Soccer at Heinz
- Thread starter upj87
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For the record, if you do not count the new seats that have just been finished and were not sold for the soccer game and if you consider the bottom bowl to be every seat below the 500 level then the bottom bowl used to seat around 40,000. In other words, that includes the approximately 9,000 total club and super box seats. The 500 level has about 25,000 - 26,000 seats. There were a little over 30,000 lower level "regular" seats before the expansion.
lol golf. Did I call it or what.
You're not exactly coming off as alpha and this thread is the biggest fail in recent Pantherlair hx but hopefully you don't give up.
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I'm not even a beer snob but wow, you really seem like one of those miserable people who hates the world. You really go around the internet starting troll threads about beer and soccer? And upthread you actually admit going to high school soccer games and asking parents how bored they are. Do you think that's normal behavior? Is everything OK at home?
I tend to disagree with that. Then why do the skilled teams dominate? Barcelona has all the talent in the world, they've won 5 of the last 6 Spanish titles, this year they won the UEFA Cup, they where 30-4-4 in their league regular season. That's the best example in the world. Doesn't seem at all like luck is defeating skill very often to me.
And myself, I am an admitted underdog fan! Unless it's the Steelers or "my team", I always root for some undeserving, nobody underdog to ruin the season and legacy of the best skilled, most deserving teams, sort of like in "13-9".
That's somewhat true, people only really like it in North America, Japan, the Caribbean, that's about it. Most of the world doesn't give a crap about it.
Funny thing is, who does that? Who goes to a HS soccer game between two schools you know nothing about when you don't even enjoy the sport? HS soccer is pretty bad too. It's not good soccer. Maybe that's what was implied by the people he allegedly talked to. Did he pay the PIAA inflated ticket price to get in? Did he buy a 6 pack of a microbrew that he hates before or after the game? He's from Central Pa, and my daughter played 3 state playoff games in central PA on her way to playing in the championship at Hershey. I hate to say it, but nobody was at those games because they were all neutral site games that were 3 hours away from both teams on a week night. The only people at the games were people who wanted to be there because they enjoy it. The state championship on the other hand was on a Saturday in Hershey park, so there were fan buses and a good crowd there to see both teams. But we are also talking about two of the largest schools in the state. A single A game may have been entirely different.
I think this is part of the beauty of soccer. A team can control 70% of possession and totally dominate the game but all it takes is that one chance. And that's also why soccer is so compelling to watch if you actually have a team to root for. The scores are so low that there are rarely "blowouts." Only when it gets to a 3 goal lead is the game "over." It can be 2-0 in the 85th minute and the team down 2 still has somewhat of a chance to come back.
I can understand why people don't like the luck aspect of it but its something to behold when a minnow topples a giant club in a game like this. Its part of the reason people fall in love with the sport.
Even with the luck factor, I still think the giant clubs and the best skill wins as much as in any other sport, if not, why is it always Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Netherlands, Spain etc. playing for the World Cup and why is it always Barcelona, Man U, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern etc. always dominating the Club teams? Sure luck factors in, but it's like the basketball NCAAs, when you get to the Final 4, it's usually the big boys that get there with Cinderella being the exception not the rule.
It's an odd thing for me. The NHL has become unwatchable for me. Scoring this year was lower than any year in like 75 years. Stars are not allowed to be stars.
Yet in soccer, I don't need to see goals. I understand that yinzer attention spans need goals. I think that soccer is fine the way it is. But I understand the game because I eased my way into it through youth soccer. I can appreciate how a defense is broken down, how a goal is manufactured, how a ball is won in the air, how a corner kick is earned. But I understand the mindset of people who don't get the sport. I don't fault them for it. I never have. I only fault them for their "little guy syndrome" and their need to bash it because they don't like it. I call them out for posting a panoramic stadium picture during warmups (as done on the pay board) and then claiming that the attendance figure was inflated. Why lie? All in an effort to troll...or make themselves feel better.
