Is it me or is pro soccer just never going to fly in the US?

[bull]

Granted we have a lot of members on this site from all parts of the world who are probably interested but even with all the publicity they're giving the World Cup in the US this year I've yet to hear ANYONE talk about professional soccer other than on TV. Why are they pushing it? People used to say that once these soccer league kids get older it'll start taking off but they've been saying that for probably 20 years. These "kids" are all 30+ now and still no one seems to care. I'm sure money's got a lot to do with it but really, does anyone in the US give a rip about pro soccer? I know I don't. Do you?

[Neal_J]

Soccer, like the metric system, won't ever fly in the U.S.  

Futbol has too much pointless running around and, ultimately, it's BORING!~

[0X01B8]

You're right.

As it pertains to TV:  It's not packaged the way we're used to watching TV, with 7 minutes of drama followed by 3 minutes of commercials followed by 5 minutes of action/drama, followed by 3 minutes of commercials, etc.

Soccer cheerleaders are way ahead of the curve, though.
Especially in South America.

[bull]

All I see is a bunch of goofballs running around in circles for hours and when it's all said and done the score is 1-0 and the fans tear the place down.

[Ponch ®]

soccer CAN be boring, and I can see why some people just don't get it. but by the same token...baseball is just as boring (if not more) to watch, and it's supposedly the national past time. 

I'd rather watch a 0-0 soccer game than a 3 1/2 hour baseball game that ends 1-0.

[b5blue]

All I see is a bunch of goofballs running around in circles for hours and when it's all said and done the score is 1-0 and the fans tear the place down.

It works for NASCAR bull! 

[TK73]

After a year of Pro Soccer in Seattle it is getting a lot of attention up here...

[bull]

After a year of Pro Soccer in Seattle it is getting a lot of attention up here...

I guess we're getting it here in Portland too. Next year maybe? Can't wait.

Baseball is a snoozer too IMO. There's something very wrong with any sport where the only thing you have to look forward to is a single score. Especially one where the players expend enough energy to run a small town.

[ChgrSteve67]

Make the field 1/3 the size and give the players UFC gloves.

A little blood will increase the popularity.

[Long Island RT]

I think it would be so much better if they changed the rules a little. The roving offsides is ridiculous. Also, the fact that you can win a game after somebody fakes a fall and the team gets to kick the penalty with whoever was on the field is retarded.

[Darkman]

Originating from a continent that is soccer mad (Europe), I was never too keen on it, nor could I ever get enthusuastic about it no matter how hard I tried. 2 Halves at 45mins each and the possibility of no score WTF? Now Aussie Rules and American Football are the sports I love! Grown men pounding the snot out of each other and driving themselves into the ground with bone crunching tackles is what I call entertaining (even if you Americans have to wear pads and a helmet  ). I was a big 49ers fan for many years (and as much as I hate to admit it, a Buffalo Bills fan too  ) John Madden 

In comparison soccer is a bit 

[Mike DC]

 
IMHO the preferences for pro sports in different countries do not follow rational explanations.


Most of the excuses for why soccer won't take off in the USA get shot down by the fact that basketball & football & hockey are flying here.  Rectangular field, the timing setup, the speed of the game, the opportunities for kids to get into it at a young age, etc.  Soccer just isn't our flavor of beverage and there's no logical reason beyond that IMHO. 



WRC Rally racing is the soccer of motorsports.  It seems like everyone on earth loves it except us.  And we would appear to be one of the countries most predisposed to like it out of anywhere.  We have a great setup to breed rallying fans with cheap gas, common vehicle usage, and wide open spaces all over the place.  Instead we are the biggest fans of contained paved tracks out of anyone.  NASCAR, drag racing, etc.  This is as inexplicable as America's indifferent attitude towards soccer IMHO.

[bakerhillpins]

Most of the excuses for why soccer won't take off in the USA get shot down by the fact that basketball & football & hockey are flying here.  Rectangular field, the timing setup, the speed of the game, the opportunities for kids to get into it at a young age, etc.  Soccer just isn't our flavor of beverage and there's no logical reason beyond that IMHO. 

WRC Rally racing is the soccer of motorsports.  It seems like everyone on earth loves it except us.  And we would appear to be one of the countries most predisposed to like it out of anywhere.  We have a great setup to breed rallying fans with cheap gas, common vehicle usage, and wide open spaces all over the place.  Instead we are the biggest fans of contained paved tracks out of anyone.  NASCAR, drag racing, etc.  This is as inexplicable as America's indifferent attitude towards soccer IMHO.

