I don't understand football

stoneill

I don't understand football.

I don't understand football.
I understand the concept, I understand the rules, I understand the need for tribal teams
to pit their skills and prowess against rivals. However I do not understand what
football is today. How does a person chose a team to support? Why that team?
What affiliation do you as an individual have to that team, be it Man U or Liverpool or Wolves or whatever.
I understand football evolved from thousands of villagers pusing a dead pig around for a week
trying to get it into the neighbouring village to a structured form that we see today.
I understand supporting a local team made up of local players doing the best they can.
I do not understand the fanatic supporting a team made up of players who have absolutely no affiliation or
history associated with the team or locality that they are playing for.
I do not understand the overpaid, overpampered and overarrogant players that are supposedly the top of the
skills pyramid.
Football is pure business that sometimes a bit of sport will bubble to the surface.

So - who do you support and why?

MagicMarker

I don't understand your face.

fedor.2.

What are you getting at exactly

Frank Black

It's OK, you're probably a woman - or perhaps have a touch of the ghey.

summerskin

Oldham Athletic, because i was born and raised in the town. The way it should be.

sensibleken

basically its a load of millionaire perfume salesmen running around a pitch before falling over and crying. then they all have a bath together.

Snickers Man

stoneill wrote: »

I don't understand football.

So - who do you support and why?

I used to support West Ham United.

I haven't done so for many years. For essentially the reasons you provided. And you know what? I don't miss it.

You don't understand it: just say no.

Who's Wayne Rooney anyway?

krudler

I literally cant tell you a single player for Man Utd or Liverpool, I'd have to go look it up.

it seems to be the default go to conversation started for men "savage match last night" err....I'll bet it was, go local (or in most cases foreign) sports team!

WoollyRedHat

Snickers Man wrote: »

Who's Wayne Rooney anyway?

The aforementioned pig. Fascinating how football has evolved innit.

WesternZulu

stoneill wrote: »

How does a person chose a team to support? Why that team?
What affiliation do you as an individual have to that team, be it Man U or Liverpool or Wolves or whatever.

For an Irish person it depends on who is the most successful, therefore Man U and Liverpool have the biggest support....and Wolves don't.

the groutch

everyone in Manchester is a Man City fan
everyone in Ireland is a Man Utd fan

Go figure

ejmaztec

Snickers Man wrote: »

I used to support West Ham United.

I haven't done so for many years. For essentially the reasons you provided. And you know what? I don't miss it.

You don't understand it: just say no.

Who's Wayne Rooney anyway?

Shrek Balls-for-brains.

My name is URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hyaZOTtSmA

For you OP.

starbelgrade

WesternZulu wrote: »

For an Irish person it depends on who is the most successful, therefore Man U and Liverpool have the biggest support....and Wolves don't.

I think you'll find that the more successful a football team are, the more support they will have. It's not a uniquely Irish thing.

Also one of the main reasons Liverpool & United have such big support here is that they are both clubs with a long history of having Irish players on their books - especially Man United.

That comes from the fact that many Irish people emigrated to Liverpool & Manchester and ended up playing at those clubs.

ReallyWiggy

OP - you are dead right. Football in its current state is a complete joke and even as a spectacle is now just plain boring unless you really enjoy watching cheats at work...

To add to your own 'I don't understand' - I don't understand rioters protesting the Queens visit while wearing Liverpool and Celtic jerseys......

Standard Toaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27IqVo5-Oc

CuriousOne

Not a single interesting conversation/thread in this entire forum.

I was expecting more on a Thursday.

ejmaztec

CuriousOne wrote: »

Not a single interesting conversation/thread in this entire forum.

I was expecting more on a Thursday.

Now's your big chance, go for it.

Toby Take a Bow

I used to support Liverpool back in the day, but I got kind of bored of the whole football thing. I supported them because in the 80s they were the best team. I'm not sure this is always people's reason: I know a couple of West Ham fans, an Everton fan and a Manchester City fan (a fan from the late 50s). My interest extends to computer games and the odd international match.

It's interesting how easy it is to continue a conversation with my neighbour (whose small-talk default is football) by spouting a whole list of banal cliches.

Dotrel

The football "experience" is basically an opportunity for emotionally repressed men to release their emotions, to bond with other men and to re-live their feelings of being a child.

Any supporter to tells you it's any more sociologically significant than that is lying to you or more likely to themself.

The game itself however is still the best thing out there in sports imho.

CuriousOne

ejmaztec wrote: »

Now's your big chance, go for it.

It can't be left to me all the time.

Loomis

You just described most popular sports and interests.
I love football. For reasons.

