News:

Use a VPN to stream games Safely and Securely 🔒
A Virtual Private Network can also allow you to
watch games Not being broadcast in the UK For
more Information and how to Sign Up go to
https://go.nordvpn.net/SH4FE

Main Menu


A question for mainly the Yanks, but also to the Aussies.

Started by FatFreddysCat, June 11, 2010, 09:19:25 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

FatFreddysCat

Ok it's obvious you love Football and Fulham or you wouldn't be reading this , but where does Fulham/Football come in your hearts compared to baseball, American/ Aussie rules Football, Ice Hockey etc? and are Fulham above your favorite teams in these sports.

MrCheviot

Hmm. Soccer has always been my favorite sport to watch on TV. Baseball has always been my favorite sport to listen to on the radio. Hockey has always been my favorite sport to see live (holy poo do they go fast!). I love tailgating at football games, but don't enjoy the long stoppages live or on TV. I don't expect that to change.

I grew up in Western NY, which as far as pro sports is concerned is Hockey & Football territory. I love the Sabres & Bills dearly. Neither have ever won anything in my lifetime, although the Bills lost 4 straight Superbowls (91-94) and the Sabres were cheated out of a chance at a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup in '99. My best friend growing up was a Red Sox fan. He converted me when I was 6. We finally won something when I was 26. I've been a Fulham fan for a decade, just after the club was promoted to the top flight. Prior to last season, we all know that at times it's been a epic struggle to remain there.

At this moment, Fulham and the Red Sox are my favorite clubs. Fulham edges the Sox just now, 5 years ago it was reversed. 10 years ago, it was the Buffalo teams. And it absolutely is due to recent strings of success and futility.

So what's my point? Well, favorite sports don't change as often as favorite teams. Sports franchises are, by nature, cyclical. They have good runs, they have bad runs. Teams don't ever leave your heart IMO, but teams that are doing better swell to the top, while others doing poorly take a back seat. You don't care less, it's just that you realize the emotional outcome isn't going to feel very good. In the States I guess we're somewhat lucky in that at any given time there's a major pro season in progress and it's easy to latch onto your clubs when they start doing well, whereas UK sporting life is very much dominated by football - cricket, rugby, and formula one are all secondary sports (correct me if I'm wrong, but that was my impression after living in the UK for awhile). When your pro team is doing poorly, you have your smaller local teams to follow, but I sense that's still overshadowed by your "main" club's form. The emotional hangover lasts longer for you, while it's actually more difficult for us to put all of our emotional eggs in one basket so to speak.

I suck at short answers.
"Zamora!! What About that? We have seen some brilliant football from Shakhtar Donetsk tonight, but nothing.. nothing quite as good as that!"

YankeeJim

I'm not a sports fan. I'm too old & fat to play & never was very good anyway. PRO pointy ball & PRO basketball are really just work release programs for the local prisons. The guards are afraid of those big fellows so they let them out. Aussie Rules & Rugby are like Ice Hockey, they let a game get in the way of a good brawl. Baseball...the finest sleep aid available.

Fulham. The US Nats. They are not games. They are life itself.  I watch other teams play football only to scout the opposition & to see what new players might benefit the Cottagers and the US Nats.

The only sport I play is "12 oz curls" I think I'll have a match now.   :011:
Its not that I could and others couldn't.
Its that I did and others didn't.


Ichabod Magoo

Football (soccer) is king for me.  I like baseball (including fantasy baseball) and most college sports, but everything takes a backseat to footy.  There is some good Division 1 college soccer in my area (southern New England) so I get to see quite alot of that in the fall, but I'll watch any kind of soccer that is available - men and women - any level down to about the U14s.  High speed internet and cable TV has also been a boon to the fan since now we can see games from all over Europe.  Great stuff!  :54:
If your nose runs and your feet smell, you must have been born upside down. ~ Chudley Rippington III

FatFreddysCat

In answer to my own question, American football is just gay rugby with loads of stopage time , Baseball = rounders played by girls here,  And ice hockey, who the feck wants to get on ice when you live in a cold country. Aussie rules???  Crap Gailic ?

MrCheviot

Quote from: FatFreddysCat on June 12, 2010, 10:30:34 PM
In answer to my own question, American football is just gay rugby with loads of stopage time , Baseball = rounders played by girls here,  And ice hockey, who the feck wants to get on ice when you live in a cold country. Aussie rules???  Crap Gailic ?

