The English Premier League kicked off this last week end and now I'm totally engrossed. I'm a Newcastle fan and this season looks to be a good one for the lads. Any other enthusiasts here on PC? If so, who do you follow? Who's your favorite to when the title? What do you think of your side's summer signings? It looks to be an exciting season! Howay the Toon!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Aug 16 2007, 08:15 PM) [snapback]497524[/snapback]</div> I only follow my son's soccer team, which is exciting enough! Besides, I'm too cheap to pay for the premium channels so I can watch the game. But I'm getting more interested despite my American upbringing in which I played American football and always thought that soccer was for pussies and communists. (Sorry about the language!) B) No offense intended, of course, Tripp.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TimBikes @ Aug 16 2007, 09:54 PM) [snapback]497536[/snapback]</div> I hear ya. We don't even have basic cable. One of my friends has fox sports and they televise a lot of games. The web is a great source of info too. There are more blogs out there than fundamental particles in the universe (well, not quite, but it's close ) I grew up here too, but was in that wave of 70's kids who got the sport going here. When you have to stand in a wall you quickly realize it ain't so. None taken.
I play every week in a community league here. I'll be catching Frankfurt in the German league in a couple weeks live and I had the pleasure of watching Paris St. Germaine play at home in January. There is nothing like Euro footy.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(robincx @ Aug 17 2007, 01:04 PM) [snapback]497966[/snapback]</div> Newcastle nicked one of PSG's defenders, David Rozenhal, in the summer transfer window. He looks to be a solid player, something that we need in our defense. I goaltended in an indoor soccer league until a few years ago. It was tearing me up though. I had to call it quits. It was loads of fun and I miss it dearly. My wrists are in bad shape though, so I'll probably retired from goal tending for good. Perhaps I'll get back into the field. It's a rough sport on the body, though.
I enjoy a good game of soccer, and even watch the preimership league games on occasion. Please don't think ill of me, but I've pretty much given up spectating soccer (except for my kids & the world cup) for watching rugby. Not trying to be a hijacker to the OP, but I will subtly mention that the world cup (for rugby) is starting in 3 weeks' time. It has a lot to recommend it -- you might want to catch a game or two and see if you like it. Now not another word about it...
My son just returned from spending a semester studying in Australia. He's been teaching us the finer points of Australian Rules Football. One of his courses was Australian Sports & History and he joined a minor league footy team in Sydney. He was a gridiron kicker and running back in high school and had to learn how to stop hanging on to the ball in Oz. He also said it was difficult to change the way he tackled people so he got called for a lot of fouls at first. On the other hand he said the Aussies don't play basketball, so few of them know how to jump. He also taught his team mates how to "spin and turn" and "stiff arm the opponent", elements of American football that work well in footy. He had a great time playing a sport he considered perfect for his size, quickness, and ability to kick. We just got satellite TV so we've been able to watch a bit of the professional games in the wee hours of the morning. It looks like a lot of fun.
I spent a summer during college watching Oz rules football ('94). Loads of fun. I had no idea what the rules were but it was really exciting. The blokes with the dinner jackets and pith helmets were the best. Rugby is an interesting, if brutal sport. Where else can you get an opponent's tooth embedded in your skull? That was a grizzly story, funny and painful at the same time. I'm glad the guy's OK.
Aw, come on! "Footy"? What a nancy-boy term for Soccer, or Football as it is known outside the U.S. Makes them all sound like girly-men. You can just hear the rugby players sniggering.
The only time in my adult life that I watched a ball game with any interest, it was a baseball game: visiting preachers against the inmates of Yankton FPC, when I was in prison there. Of course I rooted for the prisoners. Without a strong personal motivation, I've never been able to understand why any adult would care who wins a silly game.
Oooh, ooh! Can I plug a book here? A friend recently wrote this wonderful book, Kick the Balls. Here's a link. http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/159463047X?tag=priuschatcom-20 is a native Glaswegian who's lived in the US for several years and the book is very much about his culture shock when he started coaching his son's soccer team. Very funny, very astute...You'll see he got excellent reader reviews (and none are friends or relatives). Just wanted to share.
