Why soccer is better than football
Observing the mayhem from my usual perch at the Gunmakers pub in London’s Marylebone, I left the television undisturbed, but marked a personal milestone of my own: I’ve made the switch from American football to real football. After years of trying to sneak away from the National Football League—with its weaponized linemen, bounty-hunting defenses and periodic bursts of action to break up the commercials—I am finally, completely finished with it. You may be ready for some football, but I’m so bored with the NFL.
As an American, this puts me at loggerheads not just with my countrymen—this year’s Super Bowl was the most watched program in U.S. history—but also my colleague and boss, Wall Street Journal deputy editor in chief Gerard Baker. In December, Mr. Baker penned a confessional essay in these pages describing the shame of being an Englishman who likes American football better than soccer…
But the NFL slowly lost me as an adult. While I was at a Monday Night Football game at Seattle’s Kingdome in the mid-80s, the endless commercial breaks awakened me to the extent the game had been handed over to the requirements of a television broadcast. The vicious leveling of a Seahawks receiver by the headhunting Raiders secondary came back to me years later as studies about concussions and crippled league veterans gained prominence. My last NFL highlight was Prince’s Super Bowl halftime show in 2007.
Blowback
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Because it can end in a zero zero tie, and goals happen with no buildup or suspense, coming out of nowhere?
vegconservative on May 19, 2012 at 9:29 PM
No arguments from me. Last weekend’s conclusion to the EPL season, while certainly not typical, was far more gripping than anything produced by the NFL in a long time. I grew up, like any rust-belt American kid, loving American football, but the league lost me years ago with its culture of violence, gambling, thuggery, and commercialism. While European football is certainly not without its warts, the on-field product and the passion of the fans outstrips its American cousin by a wide margin.
YNWA. JF96.
KGB on May 19, 2012 at 9:30 PM
You’re not convincing me, pal.
The only time I watch soccer is when Team USA on the brink of winning something important, or when I go to a Mexican restaurant since that’s all they have it on every TV.
Spliff Menendez on May 19, 2012 at 9:33 PM
A PE instructor many many moons ago told me that soccer was the game of the future and football was a dinosaur.
My younger self replied that football was chess and soccer was tic-tac-toe.
He didn’t like me after that, and I haven’t changed my opinion.
cozmo on May 19, 2012 at 9:35 PM
I’m a 5’10″, 140 pound midfielder during winter season when I need to get in shape for Track in the spring; I used speed to get around other players, never really understood the need for high contact, or why you’d center a game around it. But no; soccer is not superior to football (nor vice versa).
My friend and classmate followed a football scholarship to college, he’d probably have never even considered higher education after high school. He just posted on Facebook that he’s a declared Math major. I may never play football, and I may poke fun at it occasionally, but you’ll never see me badmouth the game.
Atlas on May 19, 2012 at 9:36 PM
Thread about how great soccer is and how bad football is? Obligatory Jim Rome link.
Tacitus on May 19, 2012 at 9:38 PM
I agree..Football Rules!!!..
PS..Good to see you friend!..
Dire Straits on May 19, 2012 at 9:38 PM
The problem with sports in general is that, like obesity, it costs businesses billions in lost productivity every year. Millions of men and women are so obsessed with sports and other activities that it leads often leads to absenteeism, and sports fans are often distracted even when they do show up. If a fat-tax is appropriate then perhaps we should have a sports tax as well. Why not a hobby tax? I know that when I got my first telescope I was staying up all night and called in late more than once, my company lost some productivity. How about a telescope-tax, and of course we need a mountain climbing tax and a jogging tax because it’s hard on your knees and affects Obamneycare’s bottom line.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2012 at 9:40 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK-gUXl7usc
No. Just no.
TheLastBrainLeft on May 19, 2012 at 9:40 PM
Yeah, having to walk into the stadium holding hands with kids, metrosexual players who worry more about fashion and hair more than Lady Gaga, TIES!, nothing happening most of the game,… and worst of all, absolutely shameless fake injuries.