Ice hockey is pretty intense. Those are some hard, hard men twirling about on skates. It's definitely one of the "have to see it live" sports variety.

Agree that American Football is terrible for the fan. Nothing worse than being cold in the stands, and they take a TV timeout while your nuts freeze. Takes 3+ hours to play 60 minutes of actual game time. NBA is the same thing.
"Zamora!! What About that? We have seen some brilliant football from Shakhtar Donetsk tonight, but nothing.. nothing quite as good as that!"


Kiwi Fulham Fan

Coming from NZ rugby is my no1 its a national thing the Auckland Blues being my team, Football and Fulham comes 2nd for me, with Rugby League 3rd is my favourtie sports
Super Rugby is only played 3-4 months a year, so Fulham does get my full attention majority of the season anyway :dft010:

mhatc

Living outside of the Cleveland market and having bad teams that I don't want to go out of my way to watch leads to this order.
1. College Football
2. US Soccer
3. Fulham
4. NBA
5. NFL
6. MLS--especially Columbus
7. MLB
8. NHL

michaelread

Ok, ill have a stab

(Australian)

I am a rugby league man. Live and breathe the game and everything about it. How can you not when, at age 7, finally concious to the world of sport, your local side from a tiny coal mining town rises from nowhere, lead by two brothers Andrew and Matthew Johns, and big  inspirational hometown hero Paul "The Chief" Harragon, to make the grand final?

A team of virtual nobodies, eventual best player of all time, Andrew Johns, is ruled out of the last 5-6 weeks of the finals with a punctured lung, any contact could kill him. Out of nowhere, the Newcastle Knights play Leo Dynevor, an indigenous boy from up north who nobody has ever heard of, he takes the competition by storm however, he is still lacking that final punch needed to win the whole thing.

Then, days before, Andrew Johns (who at the time was so popular he would be what Wayne Rooney is to English youth now, or Beckham was not too long ago) rises from his hospital bed to declare himself fit for the grand final.

HUGE numbers turn out to wave the Knights off down the freeway to the game, ridiculous scenes of people lining the freeway to get a glimpse of the team bus.

What happens? The knights look beat, the Many-Warringah Sea Eagles who won the comp the year before and have dominated for a few years, are all over us. Out of nowhere though, it is 16 all with seconds left. Cue Johns. To the left, is a viable option for a field goal, a one pointer to win the game (we have missed about 4 attempts at this point). So johns goes right, nobody in the world knows why, then he drops an albino looking lad by the name of Darren Albert on his inside, who goes through under the post untouched.

The Knights win the grand final, the tiny town of 500k are on the map after the "depression" from the steelworks closing down had happened, the earthquake 8 years earlier.

I was seven, the Knights came back to our home field and we packed out the 24k capacity stadium just to watch the trophy sit there while they made the speeches.

I guess, nothing can compare to that. So rugby league is my sport and the Newcastle Knights will always be my team...but....

I went through relegation battles with Fulham, every moment, cried my heart out when we scored against Pompey and rode 4am waves of emotion with Fulham all the while, right up until Atletico where, my heart had never broken like that before.

So, it is hard to define. If Fulham played at the same time as Newcastle, I would watch Fulham. But nothing can replace being a 7 year old and watching your side be the best in the world...


finnster01

Not much wrong with that story, is there?

Good on you son.  :045:
If you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, you are most likely dead

GoldCoastWhite

# 1 Fulham, no contest. I enjoyed actively supporting Brisbane Roar in our A-League whilst living in Queensland and will fly up there for 3 or 4 games this season if all goes to plan. I have made some good friends there and feel a part of the crowd and the club - and I need my fix of live football. I enjoy AFL and rugby league but neither game captures my imagination or my heart like football and Fulham do. AFL is very athletic and quite spectacular but the high scoring nature can work against it if one side dominates as the result can become a foregone conclusion by three quarter time. Same for league if one side gets a big scoreboard advantage as the defending side can become exhausted from constant tackling and get overrun. A close game in either sport is well worth watching though and I can relate to Michael's passion for Newcastle Knights.

MrCheviot

Love the rugby story.. when's the movie coming out?!?!?
"Zamora!! What About that? We have seen some brilliant football from Shakhtar Donetsk tonight, but nothing.. nothing quite as good as that!"


