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But I find that Australia has embraced soccer more than the other two places, and you don't have as much of the anti-soccer hostility as you see in the U.S. The anti-soccer hostility also rubs off on Canada as well, given that a substantial proportion of sports talk and media consumed in Canada comes from the U.S., and so this influences Canadian sports media jocks as well. This summer when there is lots of attention on the world cup you'll certainly hear anti-soccer stupidity in the Canadian media as you will in the U.S.
Yeah, in the United States there seems to be this odd knee-jerk reaction to dismiss soccer as an "unmanly" sport or a sport only for kids shuttled around after school by soccer moms in their SUVs, to be grown out of once they become even high schoolers.
I do wonder what the origins of this attitude are and how far back it goes (if Brits love soccer but Canucks and Aussies are similarly lackluster about it). I mean, it makes sense that the newer sport of football replaces soccer in popularity because of historical reasons, but why there is such a desire to go out of one's way to be proudly anti-soccer, to say that it sucks and even that it "isn't a real sport", beats me.
I don't know. My hometown (an inner ring suburb of New York City) has a World Cup parade/street party. It helps when Brazil or Italy are doing well since my home town has big Brazilian and Italian(-American) populations.
My current city of residence also has a lot of soccer fanaticism, esp. Mexican, English, and Spanish leagues. As far as club participation, Albuquerque is more of a rugby town, though.
Of course, this -is- America and the Superbowl reigns supreme, but to say Americans are 'unaware' of the World Cup is a bit of an overstatement.
Well that's not representative of Americans as a whole though.
Australia actually has a similar relationship to soccer as the U.S. and Canada do, in that it was historically a more obscure football code and other codes (rugby, Aussie rules) were much more popular and in people's "bones" there.
But I find that Australia has embraced soccer more than the other two places, and you don't have as much of the anti-soccer hostility as you see in the U.S. The anti-soccer hostility also rubs off on Canada as well, given that a substantial proportion of sports talk and media consumed in Canada comes from the U.S., and so this influences Canadian sports media jocks as well. This summer when there is lots of attention on the world cup you'll certainly hear anti-soccer stupidity in the Canadian media as you will in the U.S.
Lol, no need to tell me that haha...
Still, apparently soccer is still the most played sport among kids (I guess it's easier) and is growing in popularity, but Aussie rules and rugby still dominate. Actually soccer could threaten league. It has an association with certain ethnic groups (just like at the Socceroos, for instance), although is popular with the many British and some Irish immigrants.
Even many of those who deride soccer (including me at some times haha) usually get caught up in the spirit of the World Cup, getting behind the country. I think our patriotism outweighs any anti-soccer bias.
Still, apparently soccer is still the most played sport among kids (I guess it's easier) and is growing in popularity, but Aussie rules and rugby still dominate. Actually soccer could threaten league.
I'm guessing you've never lived in NSW or Qld. Soccer might one day threaten League....but on current trends that migh take a century or two..,
I'm guessing you've never lived in NSW or Qld. Soccer might one day threaten League....but on current trends that migh take a century or two..,
No I live in Aussie rules heartland mate haha...Went to a rugby game in Melbourne, Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos. 34-0 to Melbourne. The whole atmosphere was so different to AFL, kind of American, with cheer-leaders, lots of special effects, even fireworks, a lot of just corniness...
Sorry but you'll find that most British people, particularly the English are very proud and sure about where they come from. Do not think for one moment that English people would look down on themselves.
You aren't even British you don't have a clue so don't even think about saying that people who are 50 and 60 years of age would go on like that.
Just recently watched a YouTube video of a girl doing a survey in London. There were only ten or so people she asked, but one of the questions was "If you could, would you want to live in America?" Everyone but one said yes. Even the person who was originally from another country.
Just recently watched a YouTube video of a girl doing a survey in London. There were only ten or so people she asked, but one of the questions was "If you could, would you want to live in America?" Everyone but one said yes. Even the person who was originally from another country.
Lol, those surveys are about as trustworthy as a crooked politician...
The girl probably has an agenda (to say that America is so great and all Brits want to live there). The ones who said yes are the ones you SAW saying yes. She could've interviewed 50 people and chosen 10 who said 'yes.' Or could have just selected the 10 knowing they would probably say yes.
Lol, those surveys are about as trustworthy as a crooked politician...
The girl probably has an agenda (to say that America is so great and all Brits want to live there). The ones who said yes are the ones you SAW saying yes. She could've interviewed 50 people and chosen 10 who said 'yes.' Or could have just selected the 10 knowing they would probably say yes.
It's like those videos that are popular overseas of "stupid Americans" not being able to point to Canada on a map, or being goaded into saying that we should go to war with England for their supporting Iraq. Go out in public for four or five hours with a camera, start interviewing people, and you're bound to come up with a few complete morons.
If the whole premise of the video is to laugh at how stupid Americans are, why would they include footage of fifty people pointing out Canada, England, France, Iraq, Poland, and Russia on a map, or saying, "... that's not true, the English are our allies and are on the ground over there with us... are you trying to make me look stupid?" It runs counter to the expectation of the people viewing the clip. The girl who made the video can edit it however she wants to suit her agenda.
I could go out to a mall in Los Angeles and interview people coming out of GameStop and Spencer's and ask them if they wanted to move to Japan, and put together a video that proves that Americans want to move to Japan because of its superior culture and entertainment; or, I could hang out near the Revolutionary Bookstore near Harvard Square in Cambridge, and put together a montage of people confirming that conditions in the US are worse than the conditions in Cuba and that most Americans would rather live in Peru or Venezuela.
Plus, who knows if some of the people are even acting truthfully for the video camera? Just like some people like to "troll" internet forums, I wouldn't be surprised if someone purposely said something they don't take seriously for these types of video for kicks.
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