SURVEY SAYS: Are You Watching the World Cup?

The responses were diverse; while roughly four-in-ten said they were not following things, and 6.4% responded “the World Cup of What?”, 17.4% said “Yes!”, and just over a quarter (26.6%) said they were “sort of” keeping up with it. 

The remainder – just over one-in-ten – said they were keeping up with “the US Team, anyway.”

As for those verbatims:

Some were not getting the whole World Cup thing:

I can’t get too excited about anything in which a tie is considered a positive outcome. It’s like kissing your brother.

Who cares!

It’s not that I don’t like soccer, but I just haven’t been interested.  Too many nice evenings down at the neighborhood pool.  And we just got Uverse, so I have 450 channels to surf and lots of other stuff to watch.

Oops!  With several close relatives in hospital simultaneously, I forgot all about it . . . oh well.

“Interesting to see the French implode…doesn’t matter if it’s soccer, hockey, baseball, US football or basketball, the media has made  sports all about the individual.  Nice moral we are teaching our young, impressionable minds.  Seems I read something about this once as it impacts society in general…I believe it was called the “”The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire””.”

I’m not really watching all the time. But I have been following the French team’s poor behavior. 

Looks like they have referee problems just like in American sports.

Who needs the World Cup when we’ve got good ‘ol American baseball right here at home?  I’ll take the Yankees any day!

And some were kind of “accidental” followers:

Im keeping up, but only because my husband has suddenly developed a deep infatuation with soccer and is recording every single game.  With that many hours of television to catch up on and working a full time job, soccer is on just about every second of every day.

My 14-year old son is really following it (even though he hasn't played soccer in a couple of years) so I'm following it by osmosis.

My 18 yr old is obsessed.  I can't believe he rearranged his work schedule AND was out of bed at 8:30 am today to go meet a gang to watch the US plan.  He favored North Korea at the start.   My 11 yr old boy is also interested but mostly because he is a geography geek.  He is rooting for the Ivory Coast (although he says it in French).  As for my girls and me, we don't care!

Impossible to be totally oblivious to the World Cup, since I can't turn on a TV, radio, go to a bar or casino without being inundated with coverage.  However, I try.

Mostly to see how the U.S. team is doing and how the ref's are going to cheat them out of a win.  Also, because I've become a real vuvuzela fan.  Can't wait till the "Greatest Hits of the Vuvuzela" album comes out.

No, but I did check in to see what the "buzz" was about. I understand that the broadcasters have muffled it somewhat, but it's still rather familiar to the "white" noise in our offices. So today when I get a project done I'll rip off my shirt & holler gooooooooallllllll.

I like "real" football, American-style.  However, every male on the floor disappears from 11 - 2 PST to somewhere...

Some were big fans:

I've been a fan of soccer since my daughter kicked her first ball, 16 years ago.  Her soccer career will be over this fall, as she is a college senior.  Soccer for me is a combination of chess & ballet on grass.  Goals may be few, but are much more appreciated & savored when they do occur!

We watch the replays of the games every night.  My husband comes home not knowing any of the scores so I have to be careful not to tell him the results.  Yesterday though they played 2 games at once so the announcers spoiled the second game for him during the broadcast.

How much longer do we have to hear about it?

The US is playing right now, but I'm at work and can't watch. (My husband will send me text messages of scores.)

It is exciting to be a part of a sporting event that the rest of the world cares about and we don't dominate.

Go US!

It's disappointing that the African nations haven't had as good a showing in the Group stage as they potentially could have had considering the talent they have on their teams.  However, even with some unfortunate calls (US), less than expected level of play (England), and soap opera drama (France), it still is a beautiful game.

I was living in Germany during the 2006 World Cup so was able to enjoy the festivities up close.  I've tried to tape some of the key matches but always hear the score before I've had a chance to watch it.

The US Team Rocks!!  Way to go with your win today against Algeria!!  I think there's hope that the US Team could win the Cup!!  GO USA!!!

USA USA USA USA...we need a song!

Frickin' referees.

And then there were those who were “following” the vuvuzelas!

What's the point? I can't hear the announcers over those bleepin' horns!

I'll never be a big soccer fan, but I'm always impressed at the athleticism and skill of these guys when I take the time to watch. On the other hand, they fake fouls and flop more in a match than all the NBA could do in a season. The refs are terrible and those horns are ridiculous.

I want a vuvuzela horn for when a client tries to get 'uppity' on the phone...

Just loving the introduction of the word vuvuzela!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ (thought you could use some vuvuzela)

Those horns are driving me crazy. I can't watch a whole game without turning the sound off.

But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who responded in a way that I wasn’t actually sure how to categorize; “Doesn't everyone get excited for the Slovenia/Algeria match???

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!