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For comparisons with the NBA I would call foul because the markets with the hugest interest would be Miami and San Antonio, the latter being a very Small market, compared to say Boston V LA in 2008 or 2010 game 7.one would expect lower ratings this year, also the series going into game 5 at 3-1 where as much a coronation of the Champs as an actual competition.
For comparisons with the NBA I would call foul because the markets with the hugest interest would be Miami and San Antonio, the latter being a very Small market, compared to say Boston V LA in 2008 or 2010 game 7.one would expect lower ratings this year, also the series going into game 5 at 3-1 where as much a coronation of the Champs as an actual competition.
LOL! You sound like the British press making excuses for why England didn't move past the first round.
Give it up, soccer is here to stay. Enjoy it, mate.
LOL! You sound like the British press making excuses for why England didn't move past the first round.
Give it up, soccer is here to stay. Enjoy it, mate.
Think of it this way, most in America can name 5 or more player on the 1992 Olympic Basketball team, of which all under 26 or so do not remember, why? Because when it's Team USA people care
When 25 million people watch Soccer it's not entirely because the are soccer fans, they are US fans (me included).
A Seattle Sounders vs NY Redbull ( even say Real Madrid v. Manchester City) would struggle to get a million viewers because there is no nation to root for.
Think of it this way, most in America can name 5 or more player on the 1992 Olympic Basketball team, of which all under 26 or so do not remember, why? Because when it's Team USA people care
When 25 million people watch Soccer it's not entirely because the are soccer fans, they are US fans (me included).
A Seattle Sounders vs NY Redbull ( even say Real Madrid v. Manchester City) would struggle to get a million viewers because there is no nation to root for.
You clearly have a bias. An axe to grind. Yes some of it is bandwagon but you can't just slap an American flag on anything and sell it to people here. That's foolish thinking. If soccer was so unpopular no amount of American flag waving will get Americans to watch.
Soccer in the US is the only sport that gets this double standard from anti soccer curmudgeons. The US-Canada Olympic hockey match in 2010 drew a lot of viewers, 27 million to be exact. Yet hockey is respected and seen as a staple of American sports after the big three; football, baseball, basketball. It's not maligned or met with idiotic old hat rants about it being a simple sport that's not in the national culture. Yet after the big event in 2010, hockey's viewership didn't grow exponentially as a result. Its numbers remain average. The same can be said with soccer. It might boost the MLS or it might not, but who cares? Why doesn't hockey get these same inane drivel rants? Like I said before the anti soccer stuff is just a tired mix of nationalism, chauvinism and a bit of racism from the die hard older generation (and some of their spawn) who don't get the sport.
When MLS learns how to market the sport the way it's done in Europe and not the same way it handles the MLB or NFL, watch its numbers grow. For now I think most US soccer fans love their World Cup and English Premier. It's not that the sluggish MLS ratings are the smoking gun for why soccer isn't popular in America, it's that the MLS is just too sanitized. People prefer the drama of the EPL and the World Cup. When the MLS heads understand this and restructure, then soccer might explode in this country. If not, who cares? I got my Fox Soccer channel and can watch all the Euro games I want.
You clearly have a bias. An axe to grind. Yes some of it is bandwagon but you can't just slap an American flag on anything and sell it to people here. That's foolish thinking. If soccer was so unpopular no amount of American flag waving will get Americans to watch.
Soccer in the US is the only sport that gets this double standard from anti soccer curmudgeons. The US-Canada Olympic hockey match in 2010 drew a lot of viewers, 27 million to be exact. Yet hockey is respected and seen as a staple of American sports after the big three; football, baseball, basketball. It's not maligned or met with idiotic old hat rants about it being a simple sport that's not in the national culture. Yet after the big event in 2010, hockey's viewership didn't grow exponentially as a result. Its numbers remain average. The same can be said with soccer. It might boost the MLS or it might not, but who cares? Why doesn't hockey get these same inane drivel rants? Like I said before the anti soccer stuff is just a tired mix of nationalism, chauvinism and a bit of racism from the die hard older generation (and some of their spawn) who don't get the sport.
When MLS learns how to market the sport the way it's done in Europe and not the same way it handles the MLB or NFL, watch its numbers grow. For now I think most US soccer fans love their World Cup and English Premier. It's not that the sluggish MLS ratings are the smoking gun for why soccer isn't popular in America, it's that the MLS is just too sanitized. People prefer the drama of the EPL and the World Cup. When the MLS heads understand this and restructure, then soccer might explode in this country. If not, who cares? I got my Fox Soccer channel and can watch all the Euro games I want.