Pherekydes

fedor.2. wrote: »

What are you getting at exactly

I think he's talking about soccer. :rolleyes:

RichieC

bla bla english teams bla.

YNWA!

The King of Moo

I love football as a sport; it's such a pure and simple sport that anyone anywhere can play (and it's very democratic as you don't need lots of money for equipment), but it takes so much skill to master.

But I haven't watched football in ages as I hate the players' attitudes, bar a few notable exceptions like Messi.
They're spoiled brats with no sense of fair play or commitment. Watching the last World Cup was a chore as so few of the players seemed to really care about playing.
I don't get how you couldn't be immensely excited to play for your country in the World Cup (though the young German team looked like a lot of them were, and they played some good football).
I also couldn't believe when Irish players said they would've committed the same handball that Thierry Henry did if they were in the same position.

I've also come to despise the politics surrounding football, with the obvious cronyism, corruption and corporate toadying that goes on.

It's still a beautiful game, but the world of football is rotten.

Pherekydes

the groutch wrote: »

everyone in Manchester is a Man City fan
everyone in Ireland is a Man Utd fan

Go figure

I'd say more people loathe United than love them.

kfallon

Football is the greatest game on earth to play, I don't care how old you are or if you only play 5-a-side or even a kickabout on the green you still get that buzz from sticking one in the top corner.

And I love watching it cos for all the diving, fouling and cheating it still serves up magic moments like some in this thread
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056357775

It's the most popular sport in the world.....the majority of us can't be wrong!

Pride Fighter

You know they have a league in Ireland now.

starbelgrade

Pride Fighter wrote: »

You know they have a league in Ireland now.

I don't understand League of Ireland football.

El Weirdo

CuriousOne wrote: »

It can't be left to me all the time.

Indeed. We wouldn't want to put any unnecessary strain on the servers.

Pherekydes

kfallon wrote: »

It's the most popular sport in the world.....the majority of us can't be wrong!

And flies love shíte.

Conor108

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN1WN0YMWZU

Turtyturd

starbelgrade wrote: »

I don't understand League of Ireland football.

That's more an off field game of 'Stop your club from going into liquidation.'

CuriousOne

El Weirdo wrote: »

Indeed. We wouldn't want to put any unnecessary strain on the servers.

When I said me, I meant us.

Us, as in, all of me's.

thunderthing

i like football, but like the OP, I'm starting not to care anymore. United got knocked out of the CL last night and i really should give a bigger crap considering i've supported them since i was 5 (the reason i started? Cause my brother told me to). i just find i have no attachment, it was a completely arbitrary choice.

However, words can't express in much i care about the Irish football team. That's something i actually care about, and the way it should be. Similarly, my county in GAA, ireland and leinster in rugby, these are all teams i'd actually care about deeply

At this stage football is more of a distraction for when there's no sport i really care about on.

foxyboxer

stoneill wrote: »

I don't understand football.

I don't understand football.
I understand the concept, I understand the rules, I understand the need for tribal teams
to pit their skills and prowess against rivals. However I do not understand what
football is today. How does a person chose a team to support? Why that team?
What affiliation do you as an individual have to that team, be it Man U or Liverpool or Wolves or whatever.
I understand football evolved from thousands of villagers pusing a dead pig around for a week
trying to get it into the neighbouring village to a structured form that we see today.
I understand supporting a local team made up of local players doing the best they can.
I do not understand the fanatic supporting a team made up of players who have absolutely no affiliation or
history associated with the team or locality that they are playing for.
I do not understand the overpaid, overpampered and overarrogant players that are supposedly the top of the
skills pyramid.
Football is pure business that sometimes a bit of sport will bubble to the surface.

So - who do you support and why?

Considering the billions that the sport generates I would argue that they are underpaid if anything.

Dionysus

black francis wrote: »

It's OK, you're probably a woman - or perhaps have a touch of the ghey.

Yeah, because "real men" love engaging in the bad ballet which is soccer, and getting naked in all-male dressing rooms before have big emotional talks together. Bring it on, you complete fairies.

Soccer is shíte, and as a rule the more commercialised it is, the more shíte it is. All of which makes British soccer the greatest load of shíte in the history of shíte. And all its slavish followers shítehawks of the most brain-dead order.



/end rant.

Dotrel

starbelgrade wrote: »

I don't understand League of Ireland football.

Imagine twelve bald guys fighting over a comb.

sbsquarepants

I'm far from a fanatic or anything but i basically support 2 teams.

Barca - which hardly needs explaining, they just play the game the way it should be played and are usually a joy to watch. Messi is without a doubt the greatest footballer in the world at the moment - possibly even ever. It's barca that got me interested in football to begin with. It's very easy to be a barca fan.