Guess I am the odd ball in the bunch. I enjoy watching soccer here in the US and greatly enjoy watching WRC. (Those guys can drive the snot out of anything and frankly have huge brass ones ta boot.) I also watch US Football and Ice Hockey. Baseball not so much, Ill avoid the soapbox comments.

I think it all boils down to Advertising. TV supports anything that supports its revenue base ->advertising. WRC/Soccer and to some extent Ice Hockey have all suffered from the inability of the broadcaster to charge for traditional revenue streams. Aka Commercials. (though this has changed in Ice Hockey) They don't see it as making them money so they naturally don't do it. Soccer doesn't allow for commercial brakes and WRC is a 3 day event with constantly changing tracks so frankly I don't blame them. WRC is a much different experience in person than just boiled down to the highlight shows.

Anyhow, I actually don't like going to televised Football games because the game is constantly interrupted by commercial breaks where the teams are standing on the field playing with themselves. Totally destroys the flow of the game. At least at home I don't get to see that cuz I press the skip fwd button on the DVR.  Which brings up another point, which is that I suspect we are in for some changes to the TV-commercial partnership thanks to DVRs.

Closed track racing allows cameras to be setup and commercial breaks so it works for them. Note that closed course MC racing isn't shown much either, I guess because the races are so short that they can't build up an hour show? 

[chargerboy69]

Make the field 1/3 the size and give the players UFC gloves.

A little blood will increase the popularity.

Ahh yes. . . . . Maybe throw a few alligators on the field.  Or maybe a couple trap doors with lions dens.  Now I would watch that sh!t.

[moparstuart]

youth soccer is huge  , so it may catch on some day

[chargerboy69]

youth soccer is huge  , so it may catch on some day

It was when I was a kid too.  I played for 10 years in a huge youth soccer league. I am now in my mid 30's. 

[Ponch ®]

You guys really want to know why we don't like soccer, WRC, F1, etc.?

It's because we don't like not being the best at something (or at least THINKING we're the best - see baseball). People play basketball and baseball all over the world, yet when the Lakers or the Yankees win we automatically anoint them "World Champions".  Hockey started losing popularity as soon as the Russians/Europeans started coming over to the NHL en masse and their native countries started winning major international competitions.

As I'm typing this, the US soccer team is getting its ass kicked by Slovenia(!), and there are no Americans in WRC or F1 (and Scott Speed failed miserably). If we're not kicking ass, we ignore it or cop out by saying its boring, too convoluted, etc...

[bakerhillpins]

As I'm typing this, the US soccer team is getting its ass kicked by Slovenia(!), and there are no Americans in WRC or F1 (and Scott Speed failed miserably). If we're not kicking ass, we ignore it or cop out by saying its boring, too convoluted, etc...

Bummer, Was hoping that I didn't read that about the US Soccer. 

As far as WRC is concerned, Ken Block is participating. While he is not winning right now his performance is expected because he is in his first year. I think it says a lot that Ford is quite involved with WRC as well.

[Ponch ®]

Bummer, Was hoping that I didn't read that about the US Soccer. 

mounting a comeback! We were down 0-2 at the half, just tied it with 10 min to go!

[Hemidog]

What was that last goal annulment? It wasn't offside.  

[Ponch ®]

What was that last goal annulment? It wasn't offside.  

it was bullshit, that's what it was. 

[bakerhillpins]

What was that last goal annulment? It wasn't offside.  

it was bullshit, that's what it was. 

[Mike DC]

I think it all boils down to Advertising. TV supports anything that supports its revenue base ->advertising. WRC/Soccer and to some extent Ice Hockey have all suffered from the inability of the broadcaster to charge for traditional revenue streams. Aka Commercials. (though this has changed in Ice Hockey) They don't see it as making them money so they naturally don't do it. Soccer doesn't allow for commercial brakes and WRC is a 3 day event with constantly changing tracks so frankly I don't blame them. WRC is a much different experience in person than just boiled down to the highlight shows.

Okay . . . but then how/why is WRC racing huge in any other country?  

