Dear american football...

[KaiserUEO]

Games like this don't help though. It's a good 0-0 game but they're still flipping a coin right now

Gonna play the 'Im an American' card here, I and likely most of the rest of America, have decided the World Cup is over, save 1 game next Sunday.

Dead on. It is a BIG part of it.

No doubt, but a reason why is its all basically done on 1 day.

And basically 90 minutes of that 1 day is absolute Fn utopia for gamblers, fans, fantasians...everyone.

3pm on every Sunday from Sept-Dec is...IT. In every sense of the word. That's a shot of Jack, a hit from the bong, a line of blow...whatever. Anywhere between 50 and 75% of the entire league finishes up for the week.

BOOM!!! WHAM, BAM...THANK YOU 'MAM.

and it's over.

Incredible.

 

[DeGrozz]

Zero and zero. You got me. So is there not a massive talent disparity between the two leagues?

I just want to confirm: you have watched no soccer games but you still think you are qualified to post your opinion on the game both domestically and internationally?

I'll give you a hint. Go watch Cardiff vs Fulham then watch any MLS match. After that please feel free to come back and let me know how the styles and skills compare and contrast.

Honestly, talking to you about soccer is worse than talking to your average Rutgers grad about basic arithmetic.

 

[jekelish]

Brazil/Colombia pulled the highest World Cup quarterfinal ratings that ESPN and/or ABC have ever gotten, with 6.35m viewers. There were also 5.5m viewers on Univision, meaning a game not involving USA, on a massive USA holiday, had 11.8m viewers in the USA.

 

[billsin01]

I just want to confirm: you have watched no soccer games but you still think you are qualified to post your opinion on the game both domestically and internationally?

I'll give you a hint. Go watch Cardiff vs Fulham then watch any MLS match. After that please feel free to come back and let me know how the styles and skills compare and contrast.

Honestly, talking to you about soccer is worse than talking to your average Rutgers grad about basic arithmetic.

I'll give you credit for the one-liner at the end. Incredible joke. Great delivery, fresh premise. Awesome.

But honestly instead of giving me homework can you just explain it to me -- are those two awful lower division EPL teams or something? I'm not pretending to know. My point is simply that it was my impression the best soccer is played in Europe. Please enlighten me otherwise.

 

[billsin01]

Brazil/Colombia pulled the highest World Cup quarterfinal ratings that ESPN and/or ABC have ever gotten, with 6.35m viewers. There were also 5.5m viewers on Univision, meaning a game not involving USA, on a massive USA holiday, had 11.8m viewers in the USA.

The World Cup is a huge and cool event. I don't think there's much argument against that.

 

[jekelish]

No, there really hasn't been, but there has been the argument that when the US was eliminated, people would stop caring/watching.

 

[TheCusian]

The World Cup is a huge and cool event. I don't think there's much argument against that.

Point is - before 4 years ago, it was a cool event that not a lot if people here watched. South Africa and then Brazil - it's becoming something all together different for people in this country.

 

[kcsu]

People are into the event much more than the sport. It is the World cup that draws the audiance not the sport. Millions of people watch the Masters or the Ryder cup who never play golf. Millions of people watch the winter Olympics, X games, Kentucky Derby, ... who will never watch another golf event, horse race, Ski race... again. I really dont think that American football has much to worry about.

 

[Bayside44]

Measuring cost of a game by the most expensive ticket is not the experience of most fans.

Tickets cost what people are willing to pay for. Outside some ridiculous outliers (Yankees) it's very market-based.

 

[Bayside44]

Point is - before 4 years ago, it was a cool event that not a lot if people here watched. South Africa and then Brazil - it's becoming something all together different for people in this country.

Timezone helps a great deal. Same with the Olympics. I love watching USA hoops but not on Australia time.

 

[Cheriehoop]

The World Cup is the Olympics for soccer. Just like Olympic events that people will watch every 4 years , it doesn't mean that they will become diehard fan of those sports on a local, regional level. Just like the Olympics , people will watch and even cheer out of national pride and for the spectacle of watching the worlds' best.

Swimming, track and gymnastics are the most popular sports to watch during the Olympics. Just like with the World Cup, people become fans of those sports every 4 years, enjoy watching the best , learn about the sport and a specific few will become impressed enough to really become involved in competitive swimming, track and gymnastics as a result. The rest will be more than happy to wait 4 years till the next Olympics, World Cup to see how the US will do and again enjoy watching the worlds' best compete.

 

[KaiserUEO]

No, there really hasn't been, but there has been the argument that when the US was eliminated, people would stop caring/watching.

Apparently 50% of the viewing audience did.

And I guarantee 99% of the US pubs were empty.

 

[Bayside44]

The World Cup is the Olympics for soccer. Just like Olympic events that people will watch every 4 years , it doesn't mean that they will become diehard fan of those sports on a local, regional level. Just like the Olympics , people will watch and even cheer out of national pride and for the spectacle of watching the worlds' best.

