Gooooooal!
November 18, 2004 1:00 PM Subscribe
Andrés "I live, breathe, and sweat soccer"
Cantor, a prominent sportscaster at Telemundo, is now marketing his famous "GOOOAL!" as a downloadable ring tone for mobile phones. ("Soccer is a passion that can't be described in words, and when I scream 'GOOOAL!', I know that the joy I feel at that moment is shared by millions around the world. Now everyone will be able to carry that moment of joy with them everywhere they go.")
Soccer IS the world's game. Finest sport I've ever played.
posted by mic stand at 1:08 PM on November 18, 2004
posted by mic stand at 1:08 PM on November 18, 2004
I've always hated soccer until I watched the Euro Cup this year. It actually is pretty entertaining to watch even though nothing (as in goals) really ever happens.
I still say NFL players are the best athletes in the world. The combination of size, speed and strength is amazing. I wonder if they even make freaks of nature like Terrell Owens or Javon Kearse in other countries.
posted by b_thinky at 1:16 PM on November 18, 2004
I still say NFL players are the best athletes in the world. The combination of size, speed and strength is amazing. I wonder if they even make freaks of nature like Terrell Owens or Javon Kearse in other countries.
posted by b_thinky at 1:16 PM on November 18, 2004
The jury will be out until the first time it is heard in a public place, but, by every indication, it certainly has the potential to be the most.annoying.cellphone.ring.ever.
posted by besotted at 1:16 PM on November 18, 2004
posted by besotted at 1:16 PM on November 18, 2004
The combination of size, speed and strength is amazing.
I'm with you b_thinky. Plus the ability to get the absolute crap knocked out of them every week, and to bounce back. I also think that NFL players don't get credit for being really smart. And I'm not kidding! They are probably the smartest people in team sports.
posted by shambles at 1:33 PM on November 18, 2004
I'm with you b_thinky. Plus the ability to get the absolute crap knocked out of them every week, and to bounce back. I also think that NFL players don't get credit for being really smart. And I'm not kidding! They are probably the smartest people in team sports.
posted by shambles at 1:33 PM on November 18, 2004
Oh man, if I heard somebody's cell phone scream out "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL" I think I'd pee my pants right then and there.
posted by Kleptophoria! at 1:43 PM on November 18, 2004
posted by Kleptophoria! at 1:43 PM on November 18, 2004
They are probably the smartest people in team sports.
Isn't that kind of like being the cleverest kid on the short bus?
I'm opposed to ring tones in general, and this one seems particularly disruptive. But I admire his effort to monetize his delivery. Has anyone told the "let's get ready to rumble" guy about this?
posted by Jart at 1:47 PM on November 18, 2004
Isn't that kind of like being the cleverest kid on the short bus?
I'm opposed to ring tones in general, and this one seems particularly disruptive. But I admire his effort to monetize his delivery. Has anyone told the "let's get ready to rumble" guy about this?
posted by Jart at 1:47 PM on November 18, 2004
Right. 'Cause cell phone rings weren't irritating enough already.
</snark>
In all seriousness, I'm intrigued by the "cell phone fashion" wave that allows people to download ringtones, and in some cases even compose their own. I have no desire to do this to my phone, but is that because I've had a cell phone for more than 10 years? Is it just something the kids are doing?
Really, instead of custom ringtones (not to mention camera, PDA, games, coffeemakers) I'd just like better reception. When is that feature gonna be ready?
posted by sharpener at 1:52 PM on November 18, 2004
</snark>
In all seriousness, I'm intrigued by the "cell phone fashion" wave that allows people to download ringtones, and in some cases even compose their own. I have no desire to do this to my phone, but is that because I've had a cell phone for more than 10 years? Is it just something the kids are doing?
Really, instead of custom ringtones (not to mention camera, PDA, games, coffeemakers) I'd just like better reception. When is that feature gonna be ready?
posted by sharpener at 1:52 PM on November 18, 2004
They are probably the smartest people in team sports.
Isn't that kind of like being the cleverest kid on the short bus?