I'm saying the bottom line is still the same.  The rest of the world is huge about a certain sport and yet we're indifferent.  As for the commercials, I agree that's relevant.  However the USA's most beloved televised sports didn't always have the constant commercial breaks they do now.  Soccer, baseball, football, WRC, and NASCAR were all around and growing in popularity long before their events had been rebuilt around TV coverage.  Some took off here in the USA and others did not.

--------------------------------------

You guys really want to know why we don't like soccer, WRC, F1, etc.?

It's because we don't like not being the best at something (or at least THINKING we're the best - see baseball). People play basketball and baseball all over the world, yet when the Lakers or the Yankees win we automatically anoint them "World Champions".  Hockey started losing popularity as soon as the Russians/Europeans started coming over to the NHL en masse and their native countries started winning major international competitions.

I sort of agree and sort of not. We like to crown some of our teams "world champions" partly because they don't play overseas much  It's hard to create a league that plays in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Berlin on Wednesday.  Of course our leagues are locally oriented.  And with basketball it's because we actually were amazing on the worldwide scale for years and the perception has not left us yet.  "World Champions" has advertising hyperbole in the way that "American Champions" does not.  

With ice hockey I don't think the interest peaked & fell again over the international influx of players into the NHL.  The timing conincides with it but I think it was just a temporary rise in popularity before it fell.  The sport deveoped an image in the 1970s like "Slap Shot" and it was another few decades before that image was ripe for a shift.  Then the advent of rollerblades in the early 1990s caused a boom in kids playing rollerhockey, which raised the popularity of ice hockey within a few years.  So ice hockey boomed and then it fell again.  

Ice hockey is a regional sport at the core.  Hot climates just don't take to it like colder areas and probably never will.  Even when a colder area does not necessarily have several months of ice on the ground every year this is still the case.    

[bakerhillpins]

I think it all boils down to Advertising. TV supports anything that supports its revenue base ->advertising. WRC/Soccer and to some extent Ice Hockey have all suffered from the inability of the broadcaster to charge for traditional revenue streams. Aka Commercials. (though this has changed in Ice Hockey) They don't see it as making them money so they naturally don't do it. Soccer doesn't allow for commercial brakes and WRC is a 3 day event with constantly changing tracks so frankly I don't blame them. WRC is a much different experience in person than just boiled down to the highlight shows.

Okay . . . but then how/why is WRC racing huge in any other country?  

I'm saying the bottom line is still the same.  The rest of the world is huge about a certain sport and yet we're indifferent.  As for the commercials, I agree that's relevant.  However the USA's most beloved televised sports didn't always have the constant commercial breaks they do now.  Soccer, baseball, football, WRC, and NASCAR were all around and growing in popularity long before their events had been rebuilt around TV coverage.  Some took off here in the USA and others did not.

I think it all boils down to Air Time, on the Net or on TV, or back in the day on radio or newspaper. Rally isn't that popular because Rally isn't/wasn't given any air time. I only picked up on it while I had Speedvision (Before it was FOXed into NASCAR/SPEED TV and went to crap, Anyone remember MTV circa 1981, I digress) and then lost it again until I was fortunate enough to get HD Theater. Baseball, football were big on the radio and in stuff like games, trading cards... etc. It had much more marketing. And god knows the US is a sucker when it comes to marketing. While we didn't invent advertising, we certainly did perfect it 

Anyhow, yes to specifically look at TV you have a point, but I didn't mean to suggest just TV, rather media in general over our history. I suspect that those sports got more "Air Time" in other countries and hence became more popular.

Don't forget that popularity also stems from economic conditions. Its cheap to play soccer/cricket/baseball/basketball. A stick, ball, net, and something on the ground. US Football and Ice Hockey are expensive to setup with all the gear. Poor countries pick up what they can afford to play.

[bull]

What was that last goal annulment? It wasn't offside.  

it was bullshit, that's what it was. 

Well, now people are starting to care. Everyone understands BS calls by the refs. Maybe it was engineered to piss us off so we'll spend gobs of money on pro soccer and show 'em next time.

[Old Moparz]

Never cared for soccer. It's just basketball played on the grass, only you can't use your hands so they made the goals bigger.

[bakerhillpins]

What was that last goal annulment? It wasn't offside.  

it was bullshit, that's what it was. 

Well, now people are starting to care. Everyone understands BS calls by the refs. Maybe it was engineered to piss us off so we'll spend gobs of money on pro soccer and show 'em next time.

I always cared, just not on DC.com... until now that is. 

[elacruze]

Hm. Lemme think...

