Post your unpopular opinions.

[magma]

Humans are tribal animals. Depending on our genetic makeup, personality and levels of various hormones, we all need a certain amount of brow-beating and chest-thumping every now and again to keep us sane and happy... competitive spectator sport seems to be a decent way of satisfying this urge in the most people whilst causing harm to the least.

It's certainly preferable to the previous model of having a few decades of intractable war across Europe every century.

[DiegoSapiens]

what does it means brow-beating and chest-thumping?

[Electric_Head]

You thump your chest like a gorrila to show the world how manly you are.

[magma]

what does it means brow-beating and chest-thumping?

What EH said about chest-thumping. Brow-beating is a middle-English term for a similar pursuit... I think the etymology comes from lowering your brow (frowning) when intimidating others.

[Johnlenham]

I do kind of get where the guy is coming from though.
I get enough stick from people because I dont take an interest in the Euros or whatever.
The same people that give me shit would not be seen down the pub watching Rugby or Cricket or whatever other team sport we play in and it just makes me scratch my head. Why is the football anymore or less important than the Rugby World Cup etc?
Almost like glory hunting in a way. They will go to the pub and get drunk and cheer when we score but if we lost they'd shrug it off and go on with their day.

[garethom]

I do kind of get where the guy is coming from though.
I get enough stick from people because I dont take an interest in the Euros or whatever.
The same people that give me shit would not be seen down the pub watching Rugby or Cricket or whatever other team sport we play in and it just makes me scratch my head. Why is the football anymore or less important than the Rugby World Cup etc?
Almost like glory hunting in a way. They will go to the pub and get drunk and cheer when we score but if we lost they'd shrug it off and go on with their day.

Stop associating with knob heads and associate with people that accept you don't give a shit.

[magma]

I do kind of get where the guy is coming from though.
I get enough stick from people because I dont take an interest in the Euros or whatever.
The same people that give me shit would not be seen down the pub watching Rugby or Cricket or whatever other team sport we play in and it just makes me scratch my head. Why is the football anymore or less important than the Rugby World Cup etc?
Almost like glory hunting in a way. They will go to the pub and get drunk and cheer when we score but if we lost they'd shrug it off and go on with their day.

Bit of a ramble to excuse/explain my own passions...

It's whatever gives an individual the most pleasure or evokes the most passion, I guess... football's an easy one because it's the most popular team game in the world and it's really simple to understand. You can watch football once every two/four years and still get what's going on... whether the team played badly, whether they were unlucky, whether 'we wos robbed'... it's a really easy way to temporarily join a tribe and have a big cathartic shout.

I love rugby and cricket and always follow England's matches (I've been to Twickenham, Lords and The Oval way more than Wembley too), but nothing gets me wound up like the England football team (it's only every two years that I realise Arsenal don't come close)... it's difficult to explain. I couldn't give two fucks about Team GB's Olympic performance, whether Andy Murray wins Wimbledon, the Ryder Cup or even the exploits of our Armed Forces... it's just football.

I went back to bed after watching England win the Rugby World Cup and managed to carry on my afternoon's work whilst England were winning The Ashes for the first time in decades.... but if England won the World Cup I'd be running laps of the City for about a month with my cock in hand singing Jerusalem. I can't explain, justify or excuse it... only apologise in advance.

[noam]

most people can play football, whatever size or shape they are, you can play football in the street with 3 mates and a tennis ball and two jumpers for goal posts

its the most accessible sport in the world, its simple to understand why its so popular

its mint

but i hate football fanatics

[dubfordessert]

the only other sports i've ever paid attention to are tennis and snooker. don't really like tennis anymore (there will never be another henman-sampras match) and i don't have a tv so i don't watch snooker (there's nothing like that mesmerising green screen, ronnie o'sullivan's haircut and those waistcoats)...

[idontreallygiveashit]

My life would probably be a but better if i pretended to give a shit about football. Not even joking. Back in school and such, pupils and teachers would ask me "what team do you support?" i would be like "oh, none really" and they would be shocked and think im a "gay" or whatever. My dad is so disappointed that i dont really take much of an interest in sports even though he doesn't care for it much either, but he pretends to and that's the difference that makes him acceptable.

The whole concept of "supporting" is pretty silly. What does it mean to "support"? You want the team to win. or at least do well, i get that, but when you start talking about how "you" won the cup or something, it just highlights your insecurities. Nothing to be proud of in your own life, living your through others. I know garethom said that this is the same as watching a movie, but seldom do people get so obsessive and emotional about a movie. To the point where they're venomous to fans of other movies. And is there ever a tournament or something that doesn't result in some sort of conflict or disturbance? And would it be silly to say that football attracts a large number of ultra-nationalists and racists?

So yeah, i see where dfaultzr is coming from. I dont hate the concept of sports, i enjoy watching cricket and rugby sometimes, but do be victimised for not liking a particular sport is bullshit. And you run into these people quite often.

[dubfordessert]

My life would probably be a but better if i pretended to give a shit about football. Not even joking. Back in school and such, pupils and teachers would ask me "what team do you support?" i would be like "oh, none really" and they would be shocked and think im a "gay" or whatever. My dad is so disappointed that i dont really take much of an interest in sports even though he doesn't care for it much either, but he pretends to and that's the difference that makes him acceptable.

