@the-gipper said:

By all evidence your kids ended up being smart as well...

Damn daughter has her mother's photographic (eidetic) memory. They drive me and my poor son bananas.??

@texasag1969 said:

Decades ago for me but she went back for a reunion with Cornell friends about 20 years ago.

As to how smart even our kids say that for the smartest woman they have ever known, she doesn't have a lick of common sense.

I am their prime example apparently.?

By all evidence your kids ended up being smart as well...

@the-gipper said:

When is the last time the two of you were back?  (And how did such a smart woman get hooked up with you?

Decades ago for me but she went back for a reunion with Cornell friends about 20 years ago.

As to how smart even our kids say that for the smartest woman they have ever known, she doesn't have a lick of common sense.

I am their prime example apparently.?

@texasag1969 said:

I am going to show this to my wife just to make her jealous. She loved everything about her Cornell undergrad days. I really don't see how since she remained buried in the library when not in class. You don't make magna cum laude there by being a party girl.?

BTW had I not hitch hiked from Texas to Cornell over thanksgiving week our senior year, she may have never said "Yes" to my proposal the next summer in Central Park, NYC.?‍️‍?‍?

When is the last time the two of you were back?  (And how did such a smart woman get hooked up with you?

@the-gipper said:

I am  going up to Ithaca to see my son next weekend. 

I am going to show this to my wife just to make her jealous. She loved everything about her Cornell undergrad days. I really don't see how since she remained buried in the library when not in class. You don't make magna cum laude there by being a party girl.?

BTW had I not hitch hiked from Texas to Cornell over thanksgiving week our senior year, she may have never said "Yes" to my proposal the next summer in Central Park, NYC.?‍️‍?‍?

It would not matter if they got red carded....as while you say that they can not replace players, 1 football player can cause 4-5 soccer players to become lights out.....as in stone cold out. 

But...even if they wanted to play it straight up....and not brutalize them while playing soccer, the fact is, if soccer players want a match with football players, that is fine.....as long as they get a return match playing football....where preening pansies cannot hide.

Oh, probably a Ravenswood zinfandel. Still have a soft spot for that winery, formerly owned by and now consulted by Joel Peterson- who started out as a Medical Technologist (like me) at St. Helena Hospital. When one of the Conglomerates waves $50 million at you to buy you out, sort of tough to refuse. 

Other options would have been the Robert Mondavi bourbon barrel aged Cabernet and Chardonnay, tasty everyday stuff and retails around $12.

I am  going up to Ithaca to see my son next weekend.  Of course that is in the Finger Lakes region.  Do you have a particular Finger Lakes wine you like? Maybe a type, but not a specific winery...unless it is one I am somewhat familiar with.   When we go there we usually frequent the following wineries:   Lucas, Hosmer, Americana, Sheldrake, Toro Run, Buttonwood, 6 mile creek.   These are all on the west side of Lake Cayuga.  But I am thinking that we should go over to the east side of Seneca Lake and try the wineries there.   I am thinking of picking you up one.....just as a gift.  Any particular preference?

I do have a couple of bottles I brought back from the Napa Valley in April....but you ain't getting those!!

@the-gipper said:

Not saying there's isn't acting in soccer- but some of those fouls are the real deal. No worse than a few years back when the NBA had to institute a rule against flopping- led by the head actor and flopper Bill Laimbeer.  

@the-gipper said:

Lets have the Columbus Crew take on the Cleveland Browns in a soccer match.  I mean, OK, skill wise the soccer players would be better at that sport.   But they would not likely come back onto the field after halftime....as the Browns would not care how many Red cards they got.  OOPS, pardon my forearm shiver.

The Browns certainly would care how many red cards they got. Don't know if you're aware- you get red carded, you're not replaced. If they tried playing 6 on 11, they'd get killed. That would be rugby, not soccer. And as I've said many times- it wouldn't take MLS level guys to beat the hell out of an NFL team- it was done once. Chris Collinsworth's Bengals took on a Cincinnati club team, and were down 9-0 when they decided to quit. 

@the-gipper said:

Larry......if you had won....just out of curiosity,  what kind of wine wouldl you have liked me to get you?

Oh, probably a Ravenswood zinfandel. Still have a soft spot for that winery, formerly owned by and now consulted by Joel Peterson- who started out as a Medical Technologist (like me) at St. Helena Hospital. When one of the Conglomerates waves $50 million at you to buy you out, sort of tough to refuse. 

