Why does europe love soccer so darn much?

[TMA_1]

Dont worry this isnt a rant, its just always mystified me.

Why do europeans love soccer, or "football" so much? I mean it isnt like football in america. Even diehard fans really dont take it as seriously. I have known friends from europe to end friendships over soccer for crying out loud.lol What is it anyways? I mean it seems almost as tense as religion. hehe

[shygirl4]

Its not just Europe, TMA-1 its the whole world, forget all this euro2004 nonsense if you want to see the real football at its best, watch it at club level.

Shy

[Apollyon]

It's most of the world bar the USA.

[lowzeewee]

Every continent barring North America[uSA and Canada] and Antartica likes football, or what you americans call "sawker"... :D

It's just a cool sport. :)

[ordos45]

I wasn't much of a soccer/football fan until I saw the European matches.  They put our guys to shame in playing the game, and have sports announcers that do well at giving commentary. 

[Barbarossa]

Dont worry this isnt a rant, its just always mystified me.

Why do europeans love soccer, or "football" so much? I mean it isnt like football in america. Even diehard fans really dont take it as seriously. I have known friends from europe to end friendships over soccer for crying out loud.lol What is it anyways? I mean it seems almost as tense as religion. hehe

I think it's just that the europeans LOOOOVE playing with big round balls....lol just kidding! ;)

Anyway it seems to me that non-american Foot ball in most of the world is comperable to baseball in the U.S.

[Vanguard3000]

Don't count out Canadians.  Remember that we have a strong Irish heritage (we even have a political party trying to make St. Pat's a national holiday) and close ties with Mother England.  ;)

I love soccer.  Hockey's better, in my opinion, but soccer is great fun.  Can't play it worth a damn, but then again, I can't really play any sport worth a damn.  What I really don't like about it though, is the sort of stereotypical professional player, like Beckham or Van Nistelrooy.  They seem to full of themselves; they embody everything I abhor.

[thomas]

it's like americans and football, basketball, and someitmes baseball ;D

LAkers have disowned my city!  >:(

[Nyarlathotep]

Dont worry this isnt a rant, its just always mystified me.

Why do europeans love soccer, or "football" so much? I mean it isnt like football in america. Even diehard fans really dont take it as seriously. I have known friends from europe to end friendships over soccer for crying out loud.lol What is it anyways? I mean it seems almost as tense as religion. hehe

Why do Americans love baseball, Basketball and football so much ?

We just love the sport itself. Especially with our national team, if they do well it brings joy. You should

see some of the streets here in Holland, in some cases it's completely orange. For once, we all have our heads the same way, the same goal.

[nampigai]

this is war and the battlefield is the stadium, it's not only the players but the fans as well...some take it mores serious thatn others (Italy cry babies) The European Cup is in some ways harder than the world cup, ok there's less teams but the quality of the teams are in top, not many would argue on that.

But I guess like Doc says it's the same as your basket-, base- and "football".

Some may say football is boring because of the relatively few goals scored but football is much much more. It's the atmosphere, the details in the game and the feeling of being together in something.

[fremfedeliteNIAC]

Ahh the ultimate question of the Americans.

But, yes, it's fanatically popular everywhere, not just Europe. And I honestly doubt you would be able to be told why it's loved so much without going to an important game - if you had a good national team ad a good legue then america would love it too I bet.

[TMA_1]

okay I knew I would be picked on "just europe" loving soccer. I didnt want to say the whole world though because then if I did that I thought somebody would say "not true! look at this country! it loves soccer too". So I mentioned europe because well darn it I just didnt want to say europe/africa/south america/others lol.

anyways you say why do americans love baseball and football and things like that? Well it is hard to compare. We dont generally start riots over who wins or loses. I mean there are a few handfuls, but geesh all over the world there are many riots and ones that kill. I mean it seems to be much bigger than any sport we have in america.

[Khan]

and have sports announcers that do well at giving commentary.

[ordos45]

Why do Americans love baseball, Basketball and football so much ?

I don't.  Baseball I found so boring I left the game I went to early...flipped on the radio on the way home to hear something along the lines of "One of the best come backs in years for the Pirates".  Basketball, I don't even watch.  Our brand of football, I just watch the SuperBowl, because where there is the Superbowl on TV, there is a party.

I see your point Khan...those do sound rather...dry.

[Dante]

I hate all sports... I have better things to do and other people have better things to spend their money on. Ahh well, nothing I can do about it...

[thomas]

why americans liek the three sports I mentioned

1. superbowl=parties

2. world series (baseball)= parties

3. NBA (basketball) champs=parties plus the Los Angeles Lakers were doing good

[Cybopache]

Yeah sometimes it`s larger than Religion,and for some one its the thing that keep them going in life(the only positive thing).USA has a tremendous acceleration in soccer players in the younger lines,right? And their national team is quite good.You got probably one of the most talented players in many,many years.Don`t remember his name but he`s only 14 and play with the guys at your U19 team.Could be a new PELE.

Nyar I was in holland 4 years ago and its true that the streets are colored oranje(to those who dont belive it),lol I saw at a field were there was cows who was in the colors of Holland and Deutchland.The farmer had marked a football field with everything,ball,goal,corner posts and lines.(Near Arnheim).There was also someone who had made a footballfield and hung it on the facade wall.(10x5 meter).Your a sick but beautiful people lol.Oranje is my team so Hup Holland:

Cybo

[Edric O]

Football is the key to world peace. We use football as a replacement for war.

You see, in the old days, we Europeans used to vent our frustrations by going to war with each other. Now we play football, and, as a result, Europe has been at peace for 60 years. :)

[Terror]

Hahah true true.. i think the freak ratio is nowhere as high as in The Netherlands. It's rather cool/funny though as long as there's no fighting etc.

[Caid Ivik]

after victory of Germans over english football team...

Mr Kohl to Mrs Thatcher: we defeated you in your national sport

Mrs Thatcher to Mr Kohl: we defeated you in your national sport already twice this century  ;D

But I wouldn't say we Slovaks are some kind of football fanatics. Perhaps because our league is extremely corrupted and then representation isn't good as well. We are much more into ice hockey.

[fremfedeliteNIAC]

If there was an earth team and we were playing against mars then there would be world peace i think

[Kiyouta]

I wouldn't be so sure. Our commentators keep saying things like;

"This is a game of two halves"

"He's definitely playing with two feet"

"He wouldn't be so happy if he'd missed"

The commentators are just annoying.

Yes the ITV ones talk crap. But the UEFA camera man is worse... they actually showed a replay of the referee raising the yellow card... how stupid is that?

Oh Europe isn't football mad... its just that this is a special event. I hate premiership football, but this at least remotely interesting. I try telling Khan that but he doesn't understand such things.

[lowzeewee]

South american football commentator: Ronaldo is coming forward with the ball....GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLlll

[Dunenewt]

You got probably one of the most talented players in many,many years.Don`t remember his name but he`s only 14 and play with the guys at your U19 team.Could be a new PELE.

Freddie Adu, but everyone knows that Rooney is better :).

Columbia is probably the most fanatical place for football, if you miss a penalty or a very good chance for the national team, there's a good chance you're going to have an attempt on your life. 

Here in England almost every other flag had an England Flag on.  I've still got an England flag hanging out my bedroom window.  When Tony Blair and Bertie O'Hern (Irish PM) met straight after the England/Portugal game, the first, and probably only thing they agreed on is that it was a goal.

[lowzeewee]

LOL, Cybopache, you really got fooled into believing Freddy Adu is 14? Look at him again, he must be at least 18.