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YouTube Gets a Vuvuzela Button (Seriously)

teh31337one writes "YouTube always has had a way with pranks. Some time in the last hour, the world's largest video portal activated a new button on some videos that looks like a tiny soccer ball. Clicking it will activate an endless, incredibly annoying sound that sounds vaguely like a swarm of insects. Or, for anyone who has been watching the World Cup, like the dreaded vuvuzela — an instrument commonly played in South Africa at football (soccer) games. South Africa is, of course, the host country for this year's World Cup, and fans watching the games have been subjected to the vuvuzela's mindless drone for hours on end. The noise is so annoying that television networks have taken measures to filter it out, and guides have popped up showing viewers how to block it from their TV sets and computers. I'm not seeing the button show up on all videos, but it is definitely appearing on some clips that aren't soccer-related."

305 comments

  1. Or how about... by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 4, Informative
    1. Re:Or how about... by SweeBeeps · · Score: 1

      That is so win in such an obnoxious way!

    2. Re:Or how about... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This reminds me of when mages got portals to Theramore/Stonard.

    3. Re:Or how about... by networkBoy · · Score: 3, Funny

      ha ha ha, Blocked by my workplaces internet filter for "proxy avoidance"
      Anyone using that to avoid a proxy is insane.

      --
      whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
    4. Re:Or how about... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Particularly awesome while browsing the local obituaries, as it sounds like a massive swarm of flies.

      BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

    5. Re:Or how about... by michael_cain · · Score: 1

      Downloaded and installed it this morning. It's not perfect, but it does help a lot. Still some buzzing left, but at a different frequency that doesn't sound nearly so much like a bunch of angry bees. Minimal impact on the announcers' voices, and you can hear normal crowd noise.

    6. Re:Or how about... by wastedlife · · Score: 1

      Read the summary at least. Youtube is not filtering the vuvuzela sound, but adding a button that actually adds the sound to the video.

      --
      Said, "It's just like dice but it's got more sides And it tells me who lives and who dies"
    7. Re:Or how about... by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      German public TV already has the noise filtered pretty well and it sounds more like a regular soccer match that way. The announcer speaks over the filtered audio so he's not affected at all.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    8. Re:Or how about... by fcbs · · Score: 3, Funny

      How about listening vuvuzelas non-stop? There is an online radio broadcasting vuvuzela sounds 24/7 @ http://www.vuvuzela.fm/ My neighbours love it, or so I guess... :D

  2. Annoying... by TrisexualPuppy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why is it that all of these big web giants are doing stuff like this? It has been enough with Youtube adding the "like" button to mimic Facebook when upvoting or downvoting made more sense. But now we have Google automatically adding backgrounds to the search page when you don't want anything to change because it's distracting and works as it is already.

    Not that the web should be completely static, but it's annoying when you have change for the sake of change in widely used sites.

    1. Re:Annoying... by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 4, Informative

      Oh come on, April Fools Day' is the Internet at its most amusing just for stuff like this. You know it's only a temporary change.

    2. Re:Annoying... by Spad · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well you've got to mimic the Facebook, otherwise how will you attract all those cool, intelligent people who use social networking sites to your services?

    3. Re:Annoying... by Moryath · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Far more annoying than either of these are the fucked-up popup "slide window" ads that obscure the bottom 1/3 of every fucking video on Youtube these days.

      I've taken to just clicking the Download Helper button and downloading whatever video to my desktop, so I don't have to see those stupid annoying ads and can actually see the video I was looking for.

    4. Re:Annoying... by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 3, Insightful

      all those cool, intelligent people who use social networking sites to your services?

      Do not want!

    5. Re:Annoying... by couchslug · · Score: 0

      Hubris and change of vision. T

      hey are fat, successful, perhaps the first cadre who built them are gone, and the new folks view "activity as progress". Many PHBs change shit so they can mark territory.

      The response (relentless flaming) to Google's Stupid Background Trick" is the only way to get through to them.

      Cute stupid shit has a place, but inflicting it on users who prefer clean, elegant, efficient design is fucktarded.

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    6. Re:Annoying... by NJRoadfan · · Score: 1

      But now we have Google automatically adding backgrounds to the search page when you don't want anything to change because it's distracting and works as it is already.

      Whats funny is the day Google introed the backgrounds and showed samples, everyone at work thought something was wrong with their computer. Google prided themselves with (and others lauded) their simple vanilla search page. Then they go and try and copy Bing.... yeah, copy one of their biggest competitors.

    7. Re:Annoying... by Mathinker · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, how many products did you buy because of YouTube ads last year? Was it enough? Meh.

      Your comment seems very similar to "every download is a lost sale", because, to me, at least, it's pretty clear that "Moryath" isn't going to buy anything advertised in that irritating way --- in fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if he might actually consider boycotting products pushed by "those stupid annoying ads". In that case, his avoiding the ads is doing the advertisers a favor.

      And you know what? I even think he's smart enough, in the case where he thought that his behavior was actually damaging Google (and it's not clear that it even is, because I'm certain that Google counts his download as a "view", and I'm not certain that Google doesn't charge advertisers based on the popularity of the clips they are supposed to pop up on, even if they don't get clicked), to move to a different tool which would block the ads while giving Google their share of payback from the advertisers.

    8. Re:Annoying... by bami · · Score: 5, Informative

      Adblock Plus takes care of these, haven't seen one ever on my desktop/laptops.

    9. Re:Annoying... by John+Pfeiffer · · Score: 1

      Something else annoying on Google lately, when you search for something, and the result you click on is a forum thread, when you go back to the google search, after several seconds the entry for the forum thread you were just looking at expands to have a 'More threads from this forum' or somesuch link. And this invariably happens JUST as you're about to click on the next search result.

      --

      Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
    10. Re:Annoying... by cojoneees · · Score: 5, Informative

      Your assumption regarding the rating system of youtube is wrong. The like/dislike system was adopted as a consequence of the rating habits of youtube users not in an attempt to mimic facebook. The majority of the videos on youtube were either 1* or 5* with mostly nothing in between.

      The like/dislike mechanism is an evolution of a system that is trying to adapt itself to its user base.

      You can read more about this on the official youtube blog - http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2009/09/five-stars-dominate-ratings.html

      Cheers.

    11. Re:Annoying... by imakemusic · · Score: 2, Funny

      I guess you don't have time for things like that what with having to get those damned kids off your lawn all the time...

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    12. Re:Annoying... by Chih · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's hard work keeping a lawn free of ruffians and hooligans.

      --
      For best results, avoid doing stupid things.
    13. Re:Annoying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hated that day.

      I almost always set google as the homepage when I set up a browser. Simple, clean, fast to load. If they had kept up that foolishness I would have been off to find me a new default homepage.

    14. Re:Annoying... by bradgoodman · · Score: 1

      "Anything goes, as long as it's funny" - Jim Dymek

    15. Re:Annoying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      <html><head>Google</head>
      <body>
      <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/search">
      <input name="q" maxlength="255" type="text"><input value="Google Search" type="submit">
      </form>
      </body></html>

      Simple enough?

    16. Re:Annoying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh, for once in your dreary, lonely life, just laugh and appreciate harmless spontaneity, you hopelessly miserable, cynical person.

    17. Re:Annoying... by Moryath · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, I'm not a "leecher."

      On the other hand, I came to see the video. If they want to run a 5-10 second bit before the video plays, like many other video sites do, I have absolutely no problem with that. They need their advert money, fine. If they want to put ads down the right side, as long as they're not neon flashing crap or those annoying expanding "a truck runs all across your screen covering up the article you came to read" flash ad crap, fine.

      Where I get annoyed is that the ads are actually BLOCKING MY VIEW OF THE VIDEO. Many times, it's blocking my view of a foreign news clip or something else that has subtitles (like Auto-tune The News), which means the subtitles themselves are getting blocked.

      Google/Youtube needs to learn: STOP FUCKING COVERING UP THE VIDEO. It's damn annoying and no, it does NOT make me more likely to buy the advertised product. Far from it, I'll get even more pissed off if I mis-click the tiny-ass little "x" button to get the fucking thing to go away, and then either have a new page popup happen, or have my browser wander away from the video entirely.

    18. Re:Annoying... by Chris+Burke · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Your comment seems very similar to "every download is a lost sale", because, to me, at least, it's pretty clear that "Moryath" isn't going to buy anything advertised in that irritating way --- in fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if he might actually consider boycotting products pushed by "those stupid annoying ads". In that case, his avoiding the ads is doing the advertisers a favor.

      Remember X10, the little computer-interfaced security camera company? I was actually interested in buying a number of their products -- mostly to satisfy vague James Bond-only-nerdy urges -- ha ha, I can see it's the pizza guy who just rang my doorbell without leaving my computer!

      That is until they began a marketing blitz of pop-up ads. I recall it as the first such assault I experienced. And I vowed never to buy products from such a company. And I haven't.

      If blocking the pop-up ads on Youtube hurts the advertiser, and especially if it hurts Google, then good. Maybe they'll recognize that they're being hurt by their own behavior, and change their policy.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    19. Re:Annoying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you sound like an astroturfer.

    20. Re:Annoying... by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Informative

      Also, it's youtube. You know what's more annoying than websites all mimicking each other? 99.9% of the content on youtube, that's what.

      The vuvuleza sound is actually quite an improvement. For instance, this morning one of my friends had sent me a link which turned out to be two minutes of a video of a rabbit, not doing anything. The buzzing sound gave it an ominous tone which was highly amusing, like the bunny was very very slowly moving toward a swarm of evil robotic bees.

      The top youtube videos, what you might expect to be the cream of the crop, are even worse: "Justin Bieber LOVES Chinese Guy!" I can't imagine a horrible buzzing noise degrading the quality of that one. A bunch of clips from the world cup, most having already been taken down, a buzzing noise would at least be something. "Seattle Cop Punches Woman - Raw Footage " didn't have the option, a buzzing noise masking the incoherent shouting would have been nice.

      It really failed to improve "Super Mario Beatbox" though.

    21. Re:Annoying... by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 1

      Oh, for once in your dreary, lonely life, just laugh and appreciate harmless spontaneity, you hopelessly miserable, cynical person.

      I love that! Can I use that for a sig? Priceless!

      --
      You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
    22. Re:Annoying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it was deliberate, personally. I think they deliberately picked annoying, busy background pictures that take forever to load. Everyone and their dog were like "oh sweet jesus, make it go away." They go to bing in the vain attempt to search the net without it, see the same type of thing. They go back to Google a bit later, back to normal. And now they know that Bing is godawful, and Google is awesome.

    23. Re:Annoying... by Ant+P. · · Score: 2, Informative

      Turn on HTML5 mode, install flashblock and you won't see any ads on YT videos. The ones that do have ads are forced to use flash.

    24. Re:Annoying... by EkriirkE · · Score: 1

      When did AdBlock Plus sift through flash source code for ad agents and dynamically disable/remove them within a flash applet and recompile it on the fly so that the applet isn't fully blocked? I checked my plugin updates but I see no new version of ABP. Is this a beta version you're using?

      --
      from 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
      to 45 2F 6E 40 3C DF 10 71 4E 41 DF AA 25 7D 31 3F
    25. Re:Annoying... by TrisexualPuppy · · Score: 1

      No, you're trying to force words into my mouth. I did not say anything about the functional change of the rating system.

