Comments on: WHY WE HATE SOCCER SO MUCH

By: t1o1m1a1h1a1w1k1

t1o1m1a1h1a1w1k1 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:05:56 +0000

A sport’s popularity boils down to three factors:

1. Skill = How difficult it is to do.
2. Spectacle = How dramatic it is to watch.
3. Significance = How much you care.

I suspect most non-fans in the U.S. agree that soccer requires skill, but don’t see the spectacle or significance. The latter will eventually come from success at the international and club level. And perhaps the way to help someone appreciate the spectacle is to encourage them to have fun playing the game for themselves.

Perhaps history can help. Cricket used to be the top sport in England. Then soccer not only gained a footing (ha ha), but also overtook it. Wonder how.

PS – The U.S. loss in the Confederations Cup final was heart-breaking. But the goals – particularly Landon Donovan’s – were outstanding!

By: funny man

funny man — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:48:29 +0000

Sportsmith,
’sports is still the territory of totem poles and tent markings’. Indeed it is and forgive me my ‘unfunny’ remark. Perhaps I’m sometimes a bit too thin-skinned when I perceive (perhaps wrongly) the ever popular (especially among conservatives) Euro bashing. If all our worries were about the ‘right’ sport we should be a happy nation.

By: Stix

Stix — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:51:13 +0000

I pretty much played Soccer (football) for most of my life. I started to play pretty much when I started to walk. My older brother started tom play when they lived in Korea during the Vietnam War when my mom went to Seoul where my dad was stationed.

It is my favorite sport to watch, and hockey being a close second. I do not really like either baseball or football, I find them boring. I still watch them, but it is not as exciting as the Stanley Cup or World Cup finals.

Everyone will have their own opinions, ans most of mt friends think I am crazy. Along with being the only conservative amongst them also,so I am the weird one anyway.

I guess it is my personality of not following the crowd that attracts me also to the game.

I love lacross and also love to watch Rugby, a lot better than football in my opinion. Australian Rules Football is also an interesting sport to watch.

I agree with Frank the Tank, we will never get the top players here, there is too much money in Europe for the top players, and all the top US players go to the bug clubs across the pond.

By: Frank the Tank

Frank the Tank — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:53:17 +0000

There’s a very simple reason why soccer (specifically professional soccer) isn’t popular as a spectator sport in the US: the best players in the world go to play in the pro leagues in the UK, Spain, and Germany as opposed to here. Watching Major League Soccer in the US is the equivalent of watching AAA baseball or the Greek pro basketball leagues - they might technically be pros, but we’re getting a minor league product by comparison to other countries and not being exposed to the best of the best. In contrast, the best basketball and baseball players in the world play in the United States regardless of where they are originally from (i.e. China, Japan, Germany, Dominican Republic, etc.).

If you watch a Major League Baseball game versus a minor league baseball game that both happen to have the exact same score, you can still tell that the Major League players are at a much higher skill level. Likewise, the average sports fan is going to be able to tell that a English Premier League match consists of higher caliber athletes than those playing in an MLS game when you see them side-by-side. When US audiences get to watch the best of the best play soccer (i.e. this year’s Confederation Cup and past World Cups), the audiences have actually been very strong. It’s simply the quality of play that matters (not lack of scoring, culture, or other popular inane reasons).

However, unless the English Premier League either expands or transports itself to US cities, the quality of play (or lack thereof) will always be the problem for soccer as a spectator sport in the US. Until the MLS or some other league attracts the best players in the world just like the NBA, MLB, and NHL do in their respective sports, the average US sports fan isn’t going to be interested in watching the minor league version. We need the best of the best to be playing here in order for there to be a long-term change.

By: Michael Giles

Michael Giles — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:27:13 +0000

Mike Giles: professional basketball players under 6?4? are extremely rare. Most starting point guards (college or pro) are 6?5? or taller. They just look short standing next to Shaq.

You’re confusing the Shooting Guards with the Point Guard’s position. Tall point guards are the exception rather then the rule. They simply have to put the ball on the floor too often. Not to mention that they usually have to make their own plays as opposed to having the ball passed in to them.

You are correct about football players- there are a handful in the 5?10? to 6?2? range. Only… those guys can run the 40 in about 4.2 seconds.

Almost all running backs and defensive backs are in the range you stated, dexterity and a lower center of gravity being an advantage among larger, but less mobile players.

I would be surprised if there are more than 10 MLB players under 6 ft.

