World Cup Soccer
The American team is now 7th I understand and a game out from playing the number one team Brazil. So why is the ratings of this sport so low in America. Is it a lack of understanding for the game? Is it the fact this sport is being shoved down our throats is more like it.
Lets face facts, untill the United States wins the Championship it will never be all that popular with Americans. Soccer is not an American sport and Americans just are not that interested in it. The loyal fan base in this country comes from those who have immigated both legally and illegally from around the world.
Americans love crash and burn, physical impact, and nachos and beer. Soccer just is not the setting for any of this unless the fans get involved in fights. Then Americans tune in and check out the bedlame that insues.
We all remember in high school the differances in the soccer team and the football team. The local town crowd shows up for the friday night game but is not there for the saturday or thursday afternoon soccer game. Why .... because soccer is for the most part boreing to Americans. If there were more PELE's playing maybe more would be interested in this game.
I know at work there are a couple of hard core soccer fans, they even started a pool for the winner of the World Cup. Despite alot of initial interest many are being dissapointed because they are not winning anything over the choices and to be honest other then those who are fans of the game .... all three of them , the rest do not talk about it except to ask if they won.
If the media wants to push sports upon us they need to consider what Americans want. A sport more like Rugby would be popular and get the ratings over soccer.
Lets face facts, untill the United States wins the Championship it will never be all that popular with Americans. Soccer is not an American sport and Americans just are not that interested in it. The loyal fan base in this country comes from those who have immigated both legally and illegally from around the world.
Americans love crash and burn, physical impact, and nachos and beer. Soccer just is not the setting for any of this unless the fans get involved in fights. Then Americans tune in and check out the bedlame that insues.
We all remember in high school the differances in the soccer team and the football team. The local town crowd shows up for the friday night game but is not there for the saturday or thursday afternoon soccer game. Why .... because soccer is for the most part boreing to Americans. If there were more PELE's playing maybe more would be interested in this game.
I know at work there are a couple of hard core soccer fans, they even started a pool for the winner of the World Cup. Despite alot of initial interest many are being dissapointed because they are not winning anything over the choices and to be honest other then those who are fans of the game .... all three of them , the rest do not talk about it except to ask if they won.
If the media wants to push sports upon us they need to consider what Americans want. A sport more like Rugby would be popular and get the ratings over soccer.
It's occured to me that in the States, soccer is generally considered as game for white, middles class kids (hence the term "soccer mom"). In the rest of the world, both wealthy and poor kids play soccer. All you really need is a ball, and an empty field. Although I have seen many kids kicking a paper bag in the alley slum. Thus it can be played anywhere without the real ball. The rules of the game is also very simple, unlike American football that required a thick handbook. Furthermore (as noted above), soccer really does not need many equipment (unlike basketball: a court, a ball, and baskets; baseball: bat + gloves; football: all kinds of protective gears; golf: whole set of expensive equipments). Since soccer is not really a contact sport thus it does not require big size (althought size does help, but skill + quickness + endurance are lot more important). Perhaps that is the reason why most country in the world playing soccer. American tends to be more observant than participant when talking about sport. Thus in general in the US 95% of people are watching and only 5% of the population is actual playing. That fact leads to the tendency of enjoying hard hitting, contact sport because it's more like an entertainment show. Majority of "sport dudes" in the US are actually beer belly, out of shape, potato munchers.
Posted by
Anonymous |
10:27 AM
"The American team is now 7th I understand and a game out from playing the number one team Brazil."
That's completly wrong, but it does not matter.
Anyway, you could easily learn more, particularly written here for Americans.
Posted by
Anonymous |
1:06 AM
Atlanticist,
Sorry but at the time and date of the posting it was true. Next time check the date of the blog. As for wanting to learn more. Its soccer who cares.
Posted by
Devious Mind |
4:52 AM