      There are MANY ways to change the rating system without making a Facebook style copycat.

    26. Re:Annoying... by TangoMargarine · · Score: 1

      Well, that's a problem everywhere with stupid people who don't understand the point of a range-of-response question, not just on YouTube. Obviously a "1 - 10 range" question is really asking, "Do you loathe this with all your being or want to make sweet love to it?"

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    27. Re:Annoying... by AragornSonOfArathorn · · Score: 1

      KOMPRESSOR said it best:

      We must destroy X10
      We must destroy all Internet ad
      We must destroy X10
      We must destroy all Internet ad

      Window pop-up on the screen
      Taking control of my machine
      Making all internet user insane
      X10 profit goes down the drain

      Girl is naked, take a movie
      Girl is looking picture cutie
      You buy things from pop-up banner
      You get wallet, purchase camera

      We must destroy X10
      We must destroy all Internet ad
      We must destroy X10
      We must destroy all Internet ad

      Economy failing, is X10 fault
      Popping up window is computer assault
      Window pop-up, again and again
      The only solution is CRUSH X10!

      We must destroy X10
      We must destroy all Internet ad
      We must destroy X10
      We must destroy all Internet ad

      --
      sudo eat my shorts
    28. Re:Annoying... by arkane1234 · · Score: 1

      But now we have Google automatically adding backgrounds to the search page when you don't want anything to change because it's distracting and works as it is already.

      If your world crumbles because a background photo appears, you're pretty fucking sad.

      --
      -- This space for lease, low setup fee, inquire within!
    29. Re:Annoying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It doesn't need to "sift through flash source code." If flash makes a call to an ad webserver and that webserver is being filtered by ABP lists, then you will not see the ad.

    30. Re:Annoying... by FiloEleven · · Score: 1

      I'm glad you mentioned Auto-Tune the News. I had never heard of it, and now I've seen all of it. There's some really funny stuff in there.

    31. Re:Annoying... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Last time I checked ABP worked by blocking/removing elements containing blacklisted hosts which is fine and dandy for HTML. It doesn't make entries into my hosts file to intercept said hosts for an all-around block. The ads are embedded into the player, ABP would have to do what GP mentioned to work.

    32. Re:Annoying... by Chappsterr · · Score: 1

      So what you're saying...... is that we're basically still given the option of 1 or 5.

    33. Re:Annoying... by cojoneees · · Score: 1

      I'm not trying to force words into anyones mouth man :) Your statement implies that youtube has adopted the like/dislike system to mimic facebook.

      What I was saying is that the rating mechanism has been changed because of another reason -> five options rating is not working, two options rating might work.

      Adding a like/dislike style to the system makes all the sense in the world because:
      1. The like system is hugely familiar to millions of users
      2. The like system is hugely popular. If you ask me, it's already embedded in popular culture so people can easily relate to that.

      What would have been the difference if instead of like/dislike they would have named it +/- or Love/Hate?

      Also, god damn... the google background experiment pissed the hell out of me.

    34. Re:Annoying... by bami · · Score: 1

      I think it works like this:

      * User requests page which has flash object, with the parameters of the video and a string containing some unique ID for the advertiser.
      * Flash object asynchronously fetches the video object, and contacts the ad server for some text and an image.
      * Adblock plus sees the request for the ad server, block it, while flash waits for the adserver, and times out.
      * User sees video, but no advertisement.

      I think google does an excellent job of providing a graceful timeout,
      so the user isn't waiting for some random adserver that is broken, like on so many sites (including slashdot, thank god for the advertisement disable feature).
      I guess I should disable the ads on youtube, but most of the money goes to all the record labels for people using "their" music, and they suing everybody in sight.

    35. Re:Annoying... by Meski · · Score: 1

      There are now rick-roll vuvuzela links.

      Next, I expect a "Downfall" parody serenaded with, yes, vuvuzelas. And, of course, a beowulf cluster of them.

  3. dreaded? by unixcrab · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dreaded? Incredibly annoying? Come one, it's just a trumpet. I get the feeling that after all the prophets of doom predicted the stadiums wouldn't be finished and the fans would be murdered by criminals, they have nothing left to complain about except the little trumpets.

    1. Re:dreaded? by Spad · · Score: 1

      It's like a thousand angry bees trying to force their way into your brain via your ears. Though to be fair I have largely tuned it out now - at least it's a consistent sound so it's easy to ignore - and the England game yesterday was the first one where I couldn't actually hear the vuvuzelas over the sound of the crowd.

    2. Re:dreaded? by wampus · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Uh, I think you'll find the bible says bad things about trumpets in the book of revelation...

    3. Re:dreaded? by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Come one, it's just a trumpet.

      No it isn't. You can get a tune out of a trumpet.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    4. Re:dreaded? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Bad things? The trumpet gets blown by an angel. I guess it depends on the angel whether this is a bad thing...

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    5. Re:dreaded? by FuckingNickName · · Score: 2, Funny

      So I was thinking earlier about which artists from each continent will stick in my mind when I look back to music at the beginning of the century. When I contemplated of African music, Ladysmith Black Mambazo came to mind; when I thought of American music, I couldn't get Britney out of my head.

      On-topic, since I dislike football and love bees, I actually sat through one whole televised football match just to hear the vuvuzela and enjoy the mental image of a swarm of angry workers greeting the crowd. Unbarbed, of course - I wouldn't want them to waste the ultimate sacrifice on footballers.

    6. Re:dreaded? by flintmecha · · Score: 1

      Except they aren't playing it like a trumpet. It's monotone and endless. A constant painful pitch. So South Africans truly find that entertaining? Or is the World Cup audience filled with trolls who are playing the vuvuzela "improperly" on purpose?

    7. Re:dreaded? by RadioElectric · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, the vuvuzelas in the stadium are one thing but this has actually had a much more annoying effect back home (UK). They're selling vuvuzelas over here now, which means that there are people staggering around our city centres with low-tech airhorns (yes, they are that loud in-person).

    8. Re:dreaded? by krou · · Score: 3, Informative

      Bollocks. You can get a tune out of a vuvuzela, too. Don't know if that video is visible for non-UK viewers, so here's a clip of it on YouTube.

      I don't know how to play a keyboard, and if I bang the keys and make a racket, does that mean it's no longer a keyboard?

      --
      'If Christ had tweeted the sermon on the mount, it might have lasted until nightfall.' - John Perry Barlow
    9. Re:dreaded? by pinkushun · · Score: 2, Funny
    10. Re:dreaded? by Hognoxious · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think that proves my point exactly.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    11. Re:dreaded? by laejoh · · Score: 1

      ... but you can't tune a fish!

    12. Re:dreaded? by pinkushun · · Score: 2, Funny

      The stadium arch is visible from my lounge, and bedroom, and when there's no volume knob to turn that noise down, boy does your brain leak out your eye sockets. Big game days it carries on till early am. Delusions of gagging people with their vuvuz keep me sane.

    13. Re:dreaded? by clickety6 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Come one, it's just a trumpet

      REMEMBER JERICHO !!

      --
      ----------------------------------- My Other Sig Is Hilarious -----------------------------------
    14. Re:dreaded? by Hognoxious · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think one of John Cage's works really brings out its finer qualities.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    15. Re:dreaded? by icebraining · · Score: 1

      Actually, the instruments that inspired the Vuvuzelas were used as a call for meetings, not for music:

      Traditionally made from a kudu horn, the vuvuzela was used to call together meetings and could be heard by distant peoples summoned to attend.

    16. Re:dreaded? by icebraining · · Score: 1

      It was used as a call, not a musical instrument.

    17. Re:dreaded? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Dreaded? Incredibly annoying? Come one, it's just a trumpet.

      Have you actually fucking heard the noise just coming over the television? Are you deaf? Or is your opinion simply irrelevant to any normal person's perception of what is annoying?

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    18. Re:dreaded? by demonbug · · Score: 1

      No kidding. I didn't even really notice it until everyone started making a big deal out of it. Just background noise.
      It's a nice improvement over the craptastic ESPN commentary, anyway (though this seems to have maybe kinda sorta gotten better in the last couple games).

    19. Re:dreaded? by TangoMargarine · · Score: 1

      Depends moreso on whether you believe in an afterlife, I would think. As this thread is assuming there actually is one.

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    20. Re:dreaded? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No it isn't. You can get a tune out of a trumpet.

      ... but you can't get the trumpet out of a tune!

    21. Re:dreaded? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can get a tune out of a vuvuzela, too; it's a natural trumpet (i.e., one without valves), but you can still play it just like you'd play, say, an Alphorn.

      You'll just need a) a bit of skill and practice, and b) an instrument that's not a mass-manufactured piece of plastic you bought for two bucks.

    22. Re:dreaded? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Tell you what, when you find a) and b) within a hundred miles of each other I suggest you buy a lottery ticket.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    23. Re:dreaded? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not too terrible. Reminds me of my more youthful days trying to listen to some oddball show or another on AM radio. There's always got to be somebody in the house with the dimmer lights not turned to full off, and as a result that's how the entire program sounded.

      Now you can recreate this experience for your kids on the otherwise noiseless internet with the press of a button.

    24. Re:dreaded? by Bo'Bob'O · · Score: 1

      I've never had one, but being a trumpet player I can tell you you could indeed play a tune on a Vuvuzela. Early trumpets didn't have valves at all, they were quite long (an octave lower) so that it could be played in it's upper register. In those upper registers many notes will resonate in the horn without needing to change it's length with the valves. We still see this in the bugle.

      A simple youtube search turns up this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gjjLhQTufg&feature=related

    25. Re:dreaded? by ksemlerK · · Score: 1

      Fire a couple of rifle shots into the crowd. I bet they shut up.

    26. Re:dreaded? by Vash21 · · Score: 1

      Well, technically its not a trumpet, its closer to a natural horn, (a cheap, uncoiled, plastic natural horn), and i think your video just proves that a musician can make music out of anything (i.e. percussionist...), and an untrained monkey can make anything produce a purely irritating noise. The vuvuzela's in the world cup are definitely an example of the latter.

    27. Re:dreaded? by hitmark · · Score: 1

      my first thought when seeing one was that its basically a plastic truck horn.

      Heck, mount a canister of compressed air to it, and its a oversized airhorn.

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
  4. Now also for Slashdot! by Silm · · Score: 2, Funny
    1. Re:Now also for Slashdot! by sakdoctor · · Score: 1

      Men of Harlech, stop your dreaming.
      Can't you see their vuvuzela gleaming?

  5. So... by ground.zero.612 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Being that I'm from the US, I didn't need yet another reason to hate soccer... but, thanks Youtube for giving me another one!

    --
    "Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared." --Joe Hallenbeck
    1. Re:So... by BoofBaf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      i have never understood why some people take such great pride in hating something

    2. Re:So... by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      What reasons would that be, as opposed to those to call handegg boring? ;)
      (In terms of sports, I’m a shooter (online) and rally (offline) guy, so if you think I care about “sides” here, it’s all in your head.)

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    3. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's lucky that there's no such sport as soccer anyway.

    4. Re:So... by duguk · · Score: 1, Interesting

      i have never understood why some people take such great pride in hating something

      Easy, for me at least to answer. Popular football causes violence, racism, hours lost at work, wasted money, hours of TV and news coverage is lost; and a small minority. who are already rich, are the only ones to benefit.

