Dear american football...

[billsin01]

Huh?

Soccer is the EPL, right? Being a huge MLS fan is like being a huge Pawtucket Red Sox fan. It's fine but kind of bizarre since the league is barely soccer compared to the EPL, right?

 

[texascpa]

Not all of them. But even so, the USA/Portugal game, between ABC and Univision numbers, had well over 20 million viewers.

It would be interesting to see the numbers if the games were played against a football game.

Look, I enjoy watching them just as much as the next guy, even watching on univision.com which broadcasts in spanish, but this argument about soccer becoming a sporting power in line with football happened 4 years ago, and 4 years before that and 4 years before that. There's a few reasons why numbers were so high this year: 1) It's the national team and Americans, by and large, love watching the national team compete against the world, 2) there are no other sports happening at the moment and this country craves sports, 3) the games were on the afternoon and early evening with little competition on tv. Yes changing demographics have helped the numbers, but this country loves being unique - be it using the imperial system of measurement, celebrating ethnic holidays even if it's not your ethnicity, or watching football.

 

[CanadianSU]

Ukrainian Premier League? That is awesome. And that is really, really hard core.

Helps that I am from there but yeah lol

 

[jekelish]

It would be interesting to see the numbers if the games were played against a football game.

Look, I enjoy watching them just as much as the next guy, even watching on univision.com which broadcasts in spanish, but this argument about soccer becoming a sporting power in line with football happened 4 years ago, and 4 years before that and 4 years before that. There's a few reasons why numbers were so high this year: 1) It's the national team and Americans, by and large, love watching the national team compete against the world, 2) there are no other sports happening at the moment and this country craves sports, 3) the games were on the afternoon and early evening with little competition on tv. Yes changing demographics have helped the numbers, but this country loves being unique - be it using the imperial system of measurement, celebrating ethnic holidays even if it's not your ethnicity, or watching football.

I'm not saying football. It obviously won't compete with football in America.

But I think it's very much a threat to baseball in terms of popularity.

 

[Ghost]

I will never, ever understand why some people are so adamantly against the idea of soccer becoming popular.

It's not about being against it - I used to think it would explode as well. After 16 years of this though - if it's going to be big here, it's not going to be in our lifetimes.

 

[Bortukal]

Soccer is the EPL, right? Being a huge MLS fan is like being a huge Pawtucket Red Sox fan. It's fine but kind of bizarre since the league is barely soccer compared to the EPL, right?

No. Soccer is not the EPL.

Are you glossing over the fact that MLS outdraws professional basketball in this country? I'm confused why this isn't viewed as being at all significant.

American MLB players arent 's good as the professional leagues players in Cuba or the DR. Does that mean that MLB is insignificant? Is baseball a stupid sport because I have to look to another country to find the best talent?

 

[billsin01]

MLB isn't as good as the professional leagues in Cuba or the DR. Does that mean that MLB is insignificant? Is baseball a stupid sport because I have to look to another country to find the best talent?

Ummm, what?

 

[Ghost]

MLB isn't as good as the professional leagues in Cuba or the DR. Does that mean that MLB is insignificant? Is baseball a stupid sport because I have to look to another country to find the best talent?

Huh. Who knew.

 

[Upstate]

Go to a Texans game and tell me that. Hispanics love football here in Texas.

Ask them which they prefer, though. You'll get soccer 95% of the time.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I have no idea how to do it, but american soccer would be 10000x more awesome if relegation was introduced among the leagues.

 

[Bortukal]

Ummm, what?

I typed "leagues" instead of players.

 

[Millhouse]

No. Soccer is not the EPL. Are you glossing over the fact that MLS outdraws professional basketball in this country? I'm confused why this isn't viewed as being at all significant. MLB isn't as good as the professional leagues in Cuba or the DR. Does that mean that MLB is insignificant? Is baseball a stupid sport because I have to look to another country to find the best talent?

This is a thread killer. Soccer zealots are loopy

 

[shandeezy7]

No. Soccer is not the EPL.

Are you glossing over the fact that MLS outdraws professional basketball in this country? I'm confused why this isn't viewed as being at all significant.

MLB isn't as good as the professional leagues in Cuba or the DR. Does that mean that MLB is insignificant? Is baseball a stupid sport because I have to look to another country to find the best talent?

Wow, I can't agree with any of this. As others have said, attendance numbers don't really tell the whole story, especially when comparing the number of games between basketball and soccer. And pro leagues in Cuba or the DR being better than MLB? Seriously?

 

[Bortukal]

This is a thread killer. Soccer zealots are loopy

Relax. I made an editing error. Sheesh.