Golf
Tennis
Baseball
Basketball
NASCAR
IRL

I'll take Soccer and World Rally any time I can get it.

[W4ATL]

What was that last goal annulment? It wasn't offside.  

Just read this morning that they are saying Bocanegra was holding a Slovenian and preventing him from jumping for the ball. If you look at the replay you can make that argument, but the Slovenian he was supposedly holding had a headlock on Bocanegra.  Where are you supposed to put your arms when you are in a headlock?  Doesn't that ref watch any professional wrestling?

[gtx6970]

I'd rather watch a 0-0 soccer game than a 3 1/2 hour baseball game that ends 1-0.

Ditto, my girls play soccer and I got interested in the game over time. I do enjoy watching it, but don't have enough time in the day to stay glued to a TV for hours at a time.
I have NO interest in baseball.

[Hemidog]

Could someone explain to a non US citizen why baseball is/was an interesting spectator sport?

Alcohol?

[nh_mopar_fan]

because hitting a 100mph baseball with a bat is the single hardest thing to do in any sport. period.

Soccer isn't popular in the US because we have choices. Professional baseball, football, hockey, basketball, NASCAR.....

Soccer was supposed to be the sport of the 80s. All those kiddies were playing it on the local town fields and when they grew up, it was going to be huge.

30 years later...still waiting.

One word why soccer sucks: DRAW.

Wake me when it's over.

[Mike DC]

Being an ice hockey goalie means facing a puck shot faster than a pitcher could throw it, and trying to purposely get your body in front of it.  While on ice skates. 



 

[nh_mopar_fan]

That's some quick reaction time there as well, even though they know it's coming.

Still not the same as hitting a round ball with a round bat though.

[Ponch ®]

because hitting a 100mph baseball with a bat is the single hardest thing to do in any sport. period.

A lot of sports have similar nuances and articles of finesse along those lines too. Like Mike said, a hockey goalie stopping a shot, or making a three pointer in basketball...hell, ill even include soccer - every been on either side of a penalty kick?

Could someone explain to a non US citizen why baseball is/was an interesting spectator sport?

Alcohol?

I can't stand to watch it on Tv, unless is some crucial playoff/world series game. I love going to the park and seeing a game in person, but at least for me, it's all about the ambience, hanging out with my buddies, eating Dodger dogs and drinking beer, making fun of people, and calling Giants fans 'fags' more than the game itself.

Gotta hand it to the old timers that will sit through the entire game with an old transitor radio and scoring sheets on their laps. But like soccer, unless you're playing it, baseball is a boring game. That's why every time a legendary broadcaster dies, theyre always eulogized and remembered not as great play by play men, but as great storytellers, etc...and its because if they just stuck to the game itself they would put you to sleep.

[loudmouthaussie]

australia has taken a pounding this world cup - from the referees mainly!

football (soccer) needs to embrace the video referee system we have in rugby league and maybe harden the fuck up a bit! 

our sense of sportsmanship is probably similar to USA. you dont throw yourself on the ground and fake an injury to get a penalty advantage 

ive lived in east end of london and i think the most interesting part of it is the hooligans 

[Old Moparz]

because hitting a 100mph baseball with a bat is the single hardest thing to do in any sport. period.

Soccer isn't popular in the US because we have choices. Professional baseball, football, hockey, basketball, NASCAR.....

Soccer was supposed to be the sport of the 80s. All those kiddies were playing it on the local town fields and when they grew up, it was going to be huge.

30 years later...still waiting.

One word why soccer sucks: DRAW.

Wake me when it's over.

You're absolutely right, Pele was a hero for a few years, then disappeared. I remember back in the 80's someone involved with Little League telling me that the sign ups that winter were way down & that soccer was the new big thing. I cringed since I never liked soccer, & wondered if some of the Little League fields would get bulldozed & have soccer goals put up? 

[mikepmcs]

I just forced myself to watch the 2nd half or whatever it was of the New Zealand-Italy match up.

Yup, I still think it's the most boring sport in the world.  
I really tried to get into it but just couldn't.

Field is too big.
Not enough shots on goal(seems like they purposely run out the clock)
Terrible acting trying to waste time faking injuries just so they can rest
it goes on............. it's pointless to me why so much time and so big a field.

cut the time and shorten the field.

don't they have indoor soccer or something. I need to google that up.