Dongemaharu on May 19, 2012 at 9:41 PM
No but it is good when you need to go cut the grass for an hour and come back without missing a score.
CW on May 19, 2012 at 9:44 PM
Football is played on a gridiron.
Soccer is played on a pitch.
JohnGalt23 on May 19, 2012 at 9:46 PM
Because you can drink yourself silly, engage in pointless brawling, and pass out in your own piss, blood and vomit and not miss a thing?
ronsfi on May 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM
Call me a moderate: soccer and football are both very nice. Neither approaches rugby, though…
affenhauer on May 19, 2012 at 9:49 PM
The ‘real football’ claim betrays his lack of sports history knowledge.
The British Empire had three similar games develop around the same time:
Gridiron football
Association football (soccer)
Rugby football
None of them gave rise to the others so none can justify a claim of realness or authenticity over the others.
As for soccer being better, his argument seemed thin. Football has too many commercials and he worries about football players getting injured? Neither of those seems to strongly support soccer being better.
JadeNYU on May 19, 2012 at 9:50 PM
I’m not even a football fan, but soccer is the most idiotic game ever invented.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on May 19, 2012 at 9:51 PM
If you have to explain to people why soccer is better than football, that means it isn’t.
But you soccer aficionados keep trying.
Erich66 on May 19, 2012 at 9:51 PM
Soccer>>>nfl
tom daschle concerned on May 19, 2012 at 9:52 PM
Football is capitalist-industrial while soccer is socialist-agrarian. Football is specialization and management intensive, encouraging the player to expend maximum effort while on the field, while Soccer minimizes achievement, incentivizes players to minimize efforts and prevents the upward mobility of substitute players.
phreshone on May 19, 2012 at 9:52 PM
Yep – I am in the same boat as the writer. I love watching Team USA more than anything, or following any American playing in the various leagues around the world. (That in itself should say something.)
Clint Dempsey has been amazing this year, and to see the rest of the world take notice of the best American export to date has been infectious.
It’s great to watch two 45 minute halves, without commercials.
I did start to get back into the NFL with Tebow this year, as his antics got everyone into a frustrated mess “You can’t play football like that!” However once Denver lost, so did my interest.
Keep your commercials, faux outrage over hits, and endless timeouts.
Flawed on May 19, 2012 at 9:53 PM
Any sport in which the champion can be some girl named ‘Chelsea’ is obviously besotted with short trouser wearing nancy-boys.
Scribbler on May 19, 2012 at 9:53 PM
If soccer is better than football then it should be taxed more!
FloatingRock on May 19, 2012 at 9:53 PM
The two things I hate most about soccer is that it’s popular in all the worst Marxist/socialist countries and it attracts the most despicable hooligans.
FloatingRock on May 19, 2012 at 9:55 PM
Ok I don’t like soccer or football but I love Australian rules football. I just can’t figure out what the rules are but dang it’s exciting. They run up and down the field and every once in a while some guy will throw the ball down and start a fight. I also like that guy that stands down by the goal post in the white coat. Every so often he’ll step out extend one leg make a couple of weird hand signals and the score doubles! What’s up with that?
Oldnuke on May 19, 2012 at 9:56 PM
Soccer is a fun game for children to play, other than that it blows. Game timing is mysterious (“extra time”? wtf?), off-sides rules are designed to help make scoring nearly impossible, and allowing a tie score game to be decided by penalty kicks is lame. May as well just flip a coin at the end. Anyone who thinks soccer is a worthwhile sport ought to seek psychiatric help. I’d rather watch paint drying.
Stu Gotts on May 19, 2012 at 10:10 PM
So youd rather watch lardasses in tight shiny capris play grabass for 10 seconds at a time for four hours. Its almost merciful that the players wont remember anything in their later years.
tom daschle concerned on May 19, 2012 at 10:17 PM
American football derives from rugby, not soccer. If you’re going to compare sports, comparing American football to rugby is much more apt. In fact, American football is called ‘football’ largely because rugby is called ‘football’, even though kicking the ball is much less central to either game than it is to soccer. Odd that the same people who endlessly gripe about American football being called ‘football’ never make a peep about rugby being called ‘football’.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with soccer, it’s a fine game played by some of the world’s best athletes. But to say it’s a better game because it’s less boring than American football – or rugby for that matter – is just silly. One of the main and most often employed tactics in soccer can best be described as ‘keep away’ – if that’s not a recipe for stark raving boredom I don’t know what is.
