My mother was watching the World Cup and said "it's just men kicking a ball around."

and it made me think... perhaps the World Cup is a little overrated. Sure, it's all the nations of the world trying to win a tournament. The scale of the competition is incredible, the organization is amazing blah blah blah but aside from the rare moment of footballing genius much of it is just "men kicking a ball around."



I dunno, perhaps we - the human race - are brainwashed into thinking football is the be all and end all of all sport. But basically it's just some men in shorts kicking a ball around in the hope one of them gets close enough to hit it in the goal. And have you seen how big goals are? It's not as if the goal is small. Everyone goes crazy when someone scores a goal but it's freakin' huge. You can park a caravan in 'em.

Tell your mother we've heard that one before. There are variations like "22 men kicking a ball around" etc.

I love your work, Peter!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9We2XsVZfc

Lead the way into the light by never posting about it again. People will follow your lead, I'm sure.

As far as England is concerned, the world cup is indeed a fuss over nothing.

I agree, the Olympics is far superior.

The Olympics is just us chucking money at sports nobody else does so we can win medals. Sports where you sit down a lot usually. Football is globally popular a real test of mettle.

Is that what we lack then - just the know how and willingness to learn from the best whereas in the Olympics we are through hard work and a system that clearly works.

Who do you know that cycles at velodromes and does equestrian and sailing? Football is the great equalizer. You don't need bikes and horses and boats, just a ball. The 100m mens final is about the Olympics for me. The rest I wouldn't watch if it was going on in my front garden.

Ah Ray sorry you and your mummy didn't like the result. Bitterness is such a negative emotion

Wir gratulieren Deutschland. AMAZING victory.

Well no-one TBF but for the people who do they certainly seem to get results.

It might be true less countries take part and there is a certain amount of elitism around some Olympics events but still not much of an excuse for our sorry World Cup performances sadly.

Totally right to say you just need a ball and some jumpers but we aren't producing the talent (or they aren't getting a chance)

Anyway I still enjoy the World Cup more as football is my favourite sport and clearly the most popular.

Is this your mother?

Football, football, football

Life. A load of people getting born, hanging around for a while and then dying. What's the point?

I was going to say something similar. All entertainment is someone just doing something, a singer is just someone opening their mouth and making a noise, an actor is just someone pretending to be someone else etc.. It's just that people will pay to watch the best doing what they do best.

Spot on Mikey, which makes the OP's thread all the more amusing. Why start a thread in the World Cup section and disparage the beautiful game. Would be ridiculous, if he and his mummy weren't so hiliarious

Well they needn't trouble themselves, if current performances are anything to go by.

Wir gratulieren Deutschland

Well that's sport isnt. Appeals to some, not so much to others.

I record all the live tdf broadcasts. I bet a lot don't bother watching at all.

I think the beautiful game is a misnomer. Its a hard brutal game at times.

Tennis is probably the beautiful game. Or golf.

Now I know you're taking the proverbial p...

With the GREATEST of respect, why don't you go off an find an alternative name to your sport of choice. Tennis the Terrefic,,,, etc..

Golf. Yikes. Any activity you can play in your pajamas and slippers, nott break into a trot in and get someone else to carry your equipment is not worthy of a mention in the same paragraph as a sport. I can take or leave tennis but at least they run about... I couldn't watch the golf scenes in Falling Down over and over again

I suppose you could call it a fuss over nothing in the sense that it has no tangible lasting impact. Not relatively. The upcoming Scottish Independence vote, for example, that's important and could dramatically affect millions of lives. The next general election, the next US President, these things have real tangible impact.

Having said that, you could argue that, to some degree, the World Cup does actually have an impact, in terms of it's effect on national culture. Take the Germans. How can they not feel good about themselves right now? Sure it's only a game, but they have swept aside the best that the world had to offer. Not just this time, either. They've won the World Cup four times and have made the final more than any other team. That has to have impact. You look at Germany and think, wow, impressive country. If they set their mind to something, who would bet against them?

Imagine if England were to win the World Cup in 2018. There'd be the hype of course, the euphoria, but it might also spill over into political gain for the ruling party, and there might be economic benefits as well. More optimism, and a demand led economic resurgence?

Whatever, on reflection I don't think the World Cup is a fuss over nothing. That phrase is probably best left to describe certain instances of press outrage, celebrity worship and the OTT television fandom we are cursed with these days.

West Germany's 1954 World Cup win is one of (only 3 as far as I recall although I can't remember the other two) events that people say helped rebuild Germany. It was immensely important. To say it's a fuss over 22 men running around after a ball is just ridiculous on a football forum.

Indeed, Ray and his mummy need to take a long hard look at themselves, and perhaps got to the showbiz section of DS.

Golf is a permanent penalty shootout, isn't it. Nobody putting you off. Just you. Some can do it. Others crack. Tennis is a bit like that, too.

Golfers and tennis players practice a lot more than footballers.

Messi had a kick to stay in the game right at the end, and he didn't even go close. A golfer or a tennis player would have gone closer than that.

Why are you on a soccer forum debating the merits of your chosen sports Golf and Tennis...moreover you need to get a grip trying to equate practise of golfers and footballers. I've seen plenty of Fat golfers, never a fat footballer. Opinions great, contentious ridiculous posts, not so much

Can't we discuss things then. I enjoy a good game of football, but a lot of it is a bit non-descript.

All I said was that football is often not a beautiful game. When Rodriguez was being kicked and the ref did nothing. When neymars back was broken. When schweinsteiger got thumped in the face. And kuyt in the back of the head. Nothing beautiful there.

I don't think football would be harmed by having better refereeing.

Because they are non contact, I do think tennis and golf can be very beautiful. And I suspect sportsmen other than footballers practice their craft more than footballers.

But tennis and golf also have fluctuating periods. In tennis the later periods of sets are where the action starts. The last day of a golf tournament is the important one. And so on.