      Speaking of national football, at least in the UK; Manchester Untied owe the banks around £2.2 Billion (a million million, not a US thousand million). That money would pay for about a tenth of the cost of the war in Iraq to the UK. That's just one football club. Most football clubs in the UK are in debt.

      Not just that, but at least in the UK, many people see those who don't support Football as unpatriotic - when they themselves are only patriotic during football games.

      I believe it's morally wrong to support national and international football because of these, and loads more reasons. Many people don't realise what cost football has, and what little it does. Does that answer your question?

    5. Re:So... by networkBoy · · Score: 1

      I take great pride in hating Zurich Financial ala Farmers Insurance (farmersreallysucks.com) because they're assholes.

      Now if you mean strictly hating something incapable of harming you if you watch it (like football,football, or rugby), then yeah I agree with you.

      --
      whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
    6. Re:So... by Odin's+Raven · · Score: 4, Funny

      i have never understood why some people take such great pride in hating something

      Yeah, I hate it when people act that way!

      --
      A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.
    7. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i have never understood why some people take such great pride in hating something

      And you're on Slashdot?

    8. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait, are we talking about national football or the NFL?

    9. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you mean people hating soccer, or hating the vuvuzelas?

    10. Re:So... by dc29A · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's what I was asking myself all the time, then with every single FIFA World Cup I am reminded why:

      Incompetent referees: US being denied TWO game winning goals in TWO different matches (no refs, those weren't off sides). Brazil scoring a goal after a double handball (that fucked CIV for sure). Villa from Spain slapping a Honduras player: no infraction (should have been a straight red card)! And I won't even mention the hand of Henry. While most major sports have evolved to use video replay, not the FIFA! No sir! And even if you have clear video of players blatantly cheating, the FIFA won't do shit: see Ireland being fucked over by Thiery Henry and France. The FIFA is so stuck up and stubborn that even when Henry said: "Yes I cheated", they didn't do a thing.

      Cheaters: Asshole Italian (De Rossi, I know, I am shocked too, Italian divers, who would have tought?! He did same exact thing in 2006.) dives in the Kiwi penalty area to get his team a penalty shot. I am pretty sure Italians have discovered a new force in nature because being pulled back from your shirt, somehow miraculously they fall forward! Endresult: Kiwis are fucked. Italy, France and Brazil along with Christian Ronaldo are masters of diving. As soon as one of their players is touched, they dive. Couple this with incompetent referees and a broken referee system and you got a clusterfuck of bad calls.

      Playacting: Kaká being sent off with with double yellow card because Keita from CIV was "writhing" in immense pain on his head after being touched in the chest. I wish I had this insane ability of Kaká, just touch someone and this dude is in mega pain! Oh and let's not mention Miroslav Klose from Germany sent off as well because of obvious play acting from the serbian side. His first yellow card was completely unwarranted.

      Every single game, watch players agonize in pain as if they are dying, 20 seconds later they are back on their feet and trucking along. Now watch a hockey game with a player receiving a puck in the face, losing a few teeth, bleeding, sits down on bench a few minutes, gets patched up and goes back playing. All this without one single moment of agonizing in pain, and I am willing to bet he was in infinitely more pain than the football player. Football is slowly becoming a joke, becoming almost as bad as WWE wrestling. The difference between WWE and football is that football is only partially acted out versus WWE is all acting. This is very unfortunate because the game is beautiful, but it's being ruined by a federation, the FIFA, stuck in a 1920 mentality and of course by the hordes of players who abuse the system to cheat.

      PS: GO ORANJE!

    11. Re:So... by Siener · · Score: 1

      Luckily more and more of your countrymen don't agree with you...

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtaE1b7ozIU

      I've also met some very cool soccer fans from the US here in South Africa

    12. Re:So... by ciderVisor · · Score: 2, Informative

      Manchester Untied owe the banks around £2.2 Billion (a million million, not a US thousand million).

      That's just plain silly. It's the US-style billions (10^9) that Man U owe. Nobody in Britain uses the word "billion" to mean 10^12 these days.

      --
      Squirrel!
    13. Re:So... by DragonWriter · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Popular football causes violence, racism,

      There's no evidence that the degree of popularity of football in a society contributes to greater levels of violence and racism.

      It is perhaps defensible that popular football provides a focus for the violence and racism already in a society, but that's a very different thing than causing violence and racism.

       

    14. Re:So... by IICV · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Easy, for me at least to answer. Popular football causes violence, racism, hours lost at work, wasted money, hours of TV and news coverage is lost; and a small minority. who are already rich, are the only ones to benefit.

      There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

      You are only seeing the downsides because you choose to ignore the upsides; how many people's quality of life becomes better due to these games? There is more to life than just work work work after all.

      Also, saying that football causes violence and racism is like saying the Ku Klux Klan caused violence and racism - they don't, they're just an excuse to be violent and racist. If your people weren't already violent and racist, football wouldn't cause them to behave that way.

    15. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyone who learned the word in classroom and not from TV still uses it to mean 10^12 - at least in Scotland. What's so hard about saying a thousand million anyway? And what word do you use for 10^12 if not a billion?

    16. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't have the knowledge of the game that you have so I haven't picked up on all the bad refereeing. Yes, some calls are going to be wrong and a few of those are going to decide games but I don't think it is possible to have video replay *during game play*. Even hockey doesn't do that. I think it would interrupt the flow of the games if every play was reviewed. How about video replay *for the play leading to a goal*?

      As for the play acting, it is probably really painful to get kicked in the ankle or kneecap. I'm assuming they wear shin-guards, else that would be painful too. Anyway, I think the refs don't let the play acting affect their calls too much. Or at least I hope not.

      I'm from Canada, pretty clueless about the beautiful game, but enjoying it anyway. Cheers!
       

    17. Re:So... by MostAwesomeDude · · Score: 1

      "What do you despise? By this you are truly known." ~ Princess Irulan

      --
      ~ C.
    18. Re:So... by Kryis · · Score: 1

      trillion

    19. Re:So... by mike2R · · Score: 1

      Anyone who learned the word in classroom and not from TV still uses it to mean 10^12 - at least in Scotland.

      Really? English here, and I've never heard the word used to mean anything apart from 10^9.

      --
      This sig all sigs devours
    20. Re:So... by ground.zero.612 · · Score: 4, Informative

      What reasons would that be, as opposed to those to call handegg boring? ;) (In terms of sports, I’m a shooter (online) and rally (offline) guy, so if you think I care about “sides” here, it’s all in your head.)

      I'm sure you've heard them before, but let's see how much of my still bad karma I can burn into oblivion answering honestly:

      The games are long and boring.

      The goal nets are too small.

      They don't score enough points (prolly due to the net's small size).

      The transitions are obvious.

      The players are wimps.

      The refs are blind.

      The fans riot violently; often causing mass destruction.

      Now add vuvuzelas!

      --
      "Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared." --Joe Hallenbeck
    21. Re:So... by Grimnir512 · · Score: 1

      Err... I'm from Scotland and most definitely learned that 10^12 is one trillion.

    22. Re:So... by Hognoxious · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_scale#UK_usage

      You fail it, you miserable old cunt. You stink of piss and so does your lawn.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    23. Re:So... by icebraining · · Score: 1

      hours lost at work

      Here in Portugal some companies have made a deal: "You can watch the games as long as you leave later to compensate the time". Not only the company gets the same hours, but the employees that enjoy football are more productive when the team wins the game.

      Speaking of national football, at least in the UK; Manchester Untied owe the banks around £2.2 Billion (a million million, not a US thousand million). That money would pay for about a tenth of the cost of the war in Iraq to the UK. That's just one football club. Most football clubs in the UK are in debt.

      It's the banks fault for lending them. I wonder what happens if the bank takes possession of a team by lack of payment?

    24. Re:So... by 3dr · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I saw the clip of Ronaldo taking ball to the knee, then immediately collapsing while clutching his face. The USA-ALG game yesterday had a bunch of this, too. On one hand, instant reply for the refs would clarify some of these issues.

      On the other hand, I like how football/soccer matches go without delays. If video replay was used, I fear it'd be as slow as American football (which we should call Armball.).

      Are football refs known for strong biases? In the world cup matches I've watched, I see bad calls/missed fouls on either team.

    25. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "...Manchester Untied..."

      so, this http://xkcd.com/745/ would be their jersey?

    26. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So... how do you feel about Microsoft? What about network television?

    27. Re:So... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Popular football causes violence, racism

      Really? What team did Cortes support? How about Attila the Hun?

      Manchester Untied

      Do they play in the same league as Knottingham Forrest and Bowlineton Wanderers?

      owe the banks around £2.2 Billion (a million million, not a US thousand million).

      Laughably wrong, but I don't see the relevance anyway. If profits are high enough and reliable enough to cover the payments then it's not a problem.

      That money would pay for about a tenth of the cost of the war in Iraq to the UK.

      Well it could if the person it belonged to chose to use it for that. And if it wasn't actually closer to £700 million.

      If we can all play at irrelevant comparisons, how much dosh has that German woman with the Gold hat got, and how many schools could be built with it?

      but at least in the UK, many people see those who don't support Football as unpatriotic

      Really? Can't say I've ever encountered it myself.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    28. Re:So... by Hognoxious · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's not about stubbornness, it's about corruption. Bear in mind that FIFA is a predominantly French organisation, or it would have the letters in a sensible order. As it stands you can fix a game by bribing one person, who always has plausible deniability that he was unsighted or some other bullshit.

      When England or the USA win the final with an Argentina style "header" - that's when FIFA will introduce video replay - retroactively.

      P.S. Were you looking for your bike?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    29. Re:So... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      If a goal was (apparently) scored or a player was (apparently) fouled then the ref will most likely have blown anyway. Otherwise, they could allow remote official(s) to call the pitch ref and tell him to blow. Or allow each team so many appeals per half and punish them in some way for wrong ones.

      Every other sport manages it, somehow.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    30. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The acting is what does it for me. I'm not a soccer fan, but every time the World Cup rolls around I try to force myself to watch at least some of it to see if I'll start finding it enjoyable. Inevitably, within a few minutes of turning a game on, I'll see some jackass go to the turf, arms flailing, acting as though he's suffered the worst injury on the face of the planet. It's a disgrace. I try to appreciate the athleticism of the game (while not making it interesting for me, it at least could make me respect the players); but I can't respect those pussies at all. It's disgusting and makes it easy for me to not bother trying to learn about the game.

    31. Re:So... by dc29A · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The FIFA could give each team three video decisions (like the three substitutions they have) challenge opportunities. When a team notices a ruling against them that has serious consequences (red card, goal disallowed, handball, etc...), they can stop the game and ask for a video ref's ruling. It would only interrupt games something like six times max per game. Yes it would lose a bit of fluidity but for the integrity of the sport, video replay is required.

      Also, post play, referees could go through the footage and identify divers and play actors. Those will be sanctioned post game with red cards and/or suspensions. Worse, if they notice chronic play acting or diving from a team (I am looking at you Italy!), then they could suspend the entire team.

      Unless the FIFA starts reclaiming the integrity of the game with serious sanctions against players and/or teams, the game will be plagued by cheating, diving and acting.