 

[Toga]

Soccer will be most watched when the U.S. is playing against anyone. I could see some interest if they better promoted some international U-19 type matches or tournaments. Folks could get attached to various stars of tomorrow.

 

[CanadianSU]

Soccer will be must watched when the U.S. is playing against anyone. I could see some interest if they better promoted some international U-19 type matches or tournaments. Folks could get attached to various stars of tomorrow.

Exactly! But would they watch MLS and other leagues? That is how it would grow.

But does the U-19 WC have the same attraction as THE World Cup?

 

[billsin01]

The pointless MLS which is on ESPN every week and outdraws the NBA. Right.

Seriously, the anti-soccer crap is so absurd. I just don't get it. No one is forcing you to watch soccer. Bury your head in the sand and pretend it isn't the most rapidly growing sport in the country all you want, that's not going to change how fast it's growing.

It is not anti-soccer at all. I am no fan -- I'm ok with that. But I'm cool with people being huge fans. But American ninja warrior is nbc every week. The WNBA is on every week in season, right? Tennis and golf are on every week. I mean -- it's on tv. That's awesome. But the best players in the world play in Europe. I mean can anyone argue that? We got completely dominated by Belgium and beat Ghana after two straight losses. It's ok but the idea that everyone here is going to suddenly adopt an EPL team is insane and arguing that the MLs is even in the same stratosphere in terms of quality of play is equally absurd

 

[Millhouse]

Jake I think soccer can ding hockey because of safety concerns. But youth participation doesn't matter to football. The monsters that play football are going to find their way there and the soccer playing families will still watch them beat their brains in.

 

[jekelish]

Just for kicks...

USA/Portugal had 24.72 million viewers in the US. Since 2005, the World Series has had that big an audience...once.

 

[CanadianSU]

It is not anti-soccer at all. I am no fan -- I'm ok with that. But I'm cool with people being huge fans. But American ninja warrior is nbc every week. The WNBA is on every week in season, right? Tennis and golf are on every week. I mean -- it's on tv. That's awesome. But the best players in the world play in Europe. I mean can anyone argue that? We got completely dominated by Belgium and beat Ghana after two straight losses. It's ok but the idea that everyone here is going to suddenly adopt an EPL team is insane and arguing that the MLs is even in the same stratosphere in terms of quality of play is equally absurd

Your right for the most part...

However, USA did do very well. More than half of American players are from the MLS. These MLS boys showed they could hold up against a 100% european team in Belgium and Portugal.

Bottom line is, you guys are going to have to do better than the R-16 for it to grow slightly.

 

[CanadianSU]

Just for kicks...

USA/Portugal had 24.72 million viewers in the US. Since 2005, the World Series has had that big an audience...once.

^ thats a very interesting stat.

 

[Toga]

Exactly! But would they watch MLS and other leagues? That is how it would grow.

But does the U-19 WC have the same attraction as THE World Cup?

Well of course it's not as popular as the WC - duh. If you developed an affinity for some U-19 players who went on to play in MLS - there could be a small uptick in interest.

 

[Scooch]

It won't replace football, but it will steal enough players to improve the quality of the sport. The concussion factor is no joke.

I'd contend that it's not the number of athletes playing sports other than soccer that is an impediment. There are loads of world class athletes playing soccer in America. The challenge is the instruction. Europe and South America have a *decades* head start on training, coaching, etc.

Hoops is a great comparison. Lithuania isn't a great basketball nation because they have millions of great athletes playing the sport. It's because they have first class instruction for the great athletes that do play.

 

[CU44SE]

Soccer is making a *lot* of progress. But it's ceiling is welllll below football, basketball and baseball for the foreseeable future.

I could share a million data points that prove that, but it's not worth piling on.

Soccer fans should be very happy with the trajectory the sport is on. Comparing it in totality to any of the big 5 American sports is going to disappoint.

It's honestly funny that people don't see this. Soccer's fine. It has absolutely zero chance of displacing baseball or the nba let alone the nfl. I mean to follow non-World Cup soccer you either have to follow the pointless MLS or adopt a team on a different continent.

Comical that you don't think soccer will pass baseball in America. Kind of an ignorant comment just because you don't appreciate the game. Guarantee it will happen within 10-15 years. Soccer is still an extremely young sport in America. Just read this article from ESPN, the culture is changing.
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-...hes-mlb-in-popularity-with-kidssays-espn-poll

 

[shandeezy7]

Just for kicks...

USA/Portugal had 24.72 million viewers in the US. Since 2005, the World Series has had that big an audience...once.

Still not apples to apples