Why Americans hate soccer

[Wolfpack]

I'm sick of waking up and flicking to ESPN and seeing World Cup games, the annoying African music, the greek guy, the other guy, the college football guy, talk about the World Cup. I feel it is a shame that the NBA Finals, MLB, etc. are on ESPN2 and I have to flick one whole channel.

Amen. I mean, I actually don't mind the games because if I know a soccer game is on, I know not to watch it. What I hate is how much time they have been shoving soccer down our throats on SC/ATH/PTI/etc. It's just more of the Disney/ABC/ESPN neverending cross promotion.

 

[IcyPatriot]

The problem with soccer is the same as it is in hockey ...

To be more popular in terms of viewership you need to be TV friendly.

Hockey and soccer are not played with time outs ... it's that simple.

The major media will only cover the biggest of games and only paid cable can show all the games.

It's nice every 4 years for America to watch it more.

I love soccer and have coached my kids for almost 20 years yet being realistic the best soccer can do in this country for now is to be 5th behind the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.

 

[Rossmci90]

I'm sick of waking up and flicking to ESPN and seeing World Cup games, the annoying African music, the greek guy, the other guy, the college football guy, talk about the World Cup. I feel it is a shame that the NBA Finals, MLB, etc. are on ESPN2 and I have to flick one whole channel.

And i thought lazy American's was just a stereotype. One whole channel!

I did a quick google search. The 2009 Scripps Spelling Bee had an average of 6.1 million viewers (with 9.9 million tuning in to the ending). The 2009 MLS cup had about 850,000 viewers - and that was actually considered a big improvement over the previous year.

Hmmmm..... 6 million versus 850 thousand... so what's that you were saying about soccer being more popular than the Spelling Bee?

MLS Cup =|= MLS. The MLS runs a cup and a league competition, the league being vastly more important.

Nobody is being negative towards football. I love football and am glad it is America's national pastime.

What we are being negative towards is soccer.

Well im sure you are intelligent enough to know im English, and im sure you have the comprehension skills to know that when i say Football, i mean aSOCCiation football, which is to you Soccer. So i guess you've run out of points and are resorting to chidlish behaviour.

 

[Rossmci90]

Amen. I mean, I actually don't mind the games because if I know a soccer game is on, I know not to watch it. What I hate is how much time they have been shoving soccer down our throats on SC/ATH/PTI/etc. It's just more of the Disney/ABC/ESPN neverending cross promotion.

You mean to tell me, that TV is not catered exactly to Wolfpack's needs and wants? You mean to tell me, that there are other people in this world who care about things that Wolfpack doesn't? Next you'll be telling me the radio doesn't play all your favourite songs.

I hope your mum is ok with picking your toys up off the floor, as you seem to throw them out of your pram far too often.

 

[patsinthesnow]

This thread is here because like Wolfpack said, they are shoving it down our throats. I understand it's the most popular sport worldwide, but in the U.S.A, its not close. We just don't get why ESPN is trying to break this barrier.

 

[Rossmci90]

This thread is here because like Wolfpack said, they are shoving it down our throats. I understand it's the most popular sport worldwide, but in the U.S.A, its not close. We just don't get why ESPN is trying to break this barrier.

Nobody is shoving it down your throats. Nobody forces you to watch ESPN, nor does anybdoy force you to watch TV. You know the world cup is on, and you know ESPN is going to talk about it because they are broadcasting it. If it bothers you that much get outside and enjoy the summer.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Nobody is shoving it down your throats. Nobody forces you to watch ESPN, nor does anybdoy force you to watch TV. You know the world cup is on, and you know ESPN is going to talk about it because they are broadcasting it. If it bothers you that much get outside and enjoy the summer.

This is a dumb argument. I wouldn't care if the worldcup is on, but why put it on ESPN, when I bet 80% of the U.S would rather watch something else on that network.

How would you feel if your main sports network showed MLB highlights all day?

 

[Rossmci90]

This is a dumb argument. I wouldn't care if the worldcup is on, but why put it on ESPN, when I bet 80% of the U.S would rather watch something else on that network.

Nobody 'puts' it on ESPN, they bought the rights to the world cup because they know a lot of people are interested in it. You have an extremely childish view to this, just because you don't like a sport, does not mean others don't. What evidence do you have that 80% would rather watch something else? I can guarantee ESPN have done a lot more research than you, and have concluded there is a large enough audience.

EDIT: Out largest Sports network shows an extremely wide variety of sports, including Baseballl and the NFL. The main focus is generally football, but when its the Ashes its mainly cricket, when its the Rugby World cup its mainly Rugby. I can't stand Rugby. You know what i do when Sky Sports News starts talking about sports i don't like? I change the channel and get on with my life.

 

[Kontradiction]

I'm shocked that a couple of you are saying that the U.S. is sending one of the largest audiences to the World Cup this year. That suprised me considering that it sounded like the crowd there today was probably around 90% British. Did I hear the British National Anthem today?

 

[Rossmci90]

I'm shocked that a couple of you are saying that the U.S. is sending one of the largest audiences to the World Cup this year. That suprised me considering that it sounded like the crowd there today was probably around 90% British. Did I hear the British National Anthem today?

According to FIFA, more tickets have 'officially' been bought by Americans than any other nation than South Africa. But if you watched the game today, English fans have a way of getting to World Cup games by any means possible.

And you did hear the British national anthem today. It is used by England for sporting events as England itself has no national anthem (the England cricket team however uses 'Jerusalem'). England fan's also like to sing it during games as well as at the beginning, we have quite a vocal support.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

This is a dumb argument. I wouldn't care if the worldcup is on, but why put it on ESPN, when I bet 80% of the U.S would rather watch something else on that network.

