Why most Americans don't like soccer.

[Rhoadhoused]

The reason it is more popular in the rest of the world is because to play soccer you need two things: a round ball and goals to shoot at. American sports required much more to play and have much more equipment. Thats why small, poor, countries in south america and africa can have so much success and be so enthusiastic about it. It is literally the only sport they can play.

 

[LonoClone]

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.

Fantastic post. You are dead on. For better or worse, soccer by its nature supports the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, better than than say baseball or football. That's probably a big reason why it saw an increase in popularity as a youth sport in the 90's when that attitude first started to gain ground.

 

[cstrunk]

I would respect the sport a little more if they would implement replay on huge calls (goals). Some of the calls by the refs on the world's largest soccer stage have been atrocious. And there's been more than a couple.

 

[AirWalke]

I think it's the lack of rivalry that hurts our interest, and the lack of tradition on top of that. Competitive sports are more entertaining when there are grudges involved... because we all didn't grow up with grudges against any particular soccer team, we don't have a reason to watch the sport.

However, baseball? Yes. American football? Oh yes.

If you think about it too, European colonization probably introduced soccer to a large part of the world in the mid 1800's around the time when the United States was already well established. True, American Football did not really start to take its modern form until the early 20th century, but the modern version of Football itself has only 50 years on the American game.

It's not that we're too stubborn to give in to the rest of the world. Soccer has just had a much wider representation through some massive colonization by the European countries in the 1800s.

Probably a lot of the resentment you see in the so-called "haters" of the sport are due to the fact that there is plenty of arrogance from the rest of the world that soccer is the "world's sport", where it is then insinuated that what we play is some sort of illegitimate, mutated version of soccer/rugby, compared to what we should ACTUALLY be fans of.

We here in the US are no more disrespectful to soccer than European fans are towards our football. I've seen a lot of mudslinging coming from their side in online discussions about this very topic, but what I always ask is, "Why don't you play American football?" ... and the responses are always remarkably similar to our responses to soccer. "I don't understand it/I didn't grow up with it/I don't care about it".

 

[xboxfever]

I have no idea how to tell the good players from the bad. You here all the time how good Landon Donavan or David Beckham is, but when I watched U.S.A. v.s. England, I couldn't tell one player from the next. They all looked the same and no one stood out. And yes, I know Beckham didn't play in the game.

 

[andybernard]

I think it's the lack of rivalry that hurts our interest, and the lack of tradition on top of that. Competitive sports are more entertaining when there are grudges involved... because we all didn't grow up with grudges against any particular soccer team, we don't have a reason to watch the sport.

However, baseball? Yes. American football? Oh yes.

If you think about it too, European colonization probably introduced soccer to a large part of the world in the mid 1800's around the time when the United States was already well established. True, American Football did not really start to take its modern form until the early 20th century, but the modern version of Football itself has only 50 years on the American game.

It's not that we're too stubborn to give in to the rest of the world. Soccer has just had a much wider representation through some massive colonization by the European countries in the 1800s.

Probably a lot of the resentment you see in the so-called "haters" of the sport are due to the fact that there is plenty of arrogance from the rest of the world that soccer is the "world's sport", where it is then insinuated that what we play is some sort of illegitimate, mutated version of soccer/rugby, compared to what we should ACTUALLY be fans of.

We here in the US are no more disrespectful to soccer than European fans are towards our football. I've seen a lot of mudslinging coming from their side in online discussions about this very topic, but what I always ask is, "Why don't you play American football?" ... and the responses are always remarkably similar to our responses to soccer. "I don't understand it/I didn't grow up with it/I don't care about it".

This. I for one love soccer, but not as much as football...but I can definitely understand this side of the argument. I have a few English friends that tried to argue about American football with me. (they lost) But I still don't see a reason for there to be threads on CF about how soccer sucks. Because it doesn't.

 

[RhoadsRage]

Fantastic post. You are dead on. For better or worse, soccer by its nature supports the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, better than than say baseball or football. That's probably a big reason why it saw an increase in popularity as a youth sport in the 90's when that attitude first started to gain ground.

WOW.....is all I can say!!!! So it's okay to teach our youth that "it's ok if you don't do well Johnny because we're all winners"?????? WRONG......that will not prepare kids for the "dog eat dog" world that we live in. Also, there is a danger of them learning to not try their hardest because they will be rewarded no matter what. :no::no:

 

[azn4cy]

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.

Between this and your ridiculous "No sport that the US can lose to Ghana in is worth watching argument", you have demonstrated that you have an extremely close-minded and ethnocentric view on things.

Your argument is that you hate soccer because kids thought baseball was boring and they "couldn't appreciate baseball until a later age", and it somehow destroyed your little leagues? How are you judging that they weren't old enough to appreciate it? Maybe some of the kids were forced into playing baseball because that was their only organized choice and now some are branching into soccer and some stay with baseball? All you are spouting is your skewed analysis of what happened.

Baseball is the sport i like the least, but I didn't grow up with the game, and I can certainly see its appeal to others. I don't bash sports just because I don't like them personally.

People like different sports. Deal with it.

 

[sunset]

This isn't an argument against the sport in and of itself, more against the top-level international tournaments, but a governing body that tells us it's officials are great when the whole world has seen with their own eyes that they stink (or are corrupt) doesn't help. And to top it off, instead of admitting something is wrong their solution is to not show replay's at the stadium.

