the rest of the world doesn't want the u.s. to like soccer

7/17/2007 5:53:01 PM

it's pretty established that the US doesn't care what the rest of the world wants

7/17/2007 8:52:14 PM

Quote :

"Of course he isn't one of the best but he's one of the most recognized."

i was under the impression that he is one of the best, or is that just his hook shot that everyone talks about

7/17/2007 9:28:45 PM

i believe it's more of a situation where he's not one of the best anymore. i don't exactly follow soccer, though.

7/17/2007 9:58:40 PM

He was never really "the best." He's definitely not his prime, but he's not washed up either. His recent form could easily put him in the current top 50 at the moment on some lists, and at his peak, he was probably top 10. Over his career though, his free kicks/crossing/corner kicks could very well be "the best," which isn't scoring goals, points, touchdowns... so it'll probably be perceived very ho-hum-esque by the non soccer fan.

7/17/2007 11:09:57 PM

^ well stated

7/17/2007 11:26:16 PM

all i know is during the world cup i saw him kick a ball the length of the field that landed on a teammates foot mid-stride.

7/17/2007 11:49:06 PM

^ That's the entire English game in one sentence. All their midfielders can do that.

7/18/2007 1:17:42 AM

beckam is more accurate than dan marino

7/18/2007 1:19:02 AM

Quote :

"Nobody is trying to force anything. Commish Don Garber in an online chat today -- "Our approach has always been to convince those people who love soccer to love MLS and let those who don't believe in the sport wallow in their own misfortune." If you don't like soccer, fine, don't watch it. And for the obligatory "but I have to put up with Beckham trash on ESPN all the time" comments, most soccer fans don't like it either. That's just how American media/ESPN is. They overhype every little thing whether it's steroids, BCS, Beckham, Pacman Jones, etc. MLS realizes there is already a fanbase of serious soccer fans in the US so they're trying to attract big name international players to reel some of that fanbase in and they just so happened to get one of the most popular in the world. Of course he isn't one of the best but he's one of the most recognized. It was never about winning over some random Joe Schmoe who hates soccer. It's about winning over some random soccer fan who follows the World Cup and the English Premier League. "

Was just watching Jim Rome just now that I DVRd today, and they even commented on soccer being force fed to us. So apparently I am not the only one who has this opinion.

And I dont believe they are trying to attract soccer fans to the MLS. If you are a fan of soccer, you would most likely be a fan of the MLS since its the only thing related to soccer pretty much in the US. They are trying to force Beckham and soccer on us, plain and simple.




[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 1:36 AM. Reason : .]

7/18/2007 1:32:46 AM

I love soccer and I don't give a shit about MLS. There's not a team here and there's much better soccer on TV every week, so why would I care? Garber knows he has to attract the fan of high-level soccer to MLS before anyone else gets on board. I care much more about USL-1 and PDL than I do about MLS.

7/18/2007 1:40:04 AM

Its going to be great in 5-10 years when soccer is still a nothing sport in America, and nobody still could care less about it, and $250 million went down the drain right into his pockets. AMERICA does not like soccer and most likely never will. And they are forcing it on us. When the overwhelming majority could give 2 shits about a sport, and all of a sudden its all in our faces and they bring him over to hype up the sport, thats forcing it.

7/18/2007 2:05:10 AM

Should I show you why you're wrong again, or can you just pre-emptively ignore that, too?

7/18/2007 2:10:26 AM

i dont see how its being forced onto anyone in the US...soccer matches are rarely on tv...there are more poker shows on tv than there are soccer matches that come on espn...some of you people act like it would be armageddon if soccer became popular in the us...jesus, dont worry, im sure american football will still be the number 1 sport here

7/18/2007 2:12:43 AM

Quote :

"Its going to be great in 5-10 years when soccer is still a nothing sport in America, and nobody still could care less about it, and $250 million went down the drain right into his pockets. AMERICA does not like soccer and most likely never will. And they are forcing it on us. When the overwhelming majority could give 2 shits about a sport, and all of a sudden its all in our faces and they bring him over to hype up the sport, thats forcing it."

yeah its gonna be great when the 2nd generation of recreation soccer players grow up and are exposed t soccer on tv. its not gonna be the same as people who grew up watching and playing football. its a whole new breed of kids you're talking about

7/18/2007 2:20:09 AM

^^

[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 2:21 AM. Reason : /agree]

7/18/2007 2:20:53 AM

Quote :

"It's about winning over some random soccer fan who follows the World Cup and the English Premier League."

