Have you grown out of soccerball and fallen in love with rugby?

[DH1972]

I have - I was obsessed with the round ball as a child/youth/etc but I am sick of it now.

Overpaid tarts rolling around like they've been shot, driving Bentleys and spit-roasting vulnerable girls, mouthing off at referees and linesmen, getting paid £120k a week, playing for whoever pays the most, classless slags. No f***ing honour nor any idea of how to behave and act like role models for the young saps who idolise them.

And their f***ing WAGs as well...

 

[Gay-Guy]

I think soccer is a truly beautiful sport.

However I think it is incomplete. It does not utilise all aspects of the body to their fullest. The terms "Giving it your all" and "putting your body on the line" cannot be applied in its fullness to a soccer player even if the game is the World Cup final. Rugby on the other hand allows a person to give their all....a fuller expression of mind and body and leaving everything on the field. A truer avenue to show character and strength.

 

[sambãd5]

i think that mr T snickers add sums it up. when he falls over and yells reff, he comes in a tank and goes "you aint hurt fool!"

it would be a good sport if it simply was more physical. be able to sholder someone out, or slide tackle them, sure you cant go
CHHAARRRGEEE!!! and completely wipe them out, but having someone, even brush against you, or not even be touched at all and falling over it because of it is just rediculas.

 

[dullonien]

I've always watched, played and loved rugby.

My tollerance for football has dropped, when I was younger I used to watch it now and then, but I find I just get bored after half an hour or so. I can still sit and watch the likes of Christiano Ronaldo at his mezmerising best, and occasionally watch the odd Wales game.

But always been a rugby boy, influenced hugely by my dad, who's lover of all sports, but rugby's always taken front seat.

 

[Gay-Guy]

i think that mr T snickers add sums it up. when he falls over and yells reff, he comes in a tank and goes "you aint hurt fool!"

it would be a good sport if it simply was more physical. be able to sholder someone out, or slide tackle them, sure you cant go
CHHAARRRGEEE!!! and completely wipe them out, but having someone, even brush against you, or not even be touched at all and falling over it because of it is just rediculas. [/b]

The problem is the policing of infringements. It is so hard to judge at times whether it is bad or not.....therefore soccer is just a guessing game on the severity of the tackle....and of course...players will always say it is SEVERE because it is another avenue to win...and the bottom line in top sports is to WIN!

 

[sambãd5]

exactly.
get a penalty and the injured player, who, quite clearly is injured by the massive bone sticking out of their leg, blood everywhere who tripped up on the other guys shoelace, should be taken to the bench, because quite clearly, he cannot play. and should be rushed to hospital, for a kickbox to the head.

 

[nick_w]

I have - I was obsessed with the round ball as a child/youth/etc but I am sick of it now.

Overpaid tarts rolling around like they've been shot, driving Bentleys and spit-roasting vulnerable girls, mouthing off at referees and linesmen, getting paid £120k a week, playing for whoever pays the most, classless slags. No f***ing honour nor any idea of how to behave and act like role models for the young saps who idolise them.

And their f***ing WAGs as well...
[/b]

Easy, might be accused of sitting on the wall there :blink:

I enjoyed it up until I was about 13. Used to love watching the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Cantona running out in a Man U shirt (much to my fathers worry).

Personally, I grew out of it when I started focusing on playing rugby more. I concentrated on it as my sole sport up until about now. I'll sit down and watch internationals, but I just have no interest in the sport whatsoever. Your right sambad, the Mr T advert has it down to a...well...T!

I think Gay-guy has a good point as well. You simply cannot put your mind, body and soul into a footy match you are playing in. I respect the skills many players have, but I think the sport here has turned more into a tabloid frenzy about how much everyone is being paid, transfer rumours, takeover bids and interviews in Hello magazine. I'll look at the results, maybe watch a match every once in a while, but Rugby has, and always will, have 99.9% of my attention on it in terms of competitive team sport.

 

[fcukernaut]

Honestly, I'd give an automatic red card for any dive, or an automatic free penalty kick. To take diving out of the game you have to be severe in your penalties and the sport becomes better. Then I'd have rule much like basketball that once you cross half you can't go back, forcing teams to attack more. Then I'd find a way to open up the mid field so that skill players have the opportunity to show their amazing individual skills. Because right now, it only happens every now and then and it's a serious waste. As it is right now, though I hate it. Always have.