Btw, I talked to my Steeler front office guy. 42K tickets were sold, 2000 tickets comped. 44k+ through the gate.
Yet in soccer, I don't need to see goals. I understand that yinzer attention spans need goals. I think that soccer is fine the way it is. But I understand the game because I eased my way into it through youth soccer. I can appreciate how a defense is broken down, how a goal is manufactured, how a ball is won in the air, how a corner kick is earned. But I understand the mindset of people who don't get the sport. I don't fault them for it. I never have. I only fault them for their "little guy syndrome" and their need to bash it because they don't like it. I call them out for posting a panoramic stadium picture during warmups (as done on the pay board) and then claiming that the attendance figure was inflated. Why lie? All in an effort to troll...or make themselves feel better.
Btw, I talked to my Steeler front office guy. 42K tickets were sold, 2000 tickets comped. 44k+ through the gate.
And if you don't like soccer because it seems scoring is luck, how can you like the NHL? NHL is way more tilted to luck than skill, buy far, unless you think that beating down the skilled stars and not calling penalties is also skill? True, stars can't be stars, they can't use their skills because they are constantly fouled and fouls aren't called. And most goals are someone throwing the puck at the net and it bounces off 3 guys and the goalie and trickles in.
nhl needs another round of changes like last decade. Enlarging the ice takes care of most of their issues but no one listens to me. Every single casual fan watches Olympic hockey and once the Olympics are over, 90% of them quit watching. What's that tell you? On an unrelated note, soccer fans are way too sensitive
I always tell my hockey fan buddies that the NHL would be better if they had the bigger ice, and hired the Olympic refs to call the games like the Olympic games. They are all against it, think it would ruin it, actually care that fighting would be eliminated! LOL! I leave the room go for a beer or take a wiz when one of those boring hockey fights starts! The irony is, that Pittsburgh Penguins fans should be the 1st to advocate for Olympic style hockey and rules and officiating because they have the skill players that would benefit from it.
Pittsburgh has essentially had the worlds best offensive players for 30 years. When the NHL finally realizes that the league is suffering due to their Neaderthal approach to the game, and they decide to do something about it, Pittsburgh will then enter a 30 year period without such talent. It will be just our luck as Pens fans.
Right now hockey TV ratings are similar to euro soccer. If soccer TV rights $$ go up significantly in the coming years, maybe finally the NHL will be motivated to make the changes that the game needs. So in that respect, yinzers should hope soccer's popularity continues to rise.
Right now hockey TV ratings are similar to euro soccer. If soccer TV rights $$ go up significantly in the coming years, maybe finally the NHL will be motivated to make the changes that the game needs. So in that respect, yinzers should hope soccer's popularity continues to rise.
You're right but a Man U/Bournemouth game is still compelling TV because it might be 1-0 at half with Bournemouth's supporters thinking they can get that lucky goal to level things even though their side is badly overmatched. Man U will win but maybe not in blowout fashion. The College football version of this game is Ohio State/Kent State where it will be 35-0 at half with Kent never having any shot at all to win the game.
Mario has been fighting this battle since the 90's, probably why he is getting out.. I agree wholeheartedly. LOL about hockey fights.. What's more boring, a hockey fight with two people trying to pull the jersey over their heads or a baseball fight with 40 players running full speed to the mound to hug each other?
Baseball players are just a bunch of *ussies who can't cut it on a football field or soccer pitch. Does it surprise you that they have a hug fest at the mound?? And they really aren't athletes because they need to put a glove on their hand in order to catch a ball. Any sport that does that really isn't a sport.
See how that works? Sounds pretty stupid huh?? That's how the mind works for these ignorant yinzers.