You clearly have a bias, too. I only watch the World Cup because I have a thing for international sporting events. I am in no way a fan of soccer and never will be. Why? I, and my husband (an immigrant to this country), find it to be incredibly boring. Many people will turn the game on just for background noise or just because nothing else is on.
Calling people trolls, baby boomers (I'm 28), and chunky just because they aren't soccer fans is no way to win an argument, and this type of thing is all too common. When Americans complain about it being boring and all of the diving, everyone says, "Oh, they're just complaining and being racist xenophobes." No, we don't like the sport because it's boring, and there is way too much diving and crying over nothing.
You clearly have a bias, too. I only watch the World Cup because I have a thing for international sporting events. I am in no way a fan of soccer and never will be. Why? I, and my husband (an immigrant to this country), find it to be incredibly boring. Many people will turn the game on just for background noise or just because nothing else is on.
Calling people trolls, baby boomers (I'm 28), and chunky just because they aren't soccer fans is no way to win an argument, and this type of thing is all too common. When Americans complain about it being boring and all of the diving, everyone says, "Oh, they're just complaining and being racist xenophobes." No, we don't like the sport because it's boring, and there is way too much diving and crying over nothing.
People come into soccer chat rooms, forums or just feel compelled to share their opinion about soccer to soccer fans with such pride. Why? Why do they feel compelled to do this all the time? I mean it never fails. Everyone could be enjoying a chat about he latest game and then boom some fool has to chime in that its a "boring" game, "its un-American" or whatever.
Now for you, you fall into the "I find it boring camp", but there are other groups; the aging baby boomer who doesn't want to admit things are changing, the xenophobe who thinks soccer is a foreign invasion sport that would destroy the American character, the racist who calls it a simple sport for third world people, and the chauvinist who thinks America doesn't need the worlds sport because we are so good at our sports.
So yes there are a ton of anti-soccer trolls who want to get a rise out of soccer fans. Yes there is a mix of nationalism, chauvinism and racism mixed in. Not for everyone but yes for some. If you want to deny it and claim it's all because they find it boring, then fine, but why do it on a soccer board?
And anyone complaining about diving in soccer has not seen Lebron James play. Basketball has flops too.
Nice to see the 25 million. And you know it's more than that perhaps 10% more because as noted the ratings don't reflect all those people who viewed the game ' out of home' at bars. at other venues or even at other people's homes.
And all indications look like this Germany game is going to be real high as well. So all in all this World Cup for US viewership is going to be bringing in quite high figures. US National Soccer just may be going to a new plateau. Things look like they will be going in the right direction.
Nice to see the 25 million. And you know it's more than that perhaps 10% more because as noted the ratings don't reflect all those people who viewed the game ' out of home' at bars. at other venues or even at other people's homes.
And all indications look like this Germany game is going to be real high as well. So all in all this World Cup for US viewership is going to be bringing in quite high figures. US National Soccer just may be going to a new plateau. Things look like they will be going in the right direction.
True. I saw it at Grant park in Chicago with about 30,000 other fans. I doubt such events counted towards the total viewership.
If the US can continue to play well then they will draw still higher ratings. If they were able to make it to the finals it would be second to only the Superbowl potentially.
Last edited by biggunsmallbrains; 06-26-2014 at 12:34 AM..
Look, US soccer and the MLS might never break huge ground in the US, I'm sorry to say. And it won't be because of fans! It will be because it won't ever be promoted or marketed in the same way Europe or other countries do it. Soccer isn't the most profitable sport. The lack of as revenue and the high demanding salaries from top talent just won't cut it for investors.
In America, sports is first and foremost a business, entertainment. It's an athletic competition, second. That is the blunt honest truth. Its a purely spectator sport for the comfortable middle class. In Europe, the business model comes second and teams go bankrupt trying to win. Some teams are owned by moguls who don't care to lose millions attracting the top talent to win. Its a cultural thing that American businessmen will not adopt. Pretty much the powers that be don't want the sport. The World Cup viewership could reach 50 million, it wouldn't make a difference. If they did put more money into MLS, it would still be a sanitized copy of the Euro leagues.
Keep in mind that the World Cup doesn't get 10% the pre-game/tournament publicity that the Super Bowl gets.
Things have been changing for a while.... The biggest and riches European teams have been doing the pre-season in the US for several years.
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