The World's Soccer Wasteland"

[bettermirror]

thanks elricko. i realized after i posted it could come across controversial, what i said.

my boys not only practiced amazingly this week, we won 7-0 today! absolutely hammered them. coulda been 14-15!

the boys respect the treatment and understand the consequences, especially when it is reiterated to them constantly - added to the fact that we go out of our way to applaud successes no matter how small.

[Egan]

So you think that because the Weather in Canada is so cold that it will be hard to set up a football/soccer competition in the country. You see in Italy, Russia they play games in very cold conditions, I don't think it is essentially the weather...I mean playing soccer in -40c games in Canada is a hell of alot better then playing it in 40c days...which is what training in the summer you are subjected too...All games are played at night to avoid the heat. Myself training in 40c weather...it is living hell.

[elricko]

Mental preparation is almost as important as physical prep., and I agree that the weather here in Canada is used as an excuse. I have lived in England , Australia ( Bunbury near Egan in Perth) and Canada ( Edmonton-12 years, and now BC), so I feel I am qualified somewhat to discuss extremely variable weather conditions. I was a long-distance runner for many years in all 3 countries, and Egan is correct re. the heat. It was impossible to train in Oz in the Summer unless it was very, very early in the mornings , or late at night. In Edmonton I could run at any time, took forever to get adequately dressed ,and that's where the mental prep. kicks in. Looking out of a window in Edmonton when it's -35 C and blowing snow, makes it tough to get out there and run, in Oz you just slipped on a pair of shorts and ran. In B.C. I ran, and also coached soccer for many years, and NEVER cancelled a soccer practise, and that's also tough, looking out of a window when it's 0 C. and bucketing with rain.

[Tim St.Pauli]

quote:Originally posted by Egan

So you think that because the Weather in Canada is so cold that it will be hard to set up a football/soccer competition in the country. You see in Italy, Russia they play games in very cold conditions, I don't think it is essentially the weather...I mean playing soccer in -40c games in Canada is a hell of alot better then playing it in 40c days...which is what training in the summer you are subjected too...All games are played at night to avoid the heat. Myself training in 40c weather...it is living hell.

Why Italy?? Nice to see an Australian write that! I know what you meant, they are playing all through winter and it is of course cold in Milano or Torino, but thats nothing compared to Russia. As a North German I always associate Italy with warm weather.

[Egan]

The Italian Alps, make me freeze...also seeing snow on pitches and them playing when snow is falling...only time I have seen that happen in Australia is at a Rugby League game in Canberra...it was an amazing site.

I am actually from Mandurah 'elricko' and Bunbury has had alot of famous people and is now nationally known due to a national popular early morning news reader coming from the town.

If you want warm weather...I can give you bucketloads all over the country...at any time of the year. Because Australias weather is so variable...from Monsoonal, Tropical to Alpine.

I know when i have had to train in 40 c heat, I have felt physically ill due to the heat.

I feel sorry for every runner who thinks about running in summer in this place.

It hasnt go to hot here yet...wont be long, normally arrives on cue at Xmas Day, we always seem to have absolutely heat wave conditions on Xmas Day.

[argh1]

Okay , this is more of a question then a response to the "Wasteland" idea. Why is it that the sports networks are all over themselves finding curling tourneys to broadcast ......skins games , continental cups, grand slam etc. ........is it possible that this game sells in Canada and soccer doesn't. Mind you we have more soccer available now then ever in my life.

Why has soccer never ingrained itself on the Canadian mind?

[elricko]

A huge difference between Limey-land, Oz and North America is the amount of TV commercials inserted in the sports programmes, I never watch tennis anymore here-TV ruins it. I could watch a whole day of cricket in Oz or England, with no ads---far ,far superior coverage. Of course Brits( excl. Pensioners)pay for a TV licence--approx. $240 per year, but Oz has the national ABC TV channel, and we have the CBC. I would imagine that the cost,especially the EPL, of bringing soccer is greater than curling, skins etc, and think it's a generational problem also, how many 60 + citizens watch soccer over curling? The media here, has for years, been resisting the breakthrough of non-Canadian sports, but they have not been able to stem soccer, it's still a hard slog, but I don't think the current youngsters who mostly played soccer, or still do, will sit and watch curling.I must admit that the TV ads turn me off soccer these days, I only watch 1 match on a Saturday, that's as much as my blood pressure will allow. Surely the NHL lockout is an ideal oppotunity for soccer to make inroads, but the media are so reluctant to change things?

