Soccer, or football as it is properly known, is the most popular sport in the world. To be good at it requires athleticism and skill and the audiences can really be inspiring in a way most North American sports can only dream of (including soccer - watch Toronto FC, we have an amazing crowd, even though the team sucks, most MLS teams are like a morgue).
Hockey is all about the commercials - ditto American Football and Baseball. The fact that some people only watch the superbowl to see the commercials is just perverse. Commercials suck, period. And basketball. And especially basketball and baseball have no passion from the audience whatsoever, my wife likes baseball because she can wander off to the bathroom several times per game and miss virtually nothing and get some reasonable food - the sport is a minor distraction
If you like to see fighting then watch boxing. At least they have doctors ringside - there have been 2 fatalities in amateur hockey in Ontario recently from people fighting. Fighting ruins that sport IMHO. There is plenty of boxing, wrestling and kick boxing on sports channels these days for people who need a fix of violence. And especially the fighting needs to be banned from kids hockey.
BTW - I agree that you should be able to watch a game without harrassment XPM. There will always be a minority of meatheads who follow any team who just have to kick something off but even for a team like Leeds with a reputation for hooliganism, I can tell you as a season ticket holder for 14 years and a regular traveller to away games that they are a minority. But apologies anyway.
And respect to the fan of Havant and Waterlooville. I have an empathy for all teams outside the top flight and especially semi pro or amateur teams. That's what being a real fan is all about and having seen Leeds knocked out by non league Histon in the FA cup, I was gutted but glad for Histon. Way to go !
