Fashion Board 6-9-04 to 7-13-04

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by LessinSF
I checked. In an unscientific survey, I checked the height and weight listed for eight players on Real Madrid, David Beckham's team here - http://www.realmadrid.es/web_realmad...illafutbol.jsp

Survey says (from tallest to shortest)...

Zindane - 185 cm (6'1"), 78 kg (172 lbs.)
Guti - 185 cm (6'1"), 76 kg (168 lbs.)
Helguera - 185 cm (6'1"), 73 kg (161 lbs.)
Ronaldo - 183 cm (6'0"), 82 kg (181 lbs.)
Figo - 180 cm (5'11"), 75 C(165 lbs.)
Portillo - 180 cm (5'11"), 72 kg (159 lbs.)
Raul - 180 cm (5'11"), , 68 kg (150 lbs.)
Michael Salgado - 174 cm (5'8"), 75 kg (165 lbs.)
Roberto Carlos - 168 cm (5'6"), 70 kg (154 lbs.)

This would suggest they are slightly taller than average, but also very lean for their stated heights. I suspect that, like our sports, they lie up on the height and down on the weight, which would make them pretty damn average.

Agreed. 7 players from Bruce Arena's 18 man roster for the upcoming friendly with Poland are 5'10" or under. Donovan and Beasley are only 5'8". Most players over 6'1" are goalies.

Sure height (longer legs, advantage on headers) and bulk (harder to take down, advantages on those subtle body checks) help, but soccer is a game of speed, quickness and agility. Too tall and your center of gravity (for men) is too high, you lose the close quarters body check battles to the smaller guy who can push you off the ball. Too bulky and you waste energy carrying too much weight for 90 minutes. It's a delicate balance.

I'm 5'2", and my height is an advantage when playing coed. Those 6'1" tough guys have a hard time, defending me. A small, quickly moving target is hard to hit. On the other hand, when we do make contact, I tend to lose those battles. Physics is a fascinating science.

[Anne Elk]

Any of you FBers heard of Dawn Payne? She's an adult entertainment actress who's designed this:

An edible thong, knit from licorice string. Definitely not your grandma's knitting.

Anybody want one? PM me.

[dc_chef]

Originally posted by Anne Elk
I'm 5'2"

An edible thong

Where the hell were you my whole single life?

[spookyfish]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
that's what they said 25 years ago.

Damn, Hank. I find myself in complete agreement with you. I started playing as a kid during this first wave of popularity and I honestly don't think the game has made made substantial inroads since then, at least not in terms of popularity at the professional level. I mean yes, there are many, many more kids are playing it, and they have had many professional leagues over the years, but I don't ever really see it becoming a major sport in this country.

[SlaveNoMore]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore

I didn't think Quidditch was under serious discussion, but no, I don't think it will catch on in America.

[patentparanyc]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Man, what a great game! The drama! The plays by Jeter [who fucked up his face] and A-Rod and that last play by Miguel Cairo. I am bleary eyed but whatta game! Yanks lead by 8 1/2.

The curse lives, baby! PLF how can you say baseball is boring??

Ann Elk, what is up with your boy??!! He was sulking all game.

[Mister_Ruysbroeck]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Right. You need to be able to pretend like someone has just removed your kidneys with a spoon whenever you fall down if your opponent is standing within 500 feet of you. I forgot that part.

TM

Now you're just being a dork to cover up the fact that you clearly don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
I didn't think Quidditch was under serious discussion, but no, I don't think it will catch on in America.

I think he is talking about broomball. It has caught on, but pretty much only in Minnesota.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Pretty Little Flower
I think he is talking about broomball. It has caught on, but pretty much only in Minnesota.

Duh. that's a curling broom. Canadians may not tidy their rearends, but they use brooms in their 2nd favorite sport.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
One of the reasons that I like soccer is that it does emphasize skill over freakish physical attributes. Great soccer players of all positions come in a wide range of body types. Contrast this to basketball, where no matter how superb your skills (and I do not mean to suggest that basketball players don't have magnificent skills), you will never be a world-class player unless you are in the 99.9th percentile of height. (And don't bother yelling "Spud Webb" at me, okay?).

