I'm curious!

[Freds@Aquanauts]

To all those people out there who arent from England...

Do you guys get as worked about the world cup as we do?Its world cup mania here and the atmosphere on a match day is absolutely awesome, regardless of where you are in England!There are flags and banners and england shirts everywhere!Do you guys do anything special??

Freds :coffee:

[RICHinNC]

Not really. Unless of course it is extra large with cherry slushie....then I get real excited. Other than that....styrofoam is ok with me.

[WaterWayne]

Although the sports pubs have the show on, it seems to be only a minority of patrons watching. However, those patrons are indeed swept up. Games start here as early as 11am, and I suspect that there are quite a few inventive excuses for missing work, because there aren't that many sympathetic bosses. In the pubs that attract certain nationalities, like European ex-pats, there is indeed the fan craziness. I guess it gets lost in the translation...

Our (American) football Superbowl is probably the only country-wide spectacle that sweeps everybody up. Differences are that it comes once a year, and lasts only half a day (although preceding TV coverage is 24x7 for the couple of weeks before). The annual baseball world series is sliding in popularity, but it manages to attract national attention, too. Then our current, annual, professional basketball championships really only affect the participating cities. I'd say the annual college basketball championships are the only multi-day, nationwide interest in the U.S., but even those don't dominate as does the World Cup elsewhere in the world.

And point to Rich for creativity...

[Trinigordo]

Our (American) football Superbowl is probably the only country-wide spectacle that sweeps everybody up.

What about the thoroughly stupid American Idol craze?

[Trinigordo]

Freds, Right now Trinidad is completely absorbed by the world cup.

[WaterWayne]

What about the thoroughly stupid American Idol craze?

You're right, I forgot about that nonsense -- besides never having watched it, I've also never posted in the MOF/NMOF threads. Coincidence? I think not...;)

[WaterWayne]

Freds, Right now Trinidad is completely absorbed by the world cup.

When your team held Sweden to a tie, that aroused the underdog fan in me! And I've gotta say that when the US played down by two men, the underdog supporter in me started barking.

[sasscuba]

nope but don't get me started on the NFL....

[Trixxie]

Awww, I :ezpi_hear American Idol, ESPECIALLY when Simon tells a contestant, "that was simple dreadful, the worst thing I have ever heard." When all the time the contestant thought they were the shiznet....

Soccer (or football as it were) is painfully boring. Pro american football, NASCAR and baseball (even though the Braves will prob not pull a 15th division championship out of their nether regions this year) are the sports I like to watch

[ONESPEED]

What about the thoroughly stupid American Idol craze?

As much as I despise American Idol there are versions of it in other countries, don't just blame the Americans for that abomination.

[Surelyshirly]

does digging your spikes out of the attic and throwing the dog inthe car and going down to the park to meet your 20 yr old son and his firends for a pick up match cause your sons side was a man down count?

Dont think I would repeatedly get knocked off the ball and to the ground in a non cup year any more

[Freds@Aquanauts]

Mmm England Vs Sweden tonight at 8pm, so have skived the day off of work to go down the pub with all my mates to ahem...Prepare...!

Freds :coffee:

[RICHinNC]

Man, you have to wonder what the Sweden cheerleader team looks like.

[Freds@Aquanauts]

If its anything like the Swedish bird I met in thailand - pretty damned hot!

Freds :coffee:

[speedhound]

What about the thoroughly stupid American Idol craze?
...errr, I hate to have to say this, but that one was actually started in the UK as "Pop Idol" :shakehead

[santafejoe]

Sorry not into the World Cup but i am into NHL Hockey and The Loard Stanley Cup.

[Fernando]

Here in Brazil the World Cup is probably more important than new years eve or cristhmas. Every store and restaurant, every business, except for bars, closes their doors during our team's matches.

I work in a law firm and we get to leave at 1h00 in the afternoon so everyone can watch the game at 4h00. Even the courts are closed. It will actually take you 3hrs to get home, because of the traffic. If you say you're not gonna watch the game, people stop talking to you.

It's kinda freaky actually. During the matches, it feels like Rio de Janeiro is a ghost town. You can't hear a whisper. Until Brazil scores a goal, then it feels like an earthquake.

[theskull]

I do know a couple people who have watched a couple of the matches. Said there was not much scoring going on.

theskull