Football ~vs~ Soccer

I love sports.

 

Admittedly, I like some better than others.  I like Baseball and I have a few teams that I've liked for a long time.  I like to watch them whether they are having a winning season or not!  I have a few teams that have become favorites because I've lived in the area they play and they've become part of my heart.  There are also so teams that I love to hate. 

Baseball is okay!

 

Basketball, tennis, golf, swimming, track and field, ice skating, curling, gymnastics -- all are wonderful sports and I will watch them on occasion, but they aren't my favorite!

 

I Love, Love, Love HOCKEY!

There is just nothing like a hockey game for good fun!

Alas, I haven't been to a hockey game in 13 years ~ and when we moved, "the hubby" broke ~ yes, you read that right!! ~ he broke my horn!  On purpose!  Right in front of me!

To this day, I'm still hurt.

 

I love to watch soccer and I adore football!

 

Today, we were watching Barclays Premier League soccer.

Everton ~vs~ Chelsea

 

I was flipping between that and college football

Stanford ~vs~ Army

 

And "the hubby" and I were discussing why it is, that so many don't like to watch soccer.  It's an awesome game!  I love to see the skill in handling the ball, the agility of the players, the dedication of the keepers.  They play hard.  And there is drama!  The players are very good at dramatizing a fall to earn a penalty kick....

 

So why is football so much more fun to watch?

 

I have a theory.

Bear with me as I try to articulate this theory.

 

In soccer, there is a lot of skill, practice, team work and time involved.  Soccer has rabid fans all around the world.  Soccer has rabid fans in the U.S.  But at the end of the day, after ninety-minutes of play, the score was:

Everton ~ 1

Chelsea ~ 0

All that work for such a low score ~ the amount of effort put into the game was not reflected in the score.

 

Football on the other hand ~ might not always be a high scoring game, but who can deny the beauty of an eighty yard kick-off return for a touch down?

Who doesn't feel the jolt of a good hit?  A great block?  The recovery of a fumble?  And that's not to mention the immense satisfaction when the quarterback is sacked!  The excitement of a touchdown...

Football teams play in the most abominable conditions and yet, they play.

 

I believe that we like to see the effort rewarded with a higher score.  On a deep level, in each of us, is the spirit of competition ~ the desire to see effort rewarded ~ that effort feels more rewarded when there is a higher score.

The higher the score, the more work involved right?

Okay, maybe not ~ but that is the perception.

 

I'm sure there are many flaws in my theory ~ but I don't want to hear about those flaws, because for now, I'm content.

 

I will go on ~ enjoying sports, but loving football season best of all!

Must run now....the Navy ~vs~ Delaware game is calling.