[Ponch ®]

I just forced myself to watch the 2nd half or whatever it was of the New Zealand-Italy match up.

Yup, I still think it's the most boring sport in the world.  
I really tried to get into it but just couldn't.

Field is too big.
Not enough shots on goal(seems like they purposely run out the clock)
Terrible acting trying to waste time faking injuries just so they can rest
it goes on............. it's pointless to me why so much time and so big a field.

cut the time and shorten the field.

don't they have indoor soccer or something. I need to google that up.

of all the reasons why someone doesn't like soccer vs. other sports the whole flopping/time wasting thing should be the least of them. Soccer players do it because unlike in other sports, there are no timeouts or clock stoppages, so if they need to take a breather they might stay on the ground a few seconds longer. It's still not as egregious as the 5 minutes it takes for a pitcher to warm up in the middle of an inning, or why the last 2 minutes of a basketball or football game take half an hour...and don't even get me started on "taking a knee" in football.

[Duchess]

Soccer won't catch on.  Just too slow paced I think.

[BigRed66]

Memo to "The Media":

Soccer sucks. Quit trying to make us like it. My mom tried to make me like asparagus and brussel sprouts, and all it did was assure the fact that I would never enjoy something being, literally in this case, shoved down my throat. My daughters play soccer, and I support them because it makes them happy, much as my wife loves fried liver, calimari, and escargot; I wouldn't touch the stuff if you paid me, but, she likes it, so, what the hey. But, soccer? It SUCKS. Quit trying to make America like it. We don't. We never will. We like Mopars, not Citroens and Yugos. We like football, in the cold, played by real men, not mulleted twinks in satin shorts. We like baseball, not some stupid game named after a bug that rubs it's legs together...both annoy us. Red, White, and Blue means we will never like soccer. Sorry, rest-of-the-world.

Besides which, FIFA sounds a lot like "Foofie" to me...    

[Old Moparz]

Memo to "The Media":

Soccer sucks. Quit trying to make us like it. My mom tried to make me like asparagus and brussel sprouts, and all it did was assure the fact that I would never enjoy something being, literally in this case, shoved down my throat. My daughters play soccer, and I support them because it makes them happy, much as my wife loves fried liver, calimari, and escargot; I wouldn't touch the stuff if you paid me, but, she likes it, so, what the hey. But, soccer? It SUCKS. Quit trying to make America like it. We don't. We never will. We like Mopars, not Citroens and Yugos. We like football, in the cold, played by real men, not mulleted twinks in satin shorts. We like baseball, not some stupid game named after a bug that rubs it's legs together...both annoy us. Red, White, and Blue means we will never like soccer. Sorry, rest-of-the-world.

Besides which, FIFA sounds a lot like "Foofie" to me...    

LOL.... 

[472 R/T SE]

Curtis, I guess it's a good thing I didn't send you video of my daughter & her fancy footwork.  Korynn just started her first season on a Select soccer team, the Timbers.   It's entertaining watching her with the ball, she's been the best @ dribbling the ball on her past two teams.
She likes playing defense & it brings great joy to watch her take the ball from that position to the opposing goal for a shot.

Boring...I don't about that.  I'm usually sitting on the edge of my chair for her games.

With the wife in night school I tote Korynn to her twice a week practices, I be a Magnum driving soccer Dad.

[Nacho-RT74]

Could someone explain to a non US citizen why baseball is/was an interesting spectator sport?

Alcohol?

something like that it was what I was to say... FOOTBALL ( the real one, note the image for the reason ) doesn't have time outs to make popcorns and get a beer .



FOOTBALL

MAKE THE COLOR ASOCIATION

Beside that... American football just have action for a couple of seconds before stop the player or loose the ball. Then the rest is just talk talk talk and hit one over one. thats all... BASEBALL A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE SAME ( maybe thats the reason you'll find FAT guys on those "sports" )... Basketball or hockey are diff for sure.

ball? Come oooon balls are ROUND.

[bull]

Those "fat" guys can outrun most people in a 40-yard sprint. And when those futbal players get tired of making minimum wage running their butts off for 2 goals in three hours they become punters/kickers in the NFL for what President Chávez makes in two years.

[bull]

Curtis, I guess it's a good thing I didn't send you video of my daughter & her fancy footwork.  Korynn just started her first season on a Select soccer team, the Timbers.   It's entertaining watching her with the ball, she's been the best @ dribbling the ball on her past two teams.
She likes playing defense & it brings great joy to watch her take the ball from that position to the opposing goal for a shot.