Ditto football -- to be great in most of the positions requires abnormal size, far beyond just being fit and strong. Not every position, of course, but even when you move away from the extremes of, say, the offensive line you have a narrower range of body types than you see in soccer (how many great pro QBs are under 5'10"?).

Among other things, this means you can play soccer at pretty high levels if you have the skills and general fitness needed, regardless of whether you grow up to be abnormally tall or huge.

AI

And you've just made a case for why soccer is such a shitty sport. I have no interest in watching average guys with great foot skill kick a ball. Granted, highlight reels where guys do amazing shit are cool, but I imagine there are some pretty good highlight reels from bass fishing tournaments as well.

And as to QBs being physically imposing, have you seen a lot of QBs on television out of pads? They're pretty average looking. Sure, there are some old school freaks like Jim Kelly, who played linebacker before QB, but take a look at Brady or Manning (they're a little tall, but not physical freaks... or maybe I just know way more 6'4 people than than most folks), or watch Phil Simms do commentary. You think Montana was a physical freak? I'd also invite you to look at a picture of Jerry Rice. These guys are not physical monsters, just average guys in really good shape, with some added muscle which most average men could put on if they had the time and inclination. Now, the ability to lose a corner or read coverage and scramble and throw 25yds on the run... that is something, but I think that's more learned skill than just physical ability. Otherwise, every sprinter or guy with a serious gun on his shoulder would be a pro football player.

ETA: To the fuck who will post Brady and Mannig's stats and say "6'4, 22 is not a freak????" I offer that I have about four or five friends of comparable height and size. In fact, you all probaly converse with one...

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
AI

And you've just made a case for why soccer is such a shitty sport. I have no interest in watching average guys with great foot skill kick a ball. Granted, highlight reels where guys do amazing shit are cool, but I imagine there are some pretty good highlight reels from bass fishing tournaments as well.

And as to QBs being physically imposing, have you seen a lot of QBs on television out of pads? They're utterly average looking. Sure, there are some old school freaks like Jim Kelly, who played linebacker before QB, but take a look at Brady or Manning, or watch Phil Simms do commentary. You think Montana was a physical freak? I'd also invite you to look at a picture of Jerry Rice. These guys are not physical monsters, just average guys in really good shape, with some added muscle which most average men could put on if they had the time and inclination. Now, the ability to lose a corner or read coverage and scramble and throw 25yds on the run... that is something, but I think that's more learned skill than just physical ability. Otherwise, every sprinter or guy with a serious gun on his shoulder would be a pro football player.

I learned to like soccer watching my kids play. At first I liked watching my kids, but not the game. After a few years, I learned to like the game. Most of us have no way of appreciating it, because if nothing else, it uses skills we never have used. slowly watching good teams kill my kids' teams, I learned to appreciate the strategy and teamwork that is good soccer. after age 10 no 1 player can just go score at any decent level. it is all set up and teamwork. if you can get to learning that, you'll enjoy the game more. Still, I haven't watched a game since the cup finals.

And any QB in major college has to be 6' 3" or taller (maybe not all, but most). On the other hand, if soccer ever got popular here, our obsessions would make it so that whatever the ideal physical size is for a midfielder or a halfback or whatever, pretty soon most pros would be that. There must be some optimum size be it really tall or short. Hockey is really only starting to get to this (I'm talking out my butt, but hasn't there been movement towards enormous defensemen lately?). Like Thurgreed was saying, we haven't really focused our best athletic effort at soccer yet.

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
Separatist swine...

And they say soccer is boring.

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by dc_chef
Where the hell were you my whole single life?

When I wasn't on the soccer pitch? Spinning in circles at Dead shows.

[patentparanyc]

Originally posted by Anne Elk
When I wasn't on the soccer pitch? Spinning in circles at Dead shows.

***Pssst....Attention PLF, here is an ex-spinning hippie chick over here...[albeit DeadHead, is there a difference?]