From my experiences playing and coaching football, there really are a lot of variables that players must understand, especially at higher levels. I'm sure it's the same in other sports, but I get the feeling that soccer, basketball, hockey, etc are more about simply reflexively reacting rather than consciously processing, then reacting.
Also, coaching an NCAA or NFL team has to be a lot like being a CEO of a major corporation. The large roster sizes, tough competition, high expectations and unpredictibility are unmatched in other sports.
posted by b_thinky at 2:33 PM on November 18, 2004
Isn't that kind of like being the cleverest kid on the short bus?
From my experiences playing and coaching football, there really are a lot of variables that players must understand, especially at higher levels. I'm sure it's the same in other sports, but I get the feeling that soccer, basketball, hockey, etc are more about simply reflexively reacting rather than consciously processing, then reacting.
Also, coaching an NCAA or NFL team has to be a lot like being a CEO of a major corporation. The large roster sizes, tough competition, high expectations and unpredictibility are unmatched in other sports.
posted by b_thinky at 2:33 PM on November 18, 2004
b_thinky and shambles , i think the sport you are really looking for is Rugby.
I have seen my NFL suporting buddies rendered speechelss by the battering these guys take then get up and do it for 80 minutes. Offense and Defense.
Have a look at some of the Samoans for freaks of nature playing sports.
posted by stuartmm at 3:56 PM on November 18, 2004
I have seen my NFL suporting buddies rendered speechelss by the battering these guys take then get up and do it for 80 minutes. Offense and Defense.
Have a look at some of the Samoans for freaks of nature playing sports.
posted by stuartmm at 3:56 PM on November 18, 2004
I have to agree with stuart coming from a rugby background I'm shocked that it's not more popular in the US. It's easily a match for NFL in terms of physicality and the skill levels are perhaps far higher.
I watch the Sunday games from the NFL and I've never been impressed. I don't think the skill levels are particularly high, and the all round athletic ability of the players certainly isn't comparable to a top rugby side.
Rugby is an 80 minute game of tackling, competing at the tackle and moving on to the next tackle. American Football to my untrained eye appears to be far too stop start and to deny competing at the tackle. That's one of the best aspects of rugby, a talented tackler can win possession of the ball for his side.
Check out this site for loads of rugby videos so you can get a feel for the game. Some of the clips are classics from the pre-professional era, when players were far smaller.
This (4.3MB AVI) shows an England try that practically includes every member of the side. I'm biased because I'm Irish Brian O'Driscoll's try for the Lions (1MB Quicktime) is a classic. Actually download everything on that site! If you're looking for some classics from the amateur era, you could do a lot worse than those Gareth Edwards tries!
And finally who needs padding (3.7MB Quicktime)
posted by daveirl at 4:41 PM on November 18, 2004
I watch the Sunday games from the NFL and I've never been impressed. I don't think the skill levels are particularly high, and the all round athletic ability of the players certainly isn't comparable to a top rugby side.
Rugby is an 80 minute game of tackling, competing at the tackle and moving on to the next tackle. American Football to my untrained eye appears to be far too stop start and to deny competing at the tackle. That's one of the best aspects of rugby, a talented tackler can win possession of the ball for his side.
Check out this site for loads of rugby videos so you can get a feel for the game. Some of the clips are classics from the pre-professional era, when players were far smaller.
This (4.3MB AVI) shows an England try that practically includes every member of the side. I'm biased because I'm Irish Brian O'Driscoll's try for the Lions (1MB Quicktime) is a classic. Actually download everything on that site! If you're looking for some classics from the amateur era, you could do a lot worse than those Gareth Edwards tries!
And finally who needs padding (3.7MB Quicktime)
posted by daveirl at 4:41 PM on November 18, 2004
For the (apparently) new MeFites in this thread, I will take the pleasure of pointing you towards brother-in-law site SportsFilter, where there is no wait to join and we talk about lots of sports, including Soccer (especially EPL), Football and Rugby, every day. Also, to get a brag in, I'm currently top of the table in our Yahoo! EPL and UEFA Champions League fantasy competitions.
posted by billsaysthis at 4:58 PM on November 18, 2004
posted by billsaysthis at 4:58 PM on November 18, 2004
Soccer has thugs too. But the NFL- once a great product- has suffered much from corporate greed.
