North Carolina Tar Heels

[aTm]

Just looking at the players, I'd say the average height and weight of WC players was below 6" and well below 200 lbs.

They are not below average sized guys for sure. Not sure on weight, but height is readily available. Spain is considered a very small team, and they still had 4 dudes on their roster that were over 6'3"

To show you the average height of selected teams...

Brazil averaged 5 feet 11 and a half inches and has 10 out of 23 over 6 foot with 3 over 6'3"
USA averaged 6 feet and one half inch and 15 out of 23 were over 6 foot with 5 players over 6'3"
Germany averaged 6 feet and one inch and 18 out of 23 were over 6 foot with 7 players over 6'3"
Spain averaged 5 feet 11 inches and 11 out of 23 were over 6 foot with 4 over 6'3"

Soccer is game that can be played on the ground or in the air, and only a handful of positions require raw strength so you can get world class players that are undersized, but as with other sports, its generally a big man's game when you talk about the general sizes of the players. Each of those average height numbers for the soccer teams is 2-3 inches taller than the average male in that country.

[Jungle Rat]

DS could make the US team.

[Dave23]

How are y'all missing game action? Do you not have DVR's?

Pause that shit and go take a piss, or grab another beer. It'll be there when you get back.

[Bklyn]

I can't watch games on delay. Either way, you and Nostrom are missing the point. As Americans we're used to a Chevy commercial every 9 - 13 minutes, so planning a bathroom run before games is not in our cultural DNA (unless we are at a game live, then we go early or right before the halftime rush happens). I learned to manage my bathroom situations after about a week into the WC, but it was not something that I ever thought about beforehand...because I never had to.

[Bklyn]

Just looking at the players, I'd say the average height and weight of WC players was below 6" and well below 200 lbs.

They are not below average sized guys for sure. Not sure on weight, but height is readily available. Spain is considered a very small team, and they still had 4 dudes on their roster that were over 6'3"

To show you the average height of selected teams...

Brazil averaged 5 feet 11 and a half inches and has 10 out of 23 over 6 foot with 3 over 6'3"
USA averaged 6 feet and one half inch and 15 out of 23 were over 6 foot with 5 players over 6'3"
Germany averaged 6 feet and one inch and 18 out of 23 were over 6 foot with 7 players over 6'3"
Spain averaged 5 feet 11 inches and 11 out of 23 were over 6 foot with 4 over 6'3"

Soccer is game that can be played on the ground or in the air, and only a handful of positions require raw strength so you can get world class players that are undersized, but as with other sports, its generally a big man's game when you talk about the general sizes of the players. Each of those average height numbers for the soccer teams is 2-3 inches taller than the average male in that country.

Between Messi, Neymar and the Japan squad, I can see how some would think they were all small out there. They are not usually "big" though...but who would be after running for 6 or 7 miles every game? I don't know if it's the size, necessarily, that gets in the way of Americans. I think the seeming lack of major displays of physical prowess happening often in the games is what is the real driver. I think that perception makes many Americans think they can just go out there and do the same run around shit themselves. They only seem to "get" that these are real athletes doing exceptional things when a great scoring play occurs.

It gets me back to my original premise. If scoring isn't punched up, I think soccer in America will have serious commercial headwinds.

[aTm]

I think people in general (older people who never played) don't understand how difficult the things done in a soccer game are, because they aren't skills regularly tried but they look easy.

Most people have a hazy notion of how difficult it is to kick a field goal for instance because they've tried it out, and seen those people embarrass themselves at halftimes of football games, but for some reason people don't translate that difficulty to kicking a soccer ball that's usually moving when you're trying to kick it, or the difficulty of running and dribbling with the ball.

If you've ever seen twenty-somethings try to play kickball (the baseball like game) which is kind of a softball style rec game fad right now, you regularly see overconfident people bust their ass whiffing on that slow rolling ball. Its the same kind of inexperience that leads an idiot like 50 cent who's obviously never thrown a baseball in his life, to embarrass the fuck out of himself trying throw out a first pitch which he probably thought was going to be a breeze because he's only seen people good at it do it.

[Owlman]

Bathroom breaks are more than just peeing. When I say bathroom breaks, it includes anything that you need to do quickly. Grabbing the bills, checking an email or getting food out of the microwave, or the many little things that you can do quickly when you're at home (such as answering your wife's question that she was pestering you about while there was a long pass downfield).

I'm not against soccer. But until there is a major star or 2 that is in the United States that commands attention, I don't see it as passing up the other major sports, let alone a great TV contract and viewership.

Oh, and fine the floppers.

[aTm]

Pep is a douchebag. Wasted trip if Bayern wanted to make some American fans.

[sardis]

Can someone translate?

[Jungle Rat]

I think he's saying soccer is gay.

[Bklyn]

I didn't watch the match...any coverage...or read anything. I don't plan on it either. However, my neighbor is counsel for the L, so I'll just repeat aTm's point, word for word, and make myself look like I care about whatever went down.

[CAT]

Soccer players have gorgeous bodies! I love the end of the game when they remove their shirts!

[CAT]

Oh BTW Sacramento is looking to go MLS.

[10ac]

Soccer players have gorgeous bodies! I love the end of the game when they remove their shirts!

I think that's why most watch it.

[Jungle Rat]

So that's why you watch it? I knew it!

[Jungle Rat]

Tony Stewart

Murderer

[AlabamAlum]

No, that guy committed suicide.

[Jungle Rat]

http://deadspin.com/reports-tony-stewar ... 1618893708

[hedge]

It looks like the rear end of Stewart's car spins in the opposite direction of where the guy was standing. I'm sure those drivers know what they're doing and not saying that Stewart didn't try to bump him back (or whatever), but what the hell was the guy doing running around in the middle of a track full of cars? That was just stupid...

[crashcourse]

I think stewart tried to accelerate to get by him and thats why the bvack of the car slides out.

bet they charge him though--at least a civil trial