Other options would have been the Robert Mondavi bourbon barrel aged Cabernet and Chardonnay, tasty everyday stuff and retails around $12.    

@hoorta said:

I will find you a very nice Riesling or Gewurztraminer.  Watched a lot of the final. That kid Mbape is going to be something special.  

Larry......if you had won....just out of curiosity,  what kind of wine wouldl you have liked me to get you?

@dutch-oven said:

It's a damn shame that the Browns training camp is right around the corner, and this riveting soccer talk will have to sadly be sacrificed. 
 

A damn pity. 

Lets have the Columbus Crew take on the Cleveland Browns in a soccer match.  I mean, OK, skill wise the soccer players would be better at that sport.   But they would not likely come back onto the field after halftime....as the Browns would not care how many Red cards they got.  OOPS, pardon my forearm shiver.

A damn pity. 

@the-gipper said:

@hoorta said:

Gip. our MLS is still minor league as compared to the British Premier League.

And we should care why?  I suggest that our USA soccer guys would compete better against them than their  "American football" guys would compete against an NFL team.....or a college team....or an NAIA school.

Yeah, we have a few guys over here that can hang with the Big Boys (Altidore et al) in Europe, but their team would get killed by Man United or Real Madrid. MLS doesn't want to compete for viewership with the NFL. Look at it this way- our USA All-Stars couldn't beat Trinidad to get a place in the World Cup.   

Well...but, as a general rule our USA soccer team does make the tournament, no?  Until they missed this year they have been in every WC for like the last 30 years.

BTW, that 40 or so week season means the futbol guys play around once a week, just like the NFL does.      

@nero said:

Sometimes I think the only thing keeping USAns suffering the coexistance with us, peasants, is that the Earth is the only planet within your reach to live at.

What were the ratings in other countries.....say Spain?  And of course, France.    (but also what about S. America?  Do they give a damn if their team is not in it?)

@the-gipper said:

So, you are saying that soccer has like a 10 month season?   That seems a bit ridiculous.

But, see here is the problem.....the MLS season is going on right now.    In fact, I checked, and the MLS season appears to go from March to October.  Basically following the baseball season here.   But you say that it is completely different "over there"?

In fact, here is the schedule of just one MLS team.   It appears that they play like 34 games in that span. 

Nevertheless...this WC held little interest over here.   Ratings down by 50%.  The lowliest of low preseason football games does better than that here. 

The Indians/Cubs World Series games a couple of years ago did triple the WC numbers. 

And just to compare....the last Super Bowl had about 170 million viewers.

Gip. our MLS is still minor league as compared to the British Premier League. Yeah, we have a few guys over here that can hang with the Big Boys (Altidore et al) in Europe, but their team would get killed by Man United or Real Madrid. MLS doesn't want to compete for viewership with the NFL. Look at it this way- our USA All-Stars couldn't beat Trinidad to get a place in the World Cup.   

BTW, that 40 or so week season means the futbol guys play around once a week, just like the NFL does.      

@the-gipper said:

So, you are saying that soccer has like a 10 month season?   That seems a bit ridiculous.

But, see here is the problem.....the MLS season is going on right now.    In fact, I checked, and the MLS season appears to go from March to October.  Basically following the baseball season here.   But you say that it is completely different "over there"?

In fact, here is the schedule of just one MLS team.   It appears that they play like 34 games in that span. 

Nevertheless...this WC held little interest over here.   Ratings down by 50%.  The lowliest of low preseason football games does better than that here. 

The Indians/Cubs World Series games a couple of years ago did triple the WC numbers. 

And just to compare....the last Super Bowl had about 170 million viewers.

Sometimes I think the only thing keeping USAns suffering the coexistance with us, peasants, is that the Earth is the only planet within your reach to live at.

@nero said:

Well, it's simple: it is played during scholar year. From late August to May. Usually when there is a Euro or a World Cup (every 2 years), the season ends closer to early May, so these events take place from June to mid July, so even the winning players have a chance for a short preseason until next season.

So, you are saying that soccer has like a 10 month season?   That seems a bit ridiculous.

But, see here is the problem.....the MLS season is going on right now.    In fact, I checked, and the MLS season appears to go from March to October.  Basically following the baseball season here.   But you say that it is completely different "over there"?

In fact, here is the schedule of just one MLS team.   It appears that they play like 34 games in that span. 

Nevertheless...this WC held little interest over here.   Ratings down by 50%.  The lowliest of low preseason football games does better than that here. 

