This is my first article. I'm not going to really write, but rather make a statement.
Jim Rome has a radio show in the second largest market in the U.S., and has a daily TV show on ESPN. He has time-and-time again expressed his disdain for soccer, and futbol.
Jim Rome hates soccer (football and/or futbol). He has never taken the time to back it up with actual and factual reasoning to support his feelings. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I don't want to go into it. And I won't because I'm getting angry, and I'm not in the right frame of mind to do so.
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If I ever hear Jim Rome say one more time that soccer is stupid, I'm going to kick his ass like Jim Everett wished he could. Football, the real football—not the United States' throwball—is the greatest sport in the world, in my opinion.
And after I beat Jim Rome up, I'm going to tie him in my basement—bound and gagged—and force him to watch EURO 2008. And after that if he STILL says soccer sucks....I'm gonna flip out, even worse than now.
I would never hurt Jim Rome—let that be known—this is just me venting my frustration because people in this country just don't "GET" football, or futbol. Oh well, Manchester United is my team—long story on why that is—and I love the Premiership.
Seven-plus weeks left and I am worried about Roma and Chelsea.
Still, to hell with Jim Rome.
More later.
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5 months ago
He's hardly the only one, Tony Kornhieser, Mike Golic and Greenberg as well as at least 70% of the ESPN staff are soccer muguls. It's awful, but its not going to be any different anytime soon.
5 months ago
haha when i was travelling the world i only had espn commentary! its hillarious, i honestly thought America was getting used to football! A lot of Americans knw there stuff, but not ESPN! and i will not evenmention msrs Gillet and Hicks!
5 months ago
Jim Rome argues that soccer just does not translate to America. He believes that as a country we are missing something and are thus prevented from enjoying soccer. This almost makes sense, but how could we be missing "The soccer chip" if every other place, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, etc. has it? There's no way they all share something in common that we somehow don't. There's a really funny Frank Caliendo impression of Jim Rome on Youtube if you want to make fun of him.
5 months ago
Frank Caliendo and funny being used together raises an eyebrow here. His ability to produce sustained comedy is well in question. For me, at least.
5 months ago
Football is the greatest (and therefore most watched) sport on earth. Homos like JIm ROme hate football out of jelousy. They know that football is the richest, most popular, most watched, most improtant sport in the world, and it drives them INSANE!! they wish an american sport was as big as football. But no american sport is anywhere near the level of football...so they bash football (sawker)!! LOL @ football haters...its like hearing a homosexual diss heterosexual sex!!!!
5 months ago
It's funny this, I used to listen to Rome when I was over in the states, and to be honest - you are correct. He has no real reason for hating football other than it being a more played sport, worldwide, than American football (of which I have a healthy love of the New England Patriots, by comparison).
What he needs is to see some football in the flesh - not LA galaxy style, more Stoke City VS Charlton Athletic. Real football might make him see the light.
5 months ago
except hes right
and bound and gagged is the only way youd get anyone in this country to watch Soccer
its called Soccer
not football
5 months ago
hahahahahahahahaha sorry I think it's called football! I don't care if you don't like it but at least have the respect to call it by its real name.
5 months ago
This website ends in .com, not .uk, or .de, or .jp, thus it is American and it is called soccer.
from 5 months ago
I don't care what the website ends in....I write about football. I also don't care if the people reading my work are British, German or Japanese as this is a global site with a global writing base and a global audience.
5 months ago
.com = commerical.
.us = american.
And since 95% of the people on the planet call it football, its football, not "sawwwker".
5 months ago
Soccer sucks!! The comments about how "Americans don't get it" and "they are jealous" make no sense. Jealous of what? What is there to "get". They kick a ball. Boring.
5 months ago
Waaaaaah! Wow, someone doesnt like something that you do. Get a life and deal with it. Most inane "sports" article I have ever read. You go on and on about a radio show host and his opinion on soccer. Then how you would flip out if he says he doesnt like soccer one more time, bind and gag him to force him to watch soccer. What are you, twelve years old? Soccer is more popular world-wide, but no one cares.
You say Rome never backs up his soccer rants, yet you offer no reasons of your own on why anyone should watch soccer other than it's "the greatest sport in the world". Great arguement. I had those kinds of debates in 4th grade. I hope you're not getting paid for this "journalism".
Offer us something insightful on soccer. Why should I watch it? Why should I embrace it? Personally I don't have any problems with the sport, I played it as a youth and I'll watch the World Cup matches but you're article is terrible.
5 months ago
This post actually make a a valid point. Why should we embrace this game? Americans don't care to much for the game for a lot of reasons.
How is it that the clock on the scoreboard is not the official time?