Boring...I don't about that.  I'm usually sitting on the edge of my chair for her games.

With the wife in night school I tote Korynn to her twice a week practices, I be a Magnum driving soccer Dad.

Pro soccer. I know people love watching their kids play but we were being told 20-30 years ago that those kid leagues would translate into a big professional following soon. It hasn't happened and it doesn't look like it ever will.

[Ponch ®]

Those "fat" guys can outrun most people in a 40-yard sprint. And when those futbal players get tired of making minimum wage running their butts off for 2 goals in three hours they become punters/kickers in the NFL for what President Chávez makes in two years.

hahah...you do know that some of the highest paid athletes in the world are soccer players, right? and that in some cases teams will pay another team $50 million just for the rights to a player (and doesn't include what theyre gonna pay him)?

Yeah, those fat guys could outrun most people in a 40 yard sprint, but that's about it. then they sit down or stand around for 20 minutes before they have to do it again. Soccer players play it through, non stop for 45 minutes, then another 45. And its not like hockey or basketball, where players are constantly subbing in and out to let them rest.

[PocketThunder]

Yeah, those fat guys could outrun most people in a 40 yard sprint, but that's about it. then they sit down or stand around for 20 minutes before they have to do it again. Soccer players play it through, non stop for 45 minutes, then another 45. And its not like hockey or basketball, where players are constantly subbing in and out to let them rest.

They dont have subs?  How many players are suited up for a game in pro soccer?

EDIT:  After a trip to  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer

looks like 11 guys to a team, 1 goalie and all 10 players on the field.  I guess that shows how much Association Football i've watched in my lifetime.. 

Did you guys know i'm the soccer coach for my sons kindergarten soccer team this year?   

[bull]

Those "fat" guys can outrun most people in a 40-yard sprint. And when those futbal players get tired of making minimum wage running their butts off for 2 goals in three hours they become punters/kickers in the NFL for what President Chávez makes in two years.

hahah...you do know that some of the highest paid athletes in the world are soccer players, right? and that in some cases teams will pay another team $50 million just for the rights to a player (and doesn't include what theyre gonna pay him)?

Yeah, those fat guys could outrun most people in a 40 yard sprint, but that's about it. then they sit down or stand around for 20 minutes before they have to do it again. Soccer players play it through, non stop for 45 minutes, then another 45. And its not like hockey or basketball, where players are constantly subbing in and out to let them rest.

How much do they make? I'd be very surprised if it's anywhere near what a pro athlete makes in the US. And tons of running does not translate to watchability in the US like big plays, trick plays, talent and athleticism does. Maybe people in other countries like to watch people running and running and running for hours but here in the US they call that a marathon and it's boring.

[Ponch ®]

They dont have subs?  How many players are suited up for a game in pro soccer?

EDIT:  After a trip to  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer

looks like 11 guys to a team, 1 goalie and all 10 players on the field.  I guess that shows how much Association Football i've watched in my lifetime..  

Did you guys know i'm the soccer coach for my sons kindergarten soccer team this year?  

yep...11 per team. In most pro leagues and international competitions there are only 3 substitutions allowed (used to be only 2 until 10-15 years ago) per team per game, and once you come out you can't go back in. Most of the time they'll save the last substition until the last few minutes of the game, because if one of your players gets injured and you've already used up all 3, your SOL....you're gonna be a man down.

Those "fat" guys can outrun most people in a 40-yard sprint. And when those futbal players get tired of making minimum wage running their butts off for 2 goals in three hours they become punters/kickers in the NFL for what President Chávez makes in two years.

hahah...you do know that some of the highest paid athletes in the world are soccer players, right? and that in some cases teams will pay another team $50 million just for the rights to a player (and doesn't include what theyre gonna pay him)?

Yeah, those fat guys could outrun most people in a 40 yard sprint, but that's about it. then they sit down or stand around for 20 minutes before they have to do it again. Soccer players play it through, non stop for 45 minutes, then another 45. And its not like hockey or basketball, where players are constantly subbing in and out to let them rest.

How much do they make? I'd be very surprised if it's anywhere near what a pro athlete makes in the US. And tons of running does not translate to watchability in the US like big plays, trick plays, talent and athleticism does. Maybe people in other countries like to watch people running and running and running for hours but here in the US they call that a marathon and it's boring.