Knott Buyinit on May 19, 2012 at 10:20 PM
The author confuses the game of American football with what the NFL and television networks have done with it.
Which would you prefer to go watch in person, a college football game or a college soccer game?
Dextrous on May 19, 2012 at 10:20 PM
So he’s gone native and he’s trying to blame the NFL for his problem?
jnelchef on May 19, 2012 at 10:24 PM
So, ranking Football over Futbol… it’s like trying to decide if getting the flu is better than getting a cold. They both suck.
Warner Todd Huston on May 19, 2012 at 10:33 PM
I love the World Cup and do enjoy Soccer ver much, but this guy sounds like a big wuss complaining about how violent Football is. I suppose all the dives and fake injuries we see in soccer is supposed to be exciting? Maybe Rugby would be the best compromise.
Daemonocracy on May 19, 2012 at 10:38 PM
Wrong! Any sport that requires the players to tackle fans is awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC3xNSiRTDc
reddevil on May 19, 2012 at 10:43 PM
I reject the premise entirely. Soccer isn’t a sport. It’s entirely possible that it will be overtaken by competitive paint drying in the near future.
There are three and only three reasons to watch soccer:
1) You played as a child. Much like the polygamist sects that marry twelve year old girls to 60 year old men, you were raised that way, it’s not your fault. But you’ll fight for your right to lay there under the old mans wheezing carcass, claiming he’s a wonderful husband.
2) You are a Communist. You just love the spectacle of Malawi playing Samoa. It’s not fair when only the best athletes get to be on tv. Where’s the Social Justice in that? Third world kids can’t afford most sports equipment, but most can ball up some rags and kick it around, therefore soccer is the game of the poor and poor people are morally superior to rich people.
3) You are blind and deaf. And someone is being cruel to you.
trubble on May 19, 2012 at 10:47 PM
Soccer is wonderful exercise for children without enough coordination to play a sport.
Ted Torgerson on May 19, 2012 at 10:47 PM
I’ve been hearing that for forty years also. My favorite was reading a column in a soccer magazine thirty-five years ago where the writer was soooo sure pro soccer was the”wave of the future” in the US, but warned it’s owners and league officials to “not make the mistakes other pro leagues”, like the NFL, had made that could hurt its popularity. Hilarious.
Not necessarily true, actually:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703426004575338832990599708.html
Dreadnought on May 19, 2012 at 11:00 PM
Football is a game in which grown men are expected to shrug off serious injuries. Soccer is a game in which grown men are expected to feign serious injuries. It really is as simple as that.
I have played both, and have watched both. And there is no comparison. Football is a sport. Soccer is a game.
The Resolute Desk on May 19, 2012 at 11:09 PM
Yeah, yeah, and we should use metric too.
Browncoatone on May 19, 2012 at 11:34 PM
The writer was right about one thing.
That Prince halftime show was awesome.
connertown on May 19, 2012 at 11:40 PM
Ultimate Frisbee. This is the future of team sports.
Greek Fire on May 20, 2012 at 12:07 AM
IMO, the difference between American sports and Worldly sports is that American sports are more coach oriented… and that it’s less of a “sport” and more of a game between coaches. American sports are also more mnemonic in that things happen in short memorable bursts.
I think this is great for “spectating”, but as a culture I think it is rather harmful. My favorite sports are Aussi Rules football and Rugby Sevens. I don’t like the other forms of Rugby because I think they just encourage people to be fat.
T20 Cricket is pretty fun to watch too and I like it just as much as baseball.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty20
The Indian cricket league is the IPL… and one think I find hilarious about it is that despite most of the players being Indian along with the fans that they have white cheerleaders.
ninjapirate on May 20, 2012 at 12:27 AM
To my mind there are two reasons Americans don’t like soccer.
