World Cup, Have You Watched? (1 Viewer)

[Doctor Detroit]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?

how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed.

Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

 

[NewlyRetired]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums with roofs.

They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of new age air conditioning technology but that turned out to be completely bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now with the same weather issues that any stadium would have that is open.

That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums.They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of air conditioning technology but that turned out to be bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now. That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

Here are the renderings

Qatar is working with GE among others to cool the stadiums, they are basically going to build the biggest air conditioners known to man.

If the World Cup is in Qatar, all the sponsors follow. You can't possibly think anything else but that would happen IMO.

 

[NewlyRetired]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums.They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of air conditioning technology but that turned out to be bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now. That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

Here are the renderings Qatar is working with GE among others to cool the stadiums, they are basically going to build the biggest air conditioners known to man.

If the World Cup is in Qatar, all the sponsors follow. You can't possibly think anything else but that would happen IMO.

That article is from 4 years ago. Much has changed since they basically won the WC bid.

The cooling technology turned out to be basically a sham and they can't play in the summer

"FIFA's secretary general has stated that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar 'will not be in June or July'.

Jerome Valcke, who has been given the task of looking at alternative dates due to the fierce heat of the summer in Qatar, says it is likely to be held sometime between November 15 and January 15.

Valcke told France Info (radio station): 'It will not be in June or July. Frankly I think it'll be played between November 15 and January 15 at the latest."

The sponsors will go where ever the WC ends up but they are already trying to put pressure on FIFA.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/08/world-cup-sponsor-sony-investigation-qatar-bid

Sponsors Adidas, Sony and Visa have called on football's governing body to deal thoroughly with allegations of bribery to secure the 2022 World Cup for Qatar, an issue that is overshadowing this week's kick-off in Brazil.

With its four-yearly showpiece event only four days away, Fifa is on the defensive, conducting an internal investigation into the decisions to hold the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 competition in Qatar. Both countries have denied any wrongdoing.

Qatar's bid attracted controversy from the outset because of the extreme summer heat during the months when the World Cup is played and the tiny country's lack of a domestic footballing tradition. If it goes ahead, the tournament is expected to be switched to a date later in the year, creating scheduling headaches for broadcasters and European football clubs.

The signs of unease from some of Fifa's paymasters will raise pressure on the body, led by 78-year-old Swiss president Sepp Blatter, to get to the bottom of the allegations and tackle underlying concerns about how it is run.

"The negative tenor of the public debate around Fifa at the moment is neither good for football nor for Fifa and its partners," said a spokesperson for Adidas, which has signed up as Fifa sponsor until 2030, extending a partnership dating back to 1970.

Britain's Sunday Times newspaper has over the last two weekends printed what it says are leaked documents showing bribes were paid to secure the event for Qatar, which Qatar denies.

Former US prosecutor Michael Garcia, who is leading Fifa's internal investigation, is due to report in July, around a week after this year's World Cup final.

A spokesperson for Visa, which has a contract as a Fifa sponsor until 2022, said the card company was monitoring the progress of the Garcia investigation.

"We expect Fifa will take the appropriate actions to respond to the report and its recommendations," it said in a statement.

Sony took a similar line, saying said it expected the allegations to be "investigated appropriately".

It is unusual for sponsors to say anything publicly on such a sensitive issue and the comments reflect concern over the knock-on effects on their image.

"This underlines that companies need to make sure that any high profile association enhances their reputation rather than damages it," said Andy Sutherden, Global Head of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship at communications firm H+K Strategies.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums with roofs.

They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of new age air conditioning technology but that turned out to be completely bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now with the same weather issues that any stadium would have that is open.

That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

And yes, I also saw the article you are getting your info from here.

Some other info here

I have spent quite a bit of time in Qatar, it's certainly hot but they do have a nice breeze across the peninsula. Oman and Kuwait are a lot more humid, and the country is very small as to locate the stadiums in relative proximity to each other. There are going to be alcohol "free zones" and I'm sure they'll bus in plenty of adult western entertainment.

The thought of the World Cup being here is ridiculous to me, but I really don't think they'll be stripped especially when they are int eh process of breaking ground on all these facilities and infrastructure. They would sue the pants off FIFA IMO, and Qatar has some very deep pockets. One of the richest countries in the world per capita.

