Thanks Soccer - see you again in four years

I quite enjoy listening to Americans talk about what needs to change about soccer every four years. It's adorable.

Cym Jim wrote:I quite enjoy listening to Americans talk about what needs to change about soccer every four years. It's adorable.

I think baseball needs to have two fewer innings and a shot clock for pitches. Also, if you tie, home run derby instead of extra innings.

-People in this thread

steveschneider wrote:

The last two minutes to a college bball game can be infuriating. I hear people bitching about how the game of baseball needs to be sped up, I say bullshit speed up the last 2 minutes of a college basketball game.

I don't remember the rules, but I remember thinking during the last Olympics that international basketball is much better in this regard.

But even besides all the bs time outs you have the all the tv timeouts, which football is awful for as well. How does soccer work in that regard? I assume they didn't have any commercials during the 45+ minutes of action? Does ESPN still make enough money?

Herbie Green wrote:

I don't remember the rules, but I remember thinking during the last Olympics that international basketball is much better in this regard.

But even besides all the bs time outs you have the all the tv timeouts, which football is awful for as well.  How does soccer work in that regard?  I assume they didn't have any commercials during the 45+ minutes of action?  Does ESPN still make enough money?

That's my first concern too. If ESPN makes enough money. Keeps me up at night.

I think everyone is missing the most obvious thing soccer needs to do to really hit it out of the park in the US: Add cheerleaders.

And an extra ball, but only during a wacky Euro-inspired moment of madness sponsored and written by Mentos, The Freshmaker!

Re: the flopping, one of my buddies had a good idea. If they lay on the ground for more than, say, 30 seconds (exact time would have to be determined), they have to come out of the game for at least 5 minutes. Do that and let's see how many guys flop and roll around like they've been shot then pop right up after the card comes out.

FTR, I'm a soccer fan except for the flopping. Champion aside, I thought this was a great display of soccer.

dubie7006 wrote:Re: the flopping, one of my buddies had a good idea.  If they lay on the ground for more than, say, 30 seconds (exact time would have to be determined), they have to come out of the game for at least 5 minutes.  Do that and let's see how many guys flop and roll around like they've been shot then pop right up after the card comes out.

I do that with the kids I coach to toughen them up. Too many soft kids don't want to play through being hurt but make miraculous recoveries after a spell on the bench. If you need to come out of the game because you're hurt, you're not going back in.

Cym Jim wrote:

I do that with the kids I coach to toughen them up. Too many soft kids don't want to play through being hurt but make miraculous recoveries after a spell on the bench. If you need to come out of the game because you're hurt, you're not going back in.

It's taken some time, but I see you're slowly assimilating.