Personally I rarely watch any sport but (association) football, it's just not really of my interest to watch. I don't really know why, preferences(?), other things I rather do or watch and football give me more than plenty when it comes to excitement and thrill. And I'm even one of does guys, that only watches the Barclay's Premiere League and if any English teams are playing European, despite there being quite a lot of other great leagues out there. I like the Dutch Eredivisie league for it's mix of talents and the german for it's use of own players and the fact that they have a great attendance each game, they really care for the fans going to the games. Those are just my preferences
For some reason, in the US, field hockey is a women's only sport..? I feel like baseball and Football (us), have about the right amount of points per game. where as hockey and football have too little, and basket ball has way to many.
Exactly Nah, in the Netherlands it is about 50-50. And guys playing hockey are generally regarded as much tougher (and cooler) than the avarage football player. We always joke (including emergeny doctors) that whenever a hockey player has to go to hospital he will be rushed past the waiting line with "injured" football (soccer) players, because the hockey players are usually really injured. The three times i have been to hospital (1 time for myself, 2 time to accompany an injured player) were no exception. anyway, here some good stuff
You could reduce the length of basketball games and fútbol games to three minutes as follows: For fútbol: The team captains could meet and each flip a coin, the team or teams that get(s) a "heads" result is awarded one point just for showing up. Then the teams would play out the last three minutes to see if the result of the coinflip stands. For basketball: The team captains could meet and each roll a D6, each team is awarded 90 points just for showing up + the result of the die roll. Then the teams would play out the last three minutes to see if the result of the diceroll stands. The final scores and results would be all but identical to full games as they are played now but instead of a three hour time sink it would be done and over with in three minutes.
I do recall seeing a televised Basket ball variant years ago, I think it was called Street basket ball or something like that, it was like 5 minute quarters, 3 man teams instead of 5, I think the goals where lower too, and it may have been half court. It was actually entertaining. \ Edit: this might be it... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3x3_(basketball)
Same is true here in Canada, field hockey is predominantly a women's sport only. As for the reason, it's because field hockey is massively overshadowed by ice hockey. Compared to field hockey, ice hockey is... faster tougher more skillful
Not really... maybe like the 7th most popular sport... but probably above field hockey... Think it might be bigger in Canada...?
I'm figuring that baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey and soccer are all more popular. Does Lacrosse fit in right after those?
ahhh here you go... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_United_States seems it's even below volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, and Rugby... but above Cricket...
I dunno. I have heard of both men's and women's Lacrosse teams at the college level. Field hockey approaches unheard of.
Field hockey is more of a high school sport. and Soccer is quite popular as a college sport, but there is no national league, only the US team. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_soccer_clubs_in_the_United_States#Major_League_Soccer_.28MLS.29 Apparently we have lots of professional leagues... none of which I have ever heard of..? I have been trying to read the Wikipedia article on Cricket... yea, now I know why no why it's so unpopular here... it's so completely incomprehensible... completely riddled with bizarre terminology, still not completely sure how you even score points?
faster --- true, Funnily Dutch TV stations always use the excuse, when ppl complain that they dont show field hockey that much, that field hockey is way too fast to be enjoyable for TV. I can follow a field hockey ball on tv, but basically because I know from the movement of the sticks where the balls are going, but you need to understand the game to enjoy watching it. I can NOT follow a Ice hockey puck on tv, sometimes not even in the replay. So i actually think people come to see the "boxing" and not necesarrily the game. tougher --- yeah, but you need protection.....you bunch of sissies more skillfull ------- Can't really judge, but I think you might be mistaken here a little bit. Do'nt forget you are only allowed to use one side of a fieldhockey stick.
If you are referring to soccer, you're mistaken... http://www.mlssoccer.com/ I've played both myself (though not very much of field hockey). It did take quite a while to get used to only being able to use one side of the field hockey stick. Plus the stick is very short (not sure if there are different sizes for taller people, but we didn't have any) and all the sticks were all right handed (I play left handed in ice hockey even though I am right handed). In ice hockey you do have the advantage of being able to use both sides of the stick blade, but as a result the stick handling is far quicker and definitely not any less skill demanding. So both ice hockey and field hockey are similar in that they require exceptional hand eye coordination, stick handling, shooting, passing, positional awareness, defending, etc. However the reason I say that ice hockey demands more skill is because you have to do all the same things as in field hockey but while skating!! If you haven't ever tried playing hockey on skates then you probably can't accurately the gauge the high level of skating skill that is required. That in and of itself makes ice hockey more skill demanding than field hockey.
The BBC Telly News has informed me that the US Department of Justice and the FBI are not fútbol fans.