Is World Cup Soccer the best Sporting Event ?

[Ikki]

People only watch the Superbowl for a bit of tit during half time.

Still prefer the Summer Olympics. While football might be the world sport the Olmypics still gets way more coverage in North America, Japan, China, India and Australia. Hmmm, more than half the world.

Only places where the World Cup really dominates the Olympics is South America, South-East Asia and Africa.

Also there so many sports at the Olympics. Some people like the swimming but might hate athletics, some might cycling but not weight lifting etc. Plus theres the opening and closing ceremonies.

Notice how those countries haven't been or still aren't real competitors for the WC title? I won't say that's the only reason why they don't care as much but certainly a reason. Take, for example, last WC where Australia did well; people were glued to the event like no other sporting spectacle before. Our boys were doing us proud and we loved them for trying their hearts out.

As for the thread; when I was a kid I used to hold the Olympics in equal sway with the WC but now it's not even close. When you're a kid for some reason every school tries to push you into getting interested in the Olympics.

 

[Uppercut]

Only places where the World Cup really dominates the Olympics is South America, South-East Asia and Africa.

It dominates Europe too. When England play in the World Cup the entire country shuts down. No one gives a monkey's when an Englishman's involved in the Olympics, beyond reading about it in the paper the next morning. Same applies to France and Spain, and I suspect most other European countries too.

 

[GIMH]

You underplay just how much we get on the bandwagon for any Olympic champions but your general point is correct. World Cup dominates like nothing else here. If we went to war during the WC it probably wouldn't make the front page!

 

[BoyBrumby]

You underplay just how much we get on the bandwagon for any Olympic champions but your general point is correct. World Cup dominates like nothing else here. If we went to war during the WC it probably wouldn't make the front page!

Fair call, but, happy as we are to win gold in the yngling (sp?) or the kirin (sp? again), no-one ever really watches us doing it.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, that's where his newspaper shout is definitely true. But everyone tuned in for Kelly Holmes in 2004, or at least claims they did (I watched the 800 but not the 1500 IIRC)

 

[Uppercut]

The point was meant to be relative though. In terms of importance to the people in this half of Europe the Olympics is an absolute joke compared to the World Cup.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, but you know me, take an irrelevant point and argue about it even though I don't care

Quite frankly, if I was a mod, I'd have answered Sanz's question by saying 'yes' and then closed the thread because it's not a matter for discussion. Might as well start a thread saying 'Do bears **** in the woods?'

 

[Furball]

No, because European Championships > World Cup.

Invite Argentina and Brazil into UEFA and we can cut down on the unneccesary amount of international football played. [/aussie]

 

[G.I.Joe]

Yeah, but you know me, take an irrelevant point and argue about it even though I don't care

'

your most encderaing quality tbh

youre finw mate.

 

[Smudge]

Yeah, but you know me, take an irrelevant point and argue about it even though I don't care

Quite frankly, if I was a mod, I'd have answered Sanz's question by saying 'yes' and then closed the thread because it's not a matter for discussion. Might as well start a thread saying 'Do bears **** in the woods?'

And that's why you're not a mod.

 

[social]

Yeah, but you know me, take an irrelevant point and argue about it even though I don't care

Quite frankly, if I was a mod, I'd have answered Sanz's question by saying 'yes' and then closed the thread because it's not a matter for discussion. Might as well start a thread saying 'Do bears **** in the woods?'

Polar Bears dont

 

[GIMH]

And that's why you're not a mod.

Another example of a comment my iron fist would hastily remove

 

[Jono]

IPL

Haha beat me to the punch

 

[sledger]

Polar Bears dont

 

[vic_orthdox]

Notice how those countries haven't been or still aren't real competitors for the WC title? I won't say that's the only reason why they don't care as much but certainly a reason. Take, for example, last WC where Australia did well; people were glued to the event like no other sporting spectacle before. Our boys were doing us proud and we loved them for trying their hearts out.
.

Hmm, dunno. Certainly huge numbers, especially for the timeslot of a number of the games. Would suggest Cathy Freeman's 400 @ Sydney Olympics would rival it.

 

[Jono]

Cathy Freeman's Olympics would not only rival it, but beat it in my opinion.

But Australia's most watched sporting spectacle was this surely:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8yWXl7PtN8

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

World Cup 2010 is king even in India as football fever takes hold | Dileep Premachandran | Football | guardian.co.uk

Try that - and that's in a country that can't even put together a half-decent side.

 

[marc71178]

Well it's pretty popular in England...

 

[Nate]

Always used to argue that the Olympics were bigger. I was wrong. Football WC is king.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Olympics for me though i can see why so many would say it is the football world cup.