How can you have a game end in a scoreless tie/draw? This is the only world sport, I can think of, that does this in games that matter. The NHL did away with this when the fans complained and got pissed that they paid money for no results. Would you pay money for a movie ticket only to watch a story with nothing resolved in the end?
You say we don't get it? No, we get it. We just don't like it. It is a long game (45 minute halves??) If the ball is not within 20 yards of the goal, there is no real chance for scoring action. We are a country that like to see scoring and points up on the board, and this game doesn't lend itself to that idea. too often I see guys just lazily jogging around, waiting for the ball to get there. It's not a very speedy game. This a is a country that like speed. We care about a player's 40 yard dash time, pitching speed, quickness stealing a base, how fast they can get up and down the court. The fast growing sport is NASCAR. I'd say we invented auto racing.
Threatening bodily injury to the opponent, his team, this team's fans and his family, just because he beat your team, while following the rules of the game, is ridiculous. How about sucking it up admitting that they played better and vowing to play better in the next match?
Also, keep in mind that the best players you send over to us are aging superstars on the downward spiral of their careers looking for a cash grab. Beckham in LA, The New York Cosmos Most of these athletes knew they would get paid, probably spend a lot of time of the injured list and all of them looked to get back to there home country as quickly and as often as possible, partially because they don't want anything to do with our country. They live here in relative anonymity and they think it great to not have rabid fans hounding them all the time, until they realize that they are not a-list celebrities here and we aren't worshipping them as demi-gods. They call us foul names when we don't bend to there whims, at the drop of a hat, and abhor them for having that attitude.
As far the USA always get our buts kicked, Eric Wynalda summed it up best during the 2006 World Cup when comparing the size of the USA Team's Midfielding Corp to the rest of the teams in the tournament saying to the effect that our guys will always be smaller than the rest of the world because when you are the size of the other teams players you are not a midfielder or a goalie, you are a quarterback or a point guard or pitcher.
5 months ago
Let's see orange slices Check, Capri Sun Check, a tie? With no clear winner Check, fake injuries check, and completely friggin boring sport (kind of) check! Yea we (Americans and Jim Rome) get it no jealousy just no interest in ya'll crappy sport CHECK!!!!
5 months ago
Let's see orange slices Check, Capri Sun Check, a tie? With no clear winner Check, fake injuries check, and completely friggin boring sport (kind of) check! Yea we (Americans and Jim Rome) get it no jealousy just no interest in ya'll crappy sport CHECK!!!!
5 months ago
Let's see orange slices Check, Capri Sun Check, a tie? With no clear winner Check, fake injuries check, and completely friggin boring sport (kind of) check! Yea we (Americans and Jim Rome) get it no jealousy just no interest in ya'll crappy sport CHECK!!!!
5 months ago
If that is the case then why is it (football) covered on this website?
I love the fact teams can draw (only in league games I might point out and not in knockout competitions)
As for faking injury just as many players play football with injections and damaged bodies as in any american sports. You say football is long? It takes hours to complete an American football game with hours of adverts and tons of sitting around. Your points are not valid plain and simple.
If you don't like it fine, just say that.
Which players reacted to America like you said? The US team does VERY well at World Cups compared to most countries. Bearing in mind it's the only WORLD (single sport) competition major American sports play in.
I'm not going to claim to like every sport but I respect them for what they are and can genuinly find some sort of enjoyment in all of them.
5 months ago
Jim Rome hates soccer.
Jim Rome likes to tell Americans to hate soccer too.
Jim Rome's American audience likes being told what to do.
Still, that doesn't stop ESPN from realizing what Rome fails to understand. Football is a global game, and 250 million homes, in more than 190 countries and in 11 languages can't be wrong.*
* the reach of ESPN's international programming.
5 months ago
I liked SOCCER.....
when I was eight years old it was a lot of fun. Especially the orange slices and tie scores!!!
Then I grew hair on my sack and decided to man up and play a real AMERICAN sport. Football!!!!!
One thing Euro trash will never understand is that America is more than capable of creating and developing our own sports.
Major League Baseball just got done playing two games in Japan.......
My Wisconsin Badger FOOTBALL team played Michigan State in Japan ten years ago........
The NBA is growing faster around the globe than any other pro sport out there, yet it is not close to being the most popular sport here in the states........
NHL is a world known product.........
Americans have given soccer a chance time and time again.....it just does not translate to what we, as Americans, have come to enjoy in our sports entertainment.
Americans live for NFL....we LOVE IT!!!!!!! We are emotionally attached to our teams, and we laugh and cry with them each and every season.
Until soccer get's that level of committment from ADULT AMERICAN MALES, it is not gonna happen here.
JIM ROME IS 100% CORRECT......
Most real men in this country DO hate that little game known as soccer.