The players are dumber and not as talented as they once were. And the teams are too evenly-matched because of the salary cap and free angency... creating a very bland product.
The NFL has also gone out of control coddling its players.
PLayers who moonlight as drug dealers, thugs and hoodlums- like Ray Lewis- are still allowed to play in the NFL.
On the flip side: Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand MISSED (not failed) a scheduled drug test and was BANNED from the game for 8 months.
posted by newswing at 4:58 PM on November 18, 2004
The players are dumber and not as talented as they once were. And the teams are too evenly-matched because of the salary cap and free angency... creating a very bland product.
The NFL has also gone out of control coddling its players.
PLayers who moonlight as drug dealers, thugs and hoodlums- like Ray Lewis- are still allowed to play in the NFL.
On the flip side: Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand MISSED (not failed) a scheduled drug test and was BANNED from the game for 8 months.
posted by newswing at 4:58 PM on November 18, 2004
daveirl: I'm seen rugby on TV and have been quite impressed. The players are both strong and fast. I wish it were more popular in America.
Another sport I've always been impressed with is Aussie Rules Football. American football, Aussie football and rugby are three tough and grueling sports.
I think non-Americans (non football fans in general) underestimate the athleticism required to play the game. If you could see the players up close, you'd have a different perspective. Duante Culpepper weighs 260 lbs, can throw the ball 80 yds and probably runs 100 meters in under 11 seconds. There are guys over 300 lbs who can run 40 yards in less than 4.7 seconds.
I don't want to get into the argument over which sport is better or which is the best. All sports are great, and if you play at a high level, you're truly a great athlete.
posted by b_thinky at 5:18 PM on November 18, 2004
Another sport I've always been impressed with is Aussie Rules Football. American football, Aussie football and rugby are three tough and grueling sports.
I think non-Americans (non football fans in general) underestimate the athleticism required to play the game. If you could see the players up close, you'd have a different perspective. Duante Culpepper weighs 260 lbs, can throw the ball 80 yds and probably runs 100 meters in under 11 seconds. There are guys over 300 lbs who can run 40 yards in less than 4.7 seconds.
I don't want to get into the argument over which sport is better or which is the best. All sports are great, and if you play at a high level, you're truly a great athlete.
posted by b_thinky at 5:18 PM on November 18, 2004
b_thinky, I've caught that too and some of the runs the players make--on 180 yard (meter?) long oval fields--are amazing. I like soccer for the near-constant play but AFL is almost another level.
posted by billsaysthis at 8:40 PM on November 18, 2004
posted by billsaysthis at 8:40 PM on November 18, 2004
I still say NFL players are the best athletes in the world. The combination of size, speed and strength is amazing.
While you may be right about the combination of size, speed and strength, remember that it is a case of horses for courses.
If NFL players did not get to stop for a chat between each play, or swap the *entire team* over every time they switch from off-fence to dee-fence, then they might find such awesome size & strength to be an impediment, rather than a benefit.
Leaving aside the question of skills, I doubt that too many of them would make the grade in rugby or Australian Rules football, for example, as the requirement to be on the move pretty much non-stop for 80+ minutes would probably kill them - assuming they would be man enough to play without all those sissy pads & helmets... ;D
...and don't even get me *started* on the concept of bringing some guy on just to kick the ball and then leave the field again!
(FWIW, i think that gymnasts are "the best athletes in the world", due to the combination of strength, flexibility and skill...)
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:08 PM on November 18, 2004
While you may be right about the combination of size, speed and strength, remember that it is a case of horses for courses.
If NFL players did not get to stop for a chat between each play, or swap the *entire team* over every time they switch from off-fence to dee-fence, then they might find such awesome size & strength to be an impediment, rather than a benefit.
Leaving aside the question of skills, I doubt that too many of them would make the grade in rugby or Australian Rules football, for example, as the requirement to be on the move pretty much non-stop for 80+ minutes would probably kill them - assuming they would be man enough to play without all those sissy pads & helmets... ;D
...and don't even get me *started* on the concept of bringing some guy on just to kick the ball and then leave the field again!