That's me. Your plan has failed. I will not watch MLS soccer on TV for the same reason I will not watch A-league baseball on TV. Just because I care about Major League Baseball does not mean I will care about the result of any minor league game. I could get my point across by comparing MLS to AAA ball, but I do not feel like such a comparison does justice to the talent level of AAA baseball.

By the way, I am not objecting to ESPN's coverage of this anymore than Rock Paper Scissors and most of the shit they show in the summer, I am just not going to care.

[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 2:28 AM. Reason : d]

7/18/2007 2:26:15 AM

Quote :

"i dont see how its being forced onto anyone in the US...soccer matches are rarely on tv...there are more poker shows on tv than there are soccer matches that come on espn...some of you people act like it would be armageddon if soccer became popular in the us...jesus, dont worry, im sure american football will still be the number 1 sport here "

There are more people in America that play poker than Soccer.

Quote :

"yeah its gonna be great when the 2nd generation of recreation soccer players grow up and are exposed t soccer on tv. its not gonna be the same as people who grew up watching and playing football. its a whole new breed of kids you're talking about "

Not going to happen. They keep trying and failing. Same thing back when Pele came. He was bigger than Beckham is now, and it didnt change a damn thing. Then the World Cup in America was supposed to change things, yet nothing happened. There will be a little buzz at first, then its going to just fade away like it always does. Its not like people here dont know about soccer. We know it exists, we just don't like it or want to play it, or even watch it for that matter. Talk about a boring sport.


^Very well said


[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 2:31 AM. Reason : /]

7/18/2007 2:29:32 AM

do the railhawks play the kickers in the open quarters...that should be a nice game for nostalgia...UKROP'S FTW

7/18/2007 2:30:10 AM

^^^ It's a decent comparison, as it's been suggested that MLS is on par talent-wise with the English Championship or one of the lesser European top flights. That comparison stands up when you look at it in the sense that the best MLS players can move up to play limited roles on Premiership clubs (Bocanegra, Dempsey) or starting jobs in Europe (Beasley at PSV), just as Championship players often can.

^^ Every NASL city was fucking nuts for the Cosmos when Pele arrived. The buzz went away because the standard of play went away. Americans are used to seeing the very best. We have the very best football, baseball, basketball, and hockey league in the entire world, but in soccer we're not even close. That's why the American fan of high-level soccer watches European stuff that's readily available on TV.

ONCE AGAIN, MLS'S MAIN FOCUS IS ATTRACTING THE AMERICAN WHO IS ALREADY A SOCCER FAN

7/18/2007 2:30:25 AM

If only New York = America

7/18/2007 2:34:04 AM

Fixed it.

7/18/2007 2:35:17 AM

No, the buzz went away because AMERICA DOES NOT CARE ABOUT SOCCER.

Hell, watch any sports show on TV, or listen to any sports radio, They will say the exact same thing. Its not like I am making this shit up.

[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 2:38 AM. Reason : ,]

7/18/2007 2:35:55 AM

There's also the issue of a simple culture clash. Game action aside, in a sports climate full of drafts (and fantasy drafts), endless instant replays, and last second wins, it's hard to adjust sensibilities for a game where any player can be quite literally bought, one referee controls everything with no second-guessing, and there's no clock.

7/18/2007 2:38:03 AM

And the fact that here in America we have other more popular sports than soccer. Where as in most countries where soccer is popular it is the only sport, or one of 2. Soccer will never be big here in our life times, so just learn to deal with it if you are a soccer fan.

7/18/2007 2:41:51 AM

Quote :

"ONCE AGAIN, MLS'S MAIN FOCUS IS ATTRACTING THE AMERICAN WHO IS ALREADY A SOCCER FAN"

7/18/2007 2:47:54 AM

not one for logic are you

[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 2:48 AM. Reason : ^^]

7/18/2007 2:48:17 AM

jesus christ, let's hate soccer just for the sake of hating soccer. why anyone wouldn't want to bitch and moan about a soccer league trying to attract fans is beyond me.

7/18/2007 2:49:19 AM

You can think whatever you want, but ten years ago there were only ten soccer-specific stadiums in the United States, and within the next year there will be 32 total, nine of those having more than 20,000 seats, and at least another ten in the planning stages. Ten years ago, there was no television channel that played soccer non-stop. Now there are two (FSC and GolTV), plus all the Setanta channels.

