Today's featured comment
Today's featured comment comes from Maxmorf, who is an eclectic sort who likes to see both me and the City of Baltimore feature some other sports for a change. Here's Maxmorf's response to my entry about the possibility of an Indycar race in Baltimore, though he wasted no time shifting gears:
Maxmorf's take: Nice to see something other than the Orioles written here...though I do love the Orioles...reminds me, read Kevin Cowherd's column today about the big international soccer match coming to M&T Bank stadium. For me, soccer ranks right up there with insurance law in terms of fascination, but am making an exception here as I'd like to extend a hand across the waters to our friends in London, the Chelsea Football Club, for their wonderful "CAREFREE" chant...I've asked my cohorts at the Chesapeake Fencing Club here in Baltimore to see if we could adopt it (the expurgated version)...or the Chelsea team...since we share a common bond--a commitment to excellence, a love of achievement in sports, the thrill of victory, and of course, three important letters: CFC. Go CFC! Check us out at chesapeakefencing.com and our 10th annual all-night-of-fencing Oct. 16-17th, the FENCEATHON, to help support the Sisters Academy of Baltimore!
Pete's reply: I've always heard that good fencers make good neighbors. Is that true?
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Comments
I am actually attending this game. The most interesting thing is, even though it doesn't have much interest here, in Europe, this is a very large game. Chelsea just signed AC Milan's now ex-manager to manage their team.
Posted by: Danny K | July 8, 2009 3:54 PM
Say what you will about soccer. Apparently, there are enough fanatics in the area that think this game is important. The game has been sold out for weeks. That's not bad for one soccer game. How many games have the Orioles sold out weeks in advance in the past 15 years?
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Pete's reply: Not a logical comparison, but -- yes -- there's lots of interest in the game.
Posted by: slugger | July 8, 2009 4:20 PM
The fencing guy thinks soccer is boring? HA!
Posted by: Porter | July 8, 2009 4:47 PM
I would rather watch grass grow. I find it amazing after 15-20 years of soccer being the most popular youth sport in America, that as a whole we are still not very good on the International scene. Yeah, yeah yeah we backed into the finals recently but by record we shouldn't have even been playing in the finals.
Soccer needs to eliminate off sides and make the goal bigger to where scores will be 9-8 or 8-7 in lieu of 1 to nil. Then and only then will the fans go to the Pitch on a regular basis in mass!
Posted by: Keith Rowe | July 8, 2009 8:58 PM
There is nothing wrong with the game as it is and it's much more popular then it seems here in the USA. The problem is that the game only stops one time so real television exposure is out. We have to have our sports this way -- 5-10 minutes of sports then 5 minutes catching up with the problems of the "cavemen". Any sport has to have exposure on television to grow no matter how many people are playing it. The sponsors and ad dollars just have not been there.
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Pete's reply: I like the Cavemen.
Posted by: Bill | July 9, 2009 12:04 PM
Times have changed- Baseball needs to as well. I am so sick of trying to compete against teams and cities that have war chests of money to throw at their players. I think that basebal should look at the Eurpean Soccer League and how that is set up.
Teams with an average payroll of over 95 million in the top tier, 75-95 million 2nd and under 75 million. The 3 division would play each other occasionally- while most games would be within their own division
Baltimore would be in a division with teams like Pittsburg, KC, Cincinatti, Cleveland, Oakland,
the top tier teams are NY yankees, mets, La dodgers, angels, Boston, Cubs, whitesox, phillis
This would also allow better city rivalries. can you image a baseball division with Baltimore, cleveland, cincy , and pittsburg.. As it is now 50% of teams have no chance this year or within the next 3 years to be competitive
Posted by: tb | July 23, 2009 12:27 PM