Chuck the Duck Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 I'm a fan of most sports (can't get into basketball for some reason), and I like watching soccer. I took my son to see the Red Bulls at RBA a few weeks ago. It was fun and the stadium was nice. To be honest, the atmosphere of the crowd chanting and signing most of the game is the best part, as there are long periods of inactivity (or buildup depending on how you look at it) prior to any semblance of a scoring chance taking place. I would go back again. The problem I have with the Red Bulls is their embrace of NY as if they play on the west side of Manhattan. The stadium is in Harrison, they train in Whippany, and there is not a mention of NJ anywhere. It doesn't stop me for supporting them, like it doesn't stop me from supporting the Giants, but it still irks me to a degree. Also, for whoever suggested that they sellout that stadium regularly - they definitely do not. They might have been sold out last weekend, but when I went in September vs. Dallas, there might have been 10,000 people there (and that's being generous) despite them announcing the attendance at over 18,000. Their attendance is severely overinflated as, during most run of the mill games vs. teams like Toronto, you can clearly see on TV whole sections in the upper tier behind the goals completely empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 I'm a fan of most sports (can't get into basketball for some reason), and I like watching soccer. I took my son to see the Red Bulls at RBA a few weeks ago. It was fun and the stadium was nice. To be honest, the atmosphere of the crowd chanting and signing most of the game is the best part, as there are long periods of inactivity (or buildup depending on how you look at it) prior to any semblance of a scoring chance taking place. I would go back again. The problem I have with the Red Bulls is their embrace of NY as if they play on the west side of Manhattan. The stadium is in Harrison, they train in Whippany, and there is not a mention of NJ anywhere. It doesn't stop me for supporting them, like it doesn't stop me from supporting the Giants, but it still irks me to a degree. Also, for whoever suggested that they sellout that stadium regularly - they definitely do not. They might have been sold out last weekend, but when I went in September vs. Dallas, there might have been 10,000 people there (and that's being generous) despite them announcing the attendance at over 18,000. Their attendance is severely overinflated as, during most run of the mill games vs. teams like Toronto, you can clearly see on TV whole sections in the upper tier behind the goals completely empty. That last part is completely true. While the lower level is usually packed, the upper level in most games have barely any people in them. In a stadium that seats about 25,000 people, at a game on a Saturday night back in July I believe there was I would estimate about 15,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 I'm sure the Red Bulls have their passionate fans...but let's not elevate them to Devils status yet. I see $33 tickets for eastern conference soccer finals games now on stubhub. You cannot get Devils Eastern Conference Finals tickets for that price ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) I'm sure the Red Bulls have their passionate fans...but let's not elevate them to Devils status yet. I see $33 tickets for eastern conference soccer finals games now on stubhub. You cannot get Devils Eastern Conference Finals tickets for that price ever If you start using ticket prices on StubHub to evaluate a sport or a fanbase, then we (the Devils) are a joke of a fanbase compared to Toronto, New York, and Montreal. C'mon, now... Look, if soccer's not your thing, that's cool, just don't start your first reply with "Who cares?", that's disrespectful and for the record, who cares that you don't care? I don't. Edited October 29, 2013 by DJ Eco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 A lot of the reason it's popular around the world is that it's easy to play, and cheap, as far as needing equipment goes. Just find a ball and a field/street/whatever, and anyone can play. And for young kids, compared to American football/baseball/hockey/basketball, it's a lot easier to not look bad. I won't deny that as kids get older, clearly some of the ones who aren't developing and improving their skills as they get older won't keep up, but at least when kids are younger, soccer doesn't require as much skill as some other sports to look passable. Run and kick. Not that hard. That why a lot of kids play it. It's flat-out easier, especially initially. Calling it "easy" is just misunderstanding it. There is just as much structure and drawing of plays as any other sport, with the challenge being to incorporate those plays/structures fluidly through two 45 minute period with no stops. Finding it unentertaining is one thing, and that's fine, but you can't call it "easy" by any stretch of the imagination. And I've played both soccer and hockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Calling it "easy" is just misunderstanding it. There is just as much structure and drawing of plays as any other sport, with the challenge being to incorporate those plays/structures fluidly through two 45 minute period with no stops. Finding it unentertaining is one thing, and that's fine, but you can't call it "easy" by any stretch of the imagination. And I've played both soccer and hockey. Soccer is easy to learn but hard to master. Hockey is just hard lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Calling it "easy" is just misunderstanding it. There is just as much structure and drawing of plays as any other sport, with the challenge being to incorporate those plays/structures fluidly through two 45 minute period with no stops. Finding it unentertaining is one thing, and that's fine, but you can't call it "easy" by any stretch of the imagination. And I've played both soccer and hockey. I agree - and I've played both sports as well. In fact, soccer on a professional level is extremely complex with overlapping runs, timing of plays to beat an off sides trap, etc. It is like a chess match at times. Problem is (a) it is considered a "foreign game" to most American sports fans, (b) there are lots of down periods in the action during a game, and © you can't easily bet on the sport. For my money, it is a better sport to watch live than on TV as the crowd atmosphere is 1/2 the experience, and you can't possibly get the same feel