Non-Sport Update's Card Talk
Fictional soccer club cards

This topic can be found at:
https://nonsportupdate.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/955604453/m/6277001296

December 05, 2019, 11:25 AM
Bill Mullins
Fictional soccer club cards
Topps is selling trading cards for a soccer club that does not exist. Does this count as non-sports?
December 05, 2019, 11:52 AM
wolfie
The question i have is Why?

____________________
Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
December 05, 2019, 12:14 PM
ravenheart
quote:
Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
Does this count as non-sports?


It counts as something...
December 07, 2019, 02:44 AM
hammer
The shirt is good too, I think it's a good bit of fun
December 07, 2019, 02:54 AM
Batman
And you have been to Asbury Park at least a couple of times mate! The Biergarten and Silverball pinball!

____________________
"The problem, I'm told, is more than medical."
December 07, 2019, 03:02 AM
hammer
quote:
Originally posted by Batman:
And you have been to Asbury Park at least a couple of times mate! The Biergarten and Silverball pinball!


That's why it appealed to me. I do remember
December 07, 2019, 03:31 AM
hammer
The $48 postage did for me
December 07, 2019, 05:01 PM
catskilleagle
Wolfie,

It's a lot cheaper to create a team, its logo, and decide its merchandise than to make a deal with a soccer league and a team. On top of it you ride a little of the wave created by the U.S. women's team's championship win.

Jess


quote:
Originally posted by wolfie:
The question i have is Why?

December 07, 2019, 06:36 PM
Raven
[QUOTE]Originally posted by catskilleagle:
It's a lot cheaper to create a team, its logo, and decide its merchandise than to make a deal with a soccer league and a team. On top of it you ride a little of the wave created by the U.S. women's team's championship win. QUOTE)

Also it's soccer and the pro structure for the sport in the US is like none other, with different levels and no strong unifying authority. Also, despite the USA women's team success, truth is soccer still has a very low profile here and only works up when they have cup matches some place, so people have an excuse to go out and drink. Wink

I would like to see anyone try to make up a pro baseball, football, basketball or hockey team and sell merchandise. See how long it takes for them to hear from the Commissioner's office, especially if there is a sport card license anywhere. So I'm guessing that's why it's soccer and no one cares. Big Grin
December 08, 2019, 01:21 PM
ravenheart
It's weird and silly regardless of the sport. But yes, it's certainly a tactic which will fly under the radar far more easily if you pick a sport in a country that's no good at it with no strong league. It would work in China too.
December 08, 2019, 09:36 PM
Batman
Raven and Ravenheart you have no sense of humor

____________________
"The problem, I'm told, is more than medical."
December 09, 2019, 01:26 AM
catskilleagle
Soccer was growing in popularity in the 70's (my cousins and youngest brother played it) but also seemed to reach a peak in the late 70's. I don't know where it ranks in terms of TV ratings but you can watch soccer here in the U.S. - just not on a major network. It might be somewhere south of golf but north of curling.

I don't know. What's the NFL going to do to me if I create my own football team and merchandise based on it without ever fielding an actual roster? As long as I don't infringe on any of its properties, I think I'm in the clear especially if I make it apparent that it's all a spoof.

It goes back to Wolfie's question, "Why?" Well, there seems to be an underlying joke to it as Batman is indicating. It's that in America you might be able to sell more merchandise of a fictional soccer team than of an actual soccer team.

Jess


quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by catskilleagle:
It's a lot cheaper to create a team, its logo, and decide its merchandise than to make a deal with a soccer league and a team. On top of it you ride a little of the wave created by the U.S. women's team's championship win. QUOTE)

Also it's soccer and the pro structure for the sport in the US is like none other, with different levels and no strong unifying authority. Also, despite the USA women's team success, truth is soccer still has a very low profile here and only works up when they have cup matches some place, so people have an excuse to go out and drink. Wink

I would like to see anyone try to make up a pro baseball, football, basketball or hockey team and sell merchandise. See how long it takes for them to hear from the Commissioner's office, especially if there is a sport card license anywhere. So I'm guessing that's why it's soccer and no one cares. Big Grin

December 09, 2019, 08:41 AM
Raven
You are suggesting whimsey or parody Jess, rather than an actual joke. GPK is funny because we know what they are making fun of. If the parody has to be explained to you, it's not going to be funny to you. If the joke is that it's all fictional, only you don't know that until you're told, and then no one cares anyway, well . . . OK.

