Soccer.

[Sunbane]

I'm not very much into watching sports, unless it's at top level. Once the World Championship starts up, or they show Olympic footy, I like to follow it. Football is usually a lot more fun playing than watching, IMO. But when it's played at top levels, watching the games is also great. Same goes for Hockey.

I don't really care for American Football and the other variants of Rugby. The games are sort of violent by nature, but way too dull to watch in terms of gameplay.

[atomic charvel guy]

there's bandwagoners in every facet of life, especially when someone or something is doing well.

[Endrik]

I love to watch hockey and baseball, I used to be a huge fan of basketball but now I don't care about it at all, it sucks these days, American Football took me some time to get into it but now I don't really care anymore, while the strategies and physical demands are incredibly high there's just some vibe surrounding the game which bothers me.

While soccer is boring for me I used to love going to the championships which took place between the local schools. I was in the team because I was a good defender (because I used tactics used in other sports).
I went to this "inner city" school which had a "reputation" so our team was more like a gang. We used to love doing all kinds of crazy shit. The other teams were way better than us but they were scared of us because of our more physical type of playing style. The others were winning but we got to laugh a lot more and we left with a lot less bruises

But it's funny that there's not much talk about team handball. It has plenty of audience in Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Iceland, Norway, Croatia and a couple of other places. But people don't talk much about it. Maybe it has a bad reputation of being a though guy, neanderthal sport. Very physical. But also very exciting and technical.
Most folks in US have never heard about it. But they have Lacrosse which is a little bit similar and also has a kind of an East Coast-bully-sport reputation.
A good friend of our family is the greatest handball player in our nation's history, and was a pretty important on the world level too (and thanks to him I know Müürsepp). Also my brother is one of the best players in the local pro league and is planning to play in Scandinavia. Maybe I'm a little bit biased but I think it's a great game. But it has an horrible hick-sport reputation over here. No wonder though as a lot of the players here a plain drunkards. Sadly it's so under-financed that it doesn't even get a chance to improve.

Generally I think North America has better taste in popular team sports than Europe but some of the most retarded things like Nascar and Golf are immensely popular over there so it makes us pretty even.

[Endrik]

Funny thing is that while Rugby has always been pretty popular among Brits, in South Africa and Oceania it's now starting to become ridiculously popular in Central Europe.
Rugby is an interesting game, doesn't have such physical thugs or sprinters like American Football but it's more like a giant brawl which requires a lot of endurance. It's like a street fight while American Football is like pro-boxing.

[atomic charvel guy]

you wanna talk handball? i'm one of the alltime greats. my hand is on them right now fondling away like Uncle Ernie from the Tommy album by the Who..

[Jacksonguy666]

you wanna talk handball? i'm one of the alltime greats. my hand is on them right now fondling away like Uncle Ernie from the Tommy album by the Who..

[Hellbat]

Whenever I see the word Soccer, I always think of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2sHol_Bv1U

[Jacksonguy666]

Whenever I see the word Soccer, I always think of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2sHol_Bv1U

That looks really familiar but I forgot that's what the original predators look like. I miss the ones before the current one. I had like 5 pairs in white and gold. I miss those SOOO much!

[AEK-Jackson Fan]

But it's funny that there's not much talk about team handball. It has plenty of audience in Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Iceland, Norway, Croatia and a couple of other places. But people don't talk much about it. Maybe it has a bad reputation of being a though guy, neanderthal sport. Very physical. But also very exciting and technical.
Most folks in US have never heard about it. But they have Lacrosse which is a little bit similar and also has a kind of an East Coast-bully-sport reputation.
A good friend of our family is the greatest handball player in our nation's history, and was a pretty important on the world level too (and thanks to him I know Müürsepp). Also my brother is one of the best players in the local pro league and is planning to play in Scandinavia. Maybe I'm a little bit biased but I think it's a great game. But it has an horrible hick-sport reputation over here. No wonder though as a lot of the players here a plain drunkards. Sadly it's so under-financed that it doesn't even get a chance to improve.

Generally I think North America has better taste in popular team sports than Europe but some of the most retarded things like Nascar and Golf are immensely popular over there so it makes us pretty even.

Handball is fairly popular sport here in Greece, not too popular, but its played and somewhat well respected. Of course, AEK has a handball team which won the Greek cup last year so of course I support the sport as well (anything with the AEK badge on it). I agree, its definately an exciting sport to watch.

I personally can't agree with that about North America. I lived there for four years (as well as many years in Canada) and aside from hockey, I dont miss any of the sports there. In general I love sports so much more here in Europe, including the basketball. Baseball, football, they all bored me to death (though I didn't mind playing baseball).

[Spivonious]

We played handball in gym class in high school. Lots of fun.

[RacerX]

Only guys who play handball around here are the gangbangers.

[VitaminG]

Only guys who play handball around here are the gangbangers.

you talking handball like this, Ron?

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

Endrik & AEK are talking about this, which is like a combination of soccer & netball and played at the Olympics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQL-26C7h-U

[Jacksonguy666]

That is essentially racquetball (spelling) with hands?

[Rsmacker]

Also, technically UP THE IRONS (the common maiden slogan) is actually a name from a soccer team. I wanna say West Ham because that's steves team. But I bet you guys didn't know that!

West Ham United (originally Thames Ironworks FC back in the late 1890s) are also known as "The Hammers", and their fans like to sing that old Michael Jackson tune "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles".
Also the home team of the infamous Inter City Firm, who would travel on Inter City trains to matches and then engage in acts of serious hooliganism.
They didn't set out to be thugs, but by the time the fucking trains got them there, through piss-poor rail network services, the "wrong kind of snow" and all manner of other dismal excuses, the matches were finished, so they used to have a ruck.

I often feel the same when I use public transport, but City businessmen are less likely to join in and throw bottles and sing songs about Victoria Beckham taking it up the arse on a weekday morning at Euston station. They only do it on a Saturday.

[RacerX]

you talking handball like this, Ron?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFuMaviVvmU

Yup!

Endrik & AEK are talking about this, which is like a combination of soccer & netball and played at the Olympics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQL-26C7h-U

Haha! Never seen that, looks ghey!