Liverpool - your guess is as good as mine, they break my fúcking heart year after year, but for some reason i just can't give them the boot! I'm not a life long fan or anything like that, i didn't really like football at all until my early to mid 20's (i'm 36 now). The match with AC Milan in Istanbull, to win the champions league, probably sucked me in as a full on supporter, although i was leaning towards them for a few years before that. I've actually no idea why, i have zero ties to liverpool the town, except for a love of the club!

Basically, why do we like anything? We just do, and thats reason enough!:D

kfallon

Pherekydes wrote: »

And flies love shíte.

Yeah....what has that got to do with football???

Dotrel

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Barca - which hardly needs explaining, they just play the game the way it should be played

They don't really.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3_ocUYu244

Chuck Stone

I like kickety-fall-over ball but I can't abide arguing about which team or player is best.


Messi>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ronaldo.

foxyboxer

The attraction of football is in it's simplicity. The only really complex rule if offside, which is easy enough to understand. Rugby simply baffles me and the rules of Golf is as thick as a phonebook.

It's a game that involves 'dancing' for space. Players are always seeking space. The very best proponents of the game would arguably make incredible dancers (see Lionel Messi).

When it is played well (Barcalona) is is fantastic to watch the fuidity and tempo, when it is played poorly (Route One) it's awfully depressing to watch.

I would say that picking teams to 'follow' would stem from your Parents and you'd pick them to follow from an early age. Alternatively, it's fashionable to pick the BEST time at the present time and jump on the bandwagon (see Man United in the mid 90's, Chelski under Mourihno and Mercenary City currently).

Pherekydes

kfallon wrote: »

Yeah....what has that got to do with football???

Flies love it, and all of them can't be wrong, but they are...

Soccer is fly food for the intellect.

Jimoslimos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF_uOgyBK1c

I'll watch the occasional game but wouldn't classify myself as a 'fan'. If the end-product is entertaining then I'll enjoy - same with films and books.

The "overpaid primadonnas" deserve every penny - sorry LOI fans, skill and talent trumps honest and hard-working every time!

bnt

You think Football is bad, you should try Cricket. They made us try it when I was at school in South Africa, but I was so bad at it they made me an Umpire, so I had to learn the rules. To this day I can tell when someone has been run out, but I still don't know what terms like Silly Mid-Off mean without consulting The Book Of Knowledge.

IcedOut

I like soccer

most people who dont like soccer are usually terrible at it

Snakeblood

stoneill wrote: »

I don't understand football.

I don't understand football.
I understand the concept, I understand the rules, I understand the need for tribal teams
to pit their skills and prowess against rivals. However I do not understand what
football is today. How does a person chose a team to support? Why that team?
What affiliation do you as an individual have to that team, be it Man U or Liverpool or Wolves or whatever.
I understand football evolved from thousands of villagers pusing a dead pig around for a week
trying to get it into the neighbouring village to a structured form that we see today.
I understand supporting a local team made up of local players doing the best they can.
I do not understand the fanatic supporting a team made up of players who have absolutely no affiliation or
history associated with the team or locality that they are playing for.
I do not understand the overpaid, overpampered and overarrogant players that are supposedly the top of the
skills pyramid.
Football is pure business that sometimes a bit of sport will bubble to the surface.

So - who do you support and why?

I just started watching football after seeing Manchester United smash Arsenal 8-2. I don't know why, but I rather liked how Arsenal played, even if they lost. Then I started getting into the storyline of each of the players, what they were about, what they were good at, their weak points.

Then I saw Balotelli be mental for months on end, and yet be able to perform like a top gymnast for 90 minutes. You can appreciate players who don't play for 'your' team. I'm not really into the tribalism of it to be hoenst, but overall it's amazing stuff, really, and I'm sorry I wasn't interested in it previously.

Arsenal 4 eva etc.

Big Nasty

Just before the lock I would like to mention that anyone who likes soccer has teh ghey, IMO.

mojesius

It's so fcuking boring to watch.

90 minutes pass and as a spectator, you're lucky if a couple of goals are scored in that time. Most matches (take the premiership or whatever it's called nowadays) are 0-0 and 1-0 and anything different from that gets the usual response such as 'Great match last night'. Snore.

Also, there are way too many competitions, leagues and cups to warrant genuine excitement. There's always another match, another cup if your team lose that week. It's actually becoming quite like sports in the United States such as baseball and football -It's on too fcuking often, so it really doesn't matter if you win or lose. It's all about the ££££££