Allegations of bribery by the Russians, perhaps? The president of FIFA stepped down days after winning re-election.
Clearly, if it wasn't for this scandal, most Americans, at least those who don't have kids playing the game, wouldn't give a shit about soccer for another three years. If even then.
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Sunday, June 7, 2015
9 comments:
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soccer sucks. runs up and down not acc. anything. one dumb sport even liberal lioke me hate
ReplyDeleteNot this tired argument again. NBC has the premiere league, Fox sports just signed up the Bundesliga, ESPN had huge ratings for the Champions League tournament all season, the MLS is a successful league with higher average game attendance than basketball and hockey, and millions of kids and adults play the game. Watch a YouTube video of the March to the Match of the Seattle Sounders and tell me Americans don't like soccer. Of course it's not the NFL, never will be and doesn't need to be.
ReplyDeleteThis tires worn out trope is always trotted out when the subject of soccer comes up.
Same bullshit argument about gay marriage: "Americans just don't want it" Just because you make the statement and believe it to be true doesn't make it so.
Oh, the US beat Holland this week 4:3 after being behind 1:3 at the half. If you think it's boring stick to baseball.
"Tired worn out trope" or not, the point still stands: I know people who are football fans, basketball fans, baseball fans and even hockey fans. I don't know a single person who is a soccer fan (or bullfighting fan).
ReplyDeleteComrade, I fell you might be moving into the minority. For a long time, the trope seemed to be true as soccer struggled to gain a foothold in the U.S. As a youth sport, soccer is successful because of it's minimal rules and equipment needs. As for soccer "fans", I would agree that they have been lacking....until recently.
ReplyDeleteI have watched with interest the rise of soccer fans among my peers (mostly college educated professionals) as the broadcast of soccer on TV has expanded. I now work with a solid group,of individuals who can knowingly discuss the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and such, something I would never have expected even 5-10 years ago. Professional soccer in the U.S. Is strong and growing, and has reached out beyond the initial immigrant fan base that we saw in many cities.
For heavens sake, our top Sports Radio station, a bastion of redneck sporting and political views, even started a weekly soccer program on the weekends, with a special double length show covering the last day of the Premier League! So, what is the appeal? Perhaps time?
Soccer is a neat package, the game will run in a two hour spot all year long until the championship game, where it might run all of three hours, if they go to overtime. It's pretty easy to watch a soccer game for 2 hours, once or twice a week, it fits in well. Baseball is well over 3 hours and your team has games daily, football is creeping toward 4 hours a game and being killed by video review of everything, basketball is close...perhaps why its demo is the youngest of the "major" US sports. just my $0.02.
It is easy to play soccer, but it is still boring to watch.
ReplyDeleteBaseball can be dull on TV.
And it's tough (relatively) to advertise during a match.
"Tired worn out trope" or not, the point still stands
ReplyDeleteName a sport. With the possible exception of gridiron, the majority of Americans won't care about the sport.
However, if it weren't for the FIFA bribery scandal, there would be an uptick in American soccer interest right around now, anyway. We have the Women's World Cup going on now. Yesterday, two WWC games were on Fox, knocking a NASCAR race to cable's Fox Sports 1.
"I don't know a single person who is a soccer fan (or bullfighting fan)."
Do you know how soccer is like golf or NASCAR? In the United States, interest is not relatively constant among demographic groups.
Soccer is my favorite sport. However, my second favorite sport is team handball, followed by cricket, so I'm not your typical American sports fan.
I preface this response with the following:
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and read it daily. It's funny, insightful, enlightening and I love your point of view. And here it comes: But,
The point does not stand. The basis for your argument is severely flawed. Some of the words in your argument are specious, such as "clearly".
The fact that you don't personally know any soccer fans doesn't mean squat and proves nothing. Your sample size is too small, amongst other statistical errors.
I would argue that the multi million dollar contracts the various networks have signed to bring soccer to Americans, as well as the multi million in profits the MLS teams are generating, the high TV ratings of even the Womens World Cup, the building of soccer only stadiums all over the US, and the millions in jersey sales are proof that Americans like, if not love soccer. As you can probably tell I love it. I know lots of soccer fans and have converted many. The numbers grow every year, whereas baseball, hockey, golf and bullfighting lose more every year. I have been having this argument for years and I know I'm right.
Furloaded, you were doing great until the last sentene.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm right, too. :P
I thought you'd like it. And yes, you usually are. Usually.;)
ReplyDelete