Generic football thread

[Afrocentric]

I had no idea that many teams were in debt. I wonder if these leagues have ever considered instituting a salary cap.

[SelucianCrusader]

Football and sports in general is one of the things which I want the government to step out from. They don't need any tax money from running around and looking ridiculous, chasing a ball.

In Sweden, the sports sector is severely restricted thanks to one of the last psuedo-commie laws from the Palme era, that forbids any profiteer from owning more than 49% of the shares in a sports club. Thanks to that law, many clubs that are closing down even if there are investors ready to save them.

Not that I care of course. I pay lip service to the AIK sports club, because they are the only Stockholmian club that's not full of far-leftists like HIF or brats like DIF. But in general I don't care about sports. Dr. Annika Dahlqvist, the woman who bought the brilliant LCHF (variant of Atkins) diet to Sweden, proved that training is only about 20% as important as not eating carbohydrate for weight loss and living a healthy life. So wasting money on sports instead of real welfare is not a good thing to do.

Oh, and btw:

[soysauce]

I had no idea that many teams were in debt. I wonder if these leagues have ever considered instituting a salary cap.

The good players would move somewhere else if you did that,

[Afrocentric]

I had no idea that many teams were in debt. I wonder if these leagues have ever considered instituting a salary cap.

The good players would move somewhere else if you did that,

I see.

[Afrocentric]

Football and sports in general is one of the things which I want the government to step out from. They don't need any tax money from running around and looking ridiculous, chasing a ball.

In Sweden, the sports sector is severely restricted thanks to one of the last psuedo-commie laws from the Palme era, that forbids any profiteer from owning more than 49% of the shares in a sports club. Thanks to that law, many clubs that are closing down even if there are investors ready to save them.

Not that I care of course. I pay lip service to the AIK sports club, because they are the only Stockholmian club that's not full of far-leftists like HIF or brats like DIF. But in general I don't care about sports. Dr. Annika Dahlqvist, the woman who bought the brilliant LCHF (variant of Atkins) diet to Sweden, proved that training is only about 20% as important as not eating carbohydrate for weight loss and living a healthy life. So wasting money on sports instead of real welfare is not a good thing to do.

Well in the US, the only time the government plays a role in sports is when it comes to financing new stadiums. In all cases it's usually the local and/or state government that may issue a bond measure or raise taxes to fund the construction of a new stadium or else the team might move. The only problem is that this gets passed on to the tax payer and most of these owners (save for the Packers in the NFL) are owned by wealthy millionaires and billionaires who can probably finance their own stadiums.

But I agree with you, the government shouldn't subsidize sports leagues.

Oh, and btw:

Seriously?

[MichaelReilly]

I want Dortmund to win because I like the culture at the club; they are a source of envy throughout Europe with their fan-ownership, ultra-cheap tickets and massive standing terraces.

Furthermore, they have a generally left-wing fan base, as opposed to Bayern.

[EgeDoruk]

I want Dortmund to win because I like the culture at the club; they are a source of envy throughout Europe with their fan-ownership, ultra-cheap tickets and massive standing terraces.

Furthermore, they have a generally left-wing fan base, as opposed to Bayern.

Seriously politicising football, I hate politicising sports especially football.
btw Go Bayern!

[MichaelReilly]

3-0 Celtic in the Scottish Cup final. Great game, great atmosphere, great day out.

[Afrocentric]

So its not just Manchester City establishing their own MLS team, David Beckham is setting one up too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22745470

You know, Beckham has really helped the game of soccer grow here in the states and I think it's cool that he's about to be the owner of a new MLS team. My issue with this is that Miami already had an MLS team (Fusion) and they folded back in 2001 IIRC. I think everybody assumes that just because Miami has a large Hispanic population, they'll automatically support soccer. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen, but I sure as hell don't see the Cubans and Dominicans down there supporting the baseball team.

[MichaelReilly]

I really do dislike the 'franchise' system of American sport. There have of course been claims this is creeping into English football, as is evident by events such as the Wimbledon/MK Dons fiasco, or the Clydebank/Airdrieonians incident up here in Scotland.

Of course, the counter-argument is that America is so big, franchises are needed to ensure cities are fairly represented; many Americans think it odd that cities can have two or three top flight teams, while others have none.

But to have your team owned by the league, told where to go and treated solely as a brand, makes it all feel rather soulless. Is that why Americans aren't as passionate and attached to their teams as Europeans are? No history or heart to the club?