Hoops

Basketball V Soccer

Some great arguments have been made for soccer, but no matter how many people around the world follow it, how much easier it is for people to play it or how much cheaper it may be to watch, nothing can remove the fact that it is a low/no scoring game that is boring. The roars of excitement in the crowds in any sport comes when their team scores. It just doesn't happen often enough in soccer. Even the people who follow it religiously talk about the disappointment of coming away from a game where no one scored. They go to the games hoping to see a good scoring game but time and time again they walk away disappointed. Basketball doesn't have the same number of followers, but the followers it does have understand the excitement of watching a fast paced, highly skilful and high scoring game. They know that you don't get this with soccer. The problem with getting people to come to the basketball is getting them to not only take the initial step to come to a game, but taking the time to understand the game. Understanding is the key to its enjoyment.

I was trying to be a little more diplomatic and not bluntly say that soccer is boring. Now that you've mentioned it Anonymous, I would rather watch grass grow.

I don't think Soccer is going to have such a great impact on Basketball. Last night's qualifying game was a 1 in more than 30 years opportunity to make the World Cup. It was always going to be exciting because of the historic nature of this event. Don't think that Soccer is always going to be this exciting. The excitement will very quickly die down because a regular game of soccer will not be this exciting and I don't think their chances of winning the World Cup is that great anyway. That will be enough to kill off any mass interest about the sport in Australia. Although Australia has many ethnic people that follow this sport, Australia is mainly Australians that support Football. For this reason Basketball will never be very well followed either because it is a very Americanised sport regardless of the number of juniors who play it. When you look at Basketball at NBL level, then it moves away from the basketball that we know that juniors play and becomes very much an American sport. I really don't think there will be much competition between these 2 sports.

vlade divac's beard,
I said that comment because the love of a sport filters down from you family and friends. 1 sucessful world cup will have a short term impact $$$ wise from the people that jump onto the bandwagon. But look at last nights sixers game there was still 4 to 5 thousand there and the game was on foxtel, the soccer was on and it was a wednesday night..$$$ to soccer yes young kids playing soccer insteaad of basketball long term no.

I play basketball because my family enchoraged me & taught me how to play, they had a general interest in it. My kids when I have them will play basketball as I will take them to the local courts and play. soccer will just be a bit of fun for the next 6 months for kids then they will be back to their other sports. Parents will enchorage basketball as my mum did coz she didnt want me playing footy. coz im too brittle anbd break easily. lol....

2 very different sports 1 hands and 1 feet. I dont think there is much to worry about.

Last nights game was awesome. go the socceroos its good for the aussies to finaly make it after 35 years.

I hope it does boost the profile of soccer in australia, it might bring about the nbl realising they need free to air to be able to compete. There is nothing better than a bit of competition to make people step up.