 

[NewlyRetired]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums with roofs.

They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of new age air conditioning technology but that turned out to be completely bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now with the same weather issues that any stadium would have that is open.

That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

And yes, I also saw the article you are getting your info from here.

I never saw that article before. We have posted hundreds of similar articles in the soccer thread the last two months when the story heated up with the sponsors getting involved.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums.They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of air conditioning technology but that turned out to be bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now. That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

Here are the renderings Qatar is working with GE among others to cool the stadiums, they are basically going to build the biggest air conditioners known to man.

If the World Cup is in Qatar, all the sponsors follow. You can't possibly think anything else but that would happen IMO.

That article is from 4 years ago. Much has changed since they basically won the WC bid.

The cooling technology turned out to be basically a sham and they can't play in the summer

As the linked articles state, they have systems to get the temps on the field in the mid 80s, and in the stands of mid 70s.

Wasn't the Netherlands/Mexico game today played in 98 degrees?

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

As the linked articles state, they have systems to get the temps on the field in the mid 80s, and in the stands of mid 70s.


Wasn't the Netherlands/Mexico game today played in 98 degrees?

In its official evaluation of Qatar's bid (PDF), FIFA called it a "potential health risk" and said that the cooling technologies Qatar promised have never been tested in large stadiums:

"The proposed stadiums would rely on the effectiveness and acceptance of the proposed technological innovations, such as the climate-control measures, which have not yet been deployed in FIFA World Cup-sized stadiums."

It's a remarkable statement — FIFA admitted that the effectiveness of Qatar's stadiums relied on untested technology.

And as SB Nation's David Roth noted when his visited the country last year, the promised cooling technology (which is solar-powered) "hasn't yet come into existence" with eight years to go till the World Cup.

In the end, it's still just too hot there.

FIFA continues to soften its stance on a winter World Cup. In 2011, FIFA president Sepp Blatter maintained that the tournament would be held in summer and any change to the schedule would have to come from Qatar's request.

Now that has flipped.

Blatter said in January that it's "not possible" to hold a World Cup in such dangerous temperatures. FIFA will vote on a change to winter sometime in 2015, he said

Moving the World Cup to January 2022 would be a nightmare for professional leagues, TV partners, and the reach of the event in the U.S.

All the major professional leagues across Europe would have to halt for two months, creating scheduling issues and disrupting some of the most lucrative teams in the world.

In the U.S., there are already whispers that Fox Sports would be outraged if the tournament moved to winter.

The company paid $425 million to broadcast the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. A representative told Bloomberg in a statement that it had paid for a summer World Cup, not a winter one:

"FIFA has informed us that they are considering and voting on moving the 2022 World Cup. Fox Sports bought the World Cup rights with the understanding they would be in the summer as they have been since the 1930s."

A winter World Cup would conflict with the NFL Playoffs, the NBA season, and the NHL season in North America.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/qatar-world-cup-promises-2014-4#ixzz365hH4EIY

 

[NewlyRetired]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums.They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of air conditioning technology but that turned out to be bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now. That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

Here are the renderings Qatar is working with GE among others to cool the stadiums, they are basically going to build the biggest air conditioners known to man.

If the World Cup is in Qatar, all the sponsors follow. You can't possibly think anything else but that would happen IMO.

That article is from 4 years ago. Much has changed since they basically won the WC bid.

The cooling technology turned out to be basically a sham and they can't play in the summer

As the linked articles state, they have systems to get the temps on the field in the mid 80s, and in the stands of mid 70s. Wasn't the Netherlands/Mexico game today played in 98 degrees?

No one believes the technology is real.

That is why even FIFA says it has to be moved to the winter. If they believed the technology was real, they would not be talking about moving the WC and screwing up the calendar for all the big leagues.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums with roofs.

They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of new age air conditioning technology but that turned out to be completely bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now with the same weather issues that any stadium would have that is open.

That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

And yes, I also saw the article you are getting your info from here.

I never saw that article before. We have posted hundreds of similar articles in the soccer thread the last two months when the story heated up with the sponsors getting involved.

