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For all the people that think that football players are in better shape than soccer players; your wrong.  It is a known fact that soccer players are the most evenly fit athletes in the world.  Meaning they are fit in leg and arm strength
And talk about contact; if American football has more contact (which I know it does), how come they wear all the pads.  Look at Rugby for instance, they have as much contact as American Football yet they don't wear pads.  And soccer has contact, that's why they have some padding. (3cm thick on the legs as a matter of a fact).
It is also a fact that a soccer player could go play any other sport and be good at it but  those players of other sports couldn't play soccer.  It is one of those sports that takes a lifetime to learn how to play.
And don't get me wrong about other sports, I love all sports; but I was just stating a fact.

Arsenal2006 wrote:

It is also a fact that a soccer player could go play any other sport and be good at it but  those players of other sports couldn't play soccer.  It is one of those sports that takes a lifetime to learn how to play.

I guarantee you that if you take a tennis player and have him play soccer for the first time, that he will be much better at soccer than a soccer player forced to play tennis for the first time. 

You may have a somewhat valid point on soccer players being more fit than many athletes.  The skill/learning curve for soccer, however, is unarguably less than many other sports. 

There is a reason soccer is so popular around the world.  There is a reason so many children play soccer. 
It is an easy sport to pick up.  --Difficult to master perhaps, but certainly very easy to learn.

zdecker wrote:

Arsenal2006 wrote:

It is also a fact that a soccer player could go play any other sport and be good at it but  those players of other sports couldn't play soccer.  It is one of those sports that takes a lifetime to learn how to play.

I guarantee you that if you take a tennis player and have him play soccer for the first time, that he will be much better at soccer than a soccer player forced to play tennis for the first time. 

You may have a somewhat valid point on soccer players being more fit than many athletes.  The skill/learning curve for soccer, however, is unarguably less than many other sports. 

There is a reason soccer is so popular around the world.  There is a reason so many children play soccer. 
It is an easy sport to pick up.  --Difficult to master perhaps, but certainly very easy to learn.

You can respond to multiple quotes in one post you know, you dont have to postcount++ by responding to each individual statement separately.

And, as an aside, everyone knows that the whole point behind football is so kids will learn their 7's times tables.

Arsenal2006 wrote:

It is a known fact that soccer players are the most evenly fit athletes in the world. 
if American football has more contact (which I know it does), how come they wear all the pads?
Look at Rugby for instance, they have as much contact as American Football yet they don't wear pads. 
It is also a fact that a soccer player could go play any other sport and be good at it but  those players of other sports couldn't play soccer.  It is one of those sports that takes a lifetime to learn how to play.
I was just stating a fact.

Ok Arsenal, ever seen AFL? (Australian Rules Football's elite league) I'd bet the house that these guys were fitter than soccer players.
American football has more padding because it evolved that way. Players got hurt, so people started to make protective equipment. So its kinda like why baseball has more padding now than before or why bicycle riders wear helmets. But the truth is that Rugby (league and union) players are just hard arses!
I'd doubt that a soccer player would be much use at baseball or rugby, or for that matter any sport that requires sheer strength or fine hand-eye coordination. They haven't trained themselves for that and, just like soccer, these sports require years of training to be elite. Soccer players may be good at games like Australian rules or Gaelic football as there is a significant crossover. Cricket players are notoriously good golfers and baseball players because the skills crosover well.
The fact is that Football (Soccer) is an elite sport. The pay rate of the players is ridiculous, but that is another point altogether. The other "facts" are subjective and open to discussion. I don't enjoy soccer to play or to watch because i find it boring. I enjoy sports like cricket and baseball, which others find just as boring, but that is fine, each to their own.

Why do the merits of one sport have to be compared against the merits of another?

zdecker wrote:

Arsenal2006 wrote:

It is also a fact that a soccer player could go play any other sport and be good at it but  those players of other sports couldn't play soccer.  It is one of those sports that takes a lifetime to learn how to play.

I guarantee you that if you take a tennis player and have him play soccer for the first time, that he will be much better at soccer than a soccer player forced to play tennis for the first time.

This kid from Sudan that was in my freshman class used to be a football player back in Africa. He started playing basketball here.

He's now in the NBA. His name is Luol Deng.

I would argue that some of the "hater" attitude of soccer fans is the fact that the USA has not yet fully grasped it.  I can honestly say that I really do enjoy watching the sport, but just cannot get "into" it.  The big reason why I cannot get fully behind this sport is that I have nowhere to watch the games I wanna see without spending some serious cash.  Going to games... not cheap.  Getting cable to watch... not cheap.  You see where I am going with this?  I have watched some great games with Manchester United ,Arsenal... etc., but they were more like one-shot experiences.  I would it very much if more stations/ sports bars would play these games.  Don't get me wrong, I still love watching my Buckeyes play college  ball, but I think that soccer would also be fun to get into, if accessible.

Robert B. wrote:

Do you have an English pub near you?

Whew! If only.

jax wrote:

zdecker wrote:

Arsenal2006 wrote:

For all the people that think that football players are in better shape than soccer players; your wrong.  It is a known fact that soccer players are the most evenly fit athletes in the world.  Meaning they are fit in leg and arm strength.

Funny, I would have that decathletes were the most evenly fit athletes in the world. 

But I guess it's actually a "known fact" that the most evenly fit of all are actually the soccer players.

True, but if I had to choose between a decathelete, a soccer player, or Ray Lewis hitting me as hard as they can from less than 10 feet away, I can tell you who I won't be picking.

So the ability to hit someone hard == most evenly fit and in good shape? 

OK. 

Your comment also implied that you'd rather take a hit from a soccer player than a decathlete.  I'm not sure which of those I'd choose. 

Sure, the average soccer player would be tough.  However, the average decathlete would have one hell of a punch from all the javelin, discus, and especially shotput workouts. 
I don't think I can make the call.  --It would depend on the individual. 

My original comment still stands.  I do not think soccer players are the most fit.  Decathletes are more evenly fit. 


Somewhat related, I do believe that soccer players (both men and women) tend to be among the most physically attractive athletes. 

--Just my opinion.

zdecker wrote:

Your comment also implied that you'd rather take a hit from a soccer player than a decathlete.  I'm not sure which of those I'd choose. 

Sure, the average soccer player would be tough.  However, the average decathlete would have one hell of a punch from all the javelin, discus, and especially shotput workouts. 
I don't think I can make the call.  --It would depend on the individual. 

My original comment still stands.  I do not think soccer players are the most fit.  Decathletes are more evenly fit. 


Somewhat related, I do believe that soccer players (both men and women) tend to be among the most physically attractive athletes. 

--Just my opinion.

I'm not arguing with you on that. I think it's more a matter of the best atheletes in their sport all deserve credit. I definately agree with you about the attractive factor.

jax wrote:

zdecker wrote:

Your comment also implied that you'd rather take a hit from a soccer player than a decathlete.  I'm not sure which of those I'd choose. 

Sure, the average soccer player would be tough.  However, the average decathlete would have one hell of a punch from all the javelin, discus, and especially shotput workouts. 
I don't think I can make the call.  --It would depend on the individual. 

My original comment still stands.  I do not think soccer players are the most fit.  Decathletes are more evenly fit. 


Somewhat related, I do believe that soccer players (both men and women) tend to be among the most physically attractive athletes. 

--Just my opinion.

I'm not arguing with you on that. I think it's more a matter of the best atheletes in their sport all deserve credit. I definately agree with you about the attractive factor.

This is very true.  The common weekend warrior athlete is not fully aware of the extremes of performance that elite level athletes attain.  Any elite athelete deserve recognition of their achievements.