    32. Re:So... by dominious · · Score: 1

      with that logic whatever you support is going to be morally wrong for any arbitrary reason I can think off my ass.

      Someone mod parent as flamebait.

    33. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Every white car in my street got a red cross sprayed on the bonnet (=hood). Looked like they tried to write "england" on the 4 quarters, but couldn't spell...

    34. Re:So... by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

      This is very unfortunate because the game is beautiful, but it's being ruined by a federation, the FIFA, stuck in a 1920 mentality and of course by the hordes of players who abuse the system to cheat.

      A beautiful, compelling rant. Thank you. This makes me feel all the more happy for not getting into footie. I feel the same way when people post their complaints about the shortcomings of MMO's. "Thank Cthulhu I'm not involved in that sort of thing."

      I feel the same way when people talk about how screwed up sports are here in the states. My dad has a whole rant about what NASCAR has done to make racing as boring as baseball. I have cycling friends who can go on about how screwed up that sport is, too. I've got enough to worry about between software and scifi. I don't think I could handle getting geek-raged over these other things!

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    35. Re:So... by Hyppy · · Score: 1

      £2.2 Billion (a million million, not a US thousand million).

      No, it's a "US thousand million." The UK is having some debt issues, yes, but Manchester United doesn't have a debt that is 82% of the GDP of the entire United Kingdom.

    36. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's just plain silly. It's the US-style billions (10^9) that Man U owe. Nobody in Britain uses the word "billion" to mean 10^12 these days.

      Not to mention a total fail of basic common sense and mathematical literacy. Really, he apparently thought that ManU had a debt greater than the entire UK.

    37. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You should watch the 'Real Sports' documentary on European football and what the fans/clubs all engage in, it's no joke.
      People will say it is only a few, but after watching the documentary and 'EVERY SINGLE FAN' in the stadium was chanting monkey sounds and throwing banannas at the black players. The Spanish team are some of the worse along with England, sure they have clamped down on that whole scene and banned them now. But that was not that long ago and here we are in 2000, people in America would be shocked and horrored over their actions.

      Thank god nobody watches the sport over here and realize what was going on, that was until a couple years ago with the womans USA team winning and the US advancing did we begin to realize how sad the situation was over there.
      Their own black players playing for their home team, he would go to take a corner kick and felt all this stuff hitting him on the shoulder. He looked on his shoulder and it was just filled with spit.

      The FIFA board of directors has no idea what is going on, well mainly because if you saw who was on the board you would understand that it was all old WHITE guys and not one colored person on the board.

      None of that crap would be tolerated in the U.S. yet it seems to get the green light and turning a blind eye to it in Europe.

      Offtopic:
      Also as an American it is almost more boring than baseball sometimes where nobody scores a goal, I laugh at some of the highlights of the game "hes going, going... nope hes lost it... now here he goessss!!!... has he got it?.... no hes lost it.."
      Also you guys need to get replay/challenges and I don't even know what to say about the fake injuries, how the hell do you stop crap like that now that it is so trendy. I can understand a hamstring cause that will bring down even the biggest of grown men, but what is wrong with the audience in accepting this behaviour.

    38. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, the long scale is no longer 'officially' in use in the UK either; official publications primarily use the short scale, where a billion is a thousand million. Some usage of the long scale remains in the UK, but the long scale also sees some use in the US as well. Regardless, referring to the short scale as 'US' and the long scale as 'British' hasn't been accurate since 1974...

    39. Re:So... by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Almost one fifth of the US GDP, in fact. No bank would let a football club borrow that much money.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    40. Re:So... by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Pffft, the in-stadium behaviour is nothing, we've had football fans raid trains in the night, smashing the windows while it was stopping at a small station. We're lucky we've got gun control or this would end in gun fights.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    41. Re:So... by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      That's why I'm glad the Italians failed in the preliminaries.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    42. Re:So... by duguk · · Score: 1

      There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

      Of course there are, but should we ignore child abuse, because theft is a 'bigger' problem?

      You are only seeing the downsides because you choose to ignore the upsides; how many people's quality of life becomes better due to these games?

      I'd love to know how spending loads of money on tickets, clothing, and all pushed by celebrities with enough money of their own means there is any better 'quality of life'. Care to explain that?

      There is more to life than just work work work after all.

      Please tell my boss that when I want to watch the snooker at work! Most companies are fine paying people while leaving the football on, purely because of its' popularity.

      If it's not immoral, then please explain to me how the upsides offset all of these downsides.
      Sure, I might have got my figures a bit wrong; but everything I've said still stands, and football negatively affects social and economy greatly, often the lower-classes.

      Hopefully at the very least I've made a few fanatics think a little deeper (seems it from the replies I got!), than about some pseudo-rapists shepherding some leather into an outdoor cupboard

    43. Re:So... by duguk · · Score: 1

      I wonder what happens if the bank takes possession of a team by lack of payment?

      Therein lies the problem. If that did happen, there would be a huge outcry.

    44. Re:So... by shermo · · Score: 1

      De Rossi clearly dived, but the New Zealand defender did grab his shirt, which is against the rules. I would resolve it by awarding the penalty, like the referee did. Then I would also yellow card De Rossi for diving. This could be done either when the dive occurred or afterwards, using the extensive footage available after the match.

      --
      Insanity: voting in the same two parties over and over again and expecting different results
    45. Re:So... by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The games are long and boring.

      Well, there are many people who don't consider them boring (of course it also depends on the individual game). And usually a game just is 90 minutes.
      Have you ever watched a tennis match? That's long and boring!

      The goal nets are too small.

      Really? Also I suspect it's not really a separate argument, but only some way to state the following argument:

      They don't score enough points (prolly due to the net's small size).

      Why should they score more points? The more points you score, the faster it gets boring, because soon it's more or less clear which team will win. If there are few points the game is generally open until close to the end.

      The transitions are obvious.

      I don't understand this point.

      The players are wimps.

      I disagree. But even if that were the case, that would be no argument against the game but only against the players.

      The refs are blind.

      Not all of them. But again, that's a problem of the refs, not of the game.

      The fans riot violently; often causing mass destruction.

      Some fans riot. And then, that's just coincidence. If there were no football, they'd choose any other reason to riot (maybe another sport, maybe something completely different). It's definitively not the game's fault.

      Now add vuvuzelas!

      Again, nothing about the game itself.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    46. Re:So... by mentus · · Score: 1

      I'm from Brazil and the points you mention are one my major grips against soccer. It bothers me so much that the last Brazilian soccer game I've watched was during the 1994 world cup. I've tried watching a match during this world cup but really couldn't stand it. It's , as you say, getting closer and closer to WWE. The saddest thing is, I've often discussed this with other Brazilians and most of them actually ENJOY this subjectivity in the referee system as well as the acting. Being able to 'fool the referee' is considered as one of the characteristics of a good player!

    47. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > i have never understood why some people take such great pride in hating something

      I never understood why people act like jerks/dogs/dumbasses and when everybody doesn't like them, they complain everybody hates them.

      Particularly US folks.

      BTW, if don't complain about oil "spill" (since when fscking an entire gulf can be called a "spill"?).

      If one starts to complain, I'll ask: "Please, don't hate those fine oil companies", "Hatred is wrong" and other bull.

    48. Re:So... by magus_melchior · · Score: 1

      They've managed to combine the worst aspects of MLB umpires and Olympic officials...

      --
      "We are Microsoft. You shall be assimilated. Competition is futile."
    49. Re:So... by magus_melchior · · Score: 1

      There may well be an entire game franchise around that particular concept.

      --
      "We are Microsoft. You shall be assimilated. Competition is futile."
    50. Re:So... by Zebedeu · · Score: 1

      Also, post play, referees could go through the footage and identify divers and play actors. Those will be sanctioned post game with red cards and/or suspensions.

      This is already happening. The punishment post-game is adjusted according to the severity of the foul which originated the expulsion.

      If the player got an undeserved red card, for example, he will usually be able to play in the next game (though the damage is already done for the game where he was expelled).

      Similarly, if the foul is considered very hard, he may be suspended for more than the usual 1 game.

    51. Re:So... by Zebedeu · · Score: 1

      The dives are to make sure that the referee saw the foul.

      Yes, its acting, but in a fast-paced game with sometimes 20 players going at the ball, the referees don't see anything, and since video replays are still verbotten, diving is the only way to bring attention when you're fouled.

      Diving without a foul, however is shitty gameplay, and on those cases, I agree entirely with you. Those players should be penalised for that post-game, especially if it results in a game-changing decision, like a penalty shot.

    52. Re:So... by NonUniqueNickname · · Score: 1

      Kaka and Villa elbowed and slapped (respectively) a player while the ball was not in play. Very light contact in both cases. You said Kaka was punished too harshly with a yellow card and Villa should have been punished with a red card - for the same offense. You, sir, are unfair. But that's okay. Football is unfair. Life is unfair.

  6. MOD PARENT UP!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I Like This!

  7. YouTube gets a what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At first I read that as "YouTube gets a vulva button (seriously)".

    I mean, come on. Vuvuzela? What kind of word is that (seriously)?

  8. Oblig. by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 3, Funny
    1. Re:Oblig. by nitehawk214 · · Score: 5, Funny
      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    2. Re:Oblig. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From the onion article:
      "I cannot imagine what is getting into these football teams that they would suddenly begin full-scale international competition just when we are beginning our 2010 concert series," said Dr. Stefan Coetzee, the Philharmonic's program and concert director."
      Stefaans Coetzee was a responsible for a bombing that killed a few people in south africa a few years back.. intentional?

  9. The loop is awful by Robadob · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Seriously the track they chose to loop when i heard it this morning was awful, it was too clear where it was looping. Moot did a much better job with the 4chan one a few weeks ago.

  10. For the americans by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 4, Funny

    Soccer is what the rest of the world follows for sports as they don't have access to baseball or football or basketball or hockey.

    Some americans do play soccer, mostly because mothers consider it to be more harmless then a sport where you hit others with a baseball and spit on your balls, gay men jump each other, or the kid ain't black or japanese or the mother is against open warfare on ice. (European impression of US sports).

    The vuuzela is something soccer fans blow because they are bored out of their mind and hate their neighbour but rioting is forbidden. Average EU soccer fan does hockey on the stands.

    As an EU citizen who has been to both EU and US sports events, don't bother Americans. Your sports might be impossible to comprehend for non-natives but the atmosphere is a thousand times better.

    For the EU soccer fans, attent a US sports event once and make it clear you are a foreinger, the Americans will welcome the newbie and show you everything, just remmeber that they like to play pranks and so will offer you a drink of cooled piss and pretend it is beer. Just smile politely and drop it somewhere. It is all part of the experience.

    Oh yeah BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

    1. Re:For the americans by arndawg · · Score: 0

      FOOTBALL (not soccer you clod) used to be a lot more enjoyable when we where still allowed to drink beer (or even karsk )at the stadiums. Soberness killed the atmosphere.

    2. Re:For the americans by OzPeter · · Score: 2, Interesting

      There was an interesting interview on NPR this week. It was pointing out that quite a few schools in the US are dropping American football for soccer sports programs (basically due to cost as to outfit a soccer team you basically just need a field and a ball compared with suits of armor) so a huge number of kids are playing it. But when it comes to watching sports they all watch American football.

      It also suggested that part of the reason for not watching soccer is a distaste for a draw - there has to be a winner, someone has to win and someone has to lose no matter how well the game is played.