The Indians/Cubs World Series games a couple of years ago did triple the WC numbers. 

And just to compare....the last Super Bowl had about 170 million viewers.

@the-gipper said:

When does "soccer season" usually run?   I mean, here we know when it is football, baseball, basketball, and hockey seasons...but soccer does not seem to have any rhyme or reason to its season.

Well, it's simple: it is played during scholar year. From late August to May. Usually when there is a Euro or a World Cup (every 2 years), the season ends closer to early May, so these events take place from June to mid July, so even the winning players have a chance for a short preseason until next season.

@hoorta said:

LOL, actually- not when they're playing the World Cup.     I figured something was screwy when they announced the locale. Summer in the desert? Oh boy- wanna play soccer in Qatar then? I looked, normal high 93 degrees,  frequently 110+.  But in December- low humidity- rarely gets much over 75.   

When does "soccer season" usually run?   I mean, here we know when it is football, baseball, basketball, and hockey seasons...but soccer does not seem to have any rhyme or reason to its season.

@mjp28 said:

Ah crap you mean I missed the world cup? 

Oh well it will be back in four years in Qater a blazing hot desert.

LOL, actually- not when they're playing the World Cup.     I figured something was screwy when they announced the locale. Summer in the desert? Oh boy- wanna play soccer in Qatar then? I looked, normal high 93 degrees,  frequently 110+.  But in December- low humidity- rarely gets much over 75.   

@the-gipper said:

Like I said, sorry that I started  a thread about football.

So....maybe we should talk about futbol...here you go:

The final matchup of the 2018 World Cup failed to deliver the same kind of numbers seen by 2014’s final.

According to Nielsen data, the game between Croatia and France drew 11.3 million viewers on Fox and another 500,000 on Fox Sports for a total of 11.8 million. The 2014 final pulled in 17.3 million viewers on ABC, meaning this year’s game was down 32% in viewership.

There were, of course, multiple factors working against Sunday’s final. Given the significant time difference between host country Russia and the United States, the game aired early on Sunday morning. France also took an early lead in the game, ultimately winning 4-2, which likely led many to tune out early. The U.S. men’s team also failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup, which also no doubt contributed to some in the States avoiding the tournament this time out. Those factors will be of little comfort to Fox, however, who reportedly shelled out over $400 million dollars in 2011 for the rights to broadcast the games both in 2018 and 2022.

So...it looks like I win our bet!!  You said it would be over 18 million, I said no.  So...there it is.

See you at the Jets game tailgate where I can collect!.

A nice semi-dry Reisling....or a Gewurztrameiner will do.  Nothing over $20.   

Any preseason NFL game, nationally televised will likely do better than that.  (by the way...I did peek in on it a bit, not the whole time).

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/world-cup-final-us-ratings-1202875655/

I will find you a very nice Riesling or Gewurztraminer.  Watched a lot of the final. That kid Mbape is going to be something special.  

Oh well it will be back in four years in Qater a blazing hot desert.

@hoorta said:

Seems there was a stunning lack of interest in trivia this time Gip. So I guess it wasn't missed much. 

Like I said, sorry that I started  a thread about football.

So....maybe we should talk about futbol...here you go:

The final matchup of the 2018 World Cup failed to deliver the same kind of numbers seen by 2014’s final.

According to Nielsen data, the game between Croatia and France drew 11.3 million viewers on Fox and another 500,000 on Fox Sports for a total of 11.8 million. The 2014 final pulled in 17.3 million viewers on ABC, meaning this year’s game was down 32% in viewership.

There were, of course, multiple factors working against Sunday’s final. Given the significant time difference between host country Russia and the United States, the game aired early on Sunday morning. France also took an early lead in the game, ultimately winning 4-2, which likely led many to tune out early. The U.S. men’s team also failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup, which also no doubt contributed to some in the States avoiding the tournament this time out. Those factors will be of little comfort to Fox, however, who reportedly shelled out over $400 million dollars in 2011 for the rights to broadcast the games both in 2018 and 2022.

So...it looks like I win our bet!!  You said it would be over 18 million, I said no.  So...there it is.

See you at the Jets game tailgate where I can collect!.

A nice semi-dry Reisling....or a Gewurztrameiner will do.  Nothing over $20.   

Any preseason NFL game, nationally televised will likely do better than that.  (by the way...I did peek in on it a bit, not the whole time).

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/world-cup-final-us-ratings-1202875655/