No one is claiming that soccer will ever be as popular as football, baseball, or basketball. However, as the kids who have grown up playing and watching the game as a serious sport (instead of a sort of "kinder, gentler alternative" as it was seen by parents for much of the '70s/80s) become adults, you'll see the popularity slowly gain ground.

America's soccer tradition is strong, if small. The Open Cup has been held every year since 1914. We beat England in 1950 and they still talk about it in Belo Horizonte. Soccer isn't going to replace anything in America, but it is starting to find the foothold we've been promised for twenty years.

7/18/2007 2:55:10 AM

Because we dont care about it and its being forced on us. Why in the fuck cant you understand this? It would be like if the pro billiards tour, or whatever the fuck they have, started force feeding us some big Euro player. We dont care about the sport or player, so please stop trying to make us care. Sure there are a lot of people who play pool, but I'd be shocked if you can find a large percent who watch it on TV all the time. And you aren't going to drag in a ton of new people. Soccer isn't a high glam sport, neither is pool. And thats what most kids chase. Nobody dreams of playing in the MLS and making around $50k a year. Kids want to play the big sports that pay the big bucks. Maybe if the MLS started paying like the other big sports, then it would take off, but top atheletes in high school and college arent gonna waste their time on a sport that is the equivalent of AA baseball or worse.

[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 2:57 AM. Reason : .]

7/18/2007 2:56:02 AM

^^ man fuck you, you're an idiot if you think soccer's ever going to be popular in MOTHER FUCKIN' AMERICA b/c american football is the only sport that isn't for total bitches. baseball sucks too, btw.

/sarcasm.

^ and v, how in the fuck is it being forced on you? it's no more forceful than any other celebrity that you don't care about. don't watch celebrity news if you don't care. FIXED YOUR PROBLEM.

[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 2:59 AM. Reason : b/c you posted above me and below me that it's being forced on you. shut the fuck up.]

7/18/2007 2:57:16 AM

^^^they can expand all they want. Another case of trying to force the game on us. I would bet almost all of those are rarely at even 50% capacity.

7/18/2007 2:58:20 AM

There are far more jobs in this country playing soccer professionally than there are playing basketball or football.

As for the money, Wayne Rooney was making $120,000 a week at age 18.

7/18/2007 2:59:56 AM

i didnt read any of that garbage you wrote, because once again its not being forced on you...no one is making you go watch any games, do you even know who the galaxy are playing when beckham could be making his first start?...actually, did you even know he was going to be playing for the galaxy?

7/18/2007 3:00:04 AM

Quote :

"Maybe if the MLS started paying like the other big sports, then it would take off, but top atheletes in high school and college arent gonna waste their time on a sport that is the equivalent of AA baseball or worse."

familiar with generation adidas? (formerly project 40), the main point of which is to bring in players straight out of high school/early college

7/18/2007 3:02:01 AM

Quote :

"i didnt read any of that garbage you wrote, because once again its not being forced on you...no one is making you go watch any games, do you even know who the galaxy are playing when beckham could be making his first start?...actually, did you even know he was going to be playing for the galaxy? "

Yes I did, because I could give 2 shits about soccer like most of America and yet I know who he is playing for, even though I dont care. I know who he is, where he is going to be living, and who he hangs out with. I also know how much he is being paid, and who his major sponsor is. Yet I dont give a fuck about Beckham or soccer, yet I know this info. Why? Because it is FORCED upon me. If it wasnt, I wouldnt know. And there are more jobs paying soccer pro than Basketball or Football because the very very very few soccer players in the US will play it for any amount. That fact means nothing. Soccer is a nothing sport in America, and will be for a long time. Its cool you like it, more power to ya. But we don't. Like I said, just watch or listen to any sports show, and you will hear the same thing as I am saying. That being said, have fun with your sport, let it grow, or fail, but stop trying to force it into my life. Sports don't get their money or ratings, or sponsorship deals by the people playing it, they get it by the people who wanna watch it. And America doesn't want to play soccer, and we sure has hell dont wanna watch it.

7/18/2007 3:08:31 AM

sounds like a personal problem

ps. i hope you are drunk...you are proving yourself to be quite stupid

7/18/2007 3:12:00 AM

you're so fucking stupid. god forbid you know something that you didn't plan on knowing.

i know chris moneymaker won the world series of poker main event a few years ago, then that raymer guy w/ the lizard glasses and that the main event is no limit texas hold'em, but i don't care about poker! omfzg;laksdfjjisdf i'm going to cry about it. shut up.

