You Know What Really Grinds My Gears....The Sequel!

[habernac]

ever seen Vince Wilfork play? He's great because he doesn't move like you would imagine a guy his size would.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by MattyC

I just get irked when people call it slow, boring, low scoring, and then turn around and watch baseball or football all day and claim them to be "better".

I call soccer slow, boring, and low scoring and only like to watch/follow/support hockey and lacrosse. Do I get a pass?

[wretched34]

Originally Posted by MattyC

These are all developed baseball skills. When you step on the soccer pitch can you curve the ball? Drop in a proper corner? Head the ball and direct it? Pick the corner of the net from 50 feet out? take and control a pass while running full speed?

You're talking about "pick up" level play, and want to compare Curving a soccer ball, Proper corner kicks, redirection using ones head, and picking corners from 50' out, those all sound far more applicable to a more competitive style play then you're suggesting one does at a local park with friends.
Baseball on the other hand, even with a group, who have never played before, are, to play the game, going to want to be able to catch a fly ball, hit the ball, field the ball, and throw the ball to get an out, otherwise all you're doing is having batting practice with a bunch of people who can't hit, in a field getting bitten by mosquitoes. The things I listed are fundamentals, needed to keep a game running, if you can't perform those things, the game does not run smoothly, which is what you're trying to say makes baseball so much easier to play than soccer.

Soccer can run smoothly as a pick up game without corner kicks, and heading the ball, or shots from 50 feet out. Sure, you may not score a lot, but the game will continue to move.

[Coach]

^^^ I mentioned in my previous post that even NFL linemen can move faster than most people. I know those guys are in better condition than their shape is made to believe, that's why their presence on the field doesn't take me out of a football game (spending 4 hours watching 15 minutes of actual movement does). And yeah old Ronaldo has a nice little ponch on him there, but so would a lot of hockey players from the 90s.

Your point about a pick up completely depends on how deep into the rules you want to go. Are you going to explain offside? Corner kicks? What is and isn't a penalty? Throw-ins etc. And no, I can't play soccer with a beer in hand unless I want to constantly spill it. I can be in the outfield with a beer, have the ball get hit and have enough time to put it down and catch/play the ball however. I have organized both of these sports with random collections of people. And while a bunch of people can run around kicking a ball at each other, that's as much soccer as playing jackpot with a baseball bat is baseball. I'm saying an actual cohesive game of baseball can be more easily conceived and completed by a random selection of people than a soccer game. And I say that purely because the mechanics of throwing/catching and hitting something with a blunt object are traits that are more practiced in every day life and in other sports, where as controlling a ball with your feet is completely unique to soccer. Just like skating is to hockey.

Telling me that DHs are the highest paid players actually makes me more angry with it. How is that guy the most beneficial team member if he can't even get on base unless he puts in out of the park?

As said before, we can break all sports down to pretty dumb levels if we want.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by wretched34

You're talking about "pick up" level play, and want to compare Curving a soccer ball, Proper corner kicks, redirection using ones head, and picking corners from 50' out, those all sound far more applicable to a more competitive style play then you're suggesting one does at a local park with friends.
Baseball on the other hand, even with a group, who have never played before, are, to play the game, going to want to be able to catch a fly ball, hit the ball, field the ball, and throw the ball to get an out, otherwise all you're doing is having batting practice with a bunch of people who can't hit, in a field getting bitten by mosquitoes. The things I listed are fundamentals, needed to keep a game running, if you can't perform those things, the game does not run smoothly, which is what you're trying to say makes baseball so much easier to play than soccer.

Soccer can run smoothly as a pick up game without corner kicks, and heading the ball, or shots from 50 feet out. Sure, you may not score a lot, but the game will continue to move.

This is exactly my point.

I used those skills because you mentioned fielding grounders, throwing curve balls, etc.. Those are refined skills that come with years of playing baseball. Curving a baseball is necessary for the game to run smoothly? How many people can accurately kick a ball or run with it between their feet without tripping? I have more organized soccer under my belt than baseball, but as a goalie (not saying much as I played two summers of co-ed soccer and have never played organized baseball). So while I know the rules, by ball skills are pretty rough. I can make it through a baseball game much easier than a soccer game (playing out).

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

I call soccer slow, boring, and low scoring...

Did you fall asleep yesterday afternoon and didn't watch any sports highlights last night?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

I call soccer slow, boring, and low scoring and only like to watch/follow/support hockey and lacrosse. Do I get a pass?

You can call a sport whatever you want. Whether it irks me or not should have no bearing on your enjoyment or lack thereof.

[The Ditch]

lol that there is someone literally trying to argue that playing baseball is easier than kicking a ball.

[Chill Cosby]

lol that there is someone literally trying to simplify soccer down to the single act of kicking a ball

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

lol that there is someone literally trying to simplify soccer down to the single act of kicking a ball

What do you mean? That is all it is!

Kick a ball
Shoot a puck
Hit a ball
Throw a ball
Bounce AND throw a ball (lookout, basketball is gaining an edge).

There. Sports.

