How come theres many injuries in the NBA but not soccer ?

[Islanders82]

Any sports fan is capable of liking any sport of any league. When they say they don't like a certain sport this usually means they are unfamiliar with the game, the league and the players. Sports fans first and foremost crave the competitiveness similar to what athletes crave because we are all cut from the same cloth. You get that in every single sport!

You can take any sports fan and put him on a deserted island for 1 year and allow him to only browse the internet to a sports team/sports league website he knows nothing about, and watch games on TV of that sports team/league only. Once he becomes familiar with the game/league/players he will at least appreciate it.

It's like that exchange student from a foreign land coming into your school. No one likes him at first because everyone is unfamiliar with him so there is some tension and defense mechanisms going on. But once you get to know him you become more comfortable around him and you realize he is just a human being like you.

[DieselCeltic]

How can you say this. Can you elaborate on this please. Why was Maradona a hack ? Because he was a cokehead ? and gained weight and lost passion for football...and how was Pele overrated. PELE > JORDAN, AND EVERY OTHER ATHLETE OOUT THERE..INCL. MUHAMMED ALI.

They're just trying to rile soccer fans up, they don't actually know anything about the sport...

Dude I know. I'm more stupid for talkign to these 15 yerold clowns who have no clue about what soccer really is. Really mature replies we get like: soccer is for girls, it's borin BLAH BLAH....well at least they don't wear any protective atire that makes people look like aiens (NFL)...and don't shoot up a gram of testosterone a week..(steroids)... MLB = corrupt. NFL ...I can easily say is one of the most boring sports ever but I don't. I'm sorry but I don't like having a timeout every 2 secs...and so on...

Ask any of these clowns how many of them watched UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL...or WORLD CUP...or EURO CUP....UEFA CUP...any major soccer competition....the answer is probably none...

For the clowns who haven't watched soccer and think its boring...UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL...May 19th - Rome... every single player will leave his heart on the motherfo0kin pitch...

I get so mad...when idiots come and sabotage a thread that I just wanted to find out about the injuries....

That's why the rest of the world hates us...bc we think we're better than everyone else....

[DieselCeltic]

So to understand a sport you have to be a professional? I guess we should shut down this site.

No, but when someone with little or no experience watching or playing a sport dismisses it as boring, it's arguable that they're just ignorant.

I have played and watched enough to form a valid opinion. My best friend is a great soccer player (he has played all over the world). I have been to his games and I even trained with him on a ton of occasions. I understand the physical demands, athleticism is athleticism regardless of the sport.

I think soccer is boring. I like baseball. You probably think baseball is boring. I wouldn't argue with you because I know not everyone has the same tastes. You need to come to that realization.

Who is your "FRIEND" and what CLUB he plays for ? Pls don't say Christiano Ronaldo, I'll b*tch slap you.

[High 5]

Who is your "FRIEND" and what CLUB he plays for ? Pls don't say Christiano Ronaldo, I'll b*tch slap you.

I thought you ignored me? Stop getting upset on the internet. You're embarrassing yourself.

But I didn't say he was famous. I just said he is a very good player and I have spent a lot of time around the game even though I'm not a fan.

[Islanders82]

How can you say this. Can you elaborate on this please. Why was Maradona a hack ? Because he was a cokehead ? and gained weight and lost passion for football...and how was Pele overrated. PELE > JORDAN, AND EVERY OTHER ATHLETE OOUT THERE..INCL. MUHAMMED ALI.

They're just trying to rile soccer fans up, they don't actually know anything about the sport...

Dude I know. I'm more stupid for talkign to these 15 yerold clowns who have no clue about what soccer really is. Really mature replies we get like: soccer is for girls, it's borin BLAH BLAH....well at least they don't wear any protective atire that makes people look like aiens (NFL)...and don't shoot up a gram of testosterone a week..(steroids)... MLB = corrupt. NFL ...I can easily say is one of the most boring sports ever but I don't. I'm sorry but I don't like having a timeout every 2 secs...and so on...

Ask any of these clowns how many of them watched UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL...or WORLD CUP...or EURO CUP....UEFA CUP...any major soccer competition....the answer is probably none...

For the clowns who haven't watched soccer and think its boring...UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL...May 19th - Rome... every single player will leave his heart on the motherfo0kin pitch...