Swimming, track and gymnastics are the most popular sports to watch during the Olympics. Just like with the World Cup, people become fans of those sports every 4 years, enjoy watching the best , learn about the sport and a specific few will become impressed enough to really become involved in competitive swimming, track and gymnastics as a result. The rest will be more than happy to wait 4 years till the next Olympics, World Cup to see how the US will do and again enjoy watching the worlds' best compete.

Are you saying we're not going to be breaking out in 100 meter sprints at the next get together?

 

[TheCusian]

Apparently 50% of the viewing audience did. And I guarantee 99% of the US pubs were empty.

50% is a pretty good number, given our elimination.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Are you saying we're not going to be breaking out in 100 meter sprints at the next get together?

No not me. I'll be practicing the backstroke in the tub of beer.

 

[KaiserUEO]

50% is a pretty good number, given our elimination.

It's worse when u take out Univision.

It's the World Cup, I would expect strong ratings.

The second half and extra time #s this week should be good too, but I doubt anyone is leaving for early for extra happy hour time.

 

[KaiserUEO]

No not me. I'll be practicing the backstroke in the tub of beer.

I think we have a thread here telling u which beer to fill your tub with.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think we have a thread here telling u which beer to fill your tub with.

Whatever brand would float a boat - I'd need it.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Tickets cost what people are willing to pay for. Outside some ridiculous outliers (Yankees) it's very market-based.

Average price of a ticket would be much more accurate than top price.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The World Cup is the Olympics for soccer. Just like Olympic events that people will watch every 4 years , it doesn't mean that they will become diehard fan of those sports on a local, regional level. Just like the Olympics , people will watch and even cheer out of national pride and for the spectacle of watching the worlds' best.

Swimming, track and gymnastics are the most popular sports to watch during the Olympics. Just like with the World Cup, people become fans of those sports every 4 years, enjoy watching the best , learn about the sport and a specific few will become impressed enough to really become involved in competitive swimming, track and gymnastics as a result. The rest will be more than happy to wait 4 years till the next Olympics, World Cup to see how the US will do and again enjoy watching the worlds' best compete.

The difference, Cheri, is that in the last few years, Americans can watch top flight soccer every week on cable. You can't do that with swimming or gymnastics or track. Those broadcasts are earning fans. EPL matches now draw about a million viewers, which is outstanding. Soccer doesn't simply disappear for the 4 years between World Cups; that's why the fan base continues to grow.

 

[Bayside44]

Average price of a ticket would be much more accurate than top price.

For seasons a good judge could be what you spend / allocate if you're sharing. What I spent to split Nats tickets probably isn't far off from what others spend to split Giants or Skins with the same % of tickets.

Also have to throw in parking for cost if you really want to get into total cost before food and beverage. United is $20, closest lots to the Nats are $37. A little walk is $25.

 

[cuseinchina]

It's worse when u take out Univision.

It's the World Cup, I would expect strong ratings.

The second half and extra time #s this week should be good too, but I doubt anyone is leaving for early for extra happy hour time.

Taking out Univision is like pretending this is 1957. The marginal consumer of just about everything in this country is Hispanic.

 

[SU2NASA]

This thread is still going? I forgot soccer existed already.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Taking out Univision is like pretending this is 1957. The marginal consumer of just about everything in this country is Hispanic.

I was going to bring this up yesterday when people started quoting Univision numbers. The real argument and we could probably close this thread is "Is soccer becoming more popular among American white males?" We know the univision numbers are way up. That has to do with the influx of Hispanics in America. But are more white males watching this game than before. Very few over the age of 30.

We know based on the last Presidential election that white males are now the minority in this country. White males are fans of Football, Baseball, NASCAR, Basketball and Hockey (maybe not in that order but probably pretty close). Soccer might rank sixth, but even then does it get better rankings than golf. I can't speak of white females and how many of them are jumping on the bandwagon, but if it wasn't for the influx of hispanics, the World Cup numbers would only show a slight bump. I would love to see some stats that prove otherwise but for now I'm still going to believe what others have argued as well.

Contrary to some people's popular belief, the Core four will still be the Core four. Now once advertising dollars start shifting away from targeting American white males and towards hispanics, then we can have another conversation regarding where soccer ranks.

Black american males. Does anyone want to guess how many of them are jumping on the soccer bandwagon. I just don't see that happening in large numbers.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I was going to bring this up yesterday when people started quoting Univision numbers. The real argument and we could probably close this thread is "Is soccer becoming more popular among American white males?" We know the univision numbers are way up. That has to do with the influx of Hispanics in America. But are more white males watching this game than before. Very few over the age of 30.

We know based on the last Presidential election that white males are now the minority in this country. .

I am a white male in my early 50s. Yes, I think the fan break down skews younger, but it's not like this magic cut off line. I think American football has gotten almost impossible to watch for all the commercials. If it weren't for gambling, I don't think it would be nearly so popular a sport.

Soccer is a better viewing experience, period. Two hours, not 3 1/2 (just like the length of a college basketball game versus the length of a baseball game). Two halves, not 4 quarters (again, like college hoops). But here's where it improves on the viewing experience - no time outs, 45 minutes running time per half. I love it. Fatigue is such a factor. Mental lapses and the pressure at the ends of games can be phenomenal. It can build and build.