I don't think this is happening to many of you. But outside of football, regular season sports have lost my interest.
I could care less about College Football in week 3. I don't really care if OU can beat Texas or if Notre Dame can beat Ohio. Come around bowl time, maybe I'll watch a game or two.
NFL football...if it isn't a Broncos game, who cares.
Baseball/Hockey. Regular seasons are too long. While I'm intrigued at the Red Sox late season charge. The real baseball season doesn't start until the playoffs. Same for hockey but if the Avs aren't playing, who cares evenin the playoffs.
For golf, if its not the Majors (PGA Championship isn't really a major in my mind, unless they play it at real courses like this year).
Now all of this comes to soccer. I can watch 2 games of English Soccer and love every minute of it on TV. Instead of SportsCenters, its the EPL Review show or Fox Sports World. I'm trying to figure out if I can get the BBC on sattalite to watch World Cup qualifiers of England. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing a match of Snooker, Lawn bowling or darts. A few weeks ago, I sat down and watched a half of Aussie Rules Football. I can't stand Rugby too much. But Aussie Rules Football, is a laugh. Its like soccer that's played like basketball with goalposts. I don't know much except its not hard to follow and its more fun to watch then most american sports.
Maybe its because all these sports have something in common. Continuous play. If MTV has ruined America's attention, then watching soccer has officially killed it off. You have continouos action for 45 minutes, a break and then 45 minutes more. No commercials to interrptions. Just gameplay all the time.
Losing Interest in American Sports
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dbdynsty25
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Wow that will never happen to me.I could care less about College Football in week 3. I don't really care if OU can beat Texas or if Notre Dame can beat Ohio. Come around bowl time, maybe I'll watch a game or two.
Bon voyage Jrod, pack the bags and go get some tea and crumpets. Maybe we can arrange some sort of exchange program for you and DaveT.
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Jimmydeicide
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Jrod,
Sounds like our tastes in sports events aren't that different.
The baseball strike, combined with the collapse in competitiveness of the two Canadian teams, have completely destroyed any interest I had in the pro-game. At one time I went to 10-15 Blue Jays games but you couldn't pay me enough to sit through a major league game these days.
Hockey has also been largely ruined by the adoption of boring defensive hockey and the ridiculous amount of clutching, grabbing, and obstruction in NHL games. If the goalies get any bloody bigger they'll be able to double for the michelin man in the commercials. I used to watch the NHL regularly but its been a long time since I've sat and watched more than just a small part of a game.
Australian rules football is a blast. When I was in Brisbane I had a chance to go and see Brisbane play. The game is quite fast paced and the atmosphere was terrific. There wasn't any music blaring over the P.A system (for which I was very grateful!) The crowd were really involved in the game and there wasn't any need for such cheap atmospherics. Funniest thing in Aussie rules is how punch ups break up 70 yards from the play without an interruption!
I'm not sure you really would want to watch too much snooker though
When I lived in Britain there was a tremendous amount of snooker on BBC (sometimes I joked that they should just rename it the 'Snooker Channel". While interesting at first it quickly gets tedious. And I won't even go into darts which was also another BBC staple!
Best wishes,
Doug
Sounds like our tastes in sports events aren't that different.
The baseball strike, combined with the collapse in competitiveness of the two Canadian teams, have completely destroyed any interest I had in the pro-game. At one time I went to 10-15 Blue Jays games but you couldn't pay me enough to sit through a major league game these days.
Hockey has also been largely ruined by the adoption of boring defensive hockey and the ridiculous amount of clutching, grabbing, and obstruction in NHL games. If the goalies get any bloody bigger they'll be able to double for the michelin man in the commercials. I used to watch the NHL regularly but its been a long time since I've sat and watched more than just a small part of a game.
Australian rules football is a blast. When I was in Brisbane I had a chance to go and see Brisbane play. The game is quite fast paced and the atmosphere was terrific. There wasn't any music blaring over the P.A system (for which I was very grateful!) The crowd were really involved in the game and there wasn't any need for such cheap atmospherics. Funniest thing in Aussie rules is how punch ups break up 70 yards from the play without an interruption!
I'm not sure you really would want to watch too much snooker though
When I lived in Britain there was a tremendous amount of snooker on BBC (sometimes I joked that they should just rename it the 'Snooker Channel". While interesting at first it quickly gets tedious. And I won't even go into darts which was also another BBC staple!Best wishes,
Doug
Re: Losing Interest in American Sports
Now... that is a bit much. Lawn bowling over NFL Football or NHL Hockey?JRod wrote: Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing a match of Snooker, Lawn bowling or darts. .
