Why most Americans don't like soccer.

RhoadsRage

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Shorten the field, no offsides, more scoring chances, and red cards for flopping..........just a few of the changes that would have to be made for me to stay interested. I just can't stand the thought of wasting 2 hours of my life to see a game end in a 0-0 tie, no scoring and no outright winner = boring to me.......just my opinion though.
 

william

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I think this is the main thing. One thing we like here in America is that in our sports you are ALWAYS trying to score. Thats why we developed play clocks and shot clocks, to prevent teams from stalling and milking the clock. In soccer you will see teams get a small lead and stall for as many as 70-80 minutes. That's not entertaining to us...

They just need to make the goal 10 ft wider 2 ft taller and play sudden death until someone wins.... The tie thing damages the sport. The low scores damage the sport. Bad calls damage the sport.

Open it up.......add a designated hitter so to speak. Make the goal bigger, take away the chance for a tie, and add instant replay review of calls. Change could be good but the sport certainly got popular with the rules that they currently have.
 

CloneIce

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Most Americans don't hate soccer. Its just the one sport where people who don't like it are obsessed with ranting about it and telling others how much they hate it. Its a personality trait that is common among those who hate soccer, and pretty much ridiculous.

Compare it to say, golf. The idea of watching golf on TV is torture to many people. However, you don't see legions of blowhards invading every discussion on golf by ranting how hard it is to watch and how boring it is (to watch, its enjoyable to play). Or the NBA or Hockey. Most people in America really don't follow these sports in the same way Americans do Football, baseball, and college basketball. However, there isn't an obsession among the detractors about telling everyone else how much they hate it.

I am pretty sure it has a lot to do with the fact that America sucks at soccer and the rest of the world is in love with the sport, so it angers people with the peronsality type where they can't stand other people enjoying something so they have to tell them how stupid it is.

Me, I'll watch it every 4 years and enjoy it. Thankfully I won't spend time telling others how much a sport they follow sucks.
 

CycloneChris

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Kids would rather run around than stand in right field....yes. When soccer wasn't around, there was no choice...if you wanted to play a sport, you played little league baseball. Typically, it is hard to appreciate playing baseball until you are 9 or 10yrs old. Because of soccer, alot of kids don't get the chance because they recall it being "boring" when they tried it at 5 or 6.

Soccer has ruined little league baseball in a big way and that is just sad.

So you basically state that baseball is boring, but it's soccer's fault for not being boring.

:biglaugh::biglaugh:
 

SpokaneCY

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Kids would rather run around than stand in right field....yes. When soccer wasn't around, there was no choice...if you wanted to play a sport, you played little league baseball. Typically, it is hard to appreciate playing baseball until you are 9 or 10yrs old. Because of soccer, alot of kids don't get the chance because they recall it being "boring" when they tried it at 5 or 6.

Soccer has ruined little league baseball in a big way and that is just sad.

Its the ultimate "feel good" sport. Nobody strikes out, nobody drops a flyball, or throws an error. Kids just run around aimlessly. The ultimate sport to fill little kids with selfesteem when the rest of us were called out looking, or dropping the ball in right field, or letting the grounder go through your legs at shortstop becuase you were afraid of the ball, or crying when you were hit-by-pitch... Nothing made you nut-up more than crying as you walked down to first with cute girls in the stands.
 
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hurdleisu24

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I wish you knew how much stoppage time there was that would make it better.

Also I think a reason is that thre is no stoppage if there aren't goals. No time outs or anything like that. Americans like a little pause during the game
 

3GenClone

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It's easy to see why soccer is the most popular sport on the planet - $$$, or lack thereof. It's easy for kids in poorer nations to entertain themselves by finding a ball or heck, even taping some trash together and kick it around. I'm willing to bet that if you were to poll the entire planet, more people would play soccer than any other sport. Then you have European countries capitalized on the idea with La Liga (1920s) and the founding of UEFA (1950s). You could argue that baseball is making that global transition with the increased popularity of Japanese leagues and South/Central American teams and the founding of the World Baseball Classic - if popularity continues to increase you could see the WBC becoming as popular as the World Cup.
 

kcdc4isu

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Kids would rather run around than stand in right field....yes. When soccer wasn't around, there was no choice...if you wanted to play a sport, you played little league baseball. Typically, it is hard to appreciate playing baseball until you are 9 or 10yrs old. Because of soccer, alot of kids don't get the chance because they recall it being "boring" when they tried it at 5 or 6.

Soccer has ruined little league baseball in a big way and that is just sad.


