Debt Pervades

In Europe alone, soccer spends $5.8 billion through the 10 top European clubs alone. However, this doesn’t mean that soccer clubs are profitable. Many millions are generated from tickets, marketing, sponsorships, commercial spots, and product. However, just as much money is also spent on securing the best possible players for a club and sustaining the salaries of those who are good and need to be retained in the club. As a result, the money goes out faster than it comes in for many major soccer clubs. Of the 20 English Premier outfits, debt on their side of the soccer world generated $4.5 billion alone. Much of this was associated with player salaries and support of their lifestyle to keep them happy and with the team.

Spending Caps

Given how big the salaries have become in the past, the European leagues are now committing that no new salary decisions or contracts will in total exceed 65 per cent of the total gross revenue of the major club. This affects the Championship League as well as both Leagues 1 and 2. That said, the spending will still occur. As long as the market for good players demands high pay, the clubs that want to stay on top will pay it, and their fans will cheer them on with every goal and win.

Third World Countries

Soccer makes big business from marketing and product selling in third world countries, particular with shoes as well as sponsorship. It is quite common for telecommunication companies in particular to pay for their company logos to be emblazoned on team jerseys. The populations, however, can only afford so much, so even with all the marketing, soccer revenues do not generate near as much as the sponsorship side.

The U.S.

In the U.S. soccer as grown tremendously, but it is still a fledgling sport, overshadowed heavily by American sports on the television where the major revenues exist.

image: Stefan Körber – Fotolia

The Spirit Difference

The popularity of soccer is immense and far more than handball can ever hope to be. Much of this difference has to do with the camaraderie and team feeling soccer evokes in its players as well as its fans. Both sports can be fast moving. Both involve hitting a ball and trying to out-play the opposing player. However, handball doesn’t generally evoke a spirit of group desire to see one side win over the other. In this respect, soccer wins hands down because it generates enthusiasm among many people at once. The popularity of a sport then is not so much the technical aspect of play so much as it is how much the fans get into the game.

Promotion

Handball also doesn’t have a significant draw for business and sponsors to support. As a result, the sport gets relegated to odd-ball activities that “some” people play. Soccer has huge sponsorship, with businesses paying millions of Euros and dollars every year to have their name printed on the visible sidelines or their commercials inserted between TV game breaks. This significant revenue allows soccer to continue marketing itself to new generations, repeating the fan building and popularity again and again.

Bigger Numbers

Keep in mind, there will always be dedicated fans of any sport, no matter how obscure it may be. Handball has no shortage of die-hard supporters who probably play the game themselves every chance possible. However, soccer’s popularity by the numbers is simply far bigger and widespread, even to the point that its popularity can sometimes cause riots and crime in affected towns on game day.

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Germany

The Germanic football team takes one of the top slots for being an early favourite in the competition. Germany boasts a well-skilled outfit and a team that has maximum flexibility and flow in its style of play. This makes the country a dangerous contender since it can adapt easily to changing conditions on the soccer field. Germany only sees Spain as its main competition.

Spain

Naturally, the next favourite is the one that keeps getting Germany’s attention, Spain. Stacked with exceptional players that keep adding to the Spanish stable, the team carries an 8-0-0 record in qualifying stages. That said, Spain recently had trouble with both Italy and England, losing matches to both.
The Netherlands

The Dutch caused a lot of angst at the previous FIFA World Cup, being contributors in Germany not seeing the valuable trophy on its home turf. As a result, they continue to represent a potential winner. However, Germany smashed the Dutch in the qualifying rounds badly, making it clear the Dutch were not a current match.

Italy

The Italians are showing themselves in 2012 to be up-and-comers, with a respectable 8-0-2 qualifying record. While they didn’t win every game, they made sure they shut down the point net as much as possible, far better than many other contenders. Since defence is half the game, this fact is critical for their future. That said, the team and management know more improvement is needed.

Other Parties

Portugal is still poking its nose around having made at least 6 wins in the qualifying rounds, it receives a respectable nod. And surprisingly, especially in light of some countries that did worse like England, Russia is now starting to appear as a possible, young contender. The former Soviet country is arriving into the Euro 2012 with a very weak elimination group, so they have a good chance to make the quarterfinals.

Bildquelle: Walter Luger – Fotolia

History

Kung-Fu movies became highly popular during the 1970s, with many of those produced in Hong Kong by the likes of Joseph Lai and the Shaw Brothers dubbed into English. Hundreds of these movies were shown on television and in theatres and they remained popular even when English subtitles were used. With storylines involving loyalty, treachery and honour, many found it possible to follow movies without being able to understand the dialogue. Rather than being actors by trade, those that appeared in these movies were usually real, and highly skilled, martial artists. This intensified the action by making it seem real, which earned the genre more fans and kept it popular for over 20 years.

Diversification

As the popularity of dedicated Martial Arts movies began to decline in the 1990s, some of the skills demonstrated in these movies were appropriated and adapted for use in other genres. Hollywood movie producers have made use of the stylish, fluid appearance of fight scenes in Martial Arts movies. Mainstream actors who take part in fight scenes within action movies will often use techniques created by Martial Arts. The number of actors who train in Martial Arts as part of their preparation for a movie has risen exponentially, as has the number of movies that use the fighting style without falling within the genre.

Notable Actors

There are many people whose first experience of Martial Arts was watching Bruce Lee in one of his popular movies, but there have been a number of others, such as his son, Brandon Lee. Jackie Chan has a long and impressive career, not least because he is known for doing his own stunts – and has all the injuries to prove it. Jet Li is another popular actor who uses his Martial Arts skills. There are also a number of actors who have had extensive training in the fighting style, such as Steven Segal, Jason Statham, Uma Thurman and Wesley Snipes.
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Beginnings

The original Olympics Games began in ancient Greece, providing the arena for athletes from different states within the country to compete against each other in a range of events. Feats of strength, speed and ability were demonstrated through athletic pursuits, such as chariot racing, wrestling and equestrian events. It has been said that the games were first deemed as ‘Olympic’ by Heracles, who built the stadium in honour of Zeus. Even as far back as this time, there are records to show that the Games took place every four years, which was also said to be established by Heracles. As the Romans took more command in Greece, the importance of the Olympic Games waned until it ended completely in the 4th century.

Purpose

In addition to the ancient Olympic Games giving competitors the opportunity to show-off and demonstrate their ability, they would also get the chance to earn admiration. Winners of events in the Olympic Games would often become well-known throughout Greece, often celebrated by being captured in poems and as statues. However, the purpose of the Games was more than simply discovering who was best at a particular event, there was also a religious component. Ritual sacrifices would take place alongside sports events in honour of Zeus.

Development

In the late 18th century, an Olympic festival began to take place annually in France, emulating many of the events that took place in ancient Greece. The 19th century saw the performance of the Olympics Games rise in popularity again after the Greeks gained their independence. This resumption of the Games led to the formation of the International Olympics Charter, which forms the framework for the Games. After this point, various events began to be held all over the world, including the UK. An annual event held in Liverpool, in which only men could compete, led to the creation of the British Olympic Association. 1896 saw the occurrence of the first Olympics Games in its modern form in Athens, Greece. With the help of continuing expansion and development, the Olympics Games has been able to develop into the international sporting event that it is today.

Image from: Georgi Karamihaylov – Fotolia.com