The whole concept of "supporting" is pretty silly. What does it mean to "support"? You want the team to win. or at least do well, i get that, but when you start talking about how "you" won the cup or something, it just highlights your insecurities. Nothing to be proud of in your own life, living your through others. I know garethom said that this is the same as watching a movie, but seldom do people get so obsessive and emotional about a movie. To the point where they're venomous to fans of other movies. And is there ever a tournament or something that doesn't result in some sort of conflict or disturbance? And would it be silly to say that football attracts a large number of ultra-nationalists and racists?

So yeah, i see where dfaultzr is coming from.

i get your point but i can't agree with this bit. when i had 3 frenchmen in my fantasy football team i was referring to france as "we". it's just shorthand for the people you want to win. it doesn't strike me as insecurity at all tbh, people just like being part of something, there's nothing wrong with that. i have no problem with people disliking football and i think the heteronormative push for people to like football is shitty. at the end of the day, it's just a game. one of the most entertaining games there is, that is easy for people to get into and understand and provides something to talk about and bond over. i honestly think that even with all the violence and hooliganism and ridiculous divisiveness that plagues football, it is ultimately more uniting than it is dividing... or at least it has the capacity to be.

[magma]

The whole concept of "supporting" is pretty silly. What does it mean to "support"? You want the team to win. or at least do well, i get that, but when you start talking about how "you" won the cup or something, it just highlights your insecurities. Nothing to be proud of in your own life, living your through others. I know garethom said that this is the same as watching a movie, but seldom do people get so obsessive and emotional about a movie. To the point where they're venomous to fans of other movies. And is there ever a tournament or something that doesn't result in some sort of conflict or disturbance? And would it be silly to say that football attracts a large number of ultra-nationalists and racists?

It's tribal. If you've never been part of a tribe, I guess perhaps you don't know what it's like to get your tribal kicks fulfilled. It's not the same kind of intellectual pleasure you get from completing a crossword or observing a Picasso, but I think it has a lot in common with being on a dancefloor with like-minded people.

Humans are born with an innate desire to socialise and interact with each other territorially... most social animals do it - you band together with those that'll support you and to rally against those that will harm you... no matter how far forward you push society, no matter how far from war you bring us as a species (The common-or-garden Englishman doesn't often find himself on the frontline anymore), we will still have those urges. Instead of letting teenagers organise themselves into violent gangs to get their tribal thrills or for them to be organised by tribal elders into batallions and regiments, I think we're probably better off giving them football shirts and hoodies with the logos of their favourite record labels.

It's possible to be part of many tribes these days and still be quite a nice person. It's a much better state of affairs than ever before.

[JTMMusicuk]

My life would probably be a but better if i pretended to give a shit about football. Not even joking. Back in school and such, pupils and teachers would ask me "what team do you support?" i would be like "oh, none really" and they would be shocked and think im a "gay" or whatever. My dad is so disappointed that i dont really take much of an interest in sports even though he doesn't care for it much either, but he pretends to and that's the difference that makes him acceptable.

The whole concept of "supporting" is pretty silly. What does it mean to "support"? You want the team to win. or at least do well, i get that, but when you start talking about how "you" won the cup or something, it just highlights your insecurities. Nothing to be proud of in your own life, living your through others. I know garethom said that this is the same as watching a movie, but seldom do people get so obsessive and emotional about a movie. To the point where they're venomous to fans of other movies. And is there ever a tournament or something that doesn't result in some sort of conflict or disturbance? And would it be silly to say that football attracts a large number of ultra-nationalists and racists?

So yeah, i see where dfaultzr is coming from. I dont hate the concept of sports, i enjoy watching cricket and rugby sometimes, but do be victimised for not liking a particular sport is bullshit. And you run into these people quite often.

All of this, ffs its just a group of men in shorts trying to put a ball in each others net...nothing about it interests me at all
dont get me wrong i know it takes a amount of skill to get to their level but i really dont understand the hype
Also all the players have a massive pay check wether they win or loose anyway and yet they still roll around the floor like little girls if someone gives them a little nudge or call them a girls name or something, theres starving people out there who work their arses off while a bunch of people who are phisically fit get millions of pounds for running around on some grass..just doesnt make sense to me, id be interested to see how much FIFA and Euafa give to charity.
Also the fact that everyone harps on about it constantly always ends up pushing me out of conversations to the point where im just sitting bored staring at a wall

[Johnlenham]

snip.

Stop associating with knob heads and associate with people that accept you don't give a shit.

Haha the ones that did know not to ask now but they also dont understand why I dont have an intrest in it. Im the same with the olympics I wouldnt mind seeing the BMX racing but Its not BMX Vert/Dirt/Park which I would pay top money to see or Boxing but that is because they hold an intrest to me personally.

