Comments on: Now I know http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/ News, views, tips and tricks on Oracle and other fun stuff Fri, 16 May 2008 18:28:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Eddie Awad http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-24748 Eddie Awad Thu, 06 Jul 2006 15:46:50 +0000 http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-24748 <p>Interesting facts:</p> <ul> <li><p>Only 3.9 million Americans watched the 2002 World Cup final, out of 1.1 billion worldwide. By comparison, nearly 91 million viewers watched this year's Super Bowl. Nearly 39 million watched the Academy Awards in March and 36 million tuned in for last month's finale of "American Idol".</p></li> <li><p>Only 11 percent of Americans surveyed were "definitely" interested in the World Cup, compared with 45 percent of respondents world-wide.</p></li> <li><p>56 percent of Americans did not even know that the 2006 World Cup was taking place in Germany.</p></li> </ul> <p>Continue reading at <a href="http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=sportsNews&storyID=2006-06-30T132808Z_01_N09225035_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SOCCER-WORLD-YAWN.xml&archived=False" rel="nofollow">World Cup a big yawn in football-hating U.S.</a>.</p> Interesting facts:

  • Only 3.9 million Americans watched the 2002 World Cup final, out of 1.1 billion worldwide. By comparison, nearly 91 million viewers watched this year’s Super Bowl. Nearly 39 million watched the Academy Awards in March and 36 million tuned in for last month’s finale of “American Idol”.

  • Only 11 percent of Americans surveyed were “definitely” interested in the World Cup, compared with 45 percent of respondents world-wide.

  • 56 percent of Americans did not even know that the 2006 World Cup was taking place in Germany.

Continue reading at World Cup a big yawn in football-hating U.S..

]]> By: Robert Vollman http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-22482 Robert Vollman Thu, 29 Jun 2006 18:47:14 +0000 http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-22482 <p>"When you watch a match, you don't watch just two teams playing, you watch two nations."</p> <p>True. I love hockey, but it's hard to get excited when "the random group of millionaires" hosted in my city beat "the random group of millionaires" hosted in yours. Especially when you trade me one of your millionaires for one of mine.</p> <p>They should give us fans something when "our" team wins. We should keep our ticket stubs, and get free prizes, or cash. Then we'd have a reason to care when our team won.</p> “When you watch a match, you don’t watch just two teams playing, you watch two nations.”

True. I love hockey, but it’s hard to get excited when “the random group of millionaires” hosted in my city beat “the random group of millionaires” hosted in yours. Especially when you trade me one of your millionaires for one of mine.

They should give us fans something when “our” team wins. We should keep our ticket stubs, and get free prizes, or cash. Then we’d have a reason to care when our team won.

]]> By: Martin http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-19709 Martin Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:41:18 +0000 http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-19709 <p>The main thing that makes sports interesting for me is emotions. Not only my own emotions but mainly the emotions that the players express and where they act upon. The normal competition isn't that interresting for me but the worldcup is something I'm looking forward to for four years.</p> The main thing that makes sports interesting for me is emotions. Not only my own emotions but mainly the emotions that the players express and where they act upon. The normal competition isn’t that interresting for me but the worldcup is something I’m looking forward to for four years.

]]> By: Eddie Awad http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-19187 Eddie Awad Tue, 20 Jun 2006 02:06:14 +0000 http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-19187 <p>That was helpful William. Thanks. I agree with you, the World Cup is special and it only happens every 4 years. So, I won't get too fussy about it. Enjoy it.</p> That was helpful William. Thanks. I agree with you, the World Cup is special and it only happens every 4 years. So, I won’t get too fussy about it. Enjoy it.

]]> By: William Robertson http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-18882 William Robertson Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:57:48 +0000 http://awads.net/wp/2006/06/18/now-i-know/#comment-18882 <p>Personally I am baffled by all sports, particularly team sports, particularly those involving a ball, and particularly cricket. How anyone can find that remotely entertaining or interesting in any way I will never understand.</p> <p>But somehow the World Cup is special. It's hard to say why, but I think having a team to support makes sports more interesting, and in this case it's your national side (along with one or two outsiders you want to see do well, though not actually beat England of course). There is an element of national pride when it's the national sport and something we as a nation are supposed to be good at. It's a dream team, made up from all the players you've heard about in the news all year even if you don't follow sport. It's a short knock-out tournament, so it's all over in a few weeks and you don't have to follow a complicated league system all season. And it only happens once every four years, so you don't have to get all excited every year like a proper fan, and the achievement of winning is even more special.</p> <p>Does that help?</p> Personally I am baffled by all sports, particularly team sports, particularly those involving a ball, and particularly cricket. How anyone can find that remotely entertaining or interesting in any way I will never understand.

But somehow the World Cup is special. It’s hard to say why, but I think having a team to support makes sports more interesting, and in this case it’s your national side (along with one or two outsiders you want to see do well, though not actually beat England of course). There is an element of national pride when it’s the national sport and something we as a nation are supposed to be good at. It’s a dream team, made up from all the players you’ve heard about in the news all year even if you don’t follow sport. It’s a short knock-out tournament, so it’s all over in a few weeks and you don’t have to follow a complicated league system all season. And it only happens once every four years, so you don’t have to get all excited every year like a proper fan, and the achievement of winning is even more special.

Does that help?

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