 

[DC]

Honestly, I'd give an automatic red card for any dive, or an automatic free penalty kick. To take diving out of the game you have to be severe in your penalties and the sport becomes better. Then I'd have rule much like basketball that once you cross half you can't go back, forcing teams to attack more. Then I'd find a way to open up the mid field so that skill players have the opportunity to show their amazing individual skills. Because right now, it only happens every now and then and it's a serious waste. As it is right now, though I hate it. Always have. [/b]

Making the no take back rule like basketball would make the game horrible. It wouldnt emphasize more attacking it'd rather just make the ball more bogged down in midfield than it already is, this being because all the space is taken away from the players and they cant use the angles and space to beat defenders. That being said i do really enjoy soccer because you never know what can happen each time a team attacks downfield and its just crazy how one goal can swing a whole feeling of a match regardless of if they are down by say 3 or so..

 

[Prestwick]

I think it was all over for me football wise when Dad took me to a Harlow FC game when I was five. A minute later we were walking off with Dad incensed at how bad the language was from the players, let alone the fans. Since then I've been fed a strict diet of Rugby, Cricket, F1, Golf & Snooker ever since.

I'm with dullonien, usually get bored after half an hour and start fidgeting. I'm a bit embarrassed that I've fallen asleep for every FA cup final since 1999!

 

[KZNSharksFan]

I think soccer is a truly beautiful sport.

However I think it is incomplete. It does not utilise all aspects of the body to their fullest. The terms "Giving it your all" and "putting your body on the line" cannot be applied in its fullness to a soccer player even if the game is the World Cup final. Rugby on the other hand allows a person to give their all....a fuller expression of mind and body and leaving everything on the field. A truer avenue to show character and strength.
[/b]

Superb summation there, showing real insight!

I love rugby, i like soccer. Some mates and myself had a good discussion about this. Soccer as a sport is so good because there are very few rules and they are easy to apply-making the game easy to watch and understand, it has a very clear cut and simple scoring system, it has few interruptions and can be far less controversial in its outcomes than in rugby because of its simplicity. However as much as i enjoy Soccer, i detest the "professionals" who play it. I hate their general demeanour and arrogance. The fact that everyone *****es to the referre at every opportunity is disgusting.
Just recently I saw highlights of Manchester united v Chelsea. Rio Ferdinand i think it was (the captain of England incidentally) was carrying on like a four year old during and after the game apparently because Man U lost. This kind of behaviour is pathetic. These people don't deserve any respect and tarnish their image and their game.
One of my friends has a brother who's trying to make the NZ u/17 team and he says that in order to compete with a realistic chance, he has to go down whenever an opposing player tackles him, and try milk a free kick.
That's why i can't stand watching soccer/football (fifa is great fun though)

 

[BLR]

I went the opposite way....raised as a rugby fan, always had a game on the side however, basketball, cricket, league etc.

Football was a banned sport in our household as a kid but I used to catch what I could on what little would be on television but it only really flourished into more then a curiousity nearing ten years ago now...but then it got crushed once again when I went to an Italian school were me, as a Australian/Kiwi was subject to all kinds of racist remarks from the Italians who used to love thier football and go to the local Perth Glory games every weekend. This forever scarred the local team for me, of who that demographic that gave me so much grief in my formative years is still a huge part. So after I left that hellhole I now hang around from alot of mates who are from Leeds and thier love of the game naturally re-ignited it in me. The that draws me the most to it is the vibrancy of alot of the off the pitch stuff, transfers are my bread and butter, love the intrigue of players being able to come from anywhere, and of course the game itself I somehow am able to appreciate even the most boring of games so it just seems to click with me...probably all the years of watching a full day of test matches or a full day of V8 racing.

I support Liverpool, always have, they don't seem to be super douchebags like certain other un-named teams and I am absolutely dreading the nervousness and the such from the game tonight.

 

[dullonien]

I'm with dullonien, usually get bored after half an hour and start fidgeting. I'm a bit embarrassed that I've fallen asleep for every FA cup final since 1999! [/b]

Don't get me started on the FA cup final. Last year, on a saturday morning with nothing to do and nothing on, I noticed the FA cup final was showing on BBC1. I thought to myself, why not. About 6 hours later I was still waiting for the f**king match to start, how much of a build up do you need? Made it even worse when it was the worst game I'd ever seen as well!