You are officially insane.
Or just be like me and love it all!! Been into Aussie rules for about 9 years now. But, I can't give up the American sports. Gotta follow those Mets to the cellar or watch memphis f*** up their football and bball seasons every year. Its just a joy.
also, you'd be surprised how much NFL and NBA are shown on Sky Sports! During the summer I was over in Sheffield, I was able to watch baseball twice a week and NFL exhibition games!
also, you'd be surprised how much NFL and NBA are shown on Sky Sports! During the summer I was over in Sheffield, I was able to watch baseball twice a week and NFL exhibition games!
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Alan_Bernardo
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Re: Losing Interest in American Sports
"I could care less about College Football in week 3. I don't really care if OU can beat Texas or if Notre Dame can beat Ohio. Come around bowl time, maybe I'll watch a game or two."
I love college football. Maybe your problem is that I doubt Notre Dame has ever played "Ohio"-- whoever that is.
"NFL football...if it isn't a Broncos game, who cares."
I love the NFL also. Being a Browns' fan, seeing them whack the Ravens today was especially sweet.
"For golf, if its not the Majors (PGA Championship isn't really a major in my mind, unless they play it at real courses like this year)."
I watch golf quite often, too. My interest in that sport has never waned.
"Now all of this comes to soccer. I can watch 2 games of English Soccer and love every minute of it on TV."
Soccer? I don't think so. Hey, whatever you like is fine with me. But as to my interest in sports-- baseball, football, basketball-- declining, it just isn't. If anything, my interest has increased, especially with football and basketball.
Soccer just does not interest me. I've watched some soccer; but have never sat down and watched a whole match.
Baseball-- though it's the sport I watch the least, next to hockey-- is fun to watch. Certainly it's a slow game. Still, baseball has the most nuances of any American sport.
When I first saw your subject header, I was waiting for some treatise on how all American athletes are just millionaires who care nothing about the sport in which they play.
Thank God you didn't get into that. Athletes should make as much as the market allows. If the sport of football makes an enormous amount of money, then the players ought to naturally be able to share in the wealth. The only thing that does irk me is that college athletes do not get paid; but when you think about it, they do. College tuition these days is astronomical.
Enjoy soccer. If that's the sport you enjoy watching the most, then watch it all you want. But as far as popularity goes here in the US, soccer does not compare to baseball, basketball, or football.
Alanb
I love college football. Maybe your problem is that I doubt Notre Dame has ever played "Ohio"-- whoever that is.
"NFL football...if it isn't a Broncos game, who cares."
I love the NFL also. Being a Browns' fan, seeing them whack the Ravens today was especially sweet.
"For golf, if its not the Majors (PGA Championship isn't really a major in my mind, unless they play it at real courses like this year)."
I watch golf quite often, too. My interest in that sport has never waned.
"Now all of this comes to soccer. I can watch 2 games of English Soccer and love every minute of it on TV."
Soccer? I don't think so. Hey, whatever you like is fine with me. But as to my interest in sports-- baseball, football, basketball-- declining, it just isn't. If anything, my interest has increased, especially with football and basketball.
Soccer just does not interest me. I've watched some soccer; but have never sat down and watched a whole match.
Baseball-- though it's the sport I watch the least, next to hockey-- is fun to watch. Certainly it's a slow game. Still, baseball has the most nuances of any American sport.
When I first saw your subject header, I was waiting for some treatise on how all American athletes are just millionaires who care nothing about the sport in which they play.
Thank God you didn't get into that. Athletes should make as much as the market allows. If the sport of football makes an enormous amount of money, then the players ought to naturally be able to share in the wealth. The only thing that does irk me is that college athletes do not get paid; but when you think about it, they do. College tuition these days is astronomical.
Enjoy soccer. If that's the sport you enjoy watching the most, then watch it all you want. But as far as popularity goes here in the US, soccer does not compare to baseball, basketball, or football.
Alanb
JROD, I am finding more and more that I can care less about US sports also.
basketball, other then SDSU who cares
football, other then SDSU who cares
baseball, I still enjoy but would rather watch a soccer match
I just don't feel in touch with the ESPN crowd/demographic anymore.
Fox Sports World is my most watched channel by far.
I haven't had ESPN in 15 months and haven't missed it one bit. ESPN News has fit the bill for me.
basketball, other then SDSU who cares
football, other then SDSU who cares
baseball, I still enjoy but would rather watch a soccer match
I just don't feel in touch with the ESPN crowd/demographic anymore.
