Head for the hills, soccer-haters!

**alaskaguy** · 06-27-2007, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by cyclone#1

You make a good point. The definition of "mainstream" is certainly different from country to country.

However, I would take our professional championship team from football (NFL), basketball (NBA), and baseball (MLB) and be nearly certain they could beat the championship team from the international countries that play these sports...football is played in Canada and Europe, basketball is played all over (Europe, Mideast, South America, Asia, etc.), and baseball is played in Japan and Central America.

One last thing regarding your population comment...what is the dominant sport in China and India...is it not soccer? I'm not sure. Maybe someone knows.

The NBA has embarrased themselves now on more than one occasion in international competition. Come on now, how do you explain losing to Puerto Rico?

**EggMcClone** · 06-27-2007, 03:12 PM

A couple of thoughts I had:
I know NASCAR gets bigger ratings but I don't really include it as a sport. And no, I don't want to get into a debate but I consider any kind of auto racing something different but, yes, it is wildly popular.

The growth of soccer has been slow and steady for quite a while now and it's not realistic to expect it to jump to the forefront within 10, 20, even 30 years. But, I do know that you used to not be able to see any of the Champion's League games and now you can see almost all of the knockout round games on basic cable in a lot of places and the highlights actually make Sportscenter. 15 years ago we didn't even have a professional league here and now there's one that seems fairly stable (certainly more stable than they had in the 70's) with a decent television package. It used to be tough to find most of the World Cup games and now they are drawing the best ratings they ever have here in the US while ratings for the NBA, NHL, and MLB seem to approach or set a new record low every year.

I think the presence of Fox Soccer and other channels will help grow the sport as the diehards can bring in others that find they might actually enjoy the Premier League, etc. I honestly don't expect it to ever get as much coverage as football, basketball, or baseball but I do think it will get an ever larger piece of the pie, especially as sports viewing in general fragments into more specialized interests.

**cybsball20** · 06-27-2007, 03:18 PM

[QUOTE=EggMcClone;147682] It used to be tough to find most of the World Cup games and now they are drawing the best ratings they ever have here in the US while ratings for the NBA, NHL, and MLB seem to approach or set a new record low every year.[QUOTE]

The actual ratings for baseball are better than ever, it just depends on how you look at them... 10-20 years ago there were very few games televised, pretty much a Satuday and Sunday game of the week... Now every single game is available, if you add all those up the ratings are pretty impressive... Add to that the fact that baseball has had record attendance at every level (MLB, MiLB, Independent Leagues, College, College Summer Leagues) and you will see that baseball certainly isn't going anywhere...

**EggMcClone** · 06-27-2007, 03:28 PM

I was more referring to the World Series where the five lowest rated are from the last seven years.

Again, I don't really expect baseball to go anywhere but I don't think it holds the same place it once did in this country.

**Cyclonepride** · 06-27-2007, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by soccercy

Okay, you are wrong. The explosion in soccer participation has been going on for something like 10-15 years, so all of those people are just now getting to the point where they become fans instead of just participants. And I would say the increase in people wanting to view it on tv is significant since there was none before. Now there is an MLS game of the week on ESPN2, and they also showed Champions League games as well.
Don't change what I said either, it isn't hard to kick a soccer ball, what is said is how and where you want. I'll put you through some drills with my jv team and I bet you couldn't do what they can with the ball, let alone the varsity.
Oh, and soccer is very huge in Asia, they worship David Beckham, I believe some of the MLS games are being negotiated to be broadcast in China after Beckham starts.

I probably couldn't do that. You have a point. But I would rather become a star of synchronized swimming. And you could put a whole field together of Posh Spice's husband and Pele clones, and I wouldn't care, because I would be watching the third rerun of the Boise St/ Utah game from 1996 on ESPN Classic first.

**mapnerd** · 06-27-2007, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

But I would rather become a star of synchronized swimming.

Why would you say this?

**keepngoal** · 06-27-2007, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

I probably couldn't do that. You have a point. But I would rather become a star of synchronized swimming. And you could put a whole field together of Posh Spice's husband and Pele clones, and I wouldn't care, because I would be watching the third rerun of the Boise St/ Utah game from 1996 on ESPN Classic first.