And I am sure that Rome can kick your ASS.....
5 months ago
Orange slices & Capri sun RULE!! Everything else about soccer sucks!
5 months ago
Unlike what the author claims, Jim Rome has clearly stated his reasons for hating soccer and I must say, I agree with every one.
1.) A large portion of the fans that attend games are racist, violent, thugs. How many news stories deal with riots, Nazi salutes, hooligans, and racist monkey chants? I'm sure most fans are decent law-abiding people, but by and large, all media coverage of soccer in the USA deals with these issues.
2.) Americans value toughness and honesty in their sports idols. Neither of those are on display when soccer players fake violent injuries in order to draw fouls and cards. Jim despises players faking injuries and being carted off the field in stretchers only to re-enter the game minutes later. Look at the steroid scandal, Americans want to know what they're seeing is genuine.
3.) Injury time? The official has discretion how long the match lasts? With the pressures inherent with the fan base (reason #1), it is easy to imagine a referee being paid off. Not even imagine, it happens
You may disagree with Jim ROme, but don't say he hasn't explained his reasons. Also, just so you know, one of the reasons Jim likes to rant against soccer is the inevitable & predictable response it produces where soccer-lovers wail about how he just doesn't "get it" and if he only "gave it a chance" he'd be a fan. Just because something is popular doesn't mean everybody has to think it is entertaining!
5 months ago
lol @ how threatened americans feels by "sawker". They know its 10 times bigger than NFL and any other lame unpopular sport americans like. And they HATE IT with a passion. Jelousy in its purest form. If Baseball and American Handball (NFL) was better than real football, it would be more watched and bigger than real football. But it isn't. "Sawker" will continue to DOMINATE the world no matter now much you yanks hate it.
Glory Arsenal.
5 months ago
Great article I totally agree with you. Now you should kidnap all the other Americans, beat them up and show them how great soccer is as well. Remember you only hit them because you love them.
5 months ago
The injuries have to be the funniest thing about soccer. Whenever I accidently come across a soccer game, I look at the clock and see how long it will take for some greasy longhair to fall down and begin clutching his leg. From my scientific observations, it takes 2 minutes and 13 seconds on average for some crybaby to roll into the fetal position on the field....errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."pitch"
5 months ago
Hey Anonymous spewing all the attacks; yeah you have the freedom of speech but you should know that it takes a really mature intelligent person to call me names and threaten me from an anonymous post. Grow up, this was my first article and you need to calm down. "I'm sure Jim Rome can kick my ass"...hahahaha you say alot of funny things. YOU'RE THE REAL MAN. Just stick to sports and not personal attacks ANONYMOUS.
5 months ago
Also, the article was intended with a slight of tounge in cheek. Again as I stated twice now this being my first article; to all the people that posted constructive, intelligent comments, thank you.
5 months ago
"Just stick to sports and not personal attacks ANONYMOUS."
That's coming from a person who wrote an entire "article" as a personal attack and nothing about the sport itself. Uhhh.... hello pot, it's the kettle...
5 months ago
Touche'. Well played sir, well played.
5 months ago
Rome backs it up every time he talks about soccer! He is mostly making fun of Soccer fan, not so much the actual sport. Soccer fan is the one who riots, stabs, who basically comes from these wacko foreign country's, where everyone is acting like a crazy monkey at these games. You don't see that at a Packer game, or a Dodger game. Theres no comparison, soccer is gay anyways, if it hasn't caught on in USA by now, I am betting it won't. Rome is the man! I'M OUT!
5 months ago
soccer is the greatest, most entertaining and most interesting sport on the planet.
Therefore, it is no surprise that it is tht most watched, most richest, most discussed, most written about sport on the planet.
3 months ago
I completely agree that Jim Rome is an ignorant fool when it comes to soccer and yet he has the power to influence millions of people...which is terrible. After the Champions league final he went on a rant about how boring soccer is and about how you were lucky if you missed the game. He talked about how he felt sorry for the fans at the game. Well all I have to say is do you think he's ever been in a real soccer stadium? It's louder and has a better atmosphere than any sporting event in the US. What I think it comes down to is that people in the US (and I live in the US) have such short attention spans (not everyone but there are many people like Jim Rome). I guess Jim just needs his comercial breaks and if they're playing for more than 5 minutes at a time it's simply too much to handle.
Lastly, if you think about it...since he hates soccer so passionately, do you really think he sat down for 2 and a half hours to watch the champions league final? No...he probably watched a few minutes of highlights and then felt entitled to go on a 3 minute rant about the game, in an effort to prove something.
When you're so poorly informed and so so ignorant, it's amazing that he gets the respect that he does. Honestly, ESPN should do something if they want to continue their reputation as a respectable sports broadcasting network.
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