Soccer boring? Huh?

Not your typical repeat, don't worry. There's obviously multiple reasons for this sentiment, but to touch on the highlights.

There is the action factor.

However, I'm on the lookout for another explanation: average shot length. ASL is a huge factor in film, the duration of clips/shots having an impact on the texture. On average, I've seen the number as 5 seconds, or 4-6 to be more precise. This hasn't always been the case and is attributed to increasing audience ADD and increased cinematographic awareness. Yuri Tsivian points out:

[T]he fastest film made between 1902 and 1909 has an ASL of 15.8 seconds while the slowest one made between 2000 and 2006 has an ASL of 10.01 seconds. In other words, the fastest runner in the beginning-of-the-past-century group is 5.7 seconds behind the slowest one of the twenty-first century.

Now this doesn't take into account everything, especially the content and complexity of the shots. A long shot can captivate us, and a boring short clip is still, well boring.

Soccer is an admittedly subtle game in regards to appreciation. While watching the Germany/Uruguay game though, I noted that the shots are exceptionally long compared to what most TV viewers are accustomed to. Even basket ball, baseball, and gridiron football camera shots are much shorter, and while I have no idea of hockey, I'd guess this is the case too. Haven't seen any research regarding ASL & sports, but it seems to me that commercialist sociologist or academics should get to it.

Obviously though, there's another problem: announcers. Now, TV commentators are always annoying. Generally, it's better to hit the mute and turn on the radio where descriptive play-by-play announcing, real analysis, and relevant stats is going on. Seriously though, if you're gonna pay someone to just talk is it really that hard to find someone who is good at it?