Steve_orino

#12
I guess I should preface this by saying that I consider myself a sports fan...I'd rather watch a game of any sport rather than some pointless show about singing or talent or losing weight.  So taking a page from Mr. mhatc, here would be my rankings:

Before Fulham...prior to March 2008:
1. College Football - Any game but mainly Big 12 games
2. NFL - mainly Dallas Cowboys but will watch other games

3. Huge gulf between American Football and the rest

4. NBA - only keep up with the Dallas Mavericks
5. NHL - occasionally watch the Dallas Stars and the playoffs
6. MLS - the games aren't always on but I'll watch one if it is
7. US Soccer - kept up with the WC's
8. MLB - could care less...Hicks owns the local team if - maybe that explains it

After Fulham...little more than two years:
1 - Fulham! - mainly via internet; can't imagine what a pain it can be
2. College football - catch a game or two whereas before it was 6 games on a Saturday
3. NFL - Of 16 regular season games, I watch 10 of the Cowboys
4. MLS - will watch any game if it's available...more often than not the game is broadcast in Spanish and the volume is turned down until a goal is scored...that's funny sh!tI   :027:
5. US Soccer - Watched as much of the Gold Cup & Confed Cup as possible - the WC is on!
6. NBA - 82 games, I catch 5-10
7. NHL - 84 games, I catch less than 5
8. MLB - Out of 162 games, I catch less than 9 innings...not a good ratio!  
Fulham Supporter - Est. 03/2008
"My aim is to stabilise, sustain, and have the club move forward." Shad Khan 07/2013
@Borino09

finnster01

I know I don't really count for this thread as I am only a "rookie" New Yorker, but I have now had the chance to be exposed to all major professional and college sports here, so for those that cares what a newbie's opinion on American sports is, here is my thoughts:

Obviously Fulham goes before anything else, but that is to be expected. After that it is a bit of a gap and "open season":

1) NFL - Just because that is what everybody else watches and you need to have some "watercooler talk" in you for the Monday.
2) MLB - Yes, I know. I have become a Yankee fan. Have managed to go to the old house that Ruth built as well as the new one that Steinbrenner and the tax payer built, but before you all start hating me, I actually go to games (as opposed to most New Yorkers) so you can't really call me plastic, but yes sometimes I feel a bit guilty and full of "London Man Utd fan" syndrome. But the truth is, when you live in Harlem, New York, the Yankees is your home team and the stadium is only a short subway ride away. Everyone loves the Yankees in this part of town.  It is getting expensive though, but I think I will try and get one of those season packages next year (a set number of home games etc.). I like baseball as a game though. It grows on you, and I think many Brits underestimate the complexity and skill of it. I learn something new or pick up on something pretty much every game. It certainly is a great day out.
3) NHL - Rangers at the Garden is a classic. Again, ridiculously expensive, but the funniest day out in New York sports. You get the Mall Hair girls from New Jersey coming to town, mixed with the local retards (how they can afford a ticket, I will never understand) and the odd normal person in the stands. It is priceless. And the sport itself is action all the time from when the first puck drops and what these guys can do on a pair of skates is unbelievable. Not to mention the fights...Ahhhhh, I feel the youth come back in my veins when I watch it. Doesn't look half as good on TV though. As a lot of people have pointed out, this is a "live" sport if there ever was one.
4) College Basketball -March Madness. Best tournament in sports
5) NBA - New York Knicks suck so can't get into this although basketball is the only sport played by kids up here in Harlem. When I have nothing to do and the weather is good, I often walk up to the housing projects or the park and watch the local kids play. Amazing!! That I do like, some wonderfully talented kids on display. The professional version of the game fail to attract me though.
6) MLS - I actually find it boring, but granted I haven't seen a live game yet but I don't feel compelled going either although I have a bunch of Red Bull fans as friends who wants to drag me there, but I am not in the mood. Something nondescript about the MLS that keeps me away. I think I am not the only football/soccer fan like that. NOTE TO THE LEAGUE: This place is full of ex-pats and Brits, so why don't we all go and watch games as loyally as we all do back in England?
7) College Football - Too many universities to get your head around.
If you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, you are most likely dead