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    3. Re:For the americans by sqldr · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      "as they don't have access to baseball or football or basketball or hockey."

      There's plenty of access to American football here in blighty, since we invented it. We just prefer the 2 other versions of football which doesn't involve some fat fucks in armour kevlar armour calling themselves "athletes" whilst not being man enough for rugby, and we decided we didn't need commercial breaks or hotdogs every 15 minutes to presumably cope with the lower attention span.

      --
      I wrote my first program at the age of six, and I still can't work out how this website works.
    4. Re:For the americans by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

      And, as a side benefit for tourists, you should note that American sporting stadiums are, by and large, riot free. So if you get piss drunk, punch the person in front of you, then light your pants on fire and throw them at a player as he's exiting the field; you will likely be arrested. You are only allowed to act this way in Detroit.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    5. Re:For the americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You want to fuck with TO?

      http://silentarchimedes.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/terrell_owens_france.jpg

      And he's an *offensive* player (pun intended).

    6. Re:For the americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      > will offer you a drink of cooled piss and pretend it is beer

      Yeah, last time I visited the US they pulled this one on me in every single bar I went. Even the shops sold it in cans, pretending it was real beer! You guys sure love your pranks, that's for sure! :-P

    7. Re:For the americans by Pteraspidomorphi · · Score: 1

      My european's idea of baseball (and I've watched it. Live. In the US.):

      A bunch of people stand still on an oddly shaped field for hours. Once in a while someone throws a small ball at someone else and a few others run around the field, then everyone stands still again. Most of the time, spectators are watching silly crap on a giant screen while stuffing themselves with really bad junk food.

      I won't even describe basketball, I don't want to start a war.

      American football and Hockey are fine, though...

    8. Re:For the americans by smi.james.th · · Score: 1

      Soccer is what the rest of the world follows for sports as they don't have access to baseball or football or basketball or hockey.

      I think that's your imagination speaking there, soccer is the beautiful game. Everyone has access to those sports you mentioned, but no-one except Americans wants them.

      As a native South African, I'll concede that the vuvuzela is quite awful. I've grown up with it around though, so I've sort of learned to ignore it.

      --
      One thing I know, and that is that I am ignorant...
    9. Re:For the americans by ytm · · Score: 1

      For the EU soccer fans, attent a US sports event once and make it clear you are a foreinger, the Americans will welcome the newbie and show you everything, just remmeber that they like to play pranks and so will offer you a drink of cooled piss and pretend it is beer. Just smile politely and drop it somewhere. It is all part of the experience.

      Dear God, this is so true.

    10. Re:For the americans by ojustgiveitup · · Score: 1

      File this under "claimed soccer is more boring than baseball - obviously not attempting rational argument".

    11. Re:For the americans by xtracto · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Haha, I have always thought that American Football is the "pussy" version of Rugby.

      A couple of weeks ago I went to Clermont-Ferrand and had the opportunity be there when their team won the France Rugby Championship. As it was on a weekend, I went to the central place to watch the game and the people. Ignoring the fact that people smell, I had a very nice time.

      After watching the game I reassured my thoughts about American Football... oh how I would love that the "tough" American Football players had a go against one of these Rugby teams. They will run scared!

      And about other places not having Baseball or other sports, GP could not be more wrong. Where I am from, Baseball is also quite famous and American Football is more or less viewed, but nothing like Football to unite all people and have a great time.

      BTW, I find really funny how Americans name their events as if they related to all the world (like world series).

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    12. Re:For the americans by chooks · · Score: 1

      Baseball: where the definition of a perfect game is one where nothing happens...

      --
      -- The Genesis project? What's that?
    13. Re:For the americans by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It also suggested that part of the reason for not watching soccer is a distaste for a draw - there has to be a winner, someone has to win and someone has to lose no matter how well the game is played.

      First of all, American Football used to have draws, and people watched it just as much.

      Second, why do people keep searching for some mystical explanation for why Americans don't watch soccer? It's not that complicated. The United States has a HUGE number of sports to watch. It's a mass market. Individuals gravitate to which sports are the most interesting to watch. The market has spoken. Soccer is less interesting to most individuals in the United States than other sports.

      It really is that simple. I can go into the reasons *why* soccer is less interesting than other sports to me, but it's not because of some stupid reason like "it wasn't invented here."

      --
      Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
    14. Re:For the americans by VGPowerlord · · Score: 1

      we decided we didn't need commercial breaks or hotdogs every 15 minutes to presumably cope with the lower attention span.

      Wait, U.S. football games have longer breaks between commercials than normal U.S. Television does?

      --
      GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
    15. Re:For the americans by RivenAleem · · Score: 1

      Soccer is what the rest of the world follows for sports as they don't have access to baseball or football or basketball or hockey.

      I don't know about Mexico, but I know for a fact that Canada play a lot of hockey

    16. Re:For the americans by operagost · · Score: 1

      Ties are allowed in football, they're just not common for various reasons.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    17. Re:For the americans by operagost · · Score: 1

      Why do jokes that are old and wrong get modded up on Slashdot?

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    18. Re:For the americans by operagost · · Score: 1

      A bunch of people stand still on an oddly shaped field for hours. Once in a while someone throws a small ball at someone else and a few others run around the field, then everyone stands still again.

      Sounds pretty much like cricket, except that a couple of guys stand in front of three sticks that hold up two other sticks.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    19. Re:For the americans by one+cup+of+coffee · · Score: 2, Insightful

      ...sometimes I think soccer was invented by suburban parents. It's kind of like the perfect politically correct game for kids in that they get to run around for a couple of hours and get tired, so they can go home peacefully, and not chew the legs off the furniture. You don't have to be exceptionally tall, or strong, really there's no physical requirement other than being able to run around and kick a ball. Often, no team actually wins, so there's no tears. And when somebody does win, they can easily console their child by saying, "well, you only lost by one point," or something close to that.

      This is just one man's opinion, don't flame me bro.

    20. Re:For the americans by Steve+Max · · Score: 1

      To be 100% fair, good American beer does exist. I remember I could buy a pretty good lager from Samuel Adams at most shops near Chicago, for example; but the really good ones are from microbreweries. Flying Dog has a fantastic selection, for example. Their imperial porter (called Gonzo) is one of the best beers I've ever tasted. I highly recommend it to anyone.

      American beer isn't bad at all. Mass-marketed American beer is pure cooled piss.

    21. Re:For the americans by nweaver · · Score: 1

      "[It is] rather odd that a nation that prides itself on its virility should be compelled to strap on 40 pounds of protective gear in order to play a simple game of Rugby"

      --
      Test your net with Netalyzr
    22. Re:For the americans by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      they like to play pranks and so will offer you a drink of cooled piss and pretend it is beer.

      No, that's beer, it just tastes like cool piss because the Miller Brewing Company brewed it. Unfortunately you can't get a Killian's or a Foster's ata ball game.

      Personally, Killian's is my favorite, but "American" beer will do. I put "American" in quotes because the last major American brewer, Anheiser Busch, sold out to the foreigners. The only American beers left are micro brews like Sam Adams, which ironically taste more like European beers than the foreign-owned "American" beers.

    23. Re:For the americans by Kirijini · · Score: 1

      American sporting stadiums are, by and large, riot free. So if you get piss drunk, punch the person in front of you, then light your pants on fire and throw them at a player as he's exiting the field; you will likely be arrested. You are only allowed to act this way in Detroit.

      ...Or, Los Angeles.

    24. Re:For the americans by b0bby · · Score: 1

      A bunch of people stand still on an oddly shaped field for hours. Once in a while someone throws a small ball at someone else and a few others run around the field, then everyone stands still again. Most of the time, spectators are watching silly crap on a giant screen while stuffing themselves with really bad junk food.

      As an American, that's pretty much my idea of baseball too. But funnily, that's why I like it - it's hanging out in a stadium, eating (we usually bring some not-so-bad food) & drinking & every once in a while watching what's happening. A mellow outing. And you can bring your kids - I lived in the UK, and I wouldn't take them to a football match there...

    25. Re:For the americans by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      The difference between baseball and American football is baseball is fun to play but boring to watch, while football is fun to watch but no fun to play. Any game that makes you take an aspirin after the game is over is NOT fun.

      I'd file hockey in the "fun to watch but not fun to play" category as well. I was watching a boxing match the other day, and a hockey game broke out.

    26. Re:For the americans by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      No, that's beer, it just tastes like cool piss because the Miller Brewing Company brewed it. Unfortunately you can't get a Killian's or a Foster's ata ball game.

      Every time you kill a joke, God rapes a Domo-Kun. Won't someone think of the Domo-Kuns?

      P.S. Fosters, it's Australian for Piss, Mate.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    27. Re:For the americans by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Because there's a grain of truth to it. "American" beer (with the breweries owned by foreigners) isn't very good, actually, compared to most foreign beers, and I come from St Louis, home of the largest brewery in the world (foreigners bought it a couple of years ago).

      The reason Carona is more popular than Dos Equis in the US is because it actually tases quite a bit like Budweiser, while Dos Equis tastes more like Mooshead or Foster's or Heinekin (or St Pauly Girl, brewed in Pennsylvania).

    28. Re:For the americans by _xeno_ · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Soccer is less interesting to most individuals in the United States than other sports.

      It really is that simple. I can go into the reasons *why* soccer is less interesting than other sports to me, but it's not because of some stupid reason like "it wasn't invented here."

      I would buy that, except Americans watch fucking golf, the world's most boring sport. (Thanks a lot, Scotland.)

      And let's face it, baseball can be pretty freaking boring too. Throw the damned ball already! No, not to first base! And there are how many more innings of this?!

      (Disclaimer: I'm joking and American.)

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
    29. Re:For the americans by Edward_Colgate · · Score: 1

      Pah, You can't get drunk on American Beer.

    30. Re:For the americans by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Informative

      What people think of as "American" beer (Budweiser, Miller) are actually not American at all; the last major American brewery (AB) sold out to foreigners a couple of years ago. Sam Adams and the other REAL American beers (St Pauly Girl and Rolling Rock are good American lagers) are indeed good beer.

      So anybody dissing American beer are ignorant. Bud Light and Miller Lite are NOT American; they're brewed by foreign owned breweries.

    31. Re:For the americans by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      I once saw a fight break out at an [ice] hockey game - between the away team and the home fans. It was kind of amusing.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    32. Re:For the americans by Chowderbags · · Score: 1

      Yeah, and then they tried to point the finger at the Aussies and some guy named Foster. I feel sorry for the bloke.

    33. Re:For the americans by Xoltri · · Score: 1

      I was just in Vegas and I learned that even the light beers we have in Canada like MGD have light versions in the States: Miller Lite! 64 calories a bottle! I think they just took some old water and poured it through a slice of bread. American beer is quite terrible.

      --
      -Xoltri
    34. Re:For the americans by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      It's the only Australian beer availabe here. There's an old saying that you can't buy beer, you can only rent it.

    35. Re:For the americans by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      Most die-hards just use that to mellow out the crystal meth high.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    36. Re:For the americans by prockcore · · Score: 2, Interesting

      After watching the game I reassured my thoughts about American Football... oh how I would love that the "tough" American Football players had a go against one of these Rugby teams. They will run scared!