Ok, well it is almost verbatim of what your post said, so I guess the info is proliferated at this point to a dull roar.

Will be interesting to see what happens, they are going to make a decision fairly quickly if they intend to move forward with procedures to take the event away. Would be pretty ####ty for them to strip Qatar once they've started construction and infrastructure preparation.

 

[NewlyRetired]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums with roofs.

They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of new age air conditioning technology but that turned out to be completely bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now with the same weather issues that any stadium would have that is open.

That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

And yes, I also saw the article you are getting your info from here.

I never saw that article before. We have posted hundreds of similar articles in the soccer thread the last two months when the story heated up with the sponsors getting involved.

Ok, well it is almost verbatim of what your post said, so I guess the info is proliferated at this point to a dull roar. Will be interesting to see what happens, they are going to make a decision fairly quickly if they intend to move forward with procedures to take the event away. Would be pretty ####ty for them to strip Qatar once they've started construction and infrastructure preparation.

It is a mess for everyone concerned. I am sure Qatar will be ready to sue the pants off of FIFA if it gets pulled.

Like we said earlier, we just need to wait for Garcia's report. It is either going to expose everything or sweep it all under the rug.

Once the report is made public, then we can all better gauge what will occur.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums with roofs.

They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of new age air conditioning technology but that turned out to be completely bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now with the same weather issues that any stadium would have that is open.

That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

And yes, I also saw the article you are getting your info from here.

I never saw that article before. We have posted hundreds of similar articles in the soccer thread the last two months when the story heated up with the sponsors getting involved.

Ok, well it is almost verbatim of what your post said, so I guess the info is proliferated at this point to a dull roar. Will be interesting to see what happens, they are going to make a decision fairly quickly if they intend to move forward with procedures to take the event away. Would be pretty ####ty for them to strip Qatar once they've started construction and infrastructure preparation.

It is a mess for everyone concerned. I am sure Qatar will be ready to sue the pants off of FIFA if it gets pulled.

Like we said earlier, we just need to wait for Garcia's report. It is either going to expose everything or sweep it all under the rug.

Once the report is made public, then we can all better gauge what will occur.

Honestly I can see Qatar ponying up for enclosed domes if the temperature is the real issue. Eight $600 million dollar stadiums is within reason for them.

The bribery stuff is more a FIFA problem than it is a Qatar problem, kickbacks are accepted practice in the MIddle East.

 

[Guest]

Simple. Play all the games 4-8 AM Qatar time.

 

[NewlyRetired]

My gut is that it's 90% likely to be moved -- and that the US is one of two or three alternatives. So maybe a 40% chance?

Yeah, it's not getting moved. Qatar sits on some of the biggest natural gas reserves in the world, too many politicians are getting greased in too many countries for then to remove it.

when all the advertisers bail because thousands of slave laborers are dying there, and no players want to play and no fans want to watch games in 120 degree death heat...then what?how does FIFA make money on an event like this where nobody wants to go and nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch?

All the stadiums are going to be domed. Indentured servants die all the time in the Middle East, why should hte World Cup be any different?

Sponsors won't pull out either, that's crazy talk.

The stadiums will not be domed. They are building open air stadiums with roofs.They originally planned to build 12 open air stadiums with some sort of new age air conditioning technology but that turned out to be completely bogus.

They scrapped all that and are only going to build 8 stadiums now with the same weather issues that any stadium would have that is open.

That is why FIFA says they can not play in Qatar in summer.

Most of the major sponsors have already issued strong public statements against Qatar, calling for a revote if the findings turn out to be true.

The last shoe to fall are the networks some of whom like Fox are going to be irate if the tournament is moved to the winter as FIFA has publicly stated has to happen.

And yes, I also saw the article you are getting your info from here.

I never saw that article before. We have posted hundreds of similar articles in the soccer thread the last two months when the story heated up with the sponsors getting involved.

Ok, well it is almost verbatim of what your post said, so I guess the info is proliferated at this point to a dull roar. Will be interesting to see what happens, they are going to make a decision fairly quickly if they intend to move forward with procedures to take the event away. Would be pretty ####ty for them to strip Qatar once they've started construction and infrastructure preparation.

