| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? 03:19 - May 8 with 2180 views | Illinoisblue |
Bloke I coach with - a fellow Brit, Birkenhead-raised, full-on Red - arrived at our footy practice tonight (after he’d bunked off work to watch the game) with tears rolling down his face. He’d just got off the phone to his dad back in England, the emotion of the game getting to both of them. Football, bloody hell. |  |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 07:21 - May 8 with 2022 views | christiand |
It certainly does something to most people. It's like a tribal reaction, which other sports just don't seem to generate. |  |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 09:15 - May 8 with 1928 views | WarkTheWarkITFC |
It's hard to explain, quantify or rationalise to people that don't love the game.
A mate of mine, Don, is an small bloke, very quiet, very shy and wouldn't say boo to a goose. If you parked on his driveway and went to work for the day, he wouldn't moan and would probably lay on a tray of sarnies when you returned.
Yet at football the guy can literally be jumping on top of complete strangers in sheer joy and euphoria or losing his absolute mind with the referee if a decision costs us.
Being a football supporter is like having a completely different personality that has absolutely no bearing on who you are the entire rest of the time. [Post edited 8 May 2019 9:24]
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 10:04 - May 8 with 1876 views | clive_baker |
What are your thoughts on football in the US? My take when I was out there at a few games was that the standard wasn’t too bad, but it was the support I couldn’t work out. It was almost as if the fans were playing up to what they thought a football fan should do, having watched European matches and perhaps South American. It felt very forced and in no way natural, like there were a few would be hooligans who looked so out of place. It was really bizarre. |  |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 12:10 - May 8 with 1828 views | Illinoisblue |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 10:04 - May 8 by clive_baker |
What are your thoughts on football in the US? My take when I was out there at a few games was that the standard wasn’t too bad, but it was the support I couldn’t work out. It was almost as if the fans were playing up to what they thought a football fan should do, having watched European matches and perhaps South American. It felt very forced and in no way natural, like there were a few would be hooligans who looked so out of place. It was really bizarre. |
MLS will always be behind the big four sports although give it 20 years and it might overtake baseball’s ageing fan base. You make a good point about the fan culture. Where I live they’ve just launched a USL soccer team (two tiers below MLS) and I’m in one of their fan groups on Facebook. Literally 100% of their posts are about songs and tifo etc. not one discussion about their team or tactics. It’s very odd. | |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:04 - May 8 with 1773 views | Illinoisblue |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 07:21 - May 8 by christiand |
It certainly does something to most people. It's like a tribal reaction, which other sports just don't seem to generate. |
John Peel once described being at football as a near religious experience. You’re “praying” each week with your fellow worshippers, sharing highs and lows | |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:14 - May 8 with 1764 views | SE1blue |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 12:10 - May 8 by Illinoisblue |
MLS will always be behind the big four sports although give it 20 years and it might overtake baseball’s ageing fan base. You make a good point about the fan culture. Where I live they’ve just launched a USL soccer team (two tiers below MLS) and I’m in one of their fan groups on Facebook. Literally 100% of their posts are about songs and tifo etc. not one discussion about their team or tactics. It’s very odd. |
Recently moved to toronto and ice hockey is the closest thing I’ve found to football for the level of intensity and excitement. And the Leafs appear to be another team that’ll regularly let me down in blue and white.
Can’t get my head around the fact that there is a game nearly every two days though. Takes the edge off the build up. [Post edited 8 May 2019 13:16]
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:26 - May 8 with 1740 views | clive_baker |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:14 - May 8 by SE1blue |
Recently moved to toronto and ice hockey is the closest thing I’ve found to football for the level of intensity and excitement. And the Leafs appear to be another team that’ll regularly let me down in blue and white.
Can’t get my head around the fact that there is a game nearly every two days though. Takes the edge off the build up. [Post edited 8 May 2019 13:16]
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I would agree with that, the fans go mad for the Leafs especially around the fan park etc. I wanted to go and watch some Ice Hockey but the tickets are crazy expensive so I sacked it off and spent it on some Steam Whistle instead :) | |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:40 - May 8 with 1706 views | WarkTheWarkITFC |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:14 - May 8 by SE1blue |
Recently moved to toronto and ice hockey is the closest thing I’ve found to football for the level of intensity and excitement. And the Leafs appear to be another team that’ll regularly let me down in blue and white.
