Why the hell is soccer so popular?

[Medicine Bear]

Admittedly I grew up in a time when soccer just wasn't played by kids. It was either baseball or football as far as organized sports went. Now it seems like every kid wants to play soccer. Why? When did it suddenly become the youth sport to play?

I've asked a few of my cousins why they play and the majority of the time the answer I hear is "because it is cool." Umm, ok I suppose. A couple of them have even told me they like football or baseball better but that those aren't cool sports to play. WTF?

 

[miri]

You need to be European or South American to understand. I was in Spain when the local team from Sevilla won the national championship and that city went crazy.

 

[rocadelpunk]

::gets lawn chair::
::gets popcorn::

this should be somewhat interesting.


to answer your question. You will not be able to understand so don't bother. It's the youth sport, the sport, for about 99.9% of the rest of the world. Accept and move on.

 

[manohartvs]

ROTFLMAO!!
I cannot believe I actually read this bull-crap.

 

[hypn0tik]

It's a universal sport. It is played in some shape or form in pretty much every country.

 

[artikk]

Why is football so popular. I just don't get how dressing up and throwing a ball across a field is interesting. Different people have different interests. Some people play ___, others play____, and others play_____. There isn't any way to explain why people like one sport more than the other.

PS I play soccer and it's more worldly renowned/popular than football ANY day of the week .

 

[MadPeriot]

Actually soccer is the main stream sport in most parts of the world except for the U.S. We grew up with basketball, football, and baseball, but it isn't as popular in other countries. Becham also had to do with alot of the soccer mania.

 

[iamme]

why is it difficult to understand?

 

[Kalbi]

all you need is a ball and feet to play. baseball you need glove, bat, ball, 2 teams, etc. basketball you need a court, football you need a LOT of people and equipment.

 

[nakedfrog]

It's fun, easy to follow (the most complicated rule is "offsides") and all you really need to play is a ball.

 

[luckysnafu]

I love soccer. I have been playing since I was 5 or 6. It's a very fun sport to play, there is always something going on, no stopping and no timeouts, like in other sports. What sport do you like best OP and why do you like it? Most people are just going to say they like playing a certain sport since its their favorite or most fun for them.

 

[Majesty]

What I do believe is, on the side of the parents, that soccer is not an expensive sport. You buy a pair of shoes and.. hmm.. that's it.

Play ball!

 

[Medicine Bear]

Originally posted by: russianpower
Why is football so popular. I just don't get how dressing up and throwing a ball across a field is interesting. Different people have different interests. Some people play ___, others play____, and others play_____. There isn't any way to explain why people like one sport more than the other.

PS I play soccer and it's more worldy renowned/popular than football ANY day of the week .

I understand the cultural differences, that isn't what I was talking about. What gets me is how it became the "cool" sport and how kids will play it just to be "cool" when they really like another sport better.

If it were a culture thing I would be screwed. I'm Native Ameican and Black. Guess that means I would be playing lacrosse and eating watermelon.

 

[broon]

Serious answer: Not every kid is built to play basketball or football. You can be any size and play soccer. You can also mess around or practice with only a couple of people or even by yourself.

Non serious answer: It's easy.

 

[skace]

Try actually playing the sport, you will realize there is a lot of skill involved and that skill translates to challenges and challenges inherently appeal to kids. Soccer appealed to me and the kids I knew because it challenged us to do something that wasn't easy.

 

[MadPeriot]

Just like tennis, a lot people thinks its a girl's sport and most football fans don't understand. And I love tennis.

 

[DivideBYZero]

This thread is LOL'erful. Marked.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Medicine Bear
Guess that means I would be playing lacrosse and eating watermelon.

I'd stick to peyote and basketball if I were you

 

[manohartvs]

Soccer is according to me the game which requires maximum talent, amazing Hand/eye/leg co-ordination.
I cannot believe you think it is boring. Are you telling us this because you saw one of those slow games where teams are trying to possess the ball and then slowly score, because I have great respect for every soccer player. You need absolute fittness to play the game because you are running non stop for 90 minutes(with a small half time-non cheerleader-break).

Please learn to play or try playing to see how challenging, yet fun the game is.

 

[meltdown75]

i used to play when i was a kid, and again i played in high school. you need some serious stamina to play this fscker. it gets you in shape like no other sport! it's fun & easy.

now i love hockey and golf. go figure.

oh yeah but NFL kicks serious ass on Sundays. :heart:

 

[Rogue]

Because soccer is for pansies who hate full on physical contact and like to run away from people all the time.

 

[HeliosUtH]

Because it is The One coolest game ever. Beckham, ... hardcore, adrenaline rush ... and all the on stage and backstage garbage you can enjoy. Plus the additional ... large screen TV + beer = a happy man. Muscles simply don't rule anymore ... and soccer stars are like rock stars. Every whimpy kid can be like them.

 

[Medicine Bear]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Medicine Bear
Guess that means I would be playing lacrosse and eating watermelon.

I'd stick to peyote and basketball if I were you

Peyote isn't all the fun it is cracked up to be.

 

[Homerboy]

I dont think most of you read the OP.
He's asking why its such a popular YOUTH sport. Not why its so popular world wide.

Personally I think its popular with kids because give a 3yr old a ball. They cant throw it or hit it... but they CAN kick it and usually quite well. Take into acount that its also very athletic and "even" as far as team play is concerned so that nearly everyone on the field gets to participate in it (unlike baseball or football where its more or less isolated to a few key positions). So kids start playing it EARLY and simply continue on with it until they out grow it or find interest in something else.

 

[BillyBobJoel71]

soccer is called football in spanish, i don't know why, but it makes more sense.