I get so mad...when idiots come and sabotage a thread that I just wanted to find out about the injuries....

That's why the rest of the world hates us...bc we think we're better than everyone else....

I read an article the other day about fans like you. It was about the two type of soccer fans in America. The real soccer fans - the ones who want to see the game grow here. Then you have The Euro wannabes - the ones who go around and talk up European soccer to other Americans like they are all sophisticated.

I like soccer and watch, but I do it from a distance out of respect. Americans have no right to go around bragging about a sport that does define them or does not outline our sporting history. It makes no sense and makes us look stupid. You're the type European soccer fans hate.

[cantervil]

Lol. It can´t be coincidence.There have been 3 injuries in a five a side tournament match i´ve played in my university and then i read this.Well there have been a bit of everything elbows, really really hard fouls(one broken ankle),headbutts(in the air not in attack mode),extra time,... It´s
been really entertaining apart from the injuries.


Anyway i think any sport at a high level is really demanding, don´t think you can conclude with something cause the requeriments of every sport are different.

[Boognish]

So to understand a sport you have to be a professional? I guess we should shut down this site.

No, but when someone with little or no experience watching or playing a sport dismisses it as boring, it's arguable that they're just ignorant.

I have played and watched enough to form a valid opinion. My best friend is a great soccer player (he has played all over the world). I have been to his games and I even trained with him on a ton of occasions. I understand the physical demands, athleticism is athleticism regardless of the sport.

I think soccer is boring. I like baseball. You probably think baseball is boring. I wouldn't argue with you because I know not everyone has the same tastes. You need to come to that realization.

Alright. It's just that the 'boring' argument is typical to Americans ignorant of soccer. Up till this point, you offered no basis beyond "it's boring," so please excuse me for assuming that you know nothing. However, I think that had you played soccer (beyond the vague 'trained with a friend a ton') you'd come around. Whatever, to each his own

And I like baseball too (I played in hs)

I got practice right now. peace

[High 5]

Whatever, to each his own

Glad you finally figured this out.

[BubbaTee]

the price of those poles is really crazy in poor eastern european countries

I was thinking more about sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

If a pole costs $2 and a basket costs $1 and your annual income is $200, it's the equivalent of buying a Playstation 3 in a developed Western country. PS3 has probably sold ~20 million, that's less than 10% of the US alone.

Frankly, anyone posting on this forum (meaning they have easy access to a computer and the Internet) probably has about as much an ability to relate to those people's finances as Bill Gates does of relating to ours. Might as well be living on different planets.

^^^You'd be surprised how may collisions occur when players fight for headers (and they get big air too).

Some very ignorant posts as expected whenever soccer or Europe is brought up in general.

Soccer is a fine sport, but the elitist morons on here get old. Soccer is so popular because it's the easiest sport to play. All you need is a ball and some open space. Any poor kid with a few friends can play a decent game. There are just as many if not more great athletes capable of being great at soccer in the US, but football, basketball, and baseball are more enjoyable sports to most people. I played soccer when I was a kid, but moved on to football because it was more fun to me.

eh, bad theory. if it was that easy kids in poorest neighborhoods in america would grow up playing soccer instead of basketball. or #1 sport wouldn't be soccer in 14 of the 20 richest countries in the world.

easy availability is a factor but far from the only thing that makes soccer popular around the world.

? False dichotomy.

It isn't that only poor people play soccer, it's that poor people and rich people can play soccer, which is where the popularity comes from.

And poor people in America would be at least middle class most anywhere else, except Western Europe, Japan, and South Korea. Poor in America means what, you only have 1 car and 2 TVs? You only have basic cable instead of HBO-HD? You only have a regular cellphone and not an iPhone? Seriously, America has fat poor people. When was the last time you saw a poor Ethiopian who was obese?

