability to score (disregard that 6-1 final) on easy opportunities, and the lack of an outside threat.

dutyje:
Two Cubans defected the day before the match... They went on a sight-seeing tour in DC and never came back. Of course, having been to DC, I could argue that they simply became hopelessly lost, as that is the toughest city to navigate I've ever visited.

I dont care who you are, that right there is funny.

cuba isnt known for their soccer, i mean, they are no Brazil. then again, the US hasnt been much for soccer either. I feel that we are slowly comming into our own in the sport. my generation ( i was born in 1980) and the surrounding years were the first to seriously embrace the sport. now that we are all in our 20s we are putting on a good show. i think in a few more years and a bit more acceptance in the US and we can have a team that will advance beyond the second round of the world cup. give it 10-20 more years so that my generation's kids will have the time to develop as players.

I wonder if the US will develop its own style of soccer. the brazilians have the samba style soccer and the germans have a bunch of short passes and a ton of movement, i wonder if the US will find a way to make soccer theirs. THATS when we will start to be good.

The US brand of soccer will be whatever the kicking equivalent is of home runs and slam dunks, and we'll take post-goal celebration to a new level. A focus on individualism and superstars. Freddie Adu came over to our section after the game and received a huge ovation, despite the fact that he didn't start and wasn't a particularly valuable contributor. But he's the superstar. I think he also plays for DC United, so I'm sure that was a contributor as well.

I don't know if soccer will ever be a major sport in the US. There isn't enough scoring, and kids nowadays get year-round exposure to the other major sports. Also, we seem to have a hard time embracing a sport that we can't immediately dominate on an international level. Finally, there isn't nearly as much money to be made in ad revenue, due to the running clock. Until the creative minds in marketing can figure out a way to pump you full of high-caliber advertising during the event, there won't be enough money to put it on TV. The media would rather throw money behind something that's easy to fill with ads (like the very athletic sport of Texas Hold 'Em Poker).

dutyje:
there won't be enough money to put it on TV.

nail.

head.

I've watched some soccer -- Olympic and World Cup. My theory has long been that the problem with soccer is the field (or pitch or whatever) is just too big. The ball spends too much time just kinda rolling around in the middle of nowhere with nobody within 20 yards of it.

Smallerize the field and you concentrate the action. That makes it more exciting to watch and, Bob's yer uncle, you've got a marketable sport.

They call that indoor soccer. I used to play a lot of that, but gave it up after my son was born. Change on the fly, fewer players, small field... boards to keep the ball in play. Lots more action. I only once saw a professional indoor soccer game, and I don't remember a whole lot about it. I think the American public has shown very little interest in lesser variants of established sports (Arena football, XFL... although the fighting/wrestling variants have done quite well).

urbino:
My theory has long been that the problem with soccer is the field (or pitch or whatever) is just too big.

the field isnt too big. the action takes place all over the fireld and you cant see it all. the same thing would happen with indoor soccer on tv. the NHL has the same problem. a play is developing off screen

kuzi16:
urbino:
My theory has long been that the problem with soccer is the field (or pitch or whatever) is just too big.
the field isnt too big. the action takes place all over the fireld and you cant see it all. the same thing would happen with indoor soccer on tv. the NHL has the same problem. a play is developing off screen

In terms of teevee marketability, that sounds to me like the very definition of a field that's too big.

the field is not the problem.

the TV is.

kuzi16:
the field is not the problem.

the TV is.

Oh, right. Like there's something wrong with tv. Next you'll be pointing out flaws in the baby Jesus.

urbino:
kuzi16:
the field is not the problem.

the TV is.
Oh, right. Like there's something wrong with tv. Next you'll be pointing out flaws in the baby Jesus.

again, that thar be funny

Not directed at anyone here, but I get frustrated by all these soccer zealots who complain ad nausem about soccer's relative lack of popularity in U.S. and how we're all a bunch of Budweiser drinking bumpkins if we don't love it. I think soccer is boring as hell. I think baseball is boring as hell. I think poker on TV is quite possible the most inane thing in the world.

Fourtotheflush

Poker on TV is AWESOME!!!....

The field is a problem. The world cup is very exciting and pulls in huge ratings... mostly becaus of the talent, but I also think it is due to the style of play and the field. The long passes and attempts to draw offsided etc.
The MLS is typically using football fields for their game which I dont know the dims but dont seen to be as big as a World cup pitch

If you play poker, poker on TV is awesome!!!!

I don't, and I have to admit I hate it.

Luko:
Not directed at anyone here, but I get frustrated by all these soccer zealots who complain ad nausem about soccer's relative lack of popularity in U.S. and how we're all a bunch of Budweiser drinking bumpkins if we don't love it. I think soccer is boring as hell. I think baseball is boring as hell. I think poker on TV is quite possible the most inane thing in the world.

i am not complaining about how it isnt popular. i am explaining why it isnt.

...and quit drinking Budweiser you bumpkin!
its cool. I dont like baseball either...

or football that much. I watch the Superbowl but only for the comercials. I dont think i could even name a single team that won last week.

kaspera79

Saints, Vikings, Bucs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Chargers, Browns, Cards, Jets, Rams, Colts. Eagles. and some other team I can't remember..