AmericanJames

I grew up in Detroit watching hockey, the Red Wings had been shite up until around the time i was born (88) but around the time im became aware of sport they started getting good and from there we have won 4 Stanley Cups in 13 yrs. I started playing the game when i was young around 5 years of age and played competitively up until the age of 20, the last 3 years of playing I played in some of highest leagues i could play in traveling around the country and eventually moving to Canada to play jrs, unfortunately I ran into to some politics and burned out a bit and left, I had an opportunity to go play at university in New York, but decided to stay close to home due to some family issues but still regret not going atleast 5 times a week. So hockey is still number one in my books and always be. But after that i have always followed a lot of different sports and enjoyed playing many of them when i was younger, but if i were to put them in order it would go something like this.
1. hockey
2. US soccer
3. Fulham
4. Detroit Tigers (MLB)
5. U of Michigan (college football)
6. Detroit Pistons/Lions (NBA/NFL) depends on the season
7. Golf ( i have picked up the game to fill the competitive void)
8. MLS ( we don't have a local team but it's fun to watch the league grow)
9. NCAA basketball ( don't really follow till the tournament but the first couple days have been some of my favroite since I've been about 11)
10. Boxing ( Nothing like a big fight, it's just too bad its gone down the toilet)
11. F1 (fun to watch but tough to follow here in the states with all the nascar shite)
Some people are literally too stupid to insult


FatFreddysCat

Quote from: AmericanJames on June 20, 2010, 08:52:04 AM
I grew up in Detroit watching hockey, the Red Wings had been shite up until around the time i was born (88) but around the time im became aware of sport they started getting good and from there we have won 4 Stanley Cups in 13 yrs. I started playing the game when i was young around 5 years of age and played competitively up until the age of 20, the last 3 years of playing I played in some of highest leagues i could play in traveling around the country and eventually moving to Canada to play jrs, unfortunately I ran into to some politics and burned out a bit and left, I had an opportunity to go play at university in New York, but decided to stay close to home due to some family issues but still regret not going atleast 5 times a week. So hockey is still number one in my books and always be. But after that i have always followed a lot of different sports and enjoyed playing many of them when i was younger, but if i were to put them in order it would go something like this.
1. hockey
2. US soccer
3. Fulham
4. Detroit Tigers (MLB)
5. U of Michigan (college football)
6. Detroit Pistons/Lions (NBA/NFL) depends on the season
7. Golf ( i have picked up the game to fill the competitive void)
8. MLS ( we don't have a local team but it's fun to watch the league grow)
9. NCAA basketball ( don't really follow till the tournament but the first couple days have been some of my favroite since I've been about 11)
10. Boxing ( Nothing like a big fight, it's just too bad its gone down the toilet)
11. F1 (fun to watch but tough to follow here in the states with all the nascar shite)

James your 20 years younger than me. I now officially hate you. No aches or pains, you lucky bastard.

AmericanJames

ahahaha, don't hate the player hate the game  :011: but i can't say there are no aches and pains,  i screwed my ankle up pretty good in the 1st game of the season around the time in was 17 (tore 3 ligaments and chipped a piece of bone off of it) and just continues to play afterwards for and entire season so it didn't heal exactly right and now im feeling it every time i go for a run
Some people are literally too stupid to insult

HatterDon

1. Fulham
2. Other professional soccer
3. Women's professional soccer
4. Collegiate soccer
5. Major League Baseball [althought I don't recognize 60% of the players anymore ... as I kid I knew everyone's batting averages/ERA]
6. NBA, which consists of the San Antonio Spurs and whoever they're playing.
7. Test match cricket [this would be higher, but I only can follow the match on the England/Wales Cricket website].
8. Minor league baseball, specifically the San Antonio Missions and their amazing mascot Henry the Puffy Taco!
9 College basketball [but only the NCAA tourney]
10. Texas high-school football

Way down at the bottom of the list is the NFL. Slightly above it college football [NFL's lower divisions]. The NHL is swimming just above there, as is indoor soccer, arena football, dwarf tossing, chess, televised poker, and The Real Housewives of Ealing.
"As long as there is light, I will sing." -- Juana, la Cubana

www.facebook/dphvocalease
www.facebook/sellersandhymel


pettyfog

I'm Ba-a-a-a-a-ack!  {Actually I'm still out of town but I have a little down time, sooo....}

Ah this thread brings back memories of the old offal when I came in - circa early ought's.

My sports fan interest particularly soccer has evolved with time, from college basketball when I was young, to NFL when Cincinnati got a franchise, to soccer after the 94 WC and Columbus getting a team owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt.. the greatest pro sport influence of modern US times.  Coinciding with the Bengals absolutely sucking and their owner not seeming to care as long as the money rolled in.

