World Cup 2006

[EndOfAnEra]

Back to the Zidane incident, my favorite part has got to be this;

"It is absolutely not true," he was quoted as saying by an Italian news agency. "I did not call him a terrorist. I'm ignorant. I don't even know what the word means. The whole world saw what happened on live TV."

[lafunky xxvii]

Back to the Zidane incident, my favorite part has got to be this;

"It is absolutely not true," he was quoted as saying by an Italian news agency. "I did not call him a terrorist. I'm ignorant. I don't even know what the word means. The whole world saw what happened on live TV."

Yes, you are obviously fully innocent, and Zidane head-butted you in the World Cup final because you were there. Please. Anyone who's played any sort of competitive team sport knows that something was said. Don't play like you're a golden-boy.

[Face Turn!~]

Back to the Zidane incident, my favorite part has got to be this;

"It is absolutely not true," he was quoted as saying by an Italian news agency. "I did not call him a terrorist. I'm ignorant. I don't even know what the word means. The whole world saw what happened on live TV."

Yes, you are obviously fully innocent, and Zidane head-butted you in the World Cup final because you were there. Please. Anyone who's played any sort of competitive team sport knows that something was said. Don't play like you're a golden-boy.

[Guest Ringo Hates Divers]

I love how there have been 290898900 expert readers and no two of them have found the same thing.

[kingtut307]

In the United States, I think we need to become more educated about the game of futbol/soccer to understand how exciting of a game it actually is.

Unfortunately, many games have been modified to increase scoring, whereas futbol is typically a lower scoring affair. I love how much drama that adds to each goal.

MLS is about to sell its national TV rights for the first time and there is talk of some of the world's best coming over to play, at least for a season or two (Beckham being one example). I hope these stars can come over here and excel both in the sports world and in the mainstream media.

[alldaws1]

Yeah I hear Darren Anderton's going to MLS, what a superstar ¬_¬ .

[Farmer Reil]

What? You mean a part of Darren Anderton still works?!

[Guest Ringo Hates Divers]

So, remember when Gattuso shoved/scratched/hit Lippi?

This may explain their relationship:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVKXrvr3ySg...;search=gattuso

Edited July 12, 2006 by Ringo Hates Divers

[alldaws1]

What? You mean a part of Darren Anderton still works?!

He may be good for three minutes of slow-paced football, tops.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Ahhhh good old Anderton.

My teenage hero.

Not football hero mind, I didn't see enough of him in action for that

[ONO]

Klinsmann has stepped down as Germany coach. I'm surprised by that to be honest. Very surprised.

[hugobomb]

I swear when he joined Birmingham last season I saw him play for FIVE whole minutes without getting taken off on a strecher. Stuff of dreams

[9 to 5]

Don't worry, America is getting Matt Jansen.

[Summers]

I wanted Matt Jansen at the Villa.

Not sure why, part of me just did.

Edited July 12, 2006 by Summers

[9 to 5]

I would happily kill 5 board members for 2002 pre-summer Jansen to come back.

[TheArsenal]

Zinedine Zidane has apologised for the headbutt on Italy's Marco Materazzi which earned him a red card in Sunday's World Cup final penalty shoot-out loss.

But the France legend did not reveal what Materazzi said, only confirming that it was "very personal and concerned his mother and his sister".

In a French TV interview, Zidane, 34, said: "I want to ask for forgiveness from all the children who watched that.

"There was no excuse for it. I want to be open and honest about it."

Highlights: Zidane dismissed as Italy win World Cup

Zidane was sent-off for the headbutt to Materazzi's chest in the second period of extra-time in Sunday's final in Berlin.

His words contradict Materazzi's take on the incident, in which the Italian admitted making an insulting remark to the midfielder, but denied he made reference to Zidane's mother.

Fifa is to investigate Zidane's sending off and the organisation's president Sepp Blatter has hinted that the France star could be stripped of his World Cup best player award.