In reality parents have ruined little league by trying to live their falures as kids through their kids. They scream & yell at them till the kids decide this is no fun anymore than quit. I coached for 15 years in Pee Wee, LL & Babe Ruth and the kids were great but some parents were terrible. Besides there used to be ties in football till the rules were changed. Lasttly most who hate the sport would never make it on the pitch so they just complain. If you do not like it do no watch it, we won't miss you at the games. Go ISU womens soccer!!!
 

sunset

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Sorry old man, these times they are a changin'. You're just going to have to deal with it.

People have claimed soccer is over-taking baseball for most of my 30+ years, yet here we are again discussing why soccer hasn't taken in America. Plain and simple, kids play soccer until they get to jr. high/high school then they quit to play sports more popular in this country. Somebody wake me up when that changes.
 

Frak

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Hockey is just as boring as soccer. The difference is it has a physical aspect to it (checking) and it has fights. I personally would rather watch golf, cycling or boxing than baseball, hockey, NASCAR or soccer. Football and basketball are clearly more entertaining for me.
 

RhoadsRage

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Its the ultimate "feel good" sport. Nobody strikes out, nobody drops a flyball, or throws an error. Kids just run around aimlessly. The ultimate sport to fill little kids with selfesteem when the rest of us were called out looking, or dropping the ball in right field, or letting the grounder go through your legs at shortstop becuase you were afraid of the ball, or crying when you were hit-by-pitch... Nothing made you nut-up more than crying as you walked down to first with cute girls in the stands.

Dude, you can't be serious right???? Basebll taught me MANY valuable lessons to be used later in life!! I will not raise my kids to have a high self esteem because they don't suck at something, but rather find something they like and are good at. This business nowadays of "participatory" trophies and/or ribbons is just stupid. There is 1 winner and 1 loser.......if you win, don't rub it in and be a good sport......if you lose, walk with your head held high knowing you did your best and try again next time!!

I was taught at a young age that sometimes life's not fair, but you persevere and move forward!!
 

sunset

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In reality parents have ruined little league by trying to live their falures as kids through their kids. They scream & yell at them till the kids decide this is no fun anymore than quit. I coached for 15 years in Pee Wee, LL & Babe Ruth and the kids were great but some parents were terrible. Besides there used to be ties in football till the rules were changed. Lasttly most who hate the sport would never make it on the pitch so they just complain. If you do not like it do no watch it, we won't miss you at the games. Go ISU womens soccer!!!

Parents behave this way in EVERY kid's sporting event. It is nothing unique to baseball.

Now we have reached the ridiculous stage. Really? People don't like it because they can't hack it? That may be the dumbest argument I've seen on the subject.
 

SC Cy

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It's easy to see why soccer is the most popular sport on the planet - $$$, or lack thereof. It's easy for kids in poorer nations to entertain themselves by finding a ball or heck, even taping some trash together and kick it around.

This. Soccer is a sport where even the poorest of countries can play. Like you said, all you need is a ball. The sports that are popular in the United States involve equipment that can be too expensive in other parts of the world. Baseball is probably second in terms of most cost-effective sport. You hear about kids in the Dominican playing stick ball quite a bit throughout the baseball season.


Another thing I can't stand about soccer is how ESPN has completely blown the coverage out of proportion. I find myself watching SportsCenter less and less when it's time for the World Cup and the God-awful X Games.
 
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ianoconnor

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Hockey is just as boring as soccer. The difference is it has a physical aspect to it (checking) and it has fights. I personally would rather watch golf, cycling or boxing than baseball, hockey, NASCAR or soccer. Football and basketball are clearly more entertaining for me.
Did you watch the NHL playoffs? I have no idea how that could be considered boring...
 

alarson

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Most Americans don't hate soccer. Its just the one sport where people who don't like it are obsessed with ranting about it and telling others how much they hate it. Its a personality trait that is common among those who hate soccer, and pretty much ridiculous.

Compare it to say, golf. The idea of watching golf on TV is torture to many people. However, you don't see legions of blowhards invading every discussion on golf by ranting how hard it is to watch and how boring it is (to watch, its enjoyable to play). Or the NBA or Hockey. Most people in America really don't follow these sports in the same way Americans do Football, baseball, and college basketball. However, there isn't an obsession among the detractors about telling everyone else how much they hate it.

You have to ask why theres such a different response then? Maybe its because over the years so many soccer fans have told those who have no interest in soccer how if they'd just try it, they'd like it, and how americans are dumb\unrefined for not supporting soccer. You act like the 'ranting about it' came out of nowhere.

Also, it has nothing to do with us not being good at the sport. There are a bunch of olympic sports that, like soccer, americans have absolutely no interest in until the olympics, just like the world cup. Many of those we have won, but most americans still have zero care, outside of the olympics.