1) There is no practical way to mark the progress of a team moment to moment. Sure it moves. Sure the players are athletic, but half the fun of watching is running a play over in your head, picturing other outcomes. With American sports you can measure yardage gained, go back and see if they really got the runner out at first, argue whether the shooter got fouled. With soccer its run run run run run… kick…run run run run shoot..and .. miss. Rinse and repeat for an hour and a half.
2) It is impossible to have a soccer fantasy league. This is closely tied to reason #1. Basketball has enough personal stats to support a fantasy league, football even more so. Baseball? Hell, every baseball game generates a snowstorm of stats.
Americans love to bet on sports, and there’s dam little to bet on in a soccer game. I bet $100 the center will run more than 3 miles this game?
Boogeyman on May 20, 2012 at 1:18 AM
Bruce? nuf said!
sonnyspats1 on May 20, 2012 at 2:21 AM
Bah….I am a Canuck and Hockey blows both Football and Soccer out of the water…..
Albertanator on May 20, 2012 at 2:40 AM
Soccer is raid infantry.
Football is shock infantry.
Random Numbers (Brian Epps) on May 20, 2012 at 4:05 AM
Surely the title should read: Why football is better than American football?
NORUK on May 20, 2012 at 5:55 AM
There’s a certain group of smug Americans, often residing in coastal urban centers or on or near prestigious college campuses, who view a professed appreciation of soccer as a strong indication of an intelligent cosmopolitan mind. To them, Americans who can’t appreciate soccer are simply so afflicted with xenophobia, so influenced by American commercialism, that they are unable to appreciate the “beautiful game.”
I suspect a lot of people who post negative things about soccer do it mainly to get a rise out of these snobs. For example, I always call it soccer just to see if somebody will tell me I should call it “football” or “futbol” to being myself in line with the rest of the world.
It’s kind of like refusing to adopt the metric system or embrace the International Court of Justice. We have practical reasons for it, but we really most enjoy it because it really rubs the lefties the wrong way!
Raquel Pinkbullet on May 20, 2012 at 6:42 AM
I especially enjoy the “subtle athletic grace” of the Oscar winning performances by “injured” players.
Raquel Pinkbullet on May 20, 2012 at 6:49 AM
I was quite athletic in my younger days and excelled at any sport I played. During college, I became bored with watching sports and pretty much gave up on all of them. The wife and I will sit and watch college football/basketball and the NHL from time to time, but I gave up on the other pros a long time ago. The NBA is boring and the players don’t show up until the post-season, baseball is a sport to attend, not to watch on television and the writer is correct in saying that the NFL is marred by too many time-outs. Pro-football isn’t nearly as exciting as college ball and I have better things to do than waste four hours watching commercials and two-yard carries.
That being said, everyone has their interests and tastes and there’s noting wrong with that. I attended a semi-final cup match in Liverpool 15 years ago and it was pretty exciting. But I’ve tried watching soccer on television after that and it can’t hold my attention. Rugby is a much more exciting sport than soccer and the fans are at odds with each other. Most of my British friends that either play or follow Rugby hate soccer.
Anywho, I prefer a good match of darts myself. Heh.
robblefarian on May 20, 2012 at 8:04 AM
Soccer is all about the beer drinking and rioting.
Football is all about the beer drinking.
So, Football is closer to “purist” as a spectator sport. No need to get involved in a riot.
ProfShadow on May 20, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Soccer is more fun to watch than baseball and football, but not as much fun to watch as hockey and basketball.
What I hate about football is the start-stop-start-stop nature of the game where the players spend 10 minutes in
cuddleshuddles talking about the next play, then 1 minute to actually execute the play (which, if it’s a running play, usually means a guy running two paces into a wall of bigger guys).There is excitement to be had, of course, but it’s like panning for gold: in a 4 hour game (with breaks, cuddles, referee discussions, etc) maybe 5 minutes of exciting play. It seems to me that there is more talking in football than actual football playing.
Johnny 100 Pesos on May 20, 2012 at 8:36 AM
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