How about landmines in the playing field?

Tigers, like in Gladiator.

As the punch line goes in the joke about the country preacher who inveighed against tobacco chewing, "Now you done stopped preaching and started meddling!" Real football--what most of os call Soccer to distinguish it from Futbol Norteamericano--is the world's game for a very good reason. It is pure atheleticism, not a cobbled-together monstrosity whose rules change from season to season. I would agree that if you don't know the game it is much like watching the Kentucky Derby of submarine racing, but if you do it is exquisite beauty. Probably the best match I ever saw was the France-Paraguay Cup quarter-final in 98. Zero-zero into the second period of overtime, as a long shot team from a tiny country held the eventual world champions at bay with brilliant defense. The beautiful game will never replace the businesses of Baseball, basketball and North American football, but it remains the beautiful game.

And not a one of them can throw over-hand.

Worst sports injury to a player I ever saw during my years as a sportswriter was in a soccer game.

Nothing in auto racing, boxing, rugby or football ever came close.

And ice hockey? Pluheeze!

Yeah, but they have velcro now, so you don't trip over your laces.

Actually, it was a match between Marines and collegians. Two halfbacks crossed legs, and one of them opened up his flesh to the bone almost from knee to ankle.

I saw Richard Petty drive backward into the third turn wall at Darlington at 160 mph, and all he did was wrench his shoulder.

Harry:

He cut himself? Oh the humanities...

I lived in England for seven years, and played on the squadron soccer team.

So I know the sport a little.

Made me think that far too many people confuse activity with action.

I grew up playing soccer and at least in the sholastic version of the game is a perfect
combination of skill and physical extertion (when the game is allowed to be played). Basketball
is much wussier. In soccer...

a) you get dirty
b) you have to hit a ball coming from 100 feet
in the air with your head (it actually hurts)
c) you are constantly susceptable to slide tackles
that could blow out a knee.
d) And there is just a good amount of pushing in
shoving in the fight for the ball).

Basically the English have traditionally played
the game in a manly manner, but it has not
served them well internationally. The international game rewards excessive caution.

In the inernational game winning means much more than playing a hard game that is entertaining. In
that sense, I think our American attitude really
does respect "how you play the game" (despite
what Vince Lombardy said).

Ice Hockey is by far the toughest game. No
question about that. As a former soccer player
(and pond hockey hack) I would never pretend
that hockey wasn't toughter. It is pure
organized violence.

Professional/International futbol is 22 men running in circles for 120 minutes, then deciding the game by seeing which player misses their penalty kick. Even curling is more exciting than that.

And I've never understood the equating of "roughness" with athletic. If that's the case, then the actions in the stands at some soccer games can be far more athletic than the games themselves.

My son played soccer when he was in primary school. I took him to a professional game. It was the same as the 6 year old games and unbearably dull. As near as I can work out they only score by mistake.

I guess the reason for the worldwide plauge of soccer riots is that the fans get bored, drunk and start fights to amuse themselves.

My son is in high school now. He runs cross-country. Much more interesting than soccer.