from watching on TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Soccer is easy to learn but hard to master. Hockey is just hard lol. It takes a number of skills that you need to work in concert to play ice hockey. I believe it is, by far, the hardest sport to learn how to play well. Soccer, basketball, and football (in no particular order) are much easier to learn on a basic level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 If you start using ticket prices on StubHub to evaluate a sport or a fanbase, then we (the Devils) are a joke of a fanbase compared to Toronto, New York, and Montreal. C'mon, now... Look, if soccer's not your thing, that's cool, just don't start your first reply with "Who cares?", that's disrespectful and for the record, who cares that you don't care? I don't. In bold...too funny...everytime my father-in-law and I start chatting about sports, it's only about 5 minutes into our conversation that my mother-in-law has to chime in with "Who cares?" Makes me insane. Quite often I feel like saying, "Do I say 'Who cares?' whenever you're talking about something I find lame?" For the sake of keeping peace though, I don't fire back with anything. Calling it "easy" is just misunderstanding it. There is just as much structure and drawing of plays as any other sport, with the challenge being to incorporate those plays/structures fluidly through two 45 minute period with no stops. Finding it unentertaining is one thing, and that's fine, but you can't call it "easy" by any stretch of the imagination. And I've played both soccer and hockey. Re-read my post. Yes, as kids get older, they will have to learn the finer points, no question, and some of them won't be able to keep up with their peers in time. But soccer is very easy to get into for young ones. There's a reason why so many young kids play it. Because it's not hard. Some kids can't figure out how to ever throw correctly...if you're trying to play baseball, you're going to look pretty bad...even doubly so if you can't figure out how to swing a bat (which is a skill in itself). American football sees kids being groomed for certain positions very early on, based on skillset...if you can't throw, block, run or catch, you're weeded out pretty quickly. Dribbling and walking/running at the same time in basketball takes considerable coordination, and a lot of kids can't do that from Day One. And hockey...first you have to learn how to skate, then skate backwards, check, try to handle a puck, shoot, pass...on a relatively small surface at pretty quick speeds. It is NOT hard to look decent at soccer for young kids (and remember, I'm only taking about young kids here). You don't have to be that coordinated to do it, nor do you need much skill (early on). I'm guessing quite a few kids playing soccer couldn't cut it in baseball, basketball, football and other sports, but took up soccer because it's a lot more forgiving. DM84 just stated it pretty well...it's easy to learn/get into, and it's easy to look anywhere from meh to pretty good even if you suck at most other sports. But like I said, that's only temporary...I think most kids who truly aren't good will be exposed/weeded out within the first 3-4 years of playing organized soccer. Once they get to be around 12, it gets to be a lot tougher, and you start seeing a lot more of the finer points as the players still playing clearly have a grasp of the nuances. Remember...I watched my brother play from the time he was 7. My dad was his coach. My dad also coached his regional and state teams. In time, the skills needed to be REALLY good at soccer are definitely on display, and it's apparent that not just anyone can run and kick a ball and have success forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 Soccer is easy to learn but hard to master. Hockey is just hard lol. I'll give you that, I can agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 Yup I agree and I think DevsMan84 explained it in the most accurate (and shortest) way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim777 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Personally, I would much rather watch soccer than basketball. I have no time for basketball, just don't see the appeal of "He Scores!" over 100 times in a single game. And baseball is boring too lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-Man Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Look, if soccer's not your thing, that's cool, just don't start your first reply with "Who cares?", that's disrespectful and for the record, who cares that you don't care? I don't. Maybe it has something to do with a SOCCER thread in a HOCKEY forum? If this doesn't get posted here, no one gets to bad mouth soccer. And for the record, I can't stand soccer, either. It's a complete borefest. I'd rather watch paint dry than the supposed "beautiful game." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) Maybe it has something to do with a SOCCER thread in a HOCKEY forum? If this doesn't get posted here, no one gets to bad mouth soccer. And for the record, I can't stand soccer, either. It's a complete borefest. I'd rather watch paint dry than the supposed "beautiful game." If the Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Knicks, or Nets won a title, there'd be a thread about it here. Let's not all turn into a$$holes because there's a soccer one today, okay. It's really really REALLY simple. Edited October 29, 2013 by DJ Eco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) If the Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Knicks, or Nets won a title, there'd be a thread about it here. Let's not all turn into a$$holes because there's a soccer one today, okay. Soccer is a lot more polarizing than any of the above. The other sports are also seen as a lot more "American", especially baseball, basketball, and football (though a nice chunk of baseball's talent base comes from outside the U.S.). Though many Europeans and Russians are top NHLers, and account for much of the NHL's talent pool, I think a lot of Americans and Canadians view the NHL as a North American entity. Soccer is still seen as a European/other world/3rd world thing by many Americans, loved by foreigners who simply don't know any better...as that little engine that thinks it can stubbornly try to gain a foothold into the American sports conscience, but only seems to make so much progress. When it comes to American sports fans, you'll have your share that hate baseball (some think the gameplay is becoming dated, was boring to