The sports/athletic endeavors I enjoy watching most (in order) are:
1. NFL football
2. NHL hockey (just getting into it so mostly just enjoy watching the Penguins for now)
3. Men's college basketball
4. College football
5. Olympics (any season, I'm an Olympics junkie)
6. MMA
7. NBA (pretty boring, but I love the Spurs)
8. Baseball (yawn, good time for a nap, though)
9. Boxing (has to be a legitimately good match, not enough of those around anymore, but look out for Pavlik)
10. Golf (really I just like watching the last day or last two days of the majors)

11. ESPN World's Strongest Man competitions

I have never been able to watch more than one lap of autoracing in my life. The only soccer match I've ever watched was in the Olympics and it was OK, for about 5 minutes. Tennis is only good for hot chicks in short skirts.

Hmm, what sports/events am I missing?

Hmmm, Luko... let's see if I can match:

1. NFL Football
2. NHL Hockey (matched you on the first two)
3. College Football
4. College Lacrosse
5. College Hockey
6. Curling (yes, curling... but I can't often get it down here. If I did, this would rank much higher)
7. NASCAR
8. Men's College Basketball

In addition to the above sports, I always watch these major events:
World Cup Soccer
Tour de France
The Masters and British Open (but not the PGA Championship or the U.S. Open)
Indy 500
Kentucky Derby
MLB World Series (that's it for baseball these days)
Random assorted Olympic events, as the mood strikes

I also will occassionally watch Rugby, Aussie Rules Football, or Cricket, if they're on. I would watch more of these sports if they were on more. It used to be that the alternative sports got a lot of coverage on the regional sports networks, but that has virtually disappeared in the last 5 years.

One of these days I will open up a curling bar here in Charlotte. It'll be like a white-collar bowling for all these yuppie banker types to hold their business meetings when it's too cold for golf. After the U.S. makes a respectable showing in the next Olympics, curling will start to take hold. Certain areas are prime for it. I've been trying to drum up support for a few years.

I swear I almost wrote curling...it captured my attention several winter Olympicses ago, but I have never seen it other than in the Olympics.

Any sport you can drink a beer while doing is probably a sport I'll love.

I'd like to watch some cricket sometime. There's a guy at the office who plays on a local team (and apparently is very good). I keep saying I'm gonna go watch them play sometime, but I never have done it. I think I'd need to watch it on tv several times first, so I could kinda pick up what's happening from the commentary.

urbino:
I'd like to watch some cricket sometime. There's a guy at the office who plays on a local team (and apparently is very good). I keep saying I'm gonna go watch them play sometime, but I never have done it. I think I'd need to watch it on tv several times first, so I could kinda pick up what's happening from the commentary.

I spent 24 hours vomiting in a hotel room in London, watching cricket the whole time. You don't really learn a whole lot when you have to take a time out every 3 minutes to dry heave.

dutyje:
urbino:
I'd like to watch some cricket sometime. There's a guy at the office who plays on a local team (and apparently is very good). I keep saying I'm gonna go watch them play sometime, but I never have done it. I think I'd need to watch it on tv several times first, so I could kinda pick up what's happening from the commentary.
I spent 24 hours vomiting in a hotel room in London, watching cricket the whole time. You don't really learn a whole lot when you have to take a time out every 3 minutes to dry heave.

Yeah, London makes me sick, too. I hate them British, there so freakin pompous.

Luko:
dutyje:
urbino:
I'd like to watch some cricket sometime. There's a guy at the office who plays on a local team (and apparently is very good). I keep saying I'm gonna go watch them play sometime, but I never have done it. I think I'd need to watch it on tv several times first, so I could kinda pick up what's happening from the commentary.
I spent 24 hours vomiting in a hotel room in London, watching cricket the whole time. You don't really learn a whole lot when you have to take a time out every 3 minutes to dry heave.

Yeah, London makes me sick, too. I hate them British, there so freakin pompous.

Hey, that's me you're talking about there! You know my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother was Lady-in-Waiting to the throne? That's actually the source of my last name (Duty). I believe the Lady-in-Waiting chick shacked up with the Lord John Northend (or something like that -- very scandalous).. the descendants ended up over here, one of whom was the late Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. So if you trace back my ancestry, it aligns after a few generations with Joseph Smith, so apparently we've got some very distant relatives in Utah.

Speaking of interesting ancestry, one time working at Wachovia, I was reviewing the resume of one Alexander Hamilton. After commenting to a friend about what lofty expectations he would be held to with a name like that, and that it was good the position didn't require a swift trigger finger, I came to find out that he was actually named after, and directly descended from, the Alexander Hamilton (former President and signer of the Constitution who lost his life in a duel with Aaron Burr). As if that weren't enough, the friend that I made the crack to is a direct descendant of Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It's amazing, as the years go by, how many totally insignificant people are bred from the genes of a person of prominence.

Oh, right. I remember asking if you read Kraukauer's book on the mormon church. Apologies, Dude.

And no offense to Mormons, but some of that shiznit makes Scientologists look logical. What the...?

Luko:
Oh, right. I remember asking if you read Kraukauer's book on the mormon church. Apologies, Dude.

And no offense to Mormons, but some of that shiznit makes Scientologists look logical. What the...?

No offense taken... those Mormons are a bunch of crackpot loonie weirdo freaks... not like my side of the family. We're very normal. Especially my grandfather (Joseph, Sr.) who was a huge champion of labotomies as the head of the Toledo State Hospital. Lots of psych professionals on my side of the family... the ones that aren't in the profession tend to be patients. You should see our family reunions