Bit of a ramble to excuse/explain my own passions...
It's whatever gives an individual the most pleasure or evokes the most passion, I guess... football's an easy one because it's the most popular team game in the world and it's really simple to understand. You can watch football once every two/four years and still get what's going on... whether the team played badly, whether they were unlucky, whether 'we wos robbed'... it's a really easy way to temporarily join a tribe and have a big cathartic shout.

I love rugby and cricket and always follow England's matches (I've been to Twickenham, Lords and The Oval way more than Wembley too), but nothing gets me wound up like the England football team (it's only every two years that I realise Arsenal don't come close)... it's difficult to explain. I couldn't give two fucks about Team GB's Olympic performance, whether Andy Murray wins Wimbledon, the Ryder Cup or even the exploits of our Armed Forces... it's just football.

I went back to bed after watching England win the Rugby World Cup and managed to carry on my afternoon's work whilst England were winning The Ashes for the first time in decades.... but if England won the World Cup I'd be running laps of the City for about a month with my cock in hand singing Jerusalem. I can't explain, justify or excuse it... only apologise in advance.

See thats fair enough. You atleast have a consistent passion
Its just people that dont follow it in any capacity suddenly becoming armchair experts who question why im not into it that wind me up.
I must be an anti-team player or something asnot a big fan of any team sports really.
Slightly offtopic but you have written some good thought provoking posts of late

[garethom]

And would it be silly to say that football attracts a large number of ultra-nationalists and racists?

Possibly. Probably not a bigger percentage than in "real life" if you look at the numbers of people attracted to football.

Bit of a double standard going on here too, accused of all sorts, "knuckle heads", "nationalists", etc. for running around a pitch, kicking a ball, the display of skill in a certain area, seeing some of the best athletes, some phenomenally fast and strong people doing things at ultra speed and maybe winning a big fuck-off trophy at the end.

Think it's a bit much for some in this thread to moan that people "give them stick" for not liking football, and then saying some of the shit they've said about people that do like it.

We all dislike things other people talk about. Fucking hell, sometimes my mates are chatting on about X-Factor or some shit, I just zone out. It isn't a major fucking problem.

I don't really care if people do or don't like football. In fact, I probably associate with a lot more people that don't like football than do, but jeez, I don't get the need to be so whiny about not liking it.

You don't get why some people like football, they don't get why you don't like football, they give you stick, you're giving them stick. Accept your differences.

[faultier]

Humans are tribal animals. Depending on our genetic makeup, personality and levels of various hormones, we all need a certain amount of brow-beating and chest-thumping every now and again to keep us sane and happy... competitive spectator sport seems to be a decent way of satisfying this urge in the most people whilst causing harm to the least.

It's certainly preferable to the previous model of having a few decades of intractable war across Europe every century.

completely agree about the tribal part, and yes it is an improvement over waging actual wars, but as you point out its merely a convenient replacement to that and sometime it shows:



surely mankind can improve further

anyway, my inital post was admittedly a rant in a "post your unpopular opinions" thread, sorry if i offended anyone

[garethom]

Humans are tribal animals. Depending on our genetic makeup, personality and levels of various hormones, we all need a certain amount of brow-beating and chest-thumping every now and again to keep us sane and happy... competitive spectator sport seems to be a decent way of satisfying this urge in the most people whilst causing harm to the least.

It's certainly preferable to the previous model of having a few decades of intractable war across Europe every century.

completely agree about the tribal part, and yes it is an improvement over waging actual wars, but as you point out its merely a convenient replacement to that and sometime it shows:



surely mankind can improve further

anyway, my inital post was admittedly a rant in a "post your unpopular opinions" thread, sorry if i offended anyone

Think how many matches of football are played to those that have something like that happen outside (that if football didn't exist, they'd find a new excuse to fight).

Hells Angels stabbed a guy to death at the Altamont Free Festival. Thus, music fans are knuckle dragging goons intent on causing mayhem. Doesn't make sense does it.

The generalisations made in this thread would kick up a lot more shit were they made about any other group of people.

[faultier]

not saying all football fans are hooligans, more like suggesting that this kind of competition flatters nationalism in all the wrong ways, and while most people are able to keep their "nationalism" in check, it might not be the case for everyone...

[kidshuffle]

That Polish/Russian brawl also happened on the Russian independence day from the Soviets. So yeah, emotions were high for everyone regardless.

[idontreallygiveashit]

Think it's a bit much for some in this thread to moan that people "give them stick" for not liking football, and then saying some of the shit they've said about people that do like it.

We all dislike things other people talk about. Fucking hell, sometimes my mates are chatting on about X-Factor or some shit, I just zone out. It isn't a major fucking problem.

I don't really care if people do or don't like football. In fact, I probably associate with a lot more people that don't like football than do, but jeez, I don't get the need to be so whiny about not liking it.

You don't get why some people like football, they don't get why you don't like football, they give you stick, you're giving them stick. Accept your differences.

Yeah, i dont actually go around to people in real life and be all "you imbecile, how can you like to watch people kick a ball around, read a book you dumb fuck", in my personal experience, people become passive-aggressive or mocking because i dont enjoy watching, playing or talking about football. When people start to talk about football, i just dont say anything because i have no knowledge and no interest in gaining the knowledge. It bores me.