Basketball is “Objectively” More Fun Than Soccer
I know this article is addressing a highly controversial topic considering it is currently soccer season, and I am a soccer player. However, I cannot hide the truth any longer. As much as I enjoy watching Cristiano Ronaldo score a goal or Lionel Messi surpass defenders, it is nothing compared to watching LeBron throw down a dunk or Stephen Curry drain a deep three-pointer. Basketball is ultimately a better sport than soccer.
Before the millions of soccer fans murder me, I will admit that no sport is objectively “better.” A more accurate way to phrase what I am trying to argue today is that basketball is more fun than soccer, both in playing and in watching. There are three main reasons.
Reason one: the question of accessibility to participate in each sport. Let us say both sports were equally enjoyable; then the sport that can be more easily accessed is more fun because you would be able to play it more often. Basketball definitely wins in this category. As a kid playing soccer, we would often use two trees or water bottles as goal posts, but then we would have to chase after the ball after every shot made. Just ask yourself, how many times has a friend suggested going hooping compared to playing soccer? The ball used for soccer is more selective as well. You can only play soccer with an actual soccer ball, or maybe a volleyball, unless you want to break your foot. However, most balls can be used to play basketball, even a soccer ball. Furthermore, if you are like me and have no friends, basketball is a sport that can be played alone and still be enjoyable, while playing soccer alone is limited to juggling and shooting at a huge empty goal. That is really sad.
Reason two: The actual pacing and scoring process. Ever since I first started playing soccer, I have always found playing soccer to be quite fun. However, I have never loved watching soccer as much as I do basketball. In some soccer games they do not even score, and even when they do, games do not usually go above six goals per team. In the National Basketball Association, almost every single game goes over 100 points. Even in college basketball games, players score upwards to 70 points. In the United States, there is a reason why there is a huge college basketball following (March Madness), but little to no soccer following. A soccer fan may argue that because of the limited scoring, a goal scored in the final minute is more exciting than any number of points in basketball, but I would argue that after going back and forth for a full game, a buzzer beater is more exciting than anything.
Reason three: Who on earth invented a sport played with feet? Almost all team sports are played primarily with hands, with feet being only used to carry the player to his desired location. Soccer is one of the only sports that exclusively uses feet (goalkeeper and throw-ins aside). The things that make you travel also have to make something else travel. Fine, I admit this last one is not as much of a strong argument as it is a personal preference, but it is still weird.
Additional final thoughts: I wanted to add flopping as a category, but after realizing that each sport has a good amount of “actors” respectively, I decided not to do so. As much as I want to bash Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior for acting like he was painfully shot to better sell his fouls, “Leflop” James would be receiving his third Oscar by now if they gave an award to the Most Valuable Flopper (MVF).
In the end, I have to admit that both are great sports in their respective areas and in general, and I love both of them like my children—one of which is kinda weird and awkward and will walk around for an hour and a half doing nothing, and the other one tall, strong, exciting, and overall more fun—but I love them both equally. In other words, I am like Cinderella’s stepmother, though I do not remember what her name was.
– Daniel Li ’22
The Reserve Record 