GEEZ.... such distaste for soccer... did a local/national/international soccer star steal your prom date?

- keep.

**BryceC** · 06-27-2007, 04:28 PM

15 years ago we didn't even have a professional league here and now there's one that seems fairly stable (certainly more stable than they had in the 70's) with a decent television package.

It's really not all that stable. Prior to his death, Lamar Hunt really wanted to get out of the MLS. They flat out aren't making any money and the league is losing millions each year. Last I heard it was 350 million total.

**Cyclonepride** · 06-27-2007, 04:30 PM

Yeah, when I was eight, a group of soccer stars broke into my house and took all my toys. Actually, if soccer was that great, they wouldn't have to hammer into our heads how "the rest of the world loves it". Sorry, rest of the world. I don't, and telling me I should just p*sses me off more. It's kind of like watching a hockey game where the men lose all their testosterone and start crying like little girls instead of fighting, and the rink is about two miles by two miles, making the mere sighting of a goalie on tv a rare sight indeed. I can understand why soccer fans go off when they score a goal, because some of the younger ones may not have lived long enough to see that happen.

**mapnerd** · 06-27-2007, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

Yeah, when I was eight, a group of soccer stars broke into my house and took all my toys. Actually, if soccer was that great, they wouldn't have to hammer into our heads how "the rest of the world loves it". Sorry, rest of the world. I don't, and telling me I should just p*sses me off more. It's kind of like watching a hockey game where the men lose all their testosterone and start crying like little girls instead of fighting, and the rink is about two miles by two miles, making the mere sighting of a goalie on tv a rare sight indeed. I can understand why soccer fans go off when they score a goal, because some of the younger ones may not have lived long enough to see that happen.

It's okay not to like it, but please don't insult those of us who have actually played the sport and still like it. No one is telling you that you HAVE to love anything.

**chadm** · 06-27-2007, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by mapnerd

It's okay not to like it, but please don't insult those of us who have actually played the sport and still like it. No one is telling you that you HAVE to love anything.

I would normally agree with you. Just like in a NASCAR thread where people come in and make hateful statements. I dislike soccer and have stayed away and will not say anything negative about it. But in Cyclonepride's defense the title of the thread is asking for the hater's to respond.

**BryceC** · 06-27-2007, 04:54 PM

In his defense, soccer does seem like one of those sports that lends itself to being shoved down our throats, and those of us that choose not to participate are often told that we just don't understand it or we'd love it.

**cybsball20** · 06-27-2007, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by mapnerd

It's okay not to like it, but please don't insult those of us who have actually played the sport and still like it. No one is telling you that you HAVE to love anything.

Hey, I played it untill I was 14, played Club, made it to Nationals and all my friends are soccer nuts.... I still don't like it...

**alaskaguy** · 06-27-2007, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by chadm

I would normally agree with you. Just like in a NASACAR thread where people come in and make hateful statements. I dislike soccer and have stayed away and will not say anything negative about it. But in Cyclonepride's defense the title of the thread is asking for the hater's to respond.

There is a difference between making hateful statements and making satirizing comments. To me it appears that the majority of the posts are the latter as opposed to the former. Some people seem to respond to the posts as if they are personal attacks when that doesn't appear to be the case. They are just opinions. So what if we don't all agree. If we did these posts wouldn't be interesting

**EggMcClone** · 06-27-2007, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by BryceC

It's really not all that stable. Prior to his death, Lamar Hunt really wanted to get out of the MLS. They flat out aren't making any money and the league is losing millions each year. Last I heard it was 350 million total.

Clubs may be losing money but baseball owners say they lose money too. It will certainly take time before they're in the black but enough people are confident enough in their longterm plan to jump on board. They just signed a longterm TV deal with ESPN/ABC and FSC, they're building stadiums, and they're allowing clubs to go outside of the salary caps for players like Beckham and Blanco, from Mexico. Overall the league is much healthier than it has been in the past.