More to follow.

[Liam]

oldskool said what I meant to say but didn't -- no, don't ask why what I said came out, I don't know either.

It's the same reason hockey and basketball declined in the 90s -- coaches became so obsessed with tactics and running set plays (don't get me started on the evils of the offside trap) that the players were being stifled. I mean, if you had a national football team with so much class at every position, would you insist they do 5 behind the ball, offside trap, 4-5-1, slow building play? Or would you say "I have the best athletes and the best players" and just let them go nuts? (Careful, Stevie Mac, your future may ride on your answer.)

Firstly, the offside rule is a necessary evil (if you are in some way doubting it), but the recent differing in interpretations of it is the killer more than anything.

Secondly, the "let them go nuts" team would get killed by a solid side with a better tactical approach, sad to say. You need to be tactical about things whatever the weather. Thats why, quite often, strong African teams have gone out early due to the poor tactical know-how, even when a lot of their teams have better players than some of the more mediocre sides out there.

[Lowerdeck]

Still, I'd say footy is replacing hockey as the #4 and gaining fast on baseball. It's got a way to go to catch hoops (and a LONG way to go to catch Yankeeball), but it's gaining.

The World Cup is a major event which is big enough to draw casual fan interest in America. It's primarily the fact of world competition like the Olympics that is a big draw. I don't think ratings for the World Cup will carry over to the MLS, which has shown often to bend the rules a little from the pure form of the game.

Soccer has the potential to be the #4 sport in the country. Hockey has a small but fiercely loyal fan base, much like soccer. It's just a matter of which can grow larger first. I would also put baseball #2 ahead of basketball, with the exception of March Madness.

[Guest Bosstown Boy]

That's an interesting topic for another topic Lowerdeck, but I'll just put a semi-list up here. Here is how I think sports are ranked by popularity in America.

1) NASCAR - Ick for me, but it's no doubt the most popular sport in America.

2) College Football - NFL? Sure, it's popular. Think about how many states don't have teams though. Then think about how many colleges those states have.

3) NFL - Edges out College Basketball because it's popular all season long, not just in the playoffs. Multiply that by the anticipation of waiting every week for a game.

4) College Basketball - March Madness, period.

5) MLB - It's hugely popular nowadays, but a lot of people still find it boring. I believe you could interchange this with College Basketball though.

6) NBA - Growing in popularity lately, the fans seen to latch on to the huge egos that are presented by the sport. However, they are also turned-off by those same egos.

7) NHL - There are still pockets of rabid fans out there in America, just look at the NHL's attendance boost. However, they need a legit TV contract.

8) World Competition - World Cup, Olympics, Tour De France, it goes here.

Close: Golf, tennis, poker, woodsmen events, and World's Strongest Man.

[AJ]

oldskool said what I meant to say but didn't -- no, don't ask why what I said came out, I don't know either.

It's the same reason hockey and basketball declined in the 90s -- coaches became so obsessed with tactics and running set plays (don't get me started on the evils of the offside trap) that the players were being stifled. I mean, if you had a national football team with so much class at every position, would you insist they do 5 behind the ball, offside trap, 4-5-1, slow building play? Or would you say "I have the best athletes and the best players" and just let them go nuts? (Careful, Stevie Mac, your future may ride on your answer.)

Firstly, the offside rule is a necessary evil (if you are in some way doubting it), but the recent differing in interpretations of it is the killer more than anything.

Secondly, the "let them go nuts" team would get killed by a solid side with a better tactical approach, sad to say. You need to be tactical about things whatever the weather. Thats why, quite often, strong African teams have gone out early due to the poor tactical know-how, even when a lot of their teams have better players than some of the more mediocre sides out there.

He was talking about teams playing the offside trap I think, rather than the rule itself. Which is entirely necessary.

Bosstown, go and put that stuff up in a new topic (Y) I'd take NASCAR off your list though. That isn't a sport. It's Motor Racing.