(FWIW, i think that gymnasts are "the best athletes in the world", due to the combination of strength, flexibility and skill...)
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:08 PM on November 18, 2004
Whoops - that was not meant to sound so antagonistic...was just trying to make the point that different codes make different demands on their players & these demands influence what kinds of physiques and skills your players need, or can get away with...
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:17 PM on November 18, 2004
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:17 PM on November 18, 2004
Oh how I wish Americans played rugby union on a large scale (note: the US does field a team at the World Cup). Imagine the battles that would be happening between the US and France at the moment (Australia just got beaten by France last weekend)!
posted by Onanist at 12:00 AM on November 19, 2004
posted by Onanist at 12:00 AM on November 19, 2004
Well the amount of Americans playing Rugby Union is on the increase. The US team are playing Ireland tomorrow, so there's a lot of coverage in the papers at the moment. I don't have a link but I was reading an article that claimed that the numbers playing at college had gone up four-fold in the last 4 years!
During the summer the US almost gave France a big shock. They lost 39-31 against France and while it wasn't a full strength France, it still had plenty of big names! Certainly Ireland aren't going to be complacent tomorrow.
posted by daveirl at 12:49 AM on November 19, 2004
During the summer the US almost gave France a big shock. They lost 39-31 against France and while it wasn't a full strength France, it still had plenty of big names! Certainly Ireland aren't going to be complacent tomorrow.
posted by daveirl at 12:49 AM on November 19, 2004
GWB used to play rugby too of course, good to hear that it's on the rise. I just read that Ireland beat South Africa last weekend, so the Seppos will have a tough battle on their hands. The Aussies are going to kick the black pudding out of the Scots this weekend of course! Btw, really enjoyed those videos you linked, cheers.
posted by Onanist at 2:43 AM on November 19, 2004
posted by Onanist at 2:43 AM on November 19, 2004
If NFL players did not get to stop for a chat between each play, or swap the *entire team* over every time they switch from off-fence to dee-fence, then they might find such awesome size & strength to be an impediment, rather than a benefit.
Quite. I highly recommend Rugby League to NFL fans. It's a completely different game to Rugby Union, in fact it's probably closer to NFL than anything else.
Full games are available online here. All those internationals games listed are excellent but the last one, Great Britain v Australia played last weekend, really is something else.
PS Union sucks. ;)
posted by vbfg at 3:24 AM on November 19, 2004
Quite. I highly recommend Rugby League to NFL fans. It's a completely different game to Rugby Union, in fact it's probably closer to NFL than anything else.
Full games are available online here. All those internationals games listed are excellent but the last one, Great Britain v Australia played last weekend, really is something else.
PS Union sucks. ;)
posted by vbfg at 3:24 AM on November 19, 2004
While you may be right about the combination of size, speed and strength, remember that it is a case of horses for courses.
Each sport requires a different type of athlete, just as different races require different types of cars. Modern athletes in elite leagues all perform at amazingly high levels. Unless it's something like curling, then it's just retarded.
I used to hate soccer so much I'd root for Team USA to lose international matches. But now, even though I still dislike soccer, I hope they win the world cup.
Can you imagine how pissed off the rest of the world would be if the USA won the freaking World Cup? It would be like Bush wins, times 1000!
posted by b_thinky at 12:05 PM on November 19, 2004
Each sport requires a different type of athlete, just as different races require different types of cars. Modern athletes in elite leagues all perform at amazingly high levels. Unless it's something like curling, then it's just retarded.
I used to hate soccer so much I'd root for Team USA to lose international matches. But now, even though I still dislike soccer, I hope they win the world cup.
Can you imagine how pissed off the rest of the world would be if the USA won the freaking World Cup? It would be like Bush wins, times 1000!
posted by b_thinky at 12:05 PM on November 19, 2004
He should sell a ringtone describing his Diagonalization Argument.
posted by sonofsamiam at 12:40 PM on November 19, 2004
posted by sonofsamiam at 12:40 PM on November 19, 2004
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