It is a mess for everyone concerned. I am sure Qatar will be ready to sue the pants off of FIFA if it gets pulled.Like we said earlier, we just need to wait for Garcia's report. It is either going to expose everything or sweep it all under the rug.

Once the report is made public, then we can all better gauge what will occur.

Honestly I can see Qatar ponying up for enclosed domes if the temperature is the real issue. Eight $600 million dollar stadiums is within reason for them. The bribery stuff is more a FIFA problem than it is a Qatar problem, kickbacks are accepted practice in the MIddle East.

I agree about the dome stadiums but there is more in play here politically I think than just weather issues. FIFA has completely changed its tune multiple times. Now even thigh ranking FIFA officials are saying a revote might be needed. Many think FIFA and the sponsors know what the evidence is that was uncovered by English media and are trying to separate themselves from the stain.

There are many that were part of choosing Qatar that are no longer with FIFA and I bet everyone is trying to figure out how they can extricate themselves from Qatar while focusing the blame on people no longer in FIFA.

Some of this political maneuvering involves a fight for the FIFA presidency itself.

Going to be ugly all around.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I want it to stay in Qatar just for the chaos factor. The sex and booze freezones are going to be chaos and although the people of Qatar are preferable to other Arabs IMO, they still are a 180 of western culture (sans the KFCs and Fudruckers).

 

[VA703]

the Greece costa rica game yesterday was unwatchable. the ref ruined the game, it was a complete waste of time. I wish both teams would have lost

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I've certainly watched way more than the Olympics. I wonder how their ratings compare.

 

[McGarnicle]

Never watch soccer, and don't remember watching much of the last World Cup, but I've been riveted to these games. The game doesn't seem boring to me anymore.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Honestly, very entertaining USA game, I think I'm out for now though... I'll return and bump this thread in 2018

 

[[icon]]

I've certainly watched way more than the Olympics. I wonder how their ratings compare.

World Cup > Olympics

Never watch soccer, and don't remember watching much of the last World Cup, but I've been riveted to these games. The game doesn't seem boring to me anymore.

Yeah there's nothing boring about this level of Soccer if you honestly sit down and give it a chance. For most of the matches I'm on the edge of my seat for 45mins straight. WAYYYYYY better mean energy/excitement level than football (which may have 3-4 mins of edge of your seat action per hour in most games).

 

[Ilov80s]

I've certainly watched way more than the Olympics. I wonder how their ratings compare.

World Cup > Olympics

Never watch soccer, and don't remember watching much of the last World Cup, but I've been riveted to these games. The game doesn't seem boring to me anymore.

Yeah there's nothing boring about this level of Soccer if you honestly sit down and give it a chance. For most of the matches I'm on the edge of my seat for 45mins straight. WAYYYYYY better mean energy/excitement level than football (which may have 3-4 mins of edge of your seat action per hour in most games).

Absolutely. It's maybe the only sport where for almost the entire game, one score can change everything. I equate it a bit college football vs NFL. In college, the entire season is basically a playoff as one loss kills almost any teams title hopes where in the NFL teams can lose 6 times and still be in the running for the SB.

 

[Politician Spock]

Honestly, very entertaining USA game, I think I'm out for now though... I'll return and bump this thread in 2018

See ya then!

 

[boubucarow]

I've certainly watched way more than the Olympics. I wonder how their ratings compare.

World Cup > Olympics

Never watch soccer, and don't remember watching much of the last World Cup, but I've been riveted to these games. The game doesn't seem boring to me anymore.

Yeah there's nothing boring about this level of Soccer if you honestly sit down and give it a chance. For most of the matches I'm on the edge of my seat for 45mins straight. WAYYYYYY better mean energy/excitement level than football (which may have 3-4 mins of edge of your seat action per hour in most games).

Absolutely. It's maybe the only sport where for almost the entire game, one score can change everything. I equate it a bit college football vs NFL. In college, the entire season is basically a playoff as one loss kills almost any teams title hopes where in the NFL teams can lose 6 times and still be in the running for the SB.

It is exhausting for me to watch a close game involving a team I am emotionally involved with. I was physically weak after the Belgium game. There are so many breaks in our other sports to catch your breath. Soccer is non-stop buildup for 45+ minutes, halftime, 45+ minutes unless it is a blowout.