Within 3 games in the Crew's first season our family had ST and used the games as an excuse to meet.  My kids played youth and HS soccer and nothing else, other than Little League BB, so I had an interest in what went on in the higher levels but I didn't know Brian McBride from Bridey Murphy.  It soon became apparent he was pretty good so I  started taking interest in the bigger worlds of the sport.  Before that, I only recognized the bigger names - example: I bought a Polo with the Arsenal badge in 1980 cause the emblem was cool.

And my exposure to the EPL fan innards was started when Brad Friedel went from the Crew to Liverpool.  Bad luck because the average Liverpool MB fan seemed to have an IQ of double digits.  Good luck because it later made OW's insults a breath of springtime air.

But my interest is NOW less about the details of my teams' play and matches than what happens in the bigger picture, everything from ownership to rogue players to the effects on the sport and respective leagues.

So, here I fess up:  I'm sort of a homer/ bandwagon fan in that respect.  I wouldn't have found Fulham if not for McBride.  But I also have a longterm interest in Everton's fortunes which I wouldnt have if not for Moyes {McBride}.   But note, I never followed Blackburn by Friedel. And I never had an interest in Forest when they picked up Stern John, again from the Crew.
I also find Villa pretty damned interesting and have since Randy Lerner bought them... err..  ACTUALLY I started reading their MB when MoN went to them. When I knew enough about him to want him for Fulham.

Well, I guess you get the picture. I like drama with connections. And their MB'ers have to have a certain degree of character mix. Well, with Mo as OWNER and the real characters on the old Offal, FFC was natural even if they did abuse McBride's capabilities.

Now I aint gonna lie.  My pecking order for interest if conflicted TV sched's

Crew
Fulham
Bengals
Other MLS esp LAG, RSL or Dallas and NOW Ny
Everton
Villa
Cincy Reds
Other NFL, esp Arizona or Patriots

H/T to FFCat who seems to have mellowed a bit or is he off the sauce?

Yours
Pettyfog



FatFreddysCat

Quote from: pettyfog on August 22, 2010, 02:15:02 PM
I'm Ba-a-a-a-a-ack!  {Actually I'm still out of town but I have a little down time, sooo....}

Ah this thread brings back memories of the old offal when I came in - circa early ought's.

My sports fan interest particularly soccer has evolved with time, from college basketball when I was young, to NFL when Cincinnati got a franchise, to soccer after the 94 WC and Columbus getting a team owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt.. the greatest pro sport influence of modern US times.  Coinciding with the Bengals absolutely sucking and their owner not seeming to care as long as the money rolled in.

Within 3 games in the Crew's first season our family had ST and used the games as an excuse to meet.  My kids played youth and HS soccer and nothing else, other than Little League BB, so I had an interest in what went on in the higher levels but I didn't know Brian McBride from Bridey Murphy.  It soon became apparent he was pretty good so I  started taking interest in the bigger worlds of the sport.  Before that, I only recognized the bigger names - example: I bought a Polo with the Arsenal badge in 1980 cause the emblem was cool.

And my exposure to the EPL fan innards was started when Brad Friedel went from the Crew to Liverpool.  Bad luck because the average Liverpool MB fan seemed to have an IQ of double digits.  Good luck because it later made OW's insults a breath of springtime air.

But my interest is NOW less about the details of my teams' play and matches than what happens in the bigger picture, everything from ownership to rogue players to the effects on the sport and respective leagues.

So, here I fess up:  I'm sort of a homer/ bandwagon fan in that respect.  I wouldn't have found Fulham if not for McBride.  But I also have a longterm interest in Everton's fortunes which I wouldnt have if not for Moyes {McBride}.   But note, I never followed Blackburn by Friedel. And I never had an interest in Forest when they picked up Stern John, again from the Crew.
I also find Villa pretty damned interesting and have since Randy Lerner bought them... err..  ACTUALLY I started reading their MB when MoN went to them. When I knew enough about him to want him for Fulham.

Well, I guess you get the picture. I like drama with connections. And their MB'ers have to have a certain degree of character mix. Well, with Mo as OWNER and the real characters on the old Offal, FFC was natural even if they did abuse McBride's capabilities.

Now I aint gonna lie.  My pecking order for interest if conflicted TV sched's

Crew
Fulham
Bengals
Other MLS esp LAG, RSL or Dallas and NOW Ny
Everton
Villa
Cincy Reds
Other NFL, esp Arizona or Patriots

H/T to FFCat who seems to have mellowed a bit or is he off the sauce?

Yours
Pettyfog



Me off the sauce ?