Defending my true love

No, I am not talking about Kristen Wiig. I am talking about soccer. Recently, my friend and former colleague Phillip Barnett made some comments about soccer on his well-written blog that soccer, along with hockey, will "never be widely accepted by Americans". This may be true, but Phil, your reasoning is faulty.

One of your reasons is that soccer "lacks a defining play". You say soccer has goals, but that is not enough. You cite that "football has touchdowns, baseball has homeruns" - so how does soccer not have goals!?!

A goal in can be one of the most beautiful plays in all of sports. The same can't be said about basketball and baseball. In basketball, one of the most famous plays of all time is Jordan's shot against Utah and Bryon Russell that sealed the Bulls 1998 NBA Championship. This is arguably one of the greatest shots in NBA history, and surely Phil, this must be a defining moment in NBA history.



Now, don't get me wrong - it was a great play. It was in Utah, with time winding down - it was a great shot, no doubt. But in all honesty, it looks like shots that are knocked down every single night in the NBA. It wasn't that special of a shot. Any NBA player could make that shot. Hell, I could make that shot. Two dribbles right, push off defender with my left hand, step back, put the ball up, and keep my shooting hand raised up even after the ball goes through the bucket... I've made that shot on my driveway over 100 times!

So shots like that can be called 'defining', but a goal can't? Anyone can make Jordan's most famous shot - but can anyone on the planet do this?



I think not. It would take even the most skillful players in the world hours upon hours of attempts to make that shot. How is that goal not defining?

Let's talk baseball. Phillip's example was the home run. One home run stands out in the mind of all baseball experts - Bobby Thomson's 1951 World Series walk off home run to win the series.



I don't want to take anything away from this play - it is simply one of the most amazing plays in all of sports history. The timing of it, the broadcast of it - it is all perfect.

But here's the thing - it was just a home run. A home run looks the same, no matter who is hitting it. What is really defining about a home run? Well - nothing really. The ball goes over the fence. Hell, I get bored watching a home run derby!

The equivalent of 'The Shot Heard 'Round the World'? How about a goal in extra time during the World Cup - the most-watched sporting event in the world?



Not only was the goal one-in-a-million, but it occurred in extra time on the world's premier sporting stage. Sorry Phil - but I guess I find this goal a little bit more defining than a home run.

Now we pair up soccer against football. This gets a little trickier, because in both sports, scoring is different every time. In football, there are a variety of ways to score. Sure, the 3-yard run up the middle can get old, but what about the 93-yard kickoff returns, or the 18-yard reverese, or even the 9-yard bootleg? Football is much like soccer, in that once the ball gets moving, it depends much on the athlete in how they team scores. The team must work together in perfect cohesion to make sure they achieve their goal.

The thing about football and soccer - no two touchdowns or goals are alike. Some are run-of-the-mill, some are spectacular, but all are unique. I guess this is why this commercial worked so well together:



But HERE is where the difference lies, Phillip....

I am not going to define the word 'define', but I am pretty sure a 'defining play' is a play that can happen only a few times during a game. In fact, the less it happens, the more defining it is when it does happen.

In basketball, you see 15 3-pointers per game. Scratch them off the list.
In baseball, you see anywhere from 0-5 home runs per game, but they all look exactly alike, so it is hard for them to stand out. Scratch them off the list.
In football, touchdowns happen pretty regularly, but touchdowns don't send the crowd into a frenzy. Scratch them off the list.

A goal in soccer possesses all three qualities. If you go 85 minutes without a goal, and suddenly a team scores, isn't that goal the most defining moment of the game? I can't think of anything that is more defining than a goal.

I leave you with one of the greatest goals of all time. In the Champions League Final in 2002, Zidane hit one of the greatest goals in the history of soccer. It was the defining moment in the game, the tournament, his career, and even in the history of soccer.



Phil, I will briefly address your other reasons for soccer not being popularm, 2. the lack of star power and 3. the way the games are filmed.

Lack of star power? Are you kidding me!!! David Beckham is the most recognizable athlete in the world! And if you go around the United States holding up a picture of Lebron James or 'Melo or KG, I bet many Americans would not be able to name them. But you go to France and hold up a picture of Thierry Henry, or go to Italy and hold of a picture of Totti, or Brazil and hold up a picture of Ronaldinho, and I can guarantee a majority of the country could name the player.

Perhaps that is why in Gillette's Mach razor commercials, they picked three of the most popular athletes on the planet and none of them were basketball, football, or baseball players...



And as for the way games are filmed - the only place that sucks is America. In Europe, games have just as many cameras, probably more even, than American football games. In Europe, they constantly show coaches, fans, and bench players, in addition to super close ups of players grimacing after missing a shot or celebrating after making a goal. In fact, every time they score, they are at least 6 replays of the goal every time a goal is scored. The only problem is that in America, there aren't as many cameras, and I think this is purely because of lack of funds.

So, perhaps I may be biased because I have been playing soccer since I was 3. But that doesnt change the fact that i truly believe that a goal isn't just the most defining moment in soccer, but the most defining moment in all of sports.

So Phil, for once, we will have to agree to disagree.