      Richard Tardits, the frenchman who played both American football in the NFL as well as rugby has this to say:

      "two completely different types of pain. American football is the more violent, rugby is the greater physical challenge".

      Run scared indeed.

    37. Re:For the americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quick example to back up your point - Basketball was invented by a Canadian and it is one of the biggest sports in the U.S.

    38. Re:For the americans by SleazyRidr · · Score: 1

      That's what I don't get: USiAns brew some fantastic beers (I'm a big fan of the real ale company in Austin), and every bar I go to has at least 10 different beers on tap, but everyone drinks Bud Light!

    39. Re:For the americans by Draek · · Score: 1

      Because there's a huge number of sports to watch in all countries, yet football dominates ratings nearly everywhere but the US. It's logical to assume then, if the only place where it doesn't occur is in the US, there *must* be a reason other than "ohh well, tough luck". Hence the reasoning for trying to find it.

      --
      No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
    40. Re:For the americans by Draek · · Score: 3, Insightful

      A physically slow kid playing football is very much like a physically weak kid playing rugby: unless he *vastly* compensates for his shortcomings in other areas he's going to get himself and his team owned, and hard.

      But perhaps you just don't notice because in the US the competence level in football is fairly poor to begin with, so as long as you've still got two legs you aren't that far from the average. In a country like Argentina however, you'd be fucked.

      --
      No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
    41. Re:For the americans by Alvare · · Score: 1

      Have you noticed how american football is like rugby in body armors? And with "in body armors" I mean "for pussies".

      And how ice hockey is like field hockey in body armors? And yeah, I mean "for pussies" too.

      And in baseball you don't even have to touch other players ...

      I think I'm starting to see a pattern here ...

      --
      4 - A robot may not masturbate, except where such action would conflict with the Second Law.
    42. Re:For the americans by jackbird · · Score: 1

      Q: Why is American Beer like making love in a canoe?

      A: It's fucking close to water!

    43. Re:For the americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but it's not because of some stupid reason like "it wasn't invented here."

      Actually, that is EXACTLY the reason: the "invented here" sports had a head start on soccer in the USA, and it's taken this long for soccer to catch up as much as it has in the USA.

      Most Americans don't know this but soccer was a fairly large and popular participant and spectator sport in the late 19th and early 20th century in the USA; the ASL of the 1920s drew large crowds and paid large salaries to both American and British pro soccer players. Soccer has been around more than a few times in the USA, but it kept getting thrown down the Orwellian memory hole by the mainstream American sports media gatekeepers. The only thing different now is that soccer has finally gotten too large to ignore - so you hear the constant whining from the usual suspects, which IMO is far more annoying than mere vuvuzelas.

      And it isn't that "the market has spoken" as though there were some inherent superiority of the sports that Americans watch most; that's pure bullsh!t prejudice speaking. It is purely a matter of cultural indoctrination and personal taste. Americans watch sports they grew up with and were culturally indoctrinated into as kids. That's it. There's no inherent superiority in any particular sport; it is not a question of objective facts, but purely a question of taste. And tastes change.

      Every four years the TV ratings in the USA for the World Cup go up. Every other four years the TV ratings for the European Cup go up. Every year the TV ratings for European club soccer go up. ESPN and Fox are bidding against each other to show more and more soccer on TV. MLS is expanding and not losing large amounts of money anymore; soon there will be 19 clubs with the addition of Montreal and most of those clubs now have their own SSS (soccer specific stadiums) to play in, or they are under construction or in the planning stages. Average MLS attendance has actually increased to the point that MLS has higher average attendance than NBA or NHL (that's much less in total attendance numbers since MLS plays fewer games); TV ratings for MLS aren't that great yet since most American soccer fans follow European clubs, but MLS on TV is not going away because it is tied to World Cup TV rights, and ESPN is not going to risk losing FIFA World Cup TV rights simply because MLS doesn't have great TV ratings yet.

      The US national team keeps getting better, slowly. The number of American soccer players playing in top European leagues keeps increasing.

      In short the future for US soccer is so bright we gotta wear shades. All you haters can suck it.

    44. Re:For the americans by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 1

      It can still have draws, if you get technical about it. I forget offhand how many quarters of overtime the NFL makes you play before it's a tie, but you can get there. Granted, it's very hard to do so because of the sudden death rule.

      --
      "16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
    45. Re:For the americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or Philly.

  11. Memes by Jojoba86 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is my new favourite internet meBBBBBBBbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzttttttttttttttttTTTTTT.

    1. Re:Memes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Beats the hell out o^H^H^H^H^H^H^H

  12. vuvuzela? by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    sounds like some part of a woman's anatomy

    vuvuzela button: sounds like some part of a woman's anatomy i'm not aware of, but should be aware of

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:vuvuzela? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I sure did a double-take when I first saw that work vuvuzela. A vulva-what?

      Years ago, Saturday Night Live had a sketch about yet another whispered-about women's-health issue. The doctor (Chevy Chase) told the patient (Gilda Radner) she had to take better care of her uvula. Then you saw the women of the cast talking with each other in hushed, knowing tones about their...uvulas.

      So, vulva + uvula = vuvuzela. Too bad the vuvulzela isn't quiet like a whisper.

    2. Re:vuvuzela? by mbourgon · · Score: 1

      Reminds me of a line from the late great Dennis Wolfberg:
      'My students would ask me "do all women have volvos?"
      To which I would then reply 'no, only Swedish women!"'

      --
      "Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
    3. Re:vuvuzela? by imakemusic · · Score: 1

      I'm aware of it, I just can't find it!

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    4. Re:vuvuzela? by Chowderbags · · Score: 1

      "Oh, yes, don't stop, don't... don't.. don't... BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"

  13. Warning! Sensible Recommendation Ahead! by RaceProUK · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just don't click it. It's not like it's labelled 'Do Not Click'.

    --
    No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
    1. Re:Warning! Sensible Recommendation Ahead! by Monchanger · · Score: 1

      And if you do click it, click again to disable the sound.

  14. Soccer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Indeed why would people watch soccer, I think it's cool that youtube points out the hype. annoing soung and a loooooong game with no breaks. People talk about it but it is not going to catch on unlike real football.

  15. Weel, didn't expect that by elrous0 · · Score: 1

    A year ago, the thought that there existed a more annoying musical "instrument" than a didgeridoo would have been inconceivable. But the world shocks and amazes me once again.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  16. Oh god.. by BlacKSacrificE · · Score: 1

    YouTube you bastarBZZZZZZZZ!!

    --
    [Sorry, this signature is unavailable in your country/region]
  17. South Africa and the vuvuzela by slasho81 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The one legacy the vuvuzela will have after the World Cup is the future exclusion of South Africa from ever again hosting any international sporting event.

    1. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by crossmr · · Score: 0, Troll

      This. It isn't just the damn horn. It is their attitude that goes with it.
      In the early days all the news reports were quoting officials saying "We haven't heard any complaints, everyone loves it!" in the later days they've been quoting people saying "If we came to your place and told you not to do cultural thing X how would you feel?"
      So they've gone from acting oblivious, to clueless assholedness. There is a big difference between some of the cultural things other countries might do and this annoying thing. If my cultural activity of choice was annoying people around the world 24/7 to the degree this is, I'd want someone to come along and tell me to fuck off.

      oh btw south africa, fuck off.

    2. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by xtracto · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Nah, it is just a bunch of American and British whiners the ones who are whining about Vuvuzelas. The rest of the world goes to the games to watch and have fun.

      Shit, if you want peace and quietness go to a classical music concert.

      BTW just so that you hate me more, did you know that the first vuvuzelas where actually used in Mexico? They appeared around the 70's made in Tepito market (famous counterfeiting market. Shit, they were present in Meixco 86 world cup (as seen by this video.

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    3. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by slasho81 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Just because it's labeled "culture" doesn't make it any less of an annoyance, if not to everyone then at least to international spectators at stadiums or at home.

      South Africa should have taken a lesson from China. In preparation to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, China outlawed spitting in public. Spitting, clearly part of China's "culture", is considered an annoyance to international visitors. China considered these visitors their guests and appropriately catered to them.

    4. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by crossmr · · Score: 1

      Why would that make me hate you more? Mexico isn't the one annoying the world right now.
      Here in South Korea there is plenty of complaining about the Vuvuzelas, the hatred seems pretty universal.

    5. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by icebraining · · Score: 1

      I'm from the rest of the world, can I whine too?

      I like chants, "olés" and all that stuff. I hate the constant, buzzing sound that adds nothing to the game.

    6. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "In preparation to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, China outlawed spitting in public. Spitting, clearly part of China's "culture""

      Even if normally there's more spitting in Beijing than your typical Western movie...

      • In China, a desire for homogeneity is part of the culture
      • In China, a desire to show the best possible face (in their opinion) to the outside world is part of the culture
      • In China, having the government tell the peons what they can and cannot do is part of the culture

      The end result is that you simply find displays of Chinese culture more aesthetically pleasing. It's not that the Chinese subsumed their own culture, but that it's more closely aligned (in this case, deliberately) to your own.

      If you want to tout the universality of the World Cup, be prepared to accept that South Africa is a part of the world. If you're annoyed when people do things differently than you, stick to domestic sporting events, or at least events held in police states that have the power and the will to conform to your foreign whims.

      It's not like the stadium would be as silent as a tennis match were it not for the horns.

    7. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by Aboroth · · Score: 1

      How about I stand next to you for hours at a time bashing cymbals together. You can't stop me, you racist, IT'S MAH CULTURE HUR HUR HUR!!!1!one!

    8. Re:South Africa and the vuvuzela by Zebedeu · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Some people are saying banning the vuvuzellas is intruding on Africa's culture.

      I say it's a part of being good hosts.

  18. Re:I wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    American Handegg and Baseball are so not synonymous with any action - Baseball commenters even sound bored out of their fucking minds, while handegg is basically rugby for people who can't run.

  19. How about a filter? by crow · · Score: 1

    Before reading the summary, I thought that YouTube had done something useful and added an optional filter to remove the frequencies that the vuvuzelas produce. That would have been cool.

    1. Re:How about a filter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Youtube had it for years, it's called mute. Wich is the only way to get rid of the vuvuzelas.

    2. Re:How about a filter? by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well that's what it's for. After watching YouTube like this all day, your brain will filter out the annoying horns!

  20. Football man, Football!! by Finallyjoined!!! · · Score: 1, Insightful

    That bastardised version of the blessed game Rugby, that Americans call Football, should really be called Throwball.. :-)

    --
    If I had an Ass, I'd call it Fanny Bottom, then I could slap my Ass; Fanny Bottom, on the Arse.
    1. Re:Football man, Football!! by should_be_linear · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      That bastardised version of the blessed game Rugby, that Americans call Football, should really be called Throwball.

      Or, alongside rugby itself, "Boringball".

      --
      839*929
    2. Re:Football man, Football!! by joib · · Score: 1

      No, it already has an appropriate name.

    3. Re:Football man, Football!! by aBaldrich · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Football is a game where you move the ball with your feet, not with your hands.

      >Of course you could just be an ignorant British ethnocentrist who doesn't realize that you're about the only ones calling it by that exact word.

      The name is not only used in English (the language of England) but also in German (Fussbal), French (football), Spanish (fútbol), Portuguese (futebol), ...

