Rusty
North American Scumfoot
Posts: 710
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Post by Rusty on Jul 30, 2011 12:51:33 GMT -8
I would say the consistent a lack of scoring is the number one reason why North of Mexico Americans do not watch Soccer. But I would really like to see the list you have of the top 5 reasons, until I see that I won't say anything, but I really think you're underestimating how many people (in Canada at least) hate(hate, hate hate!) diving in sports, just in general.
EDIT; I typed "Top 5 reasons why soccer isn't big in America" and some of the reasons seem laughable, but what kept coming up was that America had never produced a world-renown superstar, and that Americans can't relate to the game for this reason, really? That is the top reason why it doesn't work?
EDIT AGAIN: You might be right Mr.Stamper, after actually researching this some more there are a lot of reasons why it doesn't work here. Having said that I would choose a soccer match over almost any sport, it is just more interesting to me than baseball, football... etc. It is just an amazing game, but I think it just takes too much effort for most people to get it.
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Post by davers on Jul 30, 2011 14:51:51 GMT -8
My bad, I should have said Canada/America rather than North America. I generally consider anything south of Mexico Central America, even though those areas are technically part of the continent of North America.
I wasnt trying to say that removing diving from the game would make soccer huge in America, but one thing that commonly comes up when talking about soccer with non fans (at least in my experience) is how all the players are little bitches and cry every time someone poops them. If they would toughen up a little and trust the refs to make the right calls without making a big production of it then it would take a lot of steam from the "soccer is for wimps" argument.
I didnt really mean any specific number when I said "a good chunk of fans", but I do believe if diving was out of the game a lot more people, lets say 100 000 for arguments sake, would be more inclined to give the sport a chance. Not all of those potential fans would become avid watchers of the sport as there are other reasons not to like soccer, as you state, but I think around half of them could become fans of varying dedication.
I have no idea how long it would take to kill the 'soccer is for pussies' stigma, and how long it would take to gain these fans, but I still feel it would help the sport in Canada/America if diving was out.
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Post by Drew on Jul 31, 2011 9:21:09 GMT -8
IMO, there is exactly one reason soccer isn't huge in the states or Canada, and that is because US soccer sucks. We have a mediocre league (growing but still in the bottom half of leagues worldwide), a shoddy youth development program, and a middling at best national team. There is something (like diving) about every major sport in the US that the fans hate. But we have the best football, basketball, hockey and baseball leagues in the world, so in spite of those sports' shortcomings, they'll stay on top forever. And that's not a big deal.
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DeltaSigChi4
Howling Windigo
{S=0}
Good for the Sport?%\0\%
Posts: 261
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Post by DeltaSigChi4 on Aug 1, 2011 0:56:49 GMT -8
Football*.
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Post by stamper on Aug 1, 2011 5:12:02 GMT -8
i was prepared to run off a very thorough and detailed top 5 list, but i'm sure what you could come across on the internet would be fairly similar to mine. but since you asked, i'll go ahead and provide something...
1. the MLS is the least talented league of all our professional leagues - and is vastly inferior to the other soccer leagues across the globe. 2. fewer commercials. Yes, seriously. Soccer is broken up into two 45-minute halves. there are no commercial breaks during the 45 minute halves. our culture is so conditioned for the 7-8 short burst of adrenaline then a 2 minute break for release that a non-stop, sometimes slow-flowing sport like soccer can lose our incredibly short attention spans. 3. there's less money in soccer: a) it's the least well-paid sport we offer - thus the more talented athletes are drawn to the higher paid sports. b)there are fewer universities out there that offer men's soccer programs and scholarships - thus many teenage men turn to other sports. furthermore, the universities that offer soccer programs spend infinitely less money on those programs than they do with, say, baseball or football. 4. we're not the best at it. it's the only sport that we haven't conquered. we are a prideful group of people. if we can't be the best at something, it's probably because there's something wrong with that something. we take it really personally that much smaller countries can absolutely stomp us. we're not very good losers. and because of that, many of us abandon the sport altogether. 5. there's really not as much scoring. for all that running up and down a 115 yard pitch there's very few goals. making it what some would say 'a slower' game. once again - short attention span.
and regarding Davers' 'soccer is for pussies' -quote... i'm not remotely concerned about anyone who truly feels this way - as they are probably the most ignorant person imaginable and their opinion isn't of much value or credibility.
as for the canadians who hate hate hate hate hate hate hate diving in sports - you're not alone. Just about every other soccer fan across the globe hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate it too. i highly doubt there's something unique or special about the canadians when it comes to this.
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Rusty
North American Scumfoot
Posts: 710
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Post by Rusty on Aug 1, 2011 11:59:59 GMT -8
Yeah those a basically the same things I found on line, but thanks for the list anyway. You're right we are not special or unique, but I can guarantee Americans and Canadians get bothered by diving in soccer (football) a lot more that someone in Italy or Brazil etc. It's because we are used to watching contact sports where there is little to no diving, where the athletes are praised for their toughness and ability to sometimes play through injuries etc, so when those same people see a soccer player blatantly faking an injury, it really turns a lot of people off.
