Comments on: Why is soccer so violent?

Question: Why is soccer so violent?

Kwantsar — Sun, 04 Jul 2004 20:12:51 -0800

From Escobar in the '94 World Cup to Uday and now Liberia, soccer tends towards the ultra-violent. Why?

By: smackfu

smackfu — Sun, 04 Jul 2004 20:59:02 -0800

It's simply "most popular sport in the country" + "playing that sport against other countries" It's very easy to get fiercely nationalist in that situation.

Luckily we in the US never play our popular sports against other countries.

By: the fire you left me

the fire you left me — Sun, 04 Jul 2004 21:41:41 -0800

I have a feeling soccer is merely a recent immediate conduit funneling an age old tendency.

By: the fire you left me

the fire you left me — Sun, 04 Jul 2004 21:45:15 -0800

Such as to say, war allows for killing, and killing is thrilling.

By: stuartmm

stuartmm — Mon, 05 Jul 2004 01:59:38 -0800

like The Clash ......."it 's the only sport that really matters""

You have to challenge other countries before your sport really counts.

( Written after spending too long today justifying why a 1-0 European Final score was better than some farcical NFL score was.
chances vs contrived scores; oh yes 6 is a good number for ONE goal.)

By: salmacis

salmacis — Mon, 05 Jul 2004 03:18:33 -0800

"soccer tends towards the ultra-violent."

Your premise is false. If the world's game was basketball, you'd see the same crowd reactions. Remember, in most countries, the most passionate fans, the ones that actually go to the stadia, are working class. That social group has been mostly priced out of American major leagues.

By: dodgygeezer

dodgygeezer — Mon, 05 Jul 2004 03:35:12 -0800

While England sucks at most things we have a proud tradition of football hooliganism. It's interesting to note that interviews with hooligans have shown they have very little interest in football matches and rarely attend games within the stadium. It's basically used as an excuse for different groups of violent psychopaths to go to war.

By: mr.marx

mr.marx — Mon, 05 Jul 2004 09:11:05 -0800

'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death.
I'm very disappointed with that attitude.
I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.'
- Bill Shankly

By: argybarg

argybarg — Mon, 05 Jul 2004 13:03:08 -0800

You have to challenge other countries before your sport really counts.

And you're upset because 6 is an arbitrary assignment for a goal? How about arbitrary assertions about when "your sport really counts?"

Perhaps soccer/football inspires rage in the bleachers because there's so little scoring for so much activity -- so few outlets in each game for emotional release, and consequently so much buildup. Like fumes in an unvented building: one spark, bam.

Just a theory.