Fox Sports World is my most watched channel by far.
I haven't had ESPN in 15 months and haven't missed it one bit. ESPN News has fit the bill for me.
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davet010
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Probably just the novelty factor. I'm guessing that most of us are 25-40, in which case you may have spent 25 years or more watching your 'home' sports. Anything gets stale with prolonged exposure, but I've noticed that even with US sports, the newer availability of US College football and baseball means that I watch more of that than say, hockey.
On the other hand, there are times when going to watch City is more of a chore than a pleasure...well, much of the time, actually. My first game was April 77, and I have yet to see them lift a meaningful trophy. And don't get me started on Saturday's performance...
Oh, and if you do want an exchange, JRod, can you come over in an hour..I've got an interview this afternoon, so if you are going to masquerade as me, you'll be the one needing to write the presentation that forms part of it.
PS - sorry guys, but there isn't much snooker and darts on BBC2 any more. Shame really, I represented my University at darts..
On the other hand, there are times when going to watch City is more of a chore than a pleasure...well, much of the time, actually. My first game was April 77, and I have yet to see them lift a meaningful trophy. And don't get me started on Saturday's performance...
Oh, and if you do want an exchange, JRod, can you come over in an hour..I've got an interview this afternoon, so if you are going to masquerade as me, you'll be the one needing to write the presentation that forms part of it.
PS - sorry guys, but there isn't much snooker and darts on BBC2 any more. Shame really, I represented my University at darts..
"The players come from all over the world, the money from deep underneath the Persian Gulf, but, as another, older City poster campaign put it, this is their city. They may now exist in the global spotlight, but they intend to keep it that way."
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pk500
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Dave nailed it, to some extent.
No question that sports with broad fan bases in Europe, especially soccer, provide something fresh for American sports fans. And I'd rather watch a soccer match or any auto race over any baseball or NBA game or any golf or tennis tournament other than a major.
But soccer didn't replace those "American" sports for me. It simply filled a void.
I stopped caring about the NBA, Major League Baseball, golf, tennis and college football in the mid-90s, a good three years before I discovered soccer. The beautiful game simply filled a void for me. It has not replaced my desire to watch racing, the NHL, the NFL or Syracuse football and basketball.
That said, I don't watch many non-playoff games outside of my favorite teams in my "preferred" American sports because of time. Plus I can't fathom sitting on the couch an entire day to watch sports on TV, especially if it's a nice day. That's a waste of a day -- I could be skiing, riding, enjoying the outdoors, getting some work done on the yard, playing with the kids, etc.
John is right about the continuous flow of play in soccer being a big draw. Another thing is the time commitment to watch a live match -- two hours, and it's over. No exceptions if it's a regular-season match.
That's a big plus when you have a pregnant wife who is sick constantly, two kids to take care of and take to and fro all sorts of activities, a full-time job that involves a bit of travel and weekend work, a lawn to mow, a pool to clean, a driveway to shovel, a rental property to maintain, etc., etc. Nothing new to many of you -- it's life. Those extra hours saved from watching seemingly interminable live American sporting events do add up.
Still, there is an answer for cutting down the time required to watch American sports: DVR/TiVo. Best recommendation you cats ever have made to me, and I wish I listened to you two years ago instead of nine months ago.
There's also one other answer: the radio. I probably listen to five or six of the Bills' games live on the radio instead of watching them on TV each fall. I can't waste prime leaf-raking time watching the games on TV -- I have a sh*tload of trees in my lot -- so I just listen to the games cranked on the radio. I hope the neighbors are Bills' fans!
Like Piggy, Fox Sports World is my favorite channel, followed by Speed and OLN. I don't identify with the ESPN generation at all anymore, but I do like ESPN News a lot. Still, I get almost all of my sports news the old-fashioned way: I read it, either in the paper or on the Web.
Soccer has been my biggest sporting discovery of the last 20 years. But it hasn't replaced American sports for me. The tedium and/or lack of skill in many of those sports already had turned me off, and soccer filled the void.
Take care,
PK
No question that sports with broad fan bases in Europe, especially soccer, provide something fresh for American sports fans. And I'd rather watch a soccer match or any auto race over any baseball or NBA game or any golf or tennis tournament other than a major.
But soccer didn't replace those "American" sports for me. It simply filled a void.