[argh1]

quote:Originally posted by elricko

A huge difference between Limey-land, Oz and North America is the amount of TV commercials inserted in the sports programmes, I never watch tennis anymore here-TV ruins it. I could watch a whole day of cricket in Oz or England, with no ads---far ,far superior coverage. Of course Brits( excl. Pensioners)pay for a TV licence--approx. $240 per year, but Oz has the national ABC TV channel, and we have the CBC. I would imagine that the cost,especially the EPL, of bringing soccer is greater than curling, skins etc, and think it's a generational problem also, how many 60 + citizens watch soccer over curling? The media here, has for years, been resisting the breakthrough of non-Canadian sports, but they have not been able to stem soccer, it's still a hard slog, but I don't think the current youngsters who mostly played soccer, or still do, will sit and watch curling.I must admit that the TV ads turn me off soccer these days, I only watch 1 match on a Saturday, that's as much as my blood pressure will allow. Surely the NHL lockout is an ideal oppotunity for soccer to make inroads, but the media are so reluctant to change things?

Well firstly the networks will show what advertisers will pay for , which I find heart warming with the amount of soccer on now compared to 10 years ago.

But I don't get your seniors/generational reference . For years the BRIER final was the highest single Canadian event watched on Canadian television . Anyway I don't understand the old folks reference?

Media reluctance is in proportion to what ad space that can be sold . I thought.

After all I'm sure for 2004/05 curling season companies like Karcher for the Juniors , Scott Paper for Womens , Tim Hortons for Mens and Ford for the Worlds plus McCains and M+M meats for other televised spiels don't ante up sponsorship loonies because they like curling . There has to be a reward in tracked sales of their products that aren't seen in soccer or that's what they'd sponsor?

[argh1]

quote:Originally posted by elricko

A huge difference between Limey-land, Oz and North America is the amount of TV commercials inserted in the sports programmes, I never watch tennis anymore here-TV ruins it. I could watch a whole day of cricket in Oz or England, with no ads---far ,far superior coverage. Of course Brits( excl. Pensioners)pay for a TV licence--approx. $240 per year, but Oz has the national ABC TV channel, and we have the CBC. I would imagine that the cost,especially the EPL, of bringing soccer is greater than curling, skins etc, and think it's a generational problem also, how many 60 + citizens watch soccer over curling? The media here, has for years, been resisting the breakthrough of non-Canadian sports, but they have not been able to stem soccer, it's still a hard slog, but I don't think the current youngsters who mostly played soccer, or still do, will sit and watch curling.I must admit that the TV ads turn me off soccer these days, I only watch 1 match on a Saturday, that's as much as my blood pressure will allow. Surely the NHL lockout is an ideal oppotunity for soccer to make inroads, but the media are so reluctant to change things?

Well firstly the networks will show what advertisers will pay for , which I find heart warming with the amount of soccer on now compared to 10 years ago.

But I don't get your seniors/generational reference . For years the BRIER final was the highest single Canadian event watched on Canadian television . Anyway I don't understand the old folks reference?

Media reluctance is in proportion to what ad space that can be sold . I thought.

After all I'm sure for 2004/05 curling season companies like Karcher for the Juniors , Scott Paper for Womens , Tim Hortons for Mens and Ford for the Worlds plus McCains and M+M meats for other televised spiels don't ante up sponsorship loonies because they like curling . There has to be a reward in tracked sales of their products that aren't seen in soccer or that's what they'd sponsor?

[Massive Attack]

The fact of the matter is, EPL ratings really aren't that great. Heck, even the poker pulls better ratings (I've read 120,000 viewers). Ratings for EPL matches from a few years ago were 71,000 for the first game, and 82,000 for the second game (source: http://www.sportsnetsales.ca/national_fapremier_pf.htm#sponsorships). These aren't the kind of numbers that advertisers line up for.

[Massive Attack]

The fact of the matter is, EPL ratings really aren't that great. Heck, even the poker pulls better ratings (I've read 120,000 viewers). Ratings for EPL matches from a few years ago were 71,000 for the first game, and 82,000 for the second game (source: http://www.sportsnetsales.ca/national_fapremier_pf.htm#sponsorships). These aren't the kind of numbers that advertisers line up for.

[elricko]

The old folks reference was that I thought the 60 +'s ( I'm nearly there myself) would far prefer to watch curling over soccer, perhaps I expressed it badly.. Several years back I wrote to Molson's re. annoying ads in soccer, and one of their chief execs. actually phoned me at home, left me his phone No., and told me he was a HUGE soccer fan , and that was partially the reason Molson was supporting TV soccer, and he assured me that he did NOT want ads shown during the games, only at half and full times. At that time, Rogers Sportsnet had previously told me that the match sponsors wanted ads inserted during games. Who knows? I'm inclined to believe the Molson's exec., he sounded so sincere. I certainly would like to get all the facts re. commercials from a TV "honest" exec.