Regarding the sport, I have a friend with two sons that both wanted to be pro soccer players. They were quite good in school and they got agents, but there was no places in the US where they could get started. So they both went to Europe a year apart. They tried to get signed to teams in Spain and Italy and they did play for a short period in whatever leagues are over there. Unfortunately both were separately hurt in games and had to come back here to get medical treatment for knee injuries. Neither one ever really played pro again and they now have other careers outside of sports. For whatever reason, unless you can get on Team USA, soccer as a full time job is just very limited in this country despite being a fairly popular school sport.
December 09, 2019, 10:30 AM
wolfie
quote:
Originally posted by catskilleagle:

It goes back to Wolfie's question, "Why?" Well, there seems to be an underlying joke to it as Batman is indicating. It's that in America you might be able to sell more merchandise of a fictional soccer team than of an actual soccer team.



Well as Batman well knows there is a fictional team here in the UK called West Ham United. Big Grin

____________________
Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
December 09, 2019, 03:54 PM
ifish73
quote:
Originally posted by wolfie:
quote:
Originally posted by catskilleagle:

It goes back to Wolfie's question, "Why?" Well, there seems to be an underlying joke to it as Batman is indicating. It's that in America you might be able to sell more merchandise of a fictional soccer team than of an actual soccer team.



Well as Batman well knows there is a fictional team here in the UK called West Ham United. Big Grin


Hey now can't all be Liverpool! At least they aren't on track to be relegated like Watford Shake Head
December 10, 2019, 01:33 AM
catskilleagle
Hi Raven,

Well, the word "joke" doesn't have just one definition, as it can be just something funny or it can be a communicated set-up and punchline meant to be funny, and I used it in its broad sense. None of us gets every joke and even when we get it, it isn't always funny.

I never got into GPK. I don't think they're funny but I have a promo card a tattoo artist was giving out at a local show a few years ago and it pokes fun at GPK. I thought that was funny.

You once mentioned Schroedinger's cat in a thread from years ago. I don't recall if it was part of a joke but wondered then what percentage of Card Talk members immediately clicked to Google for that one. Not being into physics either, I got it only because I had seen a science show on PBS that discussed it. In any case I thought mentioning Schroedinger's cat on a trading card forum was hilarious.

Jess



quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
You are suggesting whimsey or parody Jess, rather than an actual joke. GPK is funny because we know what they are making fun of. If the parody has to be explained to you, it's not going to be funny to you. If the joke is that it's all fictional, only you don't know that until you're told, and then no one cares anyway, well . . . OK.

Regarding the sport, I have a friend with two sons that both wanted to be pro soccer players. They were quite good in school and they got agents, but there was no places in the US where they could get started. So they both went to Europe a year apart. They tried to get signed to teams in Spain and Italy and they did play for a short period in whatever leagues are over there. Unfortunately both were separately hurt in games and had to come back here to get medical treatment for knee injuries. Neither one ever really played pro again and they now have other careers outside of sports. For whatever reason, unless you can get on Team USA, soccer as a full time job is just very limited in this country despite being a fairly popular school sport.

December 10, 2019, 01:40 AM
catskilleagle
Actually, the cards are free when you buy the $50 jersey. Has anyone bought one yet?



quote:
Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
Topps is selling trading cards for a soccer club that does not exist. Does this count as non-sports?

December 10, 2019, 02:19 AM
hammer
quote:
Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Actually, the cards are free when you buy the $50 jersey. Has anyone bought one yet?



quote:
Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
Topps is selling trading cards for a soccer club that does not exist. Does this count as non-sports?


I was going to but the $48 postage to UK put me off
December 10, 2019, 12:08 PM
Raven
[QUOTE]Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Hi Raven,

You once mentioned Schroedinger's cat in a thread from years ago. I don't recall if it was part of a joke but wondered then what percentage of Card Talk members immediately clicked to Google for that one. Not being into physics either, I got it only because I had seen a science show on PBS that discussed it. In any case I thought mentioning Schroedinger's cat on a trading card forum was hilarious.

Jess


Hey Jess,

Physics? PBS science? Me? Big Grin

You are correct, I did mention it and I think quite a few more Card Talk members got it than you would think. The reference came from one of the more classic Big Bang Theory episodes where Sheldon solved Penny and Leonard's dating dilemma by drawing a comparison to the Schroedinger's Cat experiment. To wit, you don't know if it's dead or alive until you open the box.

Who says you need to read books? Some of my best pearls of wisdom are gleaned from watching situation comedies. That was a joke. Big Grin