begin with, and takes too damned long), hockey (does it ever draw strong ratings?), basketball ("just a bunch of tattooed uneducated thugs"), and football ("they might as well call it flag football, with all of these rule changes"). I'd even argue that people who aren't into hockey don't really hate it as much as they're flat-out indifferent to it. But there's a real hatred that goes along with disliking soccer...and Americans seem to be more vocal about that than they would about letting the world how much they might hate other sports. Edited October 29, 2013 by Colorado Rockies 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 If the Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Knicks, or Nets won a title, there'd be a thread about it here. Let's not all turn into a$$holes because there's a soccer one today, okay. It's really really REALLY simple. Been posting on these boards for over a decade. In that time the Giants have won 2 Super Bowls, the Yankees a World Series, the Nets have been in two Finals, and there has never been a thread in Hell about any of that. My two favourite sports to watch are the NBA and ATP tennis. I bet the average person who responded would say "who cares" and "basketball and tennis sucks". I happen to know that there is little to no interest for the NBA on these boards. So if someone responded saying "who cares" in the Locker Room forum, I'd be annoyed, but in the NHL forum....no chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevil26 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Maybe financially MLS is not near the NHL yet... but as far as entertainment and crowd... Sunday's match against Chicago that won the supporters shield was as intense, loud, crazy, and fun as the Ranger game 6 in 2012. Not even kidding. Watch the highlights. It was an amazing experience. The crowds at soccer matches make the Prudential Center look like a library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 Been posting on these boards for over a decade. In that time the Giants have won 2 Super Bowls, the Yankees a World Series, the Nets have been in two Finals, and there has never been a thread in Hell about any of that. My two favourite sports to watch are the NBA and ATP tennis. I bet the average person who responded would say "who cares" and "basketball and tennis sucks". I happen to know that there is little to no interest for the NBA on these boards. So if someone responded saying "who cares" in the Locker Room forum, I'd be annoyed, but in the NHL forum....no chance. Yeah, you're right, I should have probably posted this elsewhere. I've actually never been in the Locker Room, now I know better lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Maybe financially MLS is not near the NHL yet... but as far as entertainment and crowd... Sunday's match against Chicago that won the supporters shield was as intense, loud, crazy, and fun as the Ranger game 6 in 2012. Not even kidding. Watch the highlights. It was an amazing experience. The crowds at soccer matches make the Prudential Center look like a library. Great....there are 10-15 home games all of which occur on weekends. Of course these games will be more "intense" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxm262 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Maybe it has something to do with a SOCCER thread in a HOCKEY forum? If this doesn't get posted here, no one gets to bad mouth soccer." Yet the "F this Red Bulls Comercial" thread has been up all month, no problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouse Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Maybe financially MLS is not near the NHL yet... but as far as entertainment and crowd... Sunday's match against Chicago that won the supporters shield was as intense, loud, crazy, and fun as the Ranger game 6 in 2012. Not even kidding. Watch the highlights. It was an amazing experience. The crowds at soccer matches make the Prudential Center look like a library. This. I was in the South Ward for the game. It was an amazing experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Yet the "F this Red Bulls Comercial" thread has been up all month, no problem Well it's slightly different.. We've had threads many times before discussing certain repetitive commercials that air during Devils broadcasts.. This one happens to involve a sports team.. Devoting a thread to another local team that won something is different and really it should be in the proper section of NJDevs for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxm262 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Well it's slightly different.. We've had threads many times before discussing certain repetitive commercials that air during Devils broadcasts.. This one happens to involve a sports team.. Devoting a thread to another local team that won something is different and really it should be in the proper section of NJDevs for that I'll agree the thread is in the wrong place & I'm not even that active an Red Bulls fan. That being said, I kind of feel like the above justification is saying the other one is ok because its something people want to complain about. Someone comes on here with a positive with enough shared sentiment & its crapped on. Sometimes this place feels like an NJ.com comments section, no positives allowed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 I'll agree the thread is in the wrong place & I'm not even that active an Red Bulls fan. That being said, I kind of feel like the above justification is saying the other one is ok because its something people want to complain about. Someone comes on here with a positive with enough shared sentiment & its crapped on. Sometimes this place feels like an NJ.com comments section, no positives allowed No his point is the other one is okay because it is something we all see multiple times during DEVILS broadcasts. This thread however has nothing to do with the Devils at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxm262 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 No his point is the other one is okay because it is something we all see multiple times during DEVILS broadcasts. This thread however has nothing to do with the Devils at all. Did I not agree the thread was in the wrong place? Don't really know why I'm bothering here. I will continue to slowly marvel that the goal song thread will soon have more pages than the lockout one from LY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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