Bobby Korecky, Arizona Diamondbacks, 5′11″
Augie Ojeda, Arizona Diamondbacks, 5′9″
Kenshin Kawakami, Atlanta Braves, 5′11″
Cesar Izturis, Baltimore Orioles, 5′9″
Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles, 5′9″
Travis Denker, Boston Red Sox, 5′9″
Argenis Diaz, Boston Red Sox, 5′11″
Andres Blanco, Chicago Cubs, 5′10″
Aaron Miles, Chicago Cubs, 5′9″
Brent Lillibridge, Chicago White Sox, 5′11″
Bartolo Colon, Chicago White Sox, 5′11′
Tony Abreu, Los Angeles Dodgers, 5′9″

No Brainer. Just check out the Second Basemen, Shortstops and Japanese players

By: sportsmith

sportsmith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:53:14 +0000

funny man: my poor attempt at Cracked humor aside, I do believe Americans have not adopted soccer - or football, call it what you will - precisely because it’s European. All I mean by that is, “it’s not ours.”
Cars from Germany and wines from France are one thing, but sports are a much more visceral connection to national identity and culture. Conversely, I don’t wonder why Europeans don’t like American football or baseball. I get it. It’s not the same as going to a Burger King. Forget the rules, hand-eye coordination and all that other stuff; sports is still the territory of totem poles and tent markings.

By: lionheart

lionheart — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:52:57 +0000

Rick, we almost beat the Brazillians! Fantastic.

Mike Giles: professional basketball players under 6′4″ are extremely rare. Most starting point guards (college or pro) are 6′5″ or taller. They just look short standing next to Shaq.

You are correct about football players- there are a handful in the 5′10″ to 6′2″ range. Only… those guys can run the 40 in about 4.2 seconds.

I would be surprised if there are more than 10 MLB players under 6 ft.

Professional sports is a tall man’s game. Except for cycling and soccer.

Re: Brazil vs. US: The US is not even in the top 30 in the world as far as national teams are concerned. I think they will get better before next summer’s World Cup but not enough to challenge any team in the top 10. Brazil sleep walked through the 1st half and exposed our many weaknesses in the second half. Our midfield play - with one or two exceptions - is subpar. We don’t have a left back. Individual skills compared to the Brazilians and most other top sides are a joke. What the US side has is tremendous speed and excellent teamwork. And a world class goalie doesn’t hurt. I like our coach, Bradley, a lot better than Arena. He seems more aggressive on offense which is a big difference from Arena’s shell game at the last World Cup.

All that may be enough to advance to the round of 16 depending on the other teams drawn for our Group. Anything beyond that would be a startling upset.

ed.

By: barry

barry — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:29:42 +0000

Soccer will never be as popular in the U.S. as it is in the rest of the world. However, I thought it was great when the U.S. team beat the Spanish team. That’s not because I have anything against Spain (pretty decent people over there, if you’ve been there… one of the few countries in Europe that for the most part don’t mind Americans) nor do I care about soccer… it made me laugh because you know the masses of dedicated European fans were screaming and irate that AMERICA beat a very good professional team with a proud history of excellence in the sport. I knew the U.S. would be killed by Brazil, but it was still fun to know that we beat the Europeans at their own game.

Imagine if Spain fielded an NFL team and came and beat an elite NFL team such as the Patriots or Colts? We’d be stunned! That’s probably how the Europeans felt when the U.S. owned their team lol

Hey funny guy you seem to be pretty cool and I know you’re European (by your own admission) but I’m just saying it was funny that our crappy soccer team beat the powerful Spanish team heh… no disrespect meant to you, though.

By: Locomotive Breath

Locomotive Breath — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:03:43 +0000

(US) Soccer/(Everywhere else) football is popular outside the US because here is the list of equipment you need to play the game.

1. ball
2. feet (bare if made necessary by impoverishment)

Even baseball is comparatively expensive. If everyone else could afford to field a high-school US football team, they would.

The sport of the future in the US is lacrosse. Hits like football, continuous play like soccer, higher scoring than soccer (and a 9-5 lead is not insurmountable even with one quarter to go), and you don’t have to be a genetic freak to be a good player.

By: funny man

funny man — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:16:02 +0000

sportsmith,
as a European I will not go down that route (just a little). Just like to point out that we ‘gay’ Europeans still have white guys boxing and holding titles (I used to box myself; only amateurs). If you know of a white American let me know.
Mike Giles: there was one comment that was anti-american, not more.