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Those are definitely 1-3 in that order. According to popularity and sponsorship on TV, I would have to think that Golf is probably #4. Hockey is almost never on TV (at least not here in Los Angeles) and we have two teams. There just isnt enough popularity for it which is one of the reasons the networks dont put it on TV. Cant see the advertising.
I think #4 today is NASCAR. It used to be hockey, but I don't think so anymore. Soccer has been tryng to become #4 for a long time, but I don't ever see it getting any bigger than it is now.
As for #1, I think football took over baseball in the 1980s. It's funny the way things change. I jsut heard on the radio the other day that the #1 and #2 sports in America up to 1950 was Boxing and Horse Racing. Well boxing is less popular today than MMA, UFC and WWF, and Horse Racing is just about dead altogether.
Soccer is the 4th most popular sport...at least. MLS, unfortunately, has not converted all these fans to the home league, so it's difficult to gauge overall.
Soccer is not even the 14th most popular sport in the United States, let alone the 4th most popular.
You will be surprised at the number of Americans who do not even know who the hell Pele is. Even Paris Hilton is more famous than Pele in the United States. Making a sex tape in the United States makes you more famous than leading your country's soccer team to 3 World Cup championships. That is how many times Pele lead Brazil to World Cup victory.
Paris Hilton will get a hell of alot more wall to wall coverage from the American media when she dies than Pele will when he dies.
That blows my mind, how anyone could consider soccer the 4th most popular sport. Throw TV ratings out but when your attendance at games is less that a spring college football game you are no where near being 4th.
1.Football
2.Baseball
3.Basketball
4-5-6 are tough you have Nascar, Hockey and Golf. Hockey seems to be rising given the amazing playoffs and the TV ratings this past year. Golf is always popular, atleast the majors. Nascar is popular and I would say no just in the south anymore.
It's a toss up between hockey and soccer. Nationally, Hockey, unfortunately is dying a slow and painful death. Which pains me because Ive been playing and loved that sport my entire life. MLS will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming decade. Especially with the addition of soccer crazy cites like Portland, Vancouver, Phily and (hopefully) St. Louis.
#9325 in media coverage = Yes
Top 5 in popularity (people playing and watching the sport) = Yes
Go out on a Saturday morning and count how many kids are playing soccer in any town in the US.
If you were to make a guess, what percentage of Americans do you think would be able to recognize who this man is if they saw him walking on the streets ?
Soccer is not even the 14th most popular sport in the United States, let alone the 4th most popular.
You will be surprised at the number of Americans who do not even know who the hell Pele is. Even Paris Hilton is more famous than Pele in the United States. Making a sex tape in the United States makes you more famous than leading your country's soccer team to 3 World Cup championships. That is how many times Pele lead Brazil to World Cup victory.
Paris Hilton will get a hell of alot more wall to wall coverage from the American media when she dies than Pele will when he dies.
Paris Hilton is more famous than about every single sports star. This country is obsessed with celebrity even if they are a celebrity for doing nothing but being born into the right family.
I bet more people know who Paris Hilton is than Tom Brady.
1.) Football and basketball (tie)
2.) Baseball
3.) Hockey
That's it. No time to follow anything else.
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