7/18/2007 3:12:01 AM

Quote :

"It would be like if the pro billiards tour, or whatever the fuck they have, started force feeding us some big Euro player. We dont care about the sport or player, so please stop trying to make us care. Sure there are a lot of people who play pool, but I'd be shocked if you can find a large percent who watch it on TV all the time."

This would be a really decent argument if you could tell me a single country where pool is as big of a sport as soccer is outside of America. If you could tell me one pool player with as much recognition OUTSIDE of the states, you know, where soccer isn't "being forced" on everyone, then maybe I could subscribe to what it is you have to say. Unfortunately, everything you've said is completely asinine.

Also: Beckham has been talking about coming to America to play out his later years for a decade now. He loves America more than he loves boning nannies. Beckham playing for the MLS isn't some giant American ploy to force soccer down your throat, it's just convenient for both parties.

7/18/2007 4:21:24 AM

wow, I'll never understant the persistent trolling over soccer not just on TWW, but just in general. Why people go out of their way to argue with soccer fans about how un-American it is and how it'll never catch on here is beyond me.

MLS isn't trying to be the biggest sport in the US like NFL (hence the smaller, more appropriate stadiums) and MLS isn't trying to appeal to non-soccer fans (hence signing a big name star that only soccer fans can really appreciate.) If it's being "forced" on you, blame ESPN, not MLS.

All they want to do is build a solid group of fans that can respect an amazing sport (that doesn't have American origins) for what it is, so basically, they want to be right there with the NHL.

[Edited on July 18, 2007 at 7:50 AM. Reason : .]

7/18/2007 7:47:49 AM

I am not a soccer fan really but I don't have anything against it. I try to watch US matches on tv if they are in Cary. I would be a lot more impressed though and probably watch more if Beckham doesn't bitch out saturday and plays hurt. He doesn't need to blow anyone away or anything, just play. In my head, soccer players are always falling down and rolling around on ground. Might not be true at all but that is an image I have gotten of soccer over the years.

Would they ever do anything to change the rules of the game to create more scoring? Like hockey and baseball have done recently. Change offsides rules or make the goal a little larger. I would watch if scores were like 12-10 or 8-9 or something higher. Indoor soccer is pretty sweet for this particular reason.

7/18/2007 8:57:13 AM

eh thats something that always made soccer more exciting to me. the goals are often more exciting (*to me personally*) when someone isnt scoring every few minutes.

7/18/2007 9:07:46 AM

Quote :

"I can’t quite tell you why it feels different from when an NFL team scores a touchdown, or when an Australian Football club scores a miracle goal on the fly. Maybe it’s because scoring a goal — especially in America, where quality strikers are rare — is really, really hard. Maybe that’s the secret to this form of football. Every score feels important. Coming back from a double-digit lead in the NFL and AFL has plenty of excitement, yes, but in Association football, coming back from being down one is huge."

Recent entry from a football blog about the being in the supporters' club for the RailHawks said ^ pretty good.

Here's the full link to anyone interested: http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/16/the-joy-of-inhaling-orange-smoke/

7/18/2007 9:21:45 AM

Quote :

"Would they ever do anything to change the rules of the game to create more scoring? Like hockey and baseball have done recently. Change offsides rules or make the goal a little larger. I would watch if scores were like 12-10 or 8-9 or something higher. Indoor soccer is pretty sweet for this particular reason."

soccer is just fine, ask anyone in any country other than ours.

7/18/2007 9:54:38 AM

more scoring wouldn't do shit for soccer in the US, at least not after the novelty of this "new soccer" wore off

7/18/2007 9:57:40 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEJ8m_MDaYU

Bryant FREAKING Gumbel gets it

7/18/2007 10:51:12 AM

nobody in the US is gonna ever care about soccer

7/18/2007 10:53:25 AM

^^ not a big fan of bryant gumbel, but he's got it on this one. maybe soon he'll talk to david beckham and jot down fake notes about it.

7/18/2007 11:22:11 AM

every country has great athletes

in the US, our greatest athletes play basketball or football...and a few play baseball...and then the leftovers play soccer

in other countries, their best athletes play soccer

and in the US, we will NEVER have our best athletes playing soccer from an early age and sticking with it

7/18/2007 11:23:25 AM

it's not like we're china and we tell our athletes what to play. import entire teams for all i care, soccer's fun to watch.

7/18/2007 11:26:30 AM