 

[Gay-Guy]

Soccer did not cater for people who wanted to fully express themselves.....which is why William Webb ellis picked up the ball and ran upfield and threw it into the net. The people around him thought that was a more liberating expression of intent so altogether decided that maybe it was time for a new sport....behold rugby was born.

Most large ball sports have the player/s attempting to take the ball towards a designated area. Each of these sports vary in how the ball is to be taken there. Out of these sports I would suggest that RUGBY is the sport where people can express fully their intent to get the ball there. Basketball you have to bounce it almost effiminately there. Soccer you have to grqacefully kick it there. Rugby you have to literally battle your way there like a warrior of old where muscle and skill is tested and character is stretched to the limit while trying to cognitively be astute with strategic judgements that are contantly changing.

Therefore as graceful as soccer is it will never be a mans sport because men need combat in a physical sense. Which is why any man will feel more flight or fight adrenaline if he is asked to play rugby this Saturday than if he is asked to play soccer.

 

[Bull]

Soccer, a gentleman's game played by hooligans.
Rugby, a hooligans game played by gentleman.

I grew up with rugby, still watch it, still play it will always love it. There just isn't any game or sport like it. I feel rugby is still a genuine sport even though money is involved, players still give it their best and play with heart, they still know how to behave bar a few Ozzies. It's not all about the money, and I hope it doesn't change.

 

[Steve-o]

Soccer did not cater for people who wanted to fully express themselves.....which is why William Webb ellis picked up the ball and ran upfield and threw it into the net. The people around him thought that was a more liberating expression of intent so altogether decided that maybe it was time for a new sport....behold rugby was born.

Most large ball sports have the player/s attempting to take the ball towards a designated area. Each of these sports vary in how the ball is to be taken there. Out of these sports I would suggest that RUGBY is the sport where people can express fully their intent to get the ball there. Basketball you have to bounce it almost effiminately there. Soccer you have to grqacefully kick it there. Rugby you have to literally battle your way there like a warrior of old where muscle and skill is tested and character is stretched to the limit while trying to cognitively be astute with strategic judgements that are contantly changing.

Therefore as graceful as soccer is it will never be a mans sport because men need combat in a physical sense. Which is why any man will feel more flight or fight adrenaline if he is asked to play rugby this Saturday than if he is asked to play soccer.

[/b]

Loved the way you described it there GG.

 

[sambãd5]

i detest the "professionals" who play it. I hate their general demeanour and arrogance. The fact that everyone *****es to the referre at every opportunity is disgusting. [/b]

100% agree. its simply not worth fully grown adults act like 10 year olds crying to mummy. its pathetic. especially if theres no harm done.

Soccer, a gentleman's game played by hooligans.
Rugby, a hooligans game played by gentleman.
[/b]

very true.





and im with you aswell prestwick - although i havent watched a full soccer game since 2 world cups ago, i can enjoy highlights. but theres too much passing in the middle, and back, and not enough shots on goal and not enough attack on defence pressure. i personally think they should make team 9 a side. makes more room to move, and more opportunity to find space.

 

[Bullitt]

I hate that "hooligans game played by gentlemen" phrase.

So far as I can see it,

Football is an occasionally enjoyable sport played and supported by idiots and retards.
Rugby (either code) is the greatest game ever played by gods and enjoyed by those who will inherit the earth.

Gay-guys description is the best thoughj.

 

[danny]

I think the reason soccer is so popular is that its easy to understand and anybody can get a ball and have a kick about.In my opinion the sport at the top level is becoming an embarrassment as other members have said. When you watch the premiership football on telly they are all arguing and pushing each other around like a bunch of women, its a disgrace. I always think its a bit like the reason why women are always *****ing about each other, because they know they arnt going to get a smack. If on the other hand a bloke slags another bloke off chances are it will end in violence. As in rugby the threat of violence/physical harm acts as a sort of control of the behaviour you see in football.

 

[DH1972]

Rio Ferdinand i think it was (the captain of England incidentally) was carrying on like a four year old during and after the game apparently because Man U lost. This kind of behaviour is pathetic. These people don't deserve any respect and tarnish their image and their game.
[/b]

He is on £120,000 a week wages. That's about US$250,000 a week. :ranting:

The supporters are on an average wage of £21,000 a year. :wall: