Arena "The Beautiful Game" - The Official JCC Football (Soccer) Thread.

How available are games on TV in the UK? Ossy was marveling last year at the fact that I could watch every Arsenal match here (NBC sports for PL, FS1 for CL, beIN for whatever the hell we're calling the League Cup now ). Is it just that you have to have satellite for that in the UK?

One article I was reading was talking about how some of the high ticket issues have to do more with the demand from foreign fans. Basically, the argument was that fans from outside the UK might only get one chance to see their team in person, so they'll be willing to pay more. Fans local fans said they do get that. I mean, if I get a chance to go to the Emirates some time, I'm not really gonna care how much it costs.

But I absolutely understand where you're coming from in the "they don't have to do it this way" vein. The Chiefs stadium had great parking for about $15. Within five years, they raised that to $35 for no reason. They also changed the parking plan (so rich people paying for up front parking could get in and out super fast). So where it used to take us fifteen minutes to park and walk in, now people are complaining that it takes over and hour to get in and park. That is quite clearly just greed. They haven't spent the money improving parking. Far from it.

I don't mean to laugh at working class fans at all. I get that for many people, $40 is expensive. I just think it's remarkable that there's such a disparity in how expensive tickets are. I mean, you pointed out that there are far fewer home NFL games. True, but there are also far more seats. I should look up average season attendance for, say, the Dallas Cowboys vs. Liverpool. I bet it's not that different (though now obviously Liverpool can get more fans in).

 

Well, while I'm from England, I have lived in the US for quite some time. (you know I'm Darth_Ignant, right? ) Games are readily available, with some restrictions. For example, 3PM Saturday kick-offs can't be televised. That was part of the deal when the top division peeled off. At the time 90% of games were a 3PM Saturday kick-off, and the fear was that if the PL was televised at that time it would keep fans from going to their local, lower league teams. So now we have the PL games spread around to avoid that restriction. However, even with that spread, you'll still only get 1-2 games going on at the same time televised. You most certainly get a lot more available in the US.

It's the equivalent of having satellite or cable in the US; the more you pay, the more channels and access you have. It just didn't come about until 1990 or so.

Owners most certainly want the as many foreign fans as possible. As I said, they'll buy merchandise while locals will not. It's a thrill rather than part of every day life. So, while I'm a daytripper myself now, I still get the frustration of locals. And I'll side with them.

That $15 to $35 is a great example of what I many fear will become of the sport. The fact billions are coming in isn't enough, there will always be new angles to get even more, none of which seemingly give a crap about the fans that show up to every game, and live and die by their teams fortunes.

I know you weren't laughing at working class fans, and I understand the bemusement. As I said, it's apples to oranges. Simply compare the amount of people you're drawing from.

Liverpool's capacity now is around 54K. The Cowboys, I think, is in the region of 90K. So not really far more seats, especially when you take into account the number of games, that Liverpool, have Everton 300 yards away, and a couple of other professional teams on Merserside, plus Manchester 35 miles down the road. For local rivals the cowboys have one other team in the state 200 miles away and...New Orleans?

 

You forgot to mention all the high school football teams in Texas

And yes, I know who you are. I just assumed you would still vaguely remember the situation back in the UK.

 

High school teams in the UK counter that

And I wasn't sure, your phrasing made me wonder

 

So, in the USA Mexico game tonight, what do you think the US will do if they concede a free kick 20 yards from goal?

 

Build a wall?

 

Close! Have the Mexican team build the wall.

 

lol@ARSENAL

Always good when a title rival drops points to mid-table dross.

 

We have Der Klassiker today as well

 

Dortmund hang on for a 1-0 win. Putting RB Leipzig into first.

 

Haaaahh haaa! Suck it Bayern!

 

Eh, we got one point out of our worst-played match of the season. Of course it's really frustrating to constantly refuse to go top of the table whenever we have a chance. But we have gotten a number of late goals this year to come away with points, and that's a huge difference from last year.


Man U were due for a win, and they didn't get it.

 

Might have helped if Özil had shown up.

 

Arsenal would have been top for two hours. And they are due for a win in this fixture.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo aka God of Football !!!

 

Spurs salvaged today's derby with West Ham in the best possible way; made all the better that it was a part of an Arlo White broadcast.

 

The lineup I had available here in NY on free TV this morning was incredible, if not out and out orgasmic, culminating with Dortmund- Bayern at 12:30. No live football at all in Germany unless you subscribe to Sky.

 

I suspect it's going to be a season with the lead changing hands repeatedly. Not sure there's a side that can really run away with it.

 

I don't wish to alarm anyone, but six years from today the World Cup will kickoff in Qatar.

 

He's gone, I want Roberto Mancini to take the seat.

 

The Spurs everyone remembers, sadly.