You're right and that's why college basketball and soccer are 2 of my favorite sports. You have the potential for upsets and can actually witness shocking upsets.......but then in the end, the cream rises and you get to watch some epic matches.
baseball fights are a product of ridiculous, outdated, "unwritten rules" that still exist.. Pitcher hits a batter, they have to retaliate with hitting the other team's best player.. to "send a message." Has that ever "sent a message" honestly? Or does it just mean that the original team has to hit their player? Just go round and round. And of course no one is really that mad about it, if they were they would actually fight instead of slow dance. But they have to act mad so we witness the charage of the bench clearing brawl which is nothing resembling a brawl but resembling a junior high dance with awkward teenagers slow dancing with the opposite sex..
Hockey fights are such a joke. I remember my wife saw it on TV once and asked why the refs are letting them do that and I had to explain to here that its part of the game, its payback for something else, whatever. She thought it was so weird........and she was right. Listen, if 2 guys really dont like each other that much, they should settle it like men in the parking lot after the game when someone really has the chance to get badly hurt. Punching each other while wearing skates so that you can not put as much power behind your punches and having a ref break it up after 30 seconds is not "tough" or "manly." To be honest, maybe the NHL should install an Octagon in each arena in the concourse area and after the game, the players can fight each other. I would watch that, honestly.
How about a fight but the loser has to go to the penalty box and the winner's team gets a 2 minute power play? NHL is already niche as it is with zero chance of becoming mainstream, might as well do weird crap like that to get tv ratings past "Full House" reruns..
Part of the reason they don't want full face hockey masks is basically because then you really couldn't have fights! Don Cherry explained that on "Hockey Night in Canada", remember when Crosby took a slap shot to the mouth and got all his teeth broken? Lol, how are they so stupid to not wear full face masks after seeing and experiencing stuff like that?
Anybody ever watch Don Cherry on "Hockey Night in Canada"? All the stuff the NHL does is based on this moron's ideology about hockey, yet he seems just like Captain Lou Albano doing a WWF skit!
And the fights are horrible, trying to pull their shirts off, they are off balance trying to punch on skates! How do people think this is entertainment?
Anybody ever watch Don Cherry on "Hockey Night in Canada"? All the stuff the NHL does is based on this moron's ideology about hockey, yet he seems just like Captain Lou Albano doing a WWF skit!
And the fights are horrible, trying to pull their shirts off, they are off balance trying to punch on skates! How do people think this is entertainment?
Yes, I totally agree! Being Greek, I have always been an Olympiakos fan, last year it was awesome when they upset Man U in the UEFA Champions League, but in the end Man U won the aggregate at home. You can watch these apparent lopsided matchups and have at least a little hope and be able to be entertained...I mean of you don't mind low scoring, lol. And the thing is, the low scoring itself is part of the fun. Often the biggest highlights are great passes where the guy then muffs the shot or the goalie makes a killer save that has everyone off their feet. Again, you have to give it a chance. It took me years, but I finally caught on.
I love the fact that the games are low scoring because every goal is so important. Its part of the fun. The build-up, the anticipation, the break-through, the celebration...........of that 1 goal. Its awesome. If you truly love a team (and really, none of us Americans really "love" any one soccer team besides maybe the USMNT), you are on pins and needles the entire 90 minutes because at any moment, the game can change with that 1 goal either way.
I've become a fan of DC United, basically because I get their local TV feed, like one game every week or two, and it's been easy to DVR the games and root for them. I mean I had no pre-conceived notions about the league or any allegiance, so I just said, I can easily watch this team pretty often and get to know their players and team which makes it easier for me to root, so I bought a t shirt and root for them. and they are actually a historically good franchise in MLS.
As for BPL I have found it impossible to care about any specific team, but a watch some games casually. I do like UEFA Champions League, and I root for Olympiakos there, they always get at least a couple appearances on TV and the Brit announcers disparage them the whole game, although I have seen them beat Man U, Man City and Arsenal.
And of course I root for USMNT and Greece in the international competitions. I even went to the USMNT's 6-0 win vs. Cuba in the Gold Cup in Baltimore last month. So I've picked up on enough "favorites" to have maybe a match or two to watch every month or so.
