Talking about football

v638sg7k1a92bx

Anyone else notice that the level of detail that people go into when talking about football has got the the stage where even the most minute of details are being thrashed out in conversations?

I have a passing interest in football to the extent that I played soccer and GAA until my mid teens, understand the game, can maintain a conversation if needs be and would follow the World Cup and keep an eye on "big" games. But I find that friends go into such detail about football to the extent some of them could watch six hours of games and analysis on a Sunday. It's gotten to such an extent that they even discuss who the best commentators are!!!

Before posters jump in with "who are you socialising with har har har" has anyone else noticed this increased coverage of sports in general?

JaseBelleVie

Sports are deadly and I love most of them. Rugby, GAA, football, NFL, NHL, MLB. Pretty much any organised sport, I'll watch it. I recently found myself watching coverage of Iran playing the UAE in the Asian Cup. Nothing else on, so I went for it.

People will always talk about what interests them. A huge majority of people find sports of various codes captivating. They will thus talk about it a lot. Pretty much all there is to it.

SHOVELLER

Aye some of them could watch six hours of games and analysis on a Sunday but turn their nose up at actually going to a live game.

Minderbinder

Yeah I've recently come to the conclusion that Irish people (myself included) take trivial things seriously and serious things trivially. For a long period of time I spent many hours every day obsessing about sports as it was a distraction from my own boring life. I think most people are the same. I thought I was a die hard fan or something but when I actually found a job I like, a woman I love and gained confidence I lost a lot of interest in sports and now find it difficult to sit through an entire game of anything.

v638sg7k1a92bx

JaseBelleVie wrote: »

Sports are deadly and I love most of them. Rugby, GAA, football, NFL, NHL, MLB. Pretty much any organised sport, I'll watch it. I recently found myself watching coverage of Iran playing the UAE in the Asian Cup. Nothing else on, so I went for it.

People will always talk about what interests them. A huge majority of people find sports of various codes captivating. They will thus talk about it a lot. Pretty much all there is to it.

I don't think anyone would deny that an interest in sport is beneficial both mentally and physically, but to the extent that it hijacks every social outing it becomes repetitive and just boring. A friend of mine is a big football fan who watches the highlights on a Saturday, two games on a Sunday and pre and post match analysis! At 35 years of age, does it really warrant that much time in his life?

Richard Hillman

On a weekend I would watch on Saturday:
Soccer Saturday 12-5pm
The EPL game 5-7.30 (or a Rugby substitute)
Sometimes a Spanish game at 8pm (providing it is Real Madrid)

MOTD 10.30-12.00

Sunday
Goals on Sunday 10.30-12.30
Super Sunday 12.30-6.00
NFL 6.00-12.30 (sometimes until 4.30)



For me personally I have much more fun doing that than going to a pub or getting a girlfriend.

skallywag

I will diligently watch every match which the team I support plays (to the point of having a satellite dish aligned to a foreign satellite for the games not available elsewhere) , I will also watch pre and post match analysis, including extended highlights of the same game, listen to phone ins on the same, and also read what the respected journos also have to say on the same in the days that follow.

I don't see it as an issue in any way though, I also have a successful job which gives me much satisfaction, a good family life, and other hobbies & interests.

Jawgap

It's the 'Sky' and 'Opta' effect - there are so many stats out there now it's ridiculous.

I just find it hilarious to hear people in Ireland talk about English football clubs and using the word 'we'

v638sg7k1a92bx

Jawgap wrote: »

It's the 'Sky' and 'Opta' effect - there are so many stats out there now it's ridiculous.

I just find it hilarious to hear people in Ireland talk about English football clubs and using the word 'we'

It seems that the actual coverage of sport has also become big business. Other posters have confirmed that they spend large amounts of time following the coverage and didn't sky announce recently that Thierry Henry signed a contract for circa €5 million to cover the games?

Jawgap

Alia Breezy Armor wrote: »

It seems that the actual coverage of sport has also become big business. Other posters have confirmed that they spend large amounts of time following the coverage and didn't sky announce recently that Thierry Henry signed a contract for circa €5 million to cover the games?

That and the rise and rise of fantasy sports - and all the data / commentary they pump out.

skallywag

Alia Breezy Armor wrote: »

It seems that the actual coverage of sport has also become big business...

Well, confining the discussion to English football, the gamechanger was really already when Sky turned on the Premier League in the early 90s.
At the moment you can find at least 5 live matches on TV every weekend, with this liable to get even worse as soon as Sky eventually get the go ahead to show Saturday 3pm kickoffs, you will then have a situation as one has in some other EU countries where every game will be shown live.

DoYouEvenLift

What's wrong with discussing the commentators? When watching live coverage of sports you've usually no option but to have to hear a commentator so it becomes part of it all really. I'd usually never go into much detail about commentators though unless they're either brilliant or absolutely awful, like that fool who commentates snooker and breathes right into the mic when he's not talking and the room is totally quiet.

mzungu

It gives people things to talk about OP, and there aint too much wrong with that. Different strokes for different folks and all that. I suppose its no different to musicians talking in depth about their favourite musical composition and all its intricacies. I can see your point though, if you have no interest in it is going to get a bit grating.

Jawgap wrote: »

That and the rise and rise of fantasy sports - and all the data / commentary they pump out.

Some of the stats can be a bit pointless, but I suppose its all about killing time before the game itself starts. Although I am half expecting them to start including what players had for breakfast & lunch before the game:pac:

jayo26

I think alot of the discussing of football has alot to do with 3 things firstly the amount of it shown on tv between sky/setanta and bt sport also the internet has a huge effect stats and discussion is so easily found and everyone wants to give an opinion on everything also reading other peoples opinions gives us further ideas to what we think about things and also games like FIFA and football manager has turned people into armchair managers myself included believe I understand all tactics and sometimes know players from the most obscure leagues in world haha. But as above I have my own business and fiance who likes football too and a daughter and am happy.
I don't think its a bad thing as long as its not taking over your life I have a brother that talks nothing only football and I find I have nothing in common with him other then we can talk about football but that's limited because he supports Liverpool and thinks all us united supporters are scumbags blahh blahh so I can see where it can go overboard too.

jayo26

mzungu wrote: »

It gives people things to talk about OP, and there aint too much wrong with that. Different strokes for different folks and all that. I suppose its no different to musicians talking in depth about their favourite musical composition and all its intricacies. I can see your point though, if you have no interest in it is going to get a bit grating.




Some of the stats can be a bit pointless, but I suppose its all about killing time before the game itself starts. Although I am half expecting them to start including what players had for breakfast & lunch before the game:pac:

Have you not seen sky on a cup final day haha they go to detail on what time players wake up at and have breakfast and lea e hotel for stadium and have walk about a city....