How would you feel if your main sports network showed MLB highlights all day?

They do, Sky Sports News show MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and NFL news and highlights which we sit through while the majority of Britain waits for football news. I guess were just more mellow and accepting of such trivial things, most of us go do something or just watch. We now have ESPN and ESPN America which is dominated by MLB coverage and NHL when baseball is over.

It's also not a dumb argument if you get it. My counter to "down your throat" flew over your mates head. ESPN are looking to gain any advantage possible in broadcasting and any marketing whizz is going to promote football in a WC year, even to a U.S. audience to gain viewers. They do know about these things.

It's apparantly true Kontra but like I said, you do inhabit a fair chunk of this round thing we live on which would contribute to that. There was a sh!t load of U.S. fans in the stadium tonight.

 

[chicowalker]

Wolfpack, I see you've also seen fit to knock lacrosse a couple times in this thread. Have you ever actually watched a game? (I know you haven't played it.) What didn't you like -- the speed, skill required, the hitting or the scoring?

What sports do you like, other than, presumably, football?

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Oh, we get NASCAR and Indy car racing too on our main sports channels. Actualy, looking at it, we've got it worse than you!

 

[patsinthesnow]

Oh, we get NASCAR and Indy car racing too on our main sports channels. Actualy, looking at it, we've got it worse than you!

Well, in response to your other post as well, that must be aggravating to have your main sports channel to show American Sports. Why do they show them, it'd be like espn filled with euro sports leagues.

 

[Rossmci90]

Well, in response to your other post as well, that must be aggravating to have your main sports channel to show American Sports. Why do they show them, it'd be like espn filled with euro sports leagues.

Not really, im intrigued by sports that are new to me. Im interested to see the passion they invoke in people, i may not understand them but i can certainly see how much enjoyment people derive from them. There is more to life than sampling just that which you already know.

 

[tmracht]

I guess its cause I've grown up appreciating all the major sports including soccer that I never understand the need to belittle other sports. I think its totally inaccurate to simply say America hates soccer. I think its less hate and more just having many choices in sporting events and availability. Its a widely accepted fact that youth soccer is one of the highest attended youth sports in the nation.

You can debate all sorts of reasons why most children eventually switch to playing basketball/baseball/football. I dont say hockey even because most American born players are from a few states its rare to find hockey players from a majority of the nation. But sadly usually it comes down to money and the prospects of money.

I'd assume if there is a day when the MLS is on par financially (I understand this a very circular arguement you need fans for money and money for players and players for fans) then you would see more high profile athletes sticking with soccer for a longer time as it becomes more economical for parents to push their children to pursue a career in soccer. Currently an entry level MLS player is basically on a $500 per week a year contract some are closer to $700 but realistically thats not all that much for a professional athlete in this country.

I have personally been to games throughout the country and abroad been to Wembley, Azteca and Canada and have seen huge traveling support. The game in London we had about 2500 people travel over to see a meaningless friendly in a hostile environment and it was amazing. Just because you dont like it and other's don't care or never took an interest doesnt mean all of America hates it.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Well, in response to your other post as well, that must be aggravating to have your main sports channel to show American Sports. Why do they show them, it'd be like espn filled with euro sports leagues.

Not really, like I posted earlier it really doesn't bother me and I'm open minded hence the response to the thread. It's nuts to me that a bit of kick ball would p!ss you off so much. Britain shows tons of stuff from around the world to accomodate for the fan bases of such sports. Thats what it's all about, being a market leader and over here thats Sky Sports. Who are fans of the NFL going to run to here? Sky Sports. Who are fans of soccer going to run to in America? ESPN.

I see Kobe hitting a 3 and I think cool, I see Ortiz hit one out the park and I think that was alright for baseball, some hockey players have handbags and I pick a winner, I wonder if Danica Patrick is overated......I have zero problem.

 

[Wolfpack]

The problem with soccer is the same as it is in hockey ...

To be more popular in terms of viewership you need to be TV friendly.

Hockey and soccer are not played with time outs ... it's that simple.

The major media will only cover the biggest of games and only paid cable can show all the games.

It's nice every 4 years for America to watch it more.

I love soccer and have coached my kids for almost 20 years yet being realistic the best soccer can do in this country for now is to be 5th behind the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.

1st of all, hockey has plenty of game stoppages where they can squeeze commercials in, so I have no idea where those comments are coming from.

Second of all, there is commercial free TV coverage of soccer in the U.S. The problem isn't that the networks don't cover soccer. The problem is no one watches it.

 

[Wolfpack]

MLS Cup =|= MLS. The MLS runs a cup and a league competition, the league being vastly more important.

6 times more people watched the Spelling Bee than watched the championship game of the MLS. I rest my case.

Well im sure you are intelligent enough to know im English, and im sure you have the comprehension skills to know that when i say Football, i mean aSOCCiation football, which is to you Soccer. So i guess you've run out of points and are resorting to chidlish behaviour.

Well I'm sure you're intelligent enough to know this is forum dedicated to the fans of an NFL team, based in the United States of American.

Actually, wait... on second though no, I'm not sure you're intelligent enough to know that. Please ignore the above paragraph.

 

[Wolfpack]

Nobody 'puts' it on ESPN, they bought the rights to the world cup because they know a lot of people are interested in it. You have an extremely childish view to this, just because you don't like a sport, does not mean others don't. What evidence do you have that 80% would rather watch something else? I can guarantee ESPN have done a lot more research than you, and have concluded there is a large enough audience.

6 times more people watched the spelling bee than the most recent MLS cup championship. That's all you need to know about the popularity of soccer in America.

Oh, I gladly admit the World Cup will get good ratings. Soccer is like the Olympics. No one here cares about them except once every 4 years.