[wretched34]

Honestly, what it comes down to, when organizing a "pick-up" game of soccer or baseball, and having it run smoothly, is the very basic skill sets required.
For soccer, in it simplest form, you need to be able to run, and use your feet to move a ball toward your opponents goal.
For baseball, you need to be able to catch a ball, throw a ball, and hit a ball with a bat.
Obviously, at the simplest level of both, the games are going to move slowly, and not resemble a competitive style at all.
My point is, I think it is more viable to have a soccer game run smoothly with a group that has never played soccer before, as the majority of people can run and use their feet to move a ball, wether it is done well, or with good results, it can be done, and the game can continue to move forward.
if you have a group of people that have never played baseball before, it is unlikely that the pitcher will be able to throw the ball well enough for a batter to hit, and even if the pitcher is capable of getting the ball across the plate, is the batter capable of then hitting the ball? if neither of those things can be done, the game can not move forward. If the pitcher can do their job, and the batter can hit the ball, the fielders then need to be able to field the ball, and make a play in order to progress the game. There is a lot more involved in moving a baseball game forward, than a soccer game. Which is why, at beginner levels of baseball, rules are adjusted to keep the game flowing, because the game can not be played at full capacity. I'm not certain about beginner soccer, but I have never heard of rules being changed in ways that each team is only allowed a certain amount of possession before the other team gets their turn.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by 4X4

You can avoid this by going back to where you came from.

Unfortunately it was at superstore too, before I went to walmart.

[EverfresH15]

In baseball people don't know what they are doing half of the time for a reason. Basic soccer is way easier is than basic baseball. I would even argue that MLB baseball is more intricate that pro soccer but it would be very close.

[Oy Tiggins]

If both sports are played at their most simplest form, there is no way baseball is easier then soccer. There is a good reason why the first sport most toddlers play is soccer.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by wretched34

Honestly, what it comes down to, when organizing a "pick-up" game of soccer or baseball, and having it run smoothly, is the very basic skill sets required.
For soccer, in it simplest form, you need to be able to run, and use your feet to move a ball toward your opponents goal.
For baseball, you need to be able to catch a ball, throw a ball, and hit a ball with a bat.
Obviously, at the simplest level of both, the games are going to move slowly, and not resemble a competitive style at all.
My point is, I think it is more viable to have a soccer game run smoothly with a group that has never played soccer before, as the majority of people can run and use their feet to move a ball, wether it is done well, or with good results, it can be done, and the game can continue to move forward.
if you have a group of people that have never played baseball before, it is unlikely that the pitcher will be able to throw the ball well enough for a batter to hit, and even if the pitcher is capable of getting the ball across the plate, is the batter capable of then hitting the ball? if neither of those things can be done, the game can not move forward. If the pitcher can do their job, and the batter can hit the ball, the fielders then need to be able to field the ball, and make a play in order to progress the game. There is a lot more involved in moving a baseball game forward, than a soccer game. Which is why, at beginner levels of baseball, rules are adjusted to keep the game flowing, because the game can not be played at full capacity. I'm not certain about beginner soccer, but I have never heard of rules being changed in ways that each team is only allowed a certain amount of possession before the other team gets their turn.

Yeah I'll agree with pretty much everything you say, but again you're applying skills to baseball without applying them to soccer. Like you say most people can run and use their feet to move a ball and also that most can throw, bat, catch. But then you say that most people may not be able to pitch properly and thus slowing down the game, but without mentioning that someone has to know how to actually aim the soccer ball properly in order to keep the game moving as well. If no one can complete a pass, what happens to the game? The rules of baseball from MLB to slow-pitch are made so that lesser players can't slow it down. 4 balls and 3 strikes. Each guy gets a max of 7 pitches (minus fouls and what not). So if they suck, that's the most time that is wasted on them. What about a soccer player who's constantly missing the ball or tripping over it? How do you cut him out to speed the game up? Just not pass it to him, but that's no fun for them.

Either way, we're obviously not going to fully agree here. All sports take different sets of skills, and getting it to the pro-level takes massive dedication no matter what. My argument is that playing with a ball in your feet is not something people do outside of playing soccer, as opposed to throwing, catching, and hitting things which are done in a variety of ways, including in other sports, and so picking it up is more difficult.

[Igster]

Can you guys create a baseball vs soccer vs whatever thread and post there? None of this really has anything to do with GMG's other than it's starting to...

[GP_Matt]

Is anyone else lost as to what exactly is being argued?

I feel like this argument is going to end up like the Dr. Suess Sneetches. I can no longer tell who supports which sport and who think what sport is dumb/boring/easy. Are the guys saying soccer is easy the ones who hate soccer? Or do they like soccer and hate baseball?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Is anyone else lost as to what exactly is being argued?

I feel like this argument is going to end up like the Dr. Suess Sneetches. I can no longer tell who supports which sport and who think what sport is dumb/boring/easy. Are the guys saying soccer is easy the ones who hate soccer? Or do they like soccer and hate baseball?

I hate both

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Is anyone else lost as to what exactly is being argued?

I feel like this argument is going to end up like the Dr. Suess Sneetches. I can no longer tell who supports which sport and who think what sport is dumb/boring/easy. Are the guys saying soccer is easy the ones who hate soccer? Or do they like soccer and hate baseball?

Every sport is dumb/boring/easy. Art/Theater/Linguistics are for sophisticated society.

[EverfresH15]

Soccer is no good!