      >most of the English speaking world call it soccer

      According to wikipedia, you are wrong.

      >so fuck off

      so grow up

      --
      In soviet russia the government regulates the companies.
    4. Re:Football man, Football!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Call it whatever you want. The players are a bunch of pussies falling down constantly and holding their ankles. They sit on the ground almost crying for a few moments until they realize nobody cares, and then they get up like nothing happened. They're like children looking for attention.

      They should have penalties for such unsportsmanlike behavior. Or a punch in the face to give them something worth crying about. I'd be happy with either.

    5. Re:Football man, Football!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That pussyfied version of the blessed game Rugby

      fixed that for u

    6. Re:Football man, Football!! by Vectormatic · · Score: 1

      Dont forget us dutch! voetbal! (oh, and probably the flemmish belgians too)

      --
      People, what a bunch of bastards
    7. Re:Football man, Football!! by drewhk · · Score: 1

      Add Hungary as well

    8. Re:Football man, Football!! by dave420 · · Score: 1

      The correct name is actually "Handegg". An image to demonstrate.

    9. Re:Football man, Football!! by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      Best I've seen in awhile is this.

      But boringball is a pretty good description. I'm at the point now where the only sports I can really enjoy watching are Hockey and MMA. Games where the rules either aren't enforced or randomly enforced, (basketball) or games that have more down-time and commercials than actual action (american football, baseball) don't interest me in the least.

      What I really want to see is a 1 minute time-limit per batter in baseball. If they're not out or on base by the end of 1 minute, they walk. If you let it get to a full count, you'll have to be pitching a ball every 10 seconds.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    10. Re:Football man, Football!! by The+Flymaster · · Score: 1

      You know, Rugby is also called Football.

    11. Re:Football man, Football!! by somenickname · · Score: 1

      The name is not only used in English (the language of England) but also in German (Fussbal), French (football), Spanish (fútbol), Portuguese (futebol), ...

      I would imagine that the number of languages that call it some variation of the word "football" is probably larger than the languages that don't. At the very least, I would be surprised if anyone outside of the U.S. conjures up images of armored men throwing an oblong ball to each other when hearing the word "football".

    12. Re:Football man, Football!! by Atzanteol · · Score: 1
      Contrary to what most people think "football" may have originally referred to a game played on foot (rather than from a horse) and did not necessarily imply kicking a ball.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_(word)#Etymology

      --
      "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

      - Charles Darwin
    13. Re:Football man, Football!! by Xtifr · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Football is a game where you move the ball with your feet, not with your hands.

      Actually, some games called "football" forbid moving the ball with your feet. The etymology is not clear, but there's a strong case that the term refers to the fact that the players are on foot (as opposed to, say, being on horseback).

      most of the English speaking world call it soccer

      According to wikipedia, you are wrong.

      Really? You're using India, Chad and the Sudan as counterexamples? Let's take a look at countries where English is the primary language, and...whoops, there goes just about every blue spot on your map! Anyway, what they really call it in India is "not cricket so who cares?" :)

      (To be fair, I've seen sources that suggest that Australia and Ireland should be in the "disputed category" rather than the "soccer" category.)

      I also note that the article linked to that map you referenced says of those countries that call it "football", "In many of these countries, the term "soccer" is also widely used." This leads to the possible conclusion that both the statements "most of the English-speaking world calls it 'soccer'" and "most of the English-speaking world calls it 'football'" are both true. Without further hard evidence, I have to conclude that both you and the person you're responding to are talking out your asses. :)

    14. Re:Football man, Football!! by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 1

      If we're going to call anything "boringball", it's going to be soccer/football/[insert term of choice in your country here]. That game, hockey, and baseball are the most boring sports I've ever had the misfortune of watching.

      --
      "16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
    15. Re:Football man, Football!! by mike2R · · Score: 1

      Ah but lets not forget that even in countries where soccer is the usual term, football would be an unambiguous synonym for it. Almost anywhere outside the US, no one is going to get confused and think you are talking about handegg ;)

      Why is this important you ask? Is it just a standard, doomed attempt to resist American cultural imperialism? No, it is more important than that. The current state of world sport is one of the more successful and enduring legacies of British cultural imperialism, and we'd like to keep it that way thank-you. This elevates pointing out the US's failure to interest the world in its own sports, from a pleasant pastime to a sacred national duty. Repeatedly reminding you that you get the names wrong is simply a part of that :)

      --
      This sig all sigs devours
    16. Re:Football man, Football!! by Xtifr · · Score: 1

      Ah but lets not forget that even in countries where soccer is the usual term, football would be an unambiguous synonym for it. Almost anywhere outside the US, no one is going to get confused...

      Well, except for in Canada, Australia, and Ireland, each of which, like the US, has its own native game called "football". So that's like, four of the five biggest primarily-English-speaking countries in the world. (The fifth, the UK, doesn't call it "soccer".)

      But, if you ignore the overwhelming majority, I suppose you're right. If your definition of "anywhere outside the US" is "Jamaica and only Jamaica", then you're indisputably correct! :)

  21. American Handegg by xororand · · Score: 2, Informative

    Foot + ball = Football
    Hand + egg = Handegg

    1. Re:American Handegg by anaesthetica · · Score: 0, Troll

      Hand + egg = Handegg
      Dive + grass = Divegrass

    2. Re:American Handegg by WillDraven · · Score: 1

      I was going to mod you down but I figured I would just point out that you posted this in response to a post which has neither the words football nor soccer in it. Yet somehow you still got an informative mod.

      --
      This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
  22. Wrong button... by xororand · · Score: 1

    it was meant to be a reply to the GP.

    1. Re:Wrong button... by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      Don't feel bad. I posted the same thing above, then scrolled down some more and found that multiple people had beaten me to it by 3-4 hours.

      Posting to the wrong comment is definitely a step above me...

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
  23. Presented Without Comment by Adrian+Lopez · · Score: 4, Funny
    --
    "In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
    1. Re:Presented Without Comment by Narishma · · Score: 1

      Click on the little football icon to double the fun.

      --
      Mada mada dane.
    2. Re:Presented Without Comment by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Funny

      OMFG, goatse for the ears!

    3. Re:Presented Without Comment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Was this performed by the famed South Africa Vuvuzela Philharmonic Orchestra?

    4. Re:Presented Without Comment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hands up everyone who pressed the soccer ball while listening to this

  24. Not the Horn, it's the Fans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't think blaming the horns is putting the blame where it belongs. I remember these horns from HS football games, and I got out of high school in 1972. We used to only blow them when something good happened. The problem is that the soccer fans are blowing them from sheer boredom, hoping to incite some action, for the length of the entire game. We forget all the mods that American football and baseball have undergone through rule changes - some for TV purposes, but some for the sake of making the games more interesting and more of a fan draw. I suggest they get busy modifying soccer to make it more exciting! More goals, somehow. This morning, I heard a radio DJ make a great suggestion - make the field smaller! It would shorten all that running, leave players with more energy for goal attempts, and make it easier to televise and watch.

    I know soccer traditionalists will hate me for this, but I sure think it would help.

    1. Re:Not the Horn, it's the Fans by wood_dude · · Score: 1

      Blurns-ball !!! Yeh. Multi-ball, multi-baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll.

  25. Full Score by Adrian+Lopez · · Score: 2, Funny

    And here is the full score, so you can play it at home.

    --
    "In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
  26. I tried watching... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
    I've tried watching some of the World Cup stuff, to see what it was all about.

    I had to turn it off after a few minutes. That drone of those horns just blew it for me. They are especially bad if you have a slight hangover...at first I thought something was wrong with my set, then figured something was wrong with the audio portion of the transmission.

    They really needed to filter that shit out much earlier, as that it may have cost them some American's possibly trying to learn about and watch this game since the US is actually in it.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:I tried watching... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Must have been a pretty bad hangover if you couldn't find the audio volume control, heheheh!

    2. Re:I tried watching... by Hadlock · · Score: 3, Informative

      may have cost them some American's

      Here in America, we Americans don't put apostrophes in "American's" unless it's possessive. i.e. "Scientific American's in-depth article on electronic Vuvezeula noise filtering". It's possible apostrophe rules are different where you live, such as England or South Africa, but I doubt it :)
       
        http://www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    3. Re:I tried watching... by icebraining · · Score: 1

      They really needed to filter that shit out much earlier, as that it may have cost them some American's possibly trying to learn about and watch this game since the US is actually in it.

      Here in Portugal they're selling them by the thousands. It's terrible, I tell you.

    4. Re:I tried watching... by TangoMargarine · · Score: 0

      Here in America, we Americans don't put apostrophes in "American's" unless it's possessive. i.e. "Scientific American's in-depth article on electronic Vuvezeula noise filtering". It's possible apostrophe rules are different where you live, such as England or South Africa, but I doubt it :)

      Here in America, we Americans italicize the names of magazines and journals if it's the typewritten word, i.e. "Scientific American's in-depth article on electronic Vuvezeula noise filtering." It's possible italicizing rules are different where you live, such as England or South Africa, but I doubt it :)

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    5. Re:I tried watching... by adamdoyle · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There's a difference between using correct punctuation (i.e. an apostrophe) and following style guidelines (i.e. italics, underlining, etc.). It's a little less pedantic to complain about punctuation than style.

    6. Re:I tried watching... by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      Only slightly less pedantic. Although I never pass up an opportunity to correct people on something they were supposed to master in first grade (punctuation). :)
       
      I don't think we were required to learn the basics of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (1977; 7th ed., 2009) until 5th or 6th grade, however. The earliest I remember being graded for style was getting marks off for not underlining the title of a book in a handwritten essay in 3rd grade.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    7. Re:I tried watching... by TangoMargarine · · Score: 1

      True. But seeing as only about 11% of English speakers know how to correctly use commas and apostrophes in 90% of circumstances, the discriminating pedant must correct other areas :)

      PS: 31.4159265358979323% of all statistics are made up.

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    8. Re:I tried watching... by treeves · · Score: 1

      Another pedant might write "10Pi% of all statistics...."

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    9. Re:I tried watching... by TangoMargarine · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe that was the exact value, you just assumed it was unending.

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    10. Re:I tried watching... by IAmGarethAdams · · Score: 1

      Hang on, am I supposed to put publication names in normal italics, or bold italics? Can't we at least agree on the simple things?!

    11. Re:I tried watching... by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      To which another pedant would note that if it was intended to be 10Pi%, then the last digit was incorrectly rounded because 10Pi is larger than 31.41592653589793235.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    12. Re:I tried watching... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Although I never pass up an opportunity to correct people on something they were supposed to master in first grade (punctuation).

      Maybe you can move onto spelling next. http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1697152&cid=32680492

  27. Re:I wonder... by shadowrat · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Agreed. Baseball has to be one of the most boring sports ever. The announcer will often discuss bratwurst at greater length than the game.
    I'm from Milwaukee and I grew up listening to bob ueker, truly one of the all time great announcers. I swear, only 10% of everything he's said was actually describing the game.

  28. Now I can make my favourite video even better! by Logaan · · Score: 1
  29. the uvula is very sexual by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    it's a dangling conical fleshy lobe

    in other words, the uvula is a cervix, in the back of the mouth

    and if you want to completely gag, click this:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvula_piercing

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:the uvula is very sexual by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NSFW then?

