Soccer really sucks, doesn't it?

[Kitschum]

How popular is soccer in Russia? Basketball and hockey I imagine are more popular.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=565041

This is a hockey forum where consensus seems to be 1) Soccer, 2) Hockey, 3) Tennis, Boxing or Basketball

Table tennis is the traditional #1 in China. Basketball's rise there is very recent, and probably a bubble like that entire country. The metaphor's good. Greeks go crazy for basketball, btw. It even rivals soccer there.

[Asher]

the spread of football certainly had something to do with colonialism, but not as much as you might think. it's got more to with the movement of people generally. for example in south america, it was brought here by british railway workers, sailors and traders. many clubs in south america have retained the english names given to them by their founders.

i'm afraid i don't buy into the rest of your argument. football appeals to people across the world, from an extremely diverse range of cultures. it has an instant appeal, people everywhere saw the game, liked it and started playing it. in many places it's a national obsession. there's a reason for that, and there's a reason why no other sport has replaced it.

The reason "football" is so popular is it necessarily because it is the best sport, but because it is the most simple sport. All you need is a ball. For this reason, more people can play it.

Ice Hockey is a far better sport in every way, but as you say...it is niche. You need a winter climate or expensive arenas, and to play it properly you need expensive equipment. Sure, you can play shinny with just a pair of skates, a stick, and a puck (still kinda expensive compared to soccer), but it can never replace a sport that requires virtually nothing.

[Al B. Sure!]

Maybe it's just because of the Cold War and we in America didn't give a crap about soccer, but you never hear of the Soviet Union having been a soccer force... now, basketball and hockey... The Soviet Union was legendary in those sports.

[Al B. Sure!]

Asher:

What about field hockey?

[Asher]

ask yourselves this, why do you think football is the most popular game on the planet, and american sports are popular in err...america. there's a reason for it.

Yes, there is a reason, the same reason why America is the greatest, richest and most powerful country on the planet, while most of the rest of the world is made up of pathetic fallen powers and third-world ****holes whose only hope for international greatness comes from playing a ****ty sport once every four years. The reason is that Americans are simply smarter, stronger and better than the rest of you, and our superior sports are evidence of that.

Please note that China, the only country that might be able to compete with America in the future, also does not like soccer; an American sport (basketball) is the most popular there.

To be clear, Basketball is a Canadian sport by origin.

[Drake Tungsten]

Ice Hockey is a far better sport in every way, but as you say...it is niche. You need a winter climate or expensive arenas, and to play it properly you need expensive equipment. Sure, you can play shinny with just a pair of skates, a stick, and a puck (still kinda expensive compared to soccer), but it can never replace a sport that requires virtually nothing.

American football and ice hockey are sports for the rich citizens of America/Canada.

To be clear, Basketball is a Canadian sport by origin.

I was including Canada implicitly every time I mentioned "America". Canucks hate soccer even more than Americans do, much to their credit.

[Asher]

Asher:

What about field hockey?

Only girls play that. It's too slow, like soccer.

Lacrosse is a better game than field hockey if one does not have the climate for ice hockey.

[Al B. Sure!]

Soccer's popularity is likely just because of its minimalist nature. Basketball and baseball have followings for similar reasons. Basketball has become popular in China largely due to Nike's construction of basketball courts throughout the country (note also that basketball courts were a popular recreation choice for cities in the United States largely because of the simplicity and lack of maintenance required hence why basketball is very popular in the inner-city [not to mention to get really simple, all you need is a ball and a bottomed-out basket propped up somewhere]).

Likewise, baseball truly only requires a bat and a ball although catcher's gloves are highly suggested (and besides, how much does a typical wiffle bat/ball set even cost? Like $1.00?)

[Asher]

Yes, it always comes down to the most popular sports are the ones the poor people play.

In Canada, ice hockey is by far the #1 sport because we're such a ridiculously wealthy nation. Europe does not have the same privilege to play the upper echelon of sport, so they stick with "football".

The World Cup is practically a who's-who of third world nations.

[Kitschum]

Maybe it's just because of the Cold War and we in America didn't give a crap about soccer, but you never hear of the Soviet Union having been a soccer force... now, basketball and hockey... The Soviet Union was legendary in those sports.

That's right, but competition is much greater in soccer and it 's harder to simply "buy" medals like in smaller sports. Still the USSR had a very good team in the 60s. Lev Yashin is a legendary goalkeeper.

More recently, Russia achieved success in 2008 coming in third in the European championship (the second-most prestigious competition after the World Cup).

[Al B. Sure!]

Any thoughts on boxing? Boxing seems to be extremely popular internationally but you never hear of any non-UK European boxers.

[Kitschum]

Any thoughts on boxing? Boxing seems to be extremely popular internationally but you never hear of any non-UK European boxers.

Seriously? Germany and Russia are big boxing nations.

[Drake Tungsten]

The Klitschko brothers are from the Ukraine and are probably the most well-known European fighters in America.

[Tuberski]

The Klitschko brothers are from the Ukraine and are probably the most well-known European fighters in America.

Well known for their soccer-like approach to boxing: BBBOOORRRIIINNNGGG!!! and for having weak competition.

ACK!

[Drake Tungsten]

They also won't fight each other, the pussies.