Can’t get my head around the fact that there is a game nearly every two days though. Takes the edge off the build up. [Post edited 8 May 2019 13:16]
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I used to avidly follow the NHL and in the end I lost a little bit of interest largely because of the sheer madness of the number of games.
Once you get to the half way stage of the season, teams have played 41 games! That's more than enough to determine who is good and who isn't. Nothing much changes table wise in the second half aside from the drama you'd have got at the end of a 42 game season, 30 game season or 50 game season.
Why there are 82 games just to decide who goes to the playoffs I do not know. Absolute madness to cram that in over 6 months. That's twice as many games Town play in 2/3 of the time!
The reality is that you could play twice a week over 20 weeks, playing each team from the other conferences and your own conference teams home and away, get 38 games or so in that time and then conclude with the playoffs.
I had the NHL app and it used to build up all the games and I just found myself not really caring about the results after about 20 games because a couple of defeats over 82 games makes no difference at all once you hit the second half of the season. | |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 14:55 - May 8 with 1630 views | SE1blue |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:26 - May 8 by clive_baker |
I would agree with that, the fans go mad for the Leafs especially around the fan park etc. I wanted to go and watch some Ice Hockey but the tickets are crazy expensive so I sacked it off and spent it on some Steam Whistle instead :) |
Good choice on the Steam Whistle. I've not done the fan park or got to a game because, as you say, the tickets are brutally expensive. Everyone says go watch them outside of Toronto and you can get tickets easily and much cheaper. i'll do that.
Hockey is like religion here. I'm a primary school teacher and you knew how your day was going to be after a Leafs play off loss. | |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 14:59 - May 8 with 1610 views | SE1blue |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:40 - May 8 by WarkTheWarkITFC |
I used to avidly follow the NHL and in the end I lost a little bit of interest largely because of the sheer madness of the number of games.
Once you get to the half way stage of the season, teams have played 41 games! That's more than enough to determine who is good and who isn't. Nothing much changes table wise in the second half aside from the drama you'd have got at the end of a 42 game season, 30 game season or 50 game season.
Why there are 82 games just to decide who goes to the playoffs I do not know. Absolute madness to cram that in over 6 months. That's twice as many games Town play in 2/3 of the time!
The reality is that you could play twice a week over 20 weeks, playing each team from the other conferences and your own conference teams home and away, get 38 games or so in that time and then conclude with the playoffs.
I had the NHL app and it used to build up all the games and I just found myself not really caring about the results after about 20 games because a couple of defeats over 82 games makes no difference at all once you hit the second half of the season. |
This is exactly it. Was just waiting for the playoffs from January. There are no big hits during the season so it's hard to get excited/absorbed until there's more at stake.
Plus I just can't justify watching every single game when they're every two days. My wife would be able to justify leaving me though.
Trying to get interested in the Raptors as they're on an amazing run but experiencing the same feeling as I do trying to enjoy rap music. | |
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| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 16:28 - May 8 with 1544 views | yorkshireblue |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:26 - May 8 by clive_baker |
I would agree with that, the fans go mad for the Leafs especially around the fan park etc. I wanted to go and watch some Ice Hockey but the tickets are crazy expensive so I sacked it off and spent it on some Steam Whistle instead :) |
Should have gone to Amsterdam Brewhouse instead! |  | | |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 17:18 - May 8 with 1497 views | norfsufblue |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 13:14 - May 8 by SE1blue |
Recently moved to toronto and ice hockey is the closest thing I’ve found to football for the level of intensity and excitement. And the Leafs appear to be another team that’ll regularly let me down in blue and white.
Can’t get my head around the fact that there is a game nearly every two days though. Takes the edge off the build up. [Post edited 8 May 2019 13:16]
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I have family there who i have visited on a couple of occasions but sadly not in hockey season.. seen the Blue Jays win at home and Toronto FC twice... good vibe there at the BMO field and a huge change at the stadium between the visits. Toronto is a fine city for thesports fan to live in my opinion. |  | | |
| Is football the only sport that stirs such emotion? on 22:39 - May 8 with 1382 views | Geminiblue |
Murray’s Wimbledon title and much of the 2012 Olympics was pretty special, but not in the same ‘hug a stranger’ type way you get with football. | | | |
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