This illustrates why we are all different. What you see as fun--the anticipation that a single goal can change everything is one of the major reasons soccer does so little for me. I relish my team blowing its opponent completely out with total and absolute domination on the field and on the scoreboard. I intensely dislike nail biters--especially when the team I am a fan of is involved. I have been known to turn such games off and check back later. If my team has won I watch the replay. If they have lost, I don't bother. But then, I am sure I must be weird in that regard.
The sport never seemed to truly move into the pro Big 4 (football, baseball, hoops, hockey) in the States, save for "World Cup Fever" every few years.
WOW! So you can't watch many Pitt games? How often does Pitt blow out their opponents with total and absolute domination on the field and on the scoreboard?
And you can't watch nailbiters? WOW again! Those are the games that are EASIEST to stay glued to! You are an odd sports fan, actually preferring games that are one sided over competitive games.
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anon_vmuicqnzlyp3u
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I can give you several in my "suburban" area that are not good enough to play any other sport. They tend to be a lot softer. You soccer people are just very touchy and cannot take anyone not understanding your boring, yes boring sport
I don't know where you live, but I can assure you, at any school where they are not hurting for kids, a kid is not playing soccer in high school because he realizes he can't play another sport. It doesn't work that way. Soccer is a sport in which the players need to cultivate their skills from a young age on up. There are no weak/non athletic kids seeing the field. None. Try again.
Boring? Yes. That's your opinion so you are not wrong. The rest of your statement is horse$h!t.
Another thing...football is my favorite sport. It is for most of us. That's why we are on this board. However...
At my HS, which is a top 10 WPIAL enrollment school, the football coaches look out at the soccer team and droll over some the athletes. They certainly wish that they had some of them on the football team and they do not understand why they don't. In addition, there are cases where the football coaches look at the band and see a couple kids and wonder how they can get them to come out for the football team. And yes, I SAID THE BAND. I can assure you that the HS soccer coach has no interest in any of the football players, and he certainly has no interest in the band.
Kids are not playing soccer because they couldn't cut it in football. Not at North Allegheny, not at Central Catholic. Not at Penn Trafford. And not at Upper St Clair.
At my HS, which is a top 10 WPIAL enrollment school, the football coaches look out at the soccer team and droll over some the athletes. They certainly wish that they had some of them on the football team and they do not understand why they don't. In addition, there are cases where the football coaches look at the band and see a couple kids and wonder how they can get them to come out for the football team. And yes, I SAID THE BAND. I can assure you that the HS soccer coach has no interest in any of the football players, and he certainly has no interest in the band.
Kids are not playing soccer because they couldn't cut it in football. Not at North Allegheny, not at Central Catholic. Not at Penn Trafford. And not at Upper St Clair.
Totally understand your point of view but after watching the more mainstream sports my entire life, soccer won me over with the whole "every second matters and we never stop play" deal. I mean, yea, you can say its boring and sometimes it is, but you can never take your eyes off the field because that one moment, that one goal changes everything.
And as I said, if you truly love a team like we love Pitt football and basketball, its exhillerating to watch. I am pretty much sick when I watch the USMNT play games that matters. I get that way watching Pitt but only in big games and only later in games. With the USMNT especially during events like the World Cup, every moment matters from the beginning. Its why I celebrated Dempsey's goal 2 minutes into the Ghana match just as crazily as I did when Fields hit the 3 against Duke. I was running around the house like crazy person because I knew that goal would make it very difficut for Ghana to win that game and maybe more importantly the fact that it sets up a 2nd US goal which would have basically put the game away for good.
I'll never forget watching the US play Portugal. Every time Portugal had the ball, every time Ronaldo touched it near the area, your stomach turns because you know that could be the MOMENT. Its why I think players such as Ronaldo and Messi are the most dominating on the planet in any sport. Their brilliance can change a game in a matter of seconds. Even a guy like LeBron needs an extended period to influence a game.
I have a relative who is hockey/soccer player at a local HS and the football coach is recruiting him like crazy. Just saying.
FWIW, this kid would be a D1 football recruit with the proper training. I'm sure of it.