Guys like Cristiano Ronaldo, Drogba, Wayne Rooney, and Beckham (esp. before he started to get old) can and have pulled NBA/NFL numbers, if not better...in the $20-40 mil/year range once you factor in endorsements and all that stuff. And last year Real Madrid paid Manchester United something like 80 million pounds (not exactly sure what the exchange rate was at the time, but it's well over $100 mil USD) just for Ronaldo's transfer.

The money in soccer is no joke. Here's another one for you to ponder: In last years Forbes' list of the most valuable sports teams Manchester United was worth $1.8 bil...more than the Cowboys, the Yankees, or any other NFL/MLB/NBA team.


Again, I see what you're saying about how soccer can be boring and lacks the constant action and big plays us Americans like in football and basketball...but still doesn't explain why we do like of baseball, golf, and NASCAR, which 90% of the time are snoozefests. I still think it's one of those "we didn't invent it and we're really not that great at it, so to hell with it" deals.

[bull]

Again, I see what you're saying about how soccer can be boring and lacks the constant action and big plays us Americans like in football and basketball...but still doesn't explain why we do like of baseball, golf, and NASCAR, which 90% of the time are snoozefests. I still think it's one of those "we didn't invent it and we're really not that great at it, so to hell with it" deals.

Team sports are popular due to tradition as well as city/state affiliation and the part it plays into people's community allegiance. I suppose Nascar once played into our sense of brand loyalty but no so much anymore IMO. Golf is somewhat interesting to me on occasion because I like to see someone make things look so much easier than I do. There is something to that. Many things certain people can do very well is interesting to people who can't do it very well at all.

I stand corrected on the soccer salaries. But I have to wonder how much skill is involved in the game that most people in very good physical condition couldn't master fairly quickly? To me it just seems like if you know the rules, can jog for long periods of time and sprint for short distances you can play pro soccer.

[Ponch ®]

I stand corrected on the soccer salaries. But I have to wonder how much skill is involved in the game that most people in very good physical condition couldn't master fairly quickly? To me it just seems like if you know the rules, can jog for long periods of time and sprint for short distances you can play pro soccer.

There's a skill to it, for sure. Just like not every guy with a strong arm can be a good quaterback (see: Jamarcus Russell) or a good pitcher. There's a lot of finesse to soccer...dribbling around defenders, etc. Even hitting the ball with your head requires some sort of mastery if you want to do it right. Or a kick that bends like a knuckleball  (and it's all in how your foot hits the ball)....that sort of thing. 

[cpthowdy1369]

I believe they shoul make soccer more interesting and hide landmines throughout the field or every once in a while let a bull run across the field.  I would watch it then. Maybe even by a t-shirt.

[DodgeByDave]

Kickball is all very well a good game for rough girls, but not for delicate boys.
-Oscar Wilde

http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/#previous-page

I can't decide which is more boring Napcar or Kickball

[nh_mopar_fan]

http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/#previous-page

This is freaking beautiful.   

[cpthowdy1369]

    very well done.  Funny as hell

[DodgeByDave]

I believe they shoul make soccer more interesting and hide landmines throughout the field or every once in a while let a bull run across the field.  I would watch it then. Maybe even by a t-shirt.

Actually, that was tried once to less than stellar results. The final score was "Bull 1, Men 0"

Ahahhahhah I found a short from that epic match (also includes an explanation of why it's called a "pitch")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKkY3wcpB2M

(warning, semi not work safe. Male butt cheek nudity)

[jeryst]

I believe they shoul make soccer more interesting and hide landmines throughout the field or every once in a while let a bull run across the field.  I would watch it then. Maybe even by a t-shirt.

I think they should make them all play blindfolded. Use different pitched buzzers attached to players, the ball, and the goals.

Or it should be all naked women, with ground cameras.

That's the only two things that would make me watch it.

[89MOPAR]

Statistics - There are simply no meaningfull stats.   Americans like statistics.

  Example - baseball - RBI's , homeruns, strikeouts, batting average, etc etc
                football - touchdowns, pass completion, sacks, avg yards per carry, etc etc

What stats could you use for soccer ?   Miles run per game ?  Amount of backward passes ?  # of corner kicks ?  # of throw-ins ?
  Until someone comes up with some stats, there's no chance, and even then the chance for big time american acceptance is weak.

i was one of those kids who played soccer for about 7 years.  in retrospect, wish i'd played baseball or football / hockey instead.
They need to get rid of the "offsides" rule, then maybe it could be exciting [?]