2010 World Cup: FIFA to censor in-stadium replays - ESPN Soccernet

 

[cyko42]

Fantastic post. You are dead on. For better or worse, soccer by its nature supports the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, better than than say baseball or football. That's probably a big reason why it saw an increase in popularity as a youth sport in the 90's when that attitude first started to gain ground.

I really don't understand this post. How does soccer support the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality? Soccer no more doesn't keep score in the youth leagues then any other sport. Yeah I get soccer can end in ties, but never when things are actually decided. I don't understand how people can keep ******** about the tie thing. Don't NFL games end in ties? (Or do you like Donavon McNabb not know the rules?) A world cup group stage game ending in a tie is no worse then that. (I think if people saw the groups as divisions with the top 2 teams going to the play offs they might see it for what it is) Once the play offs come you play to a finish. I will admit the penalty kick thing probably throws people, but it really is to stop injuries more then anything. At the end of a soccer game Players can't play forever. People don't see the amount of energy that is expended by a soccer player in a game, and it is so hard to explain to someone what is it like. Literally no other major sport is played this way. Football player get breaks and plays off (especially at the highest levels). Hockey players extend more energy while they are on the Ice but hockey shifts only last a couple minutes.

 

[Clone96]

The reason it is more popular in the rest of the world is because to play soccer you need two things: a round ball and goals to shoot at.

Same reason why basketball is gaining all over the world. All you need is a ball and a hoop.

Also it was mentioned that soccer isn't liked is the fact it does have ties. Well, college football up until about 15 years ago had ties and we all LOVE college football. Ivan Maisel had a pretty good column about ties in college football today

Biggest tie games in college football history - ESPN

 

[azn4cy]

This isn't an argument against the sport in and of itself, more against the top-level international tournaments, but a governing body that tells us it's officials are great when the whole world has seen with their own eyes that they stink (or are corrupt) doesn't help. And to top it off, instead of admitting something is wrong their solution is to not show replay's at the stadium.

2010 World Cup: FIFA to censor in-stadium replays - ESPN Soccernet

This bothers me a lot. If you told FIFA it had broken leg, it would continue to apply bandaids instead of addressing the problem. Completely lowers soccer's credibility.

 

[isuno1fan]

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

:biglaugh::biglaugh:

I can see you don't comprehend what I am saying. I blame that on your soccer corroded mind. :yes:

 

[isuno1fan]

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!!!

Right...this never happens in youth soccer.

 

[isuno1fan]

Between this and your ridiculous "No sport that the US can lose to Ghana in is worth watching argument", you have demonstrated that you have an extremely close-minded and ethnocentric view on things.

Your argument is that you hate soccer because kids thought baseball was boring and they "couldn't appreciate baseball until a later age", and it somehow destroyed your little leagues? How are you judging that they weren't old enough to appreciate it? Maybe some of the kids were forced into playing baseball because that was their only organized choice and now some are branching into soccer and some stay with baseball? All you are spouting is your skewed analysis of what happened.

Baseball is the sport i like the least, but I didn't grow up with the game, and I can certainly see its appeal to others. I don't bash sports just because I don't like them personally.

People like different sports. Deal with it.

But the people that like soccer are wrong. Why can't you see that.:biglaugh:

 

[isuno1fan]

Regarding the everybody wins mentality. Wanna have some fun on a weekend? Go to the local soccer park and watch some youth games where no score is being kept except when a goal is scored shout out 1-0, 2-0, etc.

It's priceless...trust me...LOL

 

[RhoadsRage]

Regarding the everybody wins mentality. Wanna have some fun on a weekend? Go to the local soccer park and watch some youth games where no score is being kept except when a goal is scored shout out 1-0, 2-0, etc.

It's priceless...trust me...LOL

:biglaugh::biglaugh::notworthy::notworthy: That would be hilarious!!!

 

[alaskaguy]

I find baseball boring, and football to be dull (most of the game the players are standing around).

 

[cyko42]

I can see you don't comprehend what I am saying. I blame that on your soccer corroded mind. :yes:

I think I get what you're saying (If all those diving headers my high school coach made me do didn't make me slow), and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong is.

Little Kids like soccer cause they get to run around and be more active in soccer.

Little Kids find baseball boring cause they have to stand still.

Kids always remember baseball as boring so they don't play it even when they are older. So they never get an appreciation for it, so its sad.

Yet you are a baseball fan who has probably never played soccer (at least at a competitive level), who finds it boring, but its okay for you to tell us that our sport sucks?

Hmm what an interesting path of logic...

I agree with you, its sad that you never gain an appreciation for the wonderful game of soccer, and don't understand the beautiful game.

 

[LonoClone]

WOW.....is all I can say!!!! So it's okay to teach our youth that "it's ok if you don't do well Johnny because we're all winners"?????? WRONG......that will not prepare kids for the "dog eat dog" world that we live in. Also, there is a danger of them learning to not try their hardest because they will be rewarded no matter what. :no::no:

That's not what I'm saying at all. I think you missed the point of both my post and the post I was replying to. I'm saying that soccer in it's nature lends itself more to the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality than some other sports. I didn't say I agreed with that mentality.