I stopped caring about the NBA, Major League Baseball, golf, tennis and college football in the mid-90s, a good three years before I discovered soccer. The beautiful game simply filled a void for me. It has not replaced my desire to watch racing, the NHL, the NFL or Syracuse football and basketball.
That said, I don't watch many non-playoff games outside of my favorite teams in my "preferred" American sports because of time. Plus I can't fathom sitting on the couch an entire day to watch sports on TV, especially if it's a nice day. That's a waste of a day -- I could be skiing, riding, enjoying the outdoors, getting some work done on the yard, playing with the kids, etc.
John is right about the continuous flow of play in soccer being a big draw. Another thing is the time commitment to watch a live match -- two hours, and it's over. No exceptions if it's a regular-season match.
That's a big plus when you have a pregnant wife who is sick constantly, two kids to take care of and take to and fro all sorts of activities, a full-time job that involves a bit of travel and weekend work, a lawn to mow, a pool to clean, a driveway to shovel, a rental property to maintain, etc., etc. Nothing new to many of you -- it's life. Those extra hours saved from watching seemingly interminable live American sporting events do add up.
Still, there is an answer for cutting down the time required to watch American sports: DVR/TiVo. Best recommendation you cats ever have made to me, and I wish I listened to you two years ago instead of nine months ago.
There's also one other answer: the radio. I probably listen to five or six of the Bills' games live on the radio instead of watching them on TV each fall. I can't waste prime leaf-raking time watching the games on TV -- I have a sh*tload of trees in my lot -- so I just listen to the games cranked on the radio. I hope the neighbors are Bills' fans!
Like Piggy, Fox Sports World is my favorite channel, followed by Speed and OLN. I don't identify with the ESPN generation at all anymore, but I do like ESPN News a lot. Still, I get almost all of my sports news the old-fashioned way: I read it, either in the paper or on the Web.
Soccer has been my biggest sporting discovery of the last 20 years. But it hasn't replaced American sports for me. The tedium and/or lack of skill in many of those sports already had turned me off, and soccer filled the void.
Take care,
PK
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PK,
I think you nailed it. The continuous action of Soccer keep my interest. Last night watching the Broncos, Chiefs game which was a great Great game and I enjoyed every minute of it but the commercials were killing it.
So last night I had a revelation. I'm going to record most sports games. And then watch them later since I don't spend my time on sports boards or watching sports center, the results won't be ruined.
TIVO has really changed the way I watch TV.
I think you nailed it. The continuous action of Soccer keep my interest. Last night watching the Broncos, Chiefs game which was a great Great game and I enjoyed every minute of it but the commercials were killing it.
So last night I had a revelation. I'm going to record most sports games. And then watch them later since I don't spend my time on sports boards or watching sports center, the results won't be ruined.
TIVO has really changed the way I watch TV.
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dbdynsty25
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Oh the beauty of NFL Ticket...one game is on a commercial...switch it to one of the other 10 games. It's freakin' beautiful. Although, it doens't help for the Sunday Night and Monday Night games since they are the only ones showing at the time. Still...Tivo is great.JRod wrote:I think you nailed it. The continuous action of Soccer keep my interest. Last night watching the Broncos, Chiefs game which was a great Great game and I enjoyed every minute of it but the commercials were killing it.
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pk500
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John:
Yeah, I watched bits and pieces of the Bills' game while I minded the kids, as my wife was down and out watching the game with all-day morning sickness. Listened to the rest on the radio with the kids in the yard.
But I did record the game on the DVR, knowing that it was unlikely I could watch the game live. So tonight I'm going to watch the game on the DVR -- my first NFL game on the DVR -- and see how long it takes to watch a game while fast-forwarding through commercials and the endless, inane analyst drivel between plays.
Should be interesting!
Take care,
PK
Yeah, I watched bits and pieces of the Bills' game while I minded the kids, as my wife was down and out watching the game with all-day morning sickness. Listened to the rest on the radio with the kids in the yard.
But I did record the game on the DVR, knowing that it was unlikely I could watch the game live. So tonight I'm going to watch the game on the DVR -- my first NFL game on the DVR -- and see how long it takes to watch a game while fast-forwarding through commercials and the endless, inane analyst drivel between plays.
Should be interesting!
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
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pk500
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Fine, if you want to come over and watch a 5-year-old and 3-year-old for 2 1/2 hours and keep them from wandering into the woods or the road, or from beating the crap out of each other!fsquid wrote:TIVO the game and then start to watch it an hour after it starts, you'll probably finish at the same time.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425