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Post by davers on Aug 2, 2011 7:13:59 GMT -8
Even though the MLS is a pretty lame league as far as soccer goes, doesnt mean people cant still be soccer fans. I know it's a lot more fun to cheer for a team that plays in a city you live in, but most soccer fans I know dont really care too much about the MLS and just watch European soccer.
If a player at a young age shows lots of promise in soccer, and the child or the parents were really concerned about making money, shouldnt they realize that soccer is the highest paid sport in the world if you are willing to go elsewhere other than the US? It almost becomes a self fulfilling proficy in a way, because no schools offer good soccer programs because no one cares about soccer, so no one goes into soccer seriously enough to make it in the professional leagues.
I tried but failed to find stats on this, but I think a lot of people play soccer at a young age. The main reason being that it is cheap. You need a ball. Even to play in a league you just need some jerseys, cleats and a ref. Other sports require expensive equipment like pads, bats, ice rinks, etc. The fact that they played soccer from a young age means they have some interest in it, but that interest seems to fade because of the lack of popularity.
I'm not saying that diving is a more signifigant reason than the ones you listed for soccers inability to become a major sport in America, I was just saying it is one reason.
And as for "soccer is for pussies", you may not care about what people who think like that say, but if enough people think like that it brings down the sport, regardless of how ignorant or credible they are.
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Post by stamper on Aug 2, 2011 8:09:18 GMT -8
i'm not remotely concerned about people jumping on a "soccer is for pussies" bandwagon. if anything, those people will change perceptions as the quality of the MLS improves - which it is.
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Post by Pea on Aug 2, 2011 8:19:21 GMT -8
I haven't had really anything to add to this discussion because as I've said before, I'm a big supporter of hometown teams rather than a league as a whole or any other leagues. For that reason I suppose I allow myself to look past a lot of the problems with the MLS (which I realize there are plenty), but it's important to remember that this league is only 16 years old. Easily one of the youngest professional sports leagues in the world. It's going to take multiple years before it has any real solid credibility, but with the ever expanding franchises and growing fanbases I definitely think it's going in the right direction. However slowly that pace may be.
/Pea's "no shit" comment of the day.
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Post by know ID yuh on Aug 2, 2011 8:47:04 GMT -8
If you've watched any ESPN over the past ten months, chances are you've seen this commercial. I keep thinking about it whenever the soccer dives are mentioned. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHebuF8tNEM
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Post by Pea on Aug 2, 2011 8:51:37 GMT -8
Gee, thanks iphone for once again not being able to play a Youtube video.
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Post by davers on Aug 2, 2011 9:19:21 GMT -8
I dont think more people will jump on the bandwagon, I'm saying its already pretty full.
Like it or not, a huge amount of people, lets call them rednecks for short, watch sports primairly for the voilence. Convincing those people that soccer is a good sport is tough when there isnt much contact, and all but impossible every time the players roll around on the ground for 2 minutes after getting brushed by another player.
Eventually the MLS will likely improve, gain a bigger fan base and become more respected as a sport in the US. From this discussion it is pretty clear that there are lots of reason why soccer hasnt caught on north of Mexico quite yet, and it will take more than fixing just 1 of them to make it take off.
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Post by stamper on Aug 2, 2011 9:53:07 GMT -8
I dont think more people will jump on the bandwagon, I'm saying its already pretty full. fact? or your opinion based on your own experience? obviously they never watch the English Premiership fair statement.
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Post by Pea on Aug 2, 2011 10:11:52 GMT -8
I dont think more people will jump on the bandwagon, I'm saying its already pretty full. I wonder if you would have said that before the MLS tapped into the PacNW as well.
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Post by davers on Aug 2, 2011 10:21:20 GMT -8
1. Opinion based on experience. Finding any sort of stats on how many people think soccer is for pussies doesnt seem like something proper polling companies ask about.
2. Probably not. Anyone mildly interested in soccer would probably start at the top, which is the World Cup.
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Peter Gibbons
North American Scumfoot
Rookie of the Year
"Sleep in our clothes and wait for winter to leave..."
Posts: 565
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Post by Peter Gibbons on Aug 2, 2011 10:47:09 GMT -8
Anyone mildly interested in soccer would probably start at the top, which is the World Cup. That's about as far as it goes for me. I've tried to watch MLS, but I can't take it. This coming from someone who actually likes watching curling and cricket. I would rather watch the MBL (Mini Basketball League) over MLS.
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Post by stamper on Aug 2, 2011 11:03:40 GMT -8
I probably would enjoy MBL over MLS myself! HOwever, I can guarantee I'd rather watch MBL than NHL. For me, Hockey is the least interesting team sport of them all... cricket and curling included.
sorry Canadians. I just don't care for the game.
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Post by davers on Aug 2, 2011 11:28:55 GMT -8
Fair enough. We could just run the gautlet of sports and why people dont like them, but this is getting a bit old.
It does boggle my mind that people think hockey is less entertaining than, say, baseball, but to each their own.
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Post by know ID yuh on Aug 2, 2011 11:44:51 GMT -8
It does boggle my mind that people think hockey is less entertaining than, say, baseball, but to each their own. STEREOTYPE ALERT!
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Post by davers on Aug 2, 2011 13:15:43 GMT -8
It does boggle my mind that people think hockey is less entertaining than, say, baseball, but to each their own. STEREOTYPE ALERT! A polite Canadian that likes hockey? Good eye!
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