[call.me.dude]

Soccer and tough? I'm laughing.
Every team sport has got some kind of physical contact, but to name a few basketball, american football, rugby and team handball are all tougher than a soccer game...
(...)
But guarding players isn't as physical as in e.g. basketball or american football

I'm 20 years old and have been playing soccer since I was 5. Forward/Striker, relatively small and not too strong, but I'm good with the ball and have scored goals wherever I played. At age 17-19 I played in a relatively high amateur league (edit: I should add that I'm from Germany so you can be sure the level of competition is pretty good since we totally are a soccer nation) but due to injury and to concentrate more on studying I went back to my local team, a pretty small club in a lower division.
I'm not discussing whether soccer is tougher than other sports or not, but IMO you're seriously underrating the physicality of soccer. Maybe it's not so much guarding the opponent that is physical, but being guarded. Getting position in soccer can in some situations be compared to a center (basketball) getting position in the paint. Especially with your back to the goal. There's a lot of pushing, pulling and grabbing and opponents often hit you with elbows or kick your calf from behind. I'm definitely not soft and don't shy contact or anything, but believe me, being guarded in soccer as a forward/striker or in general as a good player is physical as hell. The day after a game, I regularly have stiff/sore muscles and every body part you can imagine is aching as hell.
Granted, at the latest it takes two days after the pain is gone, but still it sucks if everything from calf to thighs to ankles to even arms and shoulder musculature is aching.

It's also a fact that the intesity isn't as high. It's true that most of the players play all the 90 minutes, sometimes even longer, but they often stand around when they're not in action and you just don't see them on TV. Of course you have to be in great shape to be a successful soccer (football!) player, but that's the case in every sport that's about running.

I understand your point. Basketball players need to be in motion at all time. Soccer players can relax quite a bit and stand around or walk back slowly if a ball is out of bounds or while waiting for a corner kick/free kick/etc. Also, basketball players have way more sharp and quick motions. That's definitely true.
BUT again, your underrating soccer players a bit IMO.
"(...)but they often stand around when they're not in action and you just don't see them on TV."
If you don't see them on tv, they still move a lot. Many teams (IMO every good team) have their forwards and midfielders (defenders also, but not as much) shift and press forward at all time while the opponent has the ball. They shift to deny the opponent passing lanes or to cover open players. That takes a lot of dedication or "hustle" if you want and is pretty intense. If a team has mastered that system it absolutely denies the opponent any opportunities to pass the ball to a teammate close to you. Plus, it puts you under constant pressure and will force unconcentrated and rushed passes. Very similar to a 3/4 court press. The opposing team has to operate with long and high passes, which is pretty easy to defend except if your team consists of a bunch of midgets.
Given the size of a soccer field you can imagine how much more intense and exhausting a "press" is in soccer.

Just my 2 cents.

[ilikecb4]

I play both ball an d soccer


Basketball you have to be a complete athlete

Soccer players are quick, fast , good endurance, good core

Basketball players have to have vert, strength upper and lower body, they have to be complete athletes


And when you think about it, 6'6 guy in the air landing on hardwood is a lot more susceptable to an injury than a soccer player who plays on soft grass

[TsunamiZC]

How can you say this. Can you elaborate on this please. Why was Maradona a hack ? Because he was a cokehead ? and gained weight and lost passion for football...and how was Pele overrated. PELE > JORDAN, AND EVERY OTHER ATHLETE OOUT THERE..INCL. MUHAMMED ALI.

They're just trying to rile soccer fans up, they don't actually know anything about the sport...

haha and that sucker fell for it hook line and sinker

Soccer is still on the lower echelon of fun sports to watch, but exciting to play. I think so many love it because they can admire the amount of work and skill it takes to be a top player, many remember playing it as a kid. I felt the same way years ago, till I started playing basketball and realized it is fun to not only watch, but also play. Its a personal preference, and what else can you expect in a community geared towards basketball in regards to comments around here, the OP is a dolt for even making it, that much is sure.

[T-dot Raps]

American football sucks. That is all.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

American football sucks. That is all.

Soccer and Hockey suck. That is also all.

[T-dot Raps]

American football sucks. That is all.

Soccer and Hockey suck. That is also all.

Basketball sucks. THAT is all.

[nyk2423]

Soccer and swimming are the 2 toughest sports to play.

And idk if any of you guys played soccer but when I played coaches taught us how to fall the right way to prevent injury.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

American football sucks. That is all.

Soccer and Hockey suck. That is also all.

Basketball sucks. THAT is all.

Troll.

[ilikecb4]

American football sucks. That is all.

Soccer and Hockey suck. That is also all.

[Quiet-Storm]

I remember watching this game live

I screamed like a little kid when I saw the slow motion replay that day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ry3L1Ou9GM

[celticspierce34]

soccer is likely such a popular participation sport because it is not particulary tough. same goes for basketball actually.