    2. Re:the uvula is very sexual by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      it's a dangling conical fleshy lobe
      in other words, the uvula is a cervix, in the back of the mouth

      Um, no, that's not what a cervix is.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    3. Re:the uvula is very sexual by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gahhhhhh. Some things were not meant to be seen. It's worse than goatse towards the end.

  30. Or hate at all, even. by IANAAC · · Score: 1

    i have never understood why some people take such great pride in hating something

    I don't understand why people even bother to *hate* a sport. I figure, if you don't like a sport, just don't watch it. Ignore it. It's not doing you any harm and most likely isn't a part of your life anyway.

    I don't particularly care to watch basketball, but that doesn't mean I'm going to waste energy *hating* it.

  31. I like it by J-1000 · · Score: 1

    I must be the only one who LIKES the vuvuzela. I don't watch soccer, but when I'm clicking by and I see a match in progress, the weird noise draws me in. It's surreal.

    1. Re:I like it by Xtifr · · Score: 1

      I checked, and...no, slashdot does not have an "insane" moderation option, so I'm not quite sure how to respond. :)

  32. Weird effect on this video by HEbGb · · Score: 1

    Something strange happens with this one. Sometimes I get the button, sometimes I don't.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

  33. Untrue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Vuvuzela's are South African culture, if you dont like it, dont what any of the games, we couldnt care less what you did.

    No, the vuvuzela is not part of South African culture. It's a freaking Mexican horn, and wasn't even available in South Africa until 2001, when some crappy plastic company started churning the god-awful things out down there.

    It's no more part of their culture than OS X is.

    1. Re:Untrue by Pherlin · · Score: 1

      OSX? Don't you mean Ubuntu?

  34. there's no images for the article by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    and even if there were images, it would only be of someone's uvula

    but, bolstering my point about the uvula, i think someone's initial impressions of a picture of someone's pierced uvula would be that it was sort of extreme fetishistic sexual piercing on the order of goatse.cx

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:there's no images for the article by jackbird · · Score: 1

      So... piercing one's uvula isn't extreme?!

  35. vuvuzuela rules by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hahaha
    come on guys

    vuvuzuela rules !!!

    annoying but cool
    and it will spread like a plague all around the world

  36. not that bad... by Goldsmith · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If the biggest complaint to come out of the first world cup in Africa are the cheap noisemakers, I'd call that a win. Sure, your typical South African may be upset that people are complaining about the horns, but the organizing committee has to be thrilled that people are not complaining about violence, a lack of organization, or any of the other things people were worried about when South Africa was announced as the host.

    1. Re:not that bad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      May be because the whole thing is near perfect Vuvuzela is being picked on.

      Vuvuzela seems to be an ignorable problem for Football crowd but "soccer" crowd and non Football crowd seem to the most serious gripes with it.

      As for me, the noise just faded to near zero level whenever the game was interesting enough.

    2. Re:not that bad... by SleazyRidr · · Score: 1

      Or could it be that the horns are a clever distraction from the violence, poverty, racism etc.?

    3. Re:not that bad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess people missed the huge amount of crime; people being robbed right outside their hotels; reporters being robbed; South Africa has an extremely high amount of rapes yearly; tons of violent crimes; massive amounts of prostitutes; highest AIDS-infected population in the world; the need for Rapex condoms; far, far fewer tickets being sold than expected; business in SA losing out on shitloads due to not as many people coming as they thought; burning wood near the training matches, fucking up the players; did I mention the huge amount of crime? Oh, nevermind the fact that the country is full of niggers.

  37. Of course by thegiorgio · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Everybody loves Vuvuzela, I even made an Android app for it: http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/sports/vuvuzela-soccer-world-cup_hyzb.html
    More than 10000 downloads in 3 days! People will soon learn how to play Vuvuzela at musical school :)

    --
    -- Don't think that a small group of dedicated individuals can't change the world; it's the only thing that ever has.
  38. you mean I'm not hallucinating? by ChipMonk · · Score: 1

    I thought a wormhole had opened up between me and the World Cup!

  39. A cultural tradition dating 9 years ago by aepervius · · Score: 4, Informative

    Those triompet in their form at footbal match are only commercialized recently. The traditional one don't even have that form or noise.

    --
    C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
    visit randi.org
  40. They should also add a "car noise" button by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So that we can hear the way more annoying noise of cars in the background of any video on youtube.

  41. Re:I wonder... by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 1

    Hmmmmmmmmm Bratwurst!

    Between Football, Basketball, Hockey, and Baseball, Baseball is definitely the slowest. However, there is a crescendo of sorts with every pitch. The focus increases, players ready themselves, and so on. Same with Football. There's a sense of tension before every play. (Same I noticed in catching a Rugby the other day.) Basketball doesn't have quite the tension, but there's enough back and forth and a shot clock that the action is always happening. Same with Hockey. Hockey has the same low scores as Soccer, but the back and forth is faster and with where more physicality it's more intense. Soccer just doesn't have that. It just doesn't. I have honestly tried to wath during each of the last 3 World Cups, and it's just lacking the tension and rhythm of the others.

    My point (Love that I earned a -1 Flamebait for it!) is that the steadiness of the vuvuzela proves Soccer's dullness. If it was more engaging and interesting, you wouldn't notice it. Just like you're more likely to be distracted whilst trying to read a dry, dull text book than reading some good Heinlein or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  42. Re:I wonder... by multi+io · · Score: 1

    That's like saying basketball is more interesting to watch because there are more goals. In basketball, the game consists of an endless string of attack, defense, counter-attack. That's it. In football (soccer), you have a midfield that drives the game. You can have huge open spaces, accurate 50-meter passes, and crowded penalty areas and tightly-packed action the next moment. There can be "chess on grass" for an hour, or both teams attacking relentlessly. Goals are rare, so games tend to be thrilling and unpredictable to the end. In a way, Football reflects life. There can be great athlethism in many sports, but football is more than that!

  43. YouTube Prank by helix2301 · · Score: 0

    Its annoying but very funny. YouTube pranks are always great :)

  44. You've never been to Argentina, have you? by baldusi · · Score: 1

    Please come to Argentina, I'll personally invite you to the Bombonera. Then you can tell if Americans really have better atmosphere. Just as a point, every music hit is retooled for each match. And you can't avoid jumping when 60,000 spectators are jumping.

  45. EyeTV Anti-Vuvuzela Filter by appleguru · · Score: 1

    In related news, the popular mac television watching/recording/streaming software EyeTV got a temporary update (Build 6152) with an anti-Vuvuzela filter built in for those that want it. See it in action here: http://downloads2.elgato.com/elgatonews/EyeTVWithVuvuzelaFilter.mov Pretty cool!

    1. Re:EyeTV Anti-Vuvuzela Filter by EkriirkE · · Score: 1

      At what point in the video is it actually working?

      --
      from 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
      to 45 2F 6E 40 3C DF 10 71 4E 41 DF AA 25 7D 31 3F
  46. BZZ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's not an endless loop, if you listen to it for hour and a half you'll hear Shatner do a spoken word version of K'naan.

  47. BullShit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most MLB and NFL teams have budget that are much higher of that of Manchester United.

    Jew York Yankee's payrol for 2009 season is $206 Billion US dollars.

    Jew York Giants payroll for 2009 season is $137 Billion US dollars.

    LA Lakers payroll for 2009 season is $91 Billion US dollars.

  48. Shut up, nigger - both of you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    He's humming into the Godforsaken thing. By the same logic an empty coke bottle, a heating duct and the exhaust manifold from a 1996 Toyota Camry are all musical fucking instruments too.

    I don't know how to play a keyboard, and if I bang the keys and make a racket, does that mean it's no longer a keyboard?

    If you break them all off apart from one then I guess it'd sound quite similar.

    1. Re:Shut up, nigger - both of you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He is not humming into it. You cannot get a horn sound like that by voicing into a horn.

  49. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    mod parent up

    i'm guessing oral technique is important when blowing her vuvuzela, or she doesn't make any noises

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  50. Good news everybody! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The sound will continue even while the video is paused and/or muted.

  51. Follow the money by nigelo · · Score: 1

    There is a huge investment in the 'existing' major sports in the US, all the way from the sports organizations themselves down to the commentators and pundits on the radio and tv.

    These people have no interest in seeing another sport become popular, because then their services will not be needed; they are no experts in the new sport.

    So, why should they embrace the sport or encourage anyone to like a 'new' sport, particularly one that is clearly popular in the rest of the world, and is not amenable to selling to their customers - the advertisers? It is VERY threatening to them all.

    If the respected sports 'experts' don't 'like' the sport, then the rest of the public is inclined to follow suit; they've had the existing drivel rammed down their throat as 'The American Way', so why change 'back' to Old World habits? They know how to enjoy the SuperBowl - don't get overly distracted with the game, they marvel over the new ads and the half-time show, they have a four-hour party, then everyone goes home. Enjoyment is not predicated upon a good game, just good ads, good company and plenty of bathroom breaks...

    --
    *Still* negative function...
  52. Re:I wonder... by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 1

    A 0-0 tie is many things, but thrilling is not one of them. At least not to me. The fact that a ref can wave off a goal without even being required to say what the penalty is, is also quite staggering. If not for the shot clock, then basketball would probably be more like soccer. (At least it was back in the day which why they instituted it.)

    I grew up watching football, but played soccer for several years. Football was exciting, interesting, and engaging. I played soccer because it was what parents signed their kids up to do, and once my parents realized I wasn't into it, I stopped playing. It's just boring. Passing the ball back and forth over the same middle of the field is not particularly engaging, nor is it "chess on grass." If you want chess on grass, than you should be watching football, not soccer. Soccer is more like checkers on grass.

    Having said that, its clear that there are nuances in soccer that you appreciate which I just don't. I know I pick up nuances in baseball that are lost to many average fans. Even so, I have tried to watch soccer and appreciate the nuances, and it's just not enough. It's very difficult to go backwards in terms of sophistication, or perhaps complexity would be a better word; and having learned as much about those things in football, it is difficult to find the same pleasure in soemthing so much more simplistic.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  53. FlashMob Anyone? by Atryn · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sounds like a great flashmob idea... txt out a venue where folks are watching a world cup match and show up with either real Vuvuzelas or just your cell phone making the noise... Then avoid getting the @##@ beat out of you by enraged soccer fans.

    --
    Come play Moral Decay!
  54. also the bad bounces by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A lot of players have voiced their opinions about the craptastic balls being used in this world cup.

  55. Sounds like Nascar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thats basicly why i don't watch football unless its the World Cup and my country is playing. Its not so much the football that interests me, but the patriotism it establishes.

    Also i want to point out that Nascar is 500laps of making left turns, and thats still less interesting than 3 minutes of any other sport. Including curling. They don't crash that often, but its more interesting because my brain didn't die off midway thru.

  56. You've only seen it on TV, right? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > Come one, it's just a trumpet.

    It's constant noise at a volume sufficient to cause permanent hearing loss. It's not an instrument, it's a weapon.

    And for the record, several other things, including some "music" can fall under that classification. This is intentional.

  57. Re:I wonder... by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 1

    That's because brats are far more worthy of discussion than any sport ever conceived, or yet to be conceived. :)

    --
    "16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
  58. At last!! Vuvuvela can join BIG DOG!! by 2phar · · Score: 1