               

[Shakey]

I don't think that everyone in the United States dislikes soccer!  I was in the MSP airport last Wednesday AM and everyplace I walked by had the US game on and the crowds were erupting like it was the championship game!

Sports - some like this and some like that - pretty simple!

[PocketThunder]

I don't think that everyone in the United States dislikes soccer!  I was in the MSP airport last Wednesday AM and everyplace I walked by had the US game on and the crowds were erupting like it was the championship game!

Sports - some like this and some like that - pretty simple!

You were 10 miles 16.09 km away from me and i didnt get a call?      

[moparstuart]

I don't think that everyone in the United States dislikes soccer!  I was in the MSP airport last Wednesday AM and everyplace I walked by had the US game on and the crowds were erupting like it was the championship game!

Sports - some like this and some like that - pretty simple!

You were 10 miles 16.09 km away from me and i didnt get a call?      

you wouldnt have answered

[Lennard]

All I see is a bunch of goofballs running around in circles for hours and when it's all said and done the score is 1-0 and the fans tear the place down.

I see/think the same thing when i watch Basketball, softball, American football, etc.

[Lennard]

You guys really want to know why we don't like soccer, WRC, F1, etc.?

It's because we don't like not being the best at something (or at least THINKING we're the best - see baseball). People play basketball and baseball all over the world, yet when the Lakers or the Yankees win we automatically anoint them "World Champions".  Hockey started losing popularity as soon as the Russians/Europeans started coming over to the NHL en masse and their native countries started winning major international competitions.

As I'm typing this, the US soccer team is getting its ass kicked by Slovenia(!), and there are no Americans in WRC or F1 (and Scott Speed failed miserably). If we're not kicking ass, we ignore it or cop out by saying its boring, too convoluted, etc...

Bingo! This goes for about a Million things.  Just like "World famous" actors, artists, bands, etc. I hear that all the time and i have lived in The Netherlands for 34 years and NEVER heard of those people.

[Ponch ®]

You guys really want to know why we don't like soccer, WRC, F1, etc.?

It's because we don't like not being the best at something (or at least THINKING we're the best - see baseball). People play basketball and baseball all over the world, yet when the Lakers or the Yankees win we automatically anoint them "World Champions".  Hockey started losing popularity as soon as the Russians/Europeans started coming over to the NHL en masse and their native countries started winning major international competitions.

As I'm typing this, the US soccer team is getting its ass kicked by Slovenia(!), and there are no Americans in WRC or F1 (and Scott Speed failed miserably). If we're not kicking ass, we ignore it or cop out by saying its boring, too convoluted, etc...

Bingo! This goes for about a Million things.  Just like "World famous" actors, artists, bands, etc. I hear that all the time and i have lived in The Netherlands for 34 years and NEVER heard of those people.

You really don't know who Bababooey is?

[Lennard]

You really don't know who Bababooey is?

The chick in your avatar?

[Ponch ®]

De Oranje!

[Lennard]

De Oranje wat? De Oranje sokken die ze aan heeft?

[Lennard]

I love soccer!

[miller]

How to make soccer more exciting...

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1806657

[Lennard]

Well, the Dutch made into the final.

[hemi68charger]

Go Holland !!!  

The Netherlands vs Spain..   a 1st time winner for sure..............

[Ponch ®]

Go Holland !!!  

The Netherlands vs Spain..   a 1st time winner for sure..............

I'm in a dilemma now. I've been a fan of the Netherlands since '88. I was about 8 years old and spending the summer in Mexico, and I spent a good chunk of my time there glued to the TV watching the Oranje annihilate the competition in the European Cup. Ruud Gulit, Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard were my favorite players for a few years after that.

On the other hand, there's Spain. For cultural reasons, there's some affinity for the Spanish team. And I've always liked them too.

[Shakey]

I don't think that everyone in the United States dislikes soccer!  I was in the MSP airport last Wednesday AM and everyplace I walked by had the US game on and the crowds were erupting like it was the championship game!

Sports - some like this and some like that - pretty simple!

You were 10 miles 16.09 km away from me and i didnt get a call?      

I was just passin' through, on my way home from Fargo.


Maybe next time we'll try to find some time for a