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Americans can no longer pretend that the world’s favourite sport doesn’t exist.



Lyndhurst 14

Lyndhurst 14

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2008
5,128
A good article about how Americans, well New Yorkers at least, are embracing soccer. NBC screening all premiership matches was definitely a game changer, but as the article says the internet has had a huge impact with people able to get far more information about their adopted teams. And they are not all Man U / Chelsea fans.

Soccer is the new baseball for the thinking classes - New York Times article
 




H

HawkTheSeagull

New member
Jan 31, 2012
9,122
Eastbourne
Its certainly growing, the expansion of the MLS will make things grow even more with new MLS teams in Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and NYC.

The lack of constant breaks and the length of time a game takes are significant too, with NFL taking 4 hours with constant stoppages - football (or soccer for context of Americans) is much shorter taking under 2 hours including HT. Its a matter of time before it becomes bigger than Baseball and NBA over there, certainly - a while yet before its bigger than NFL, possibly not at all.
 




Triggaaar

Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,171
Goldstone
Good read, cheers
 








Gullflyinghigh

Gullflyinghigh

Registered User
Apr 23, 2012
4,279
I don't think the MLS is ever really likely to overhaul the NBA, MLB or NFL, they're far too ground into the fabric of American life, absolutely no reason it shouldn't one day be considered close to par with some of them though.

I do think that Beckham had a genuine effect as well, even if the bums on seat increase was negligible (at games without him anyway), the media exposure he got the league across the world was crazy.
 






Easy 10

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,752
Location Location
The one concept Americans have a real problem with is a draw. They HAVE to have a winner and a loser. I've tried explaining the value and satisfaction sometimes in a hard-fought draw, even a 0-0, but its just an alien concept to an american.
 


Seasider78

Seasider78

Well-known member
Nov 14, 2004
5,937
I was in Boston earlier this year as was astounded by the amount of sports coverage dedicated to the beautiful game. There were more premier league and championship games on over there than in UK. Also one of guys at the firm we were visiting was oddly a massive Fulham follower and also knew how the albion were getting on. Certainly a sport growing in popularity and if continues to grow has the potential to attract some top players on astronomical wages
 


Lyndhurst 14

Lyndhurst 14

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2008
5,128
I like the last paragraph -

“You should never underestimate the allure of daytime drinking,” Mr. Bennett said. “If you’re in a bar at 7 in morning with a pint of Guinness, you have a social problem. If you are in a bar at 7 in the morning with that same pint of Guinness and Chelsea is on TV, you’re a football fan.”

It will be interesting to see how the USA does in the next World Cup, the last one they were eliminated at the same stage as England.



 




shaolinpunk

shaolinpunk

[Insert witty title here]
Nov 28, 2005
7,187
Brighton
If America wanted to, they could invest heavily in youth and harvest a generation of top players. That'd certainly help increase the quality of the MLS and the interest in the sport as a whole
 


H

HawkTheSeagull

New member
Jan 31, 2012
9,122
Eastbourne
shaolinpunk said:
If America wanted to, they could invest heavily in youth and harvest a generation of top players. That'd certainly help increase the quality of the MLS and the interest in the sport as a whole
Click to expand...

They are, believe they are trying to be self sufficient too. Big names are there to attract more interest, but the target is to sustain it with homegrown players.

The drafting and salary cap systems over there are very clever too.
 










Stat Brother

Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,667
West west west Sussex
Gullflyinghigh said:
I don't think the MLS is ever really likely to overhaul the NBA, MLB or NFL, they're far too ground into the fabric of American life, absolutely no reason it shouldn't one day be considered close to par with some of them though.

I do think that Beckham had a genuine effect as well, even if the bums on seat increase was negligible (at games without him anyway), the media exposure he got the league across the world was crazy.
Click to expand...
The problem US sport has is the behemoth that is the NFL, not to mention College football, even high school.
Think the Premier League x100.

With the exception of LeBron the NBA is average at best.
Baseball is edging towards county cricket, the matches are getting longer, and similar to the NBA it's scratching around for 'star power'.
Like ice hockey, non Tiger golf has no audience.

There is scope for soccerball to move up in the market, the national team is plenty good enough, but not as good as expectation.
The World Cup is in their time zone.
 








C

cheshunt seagull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
2,496
When I lived in the US in the late 70s/early 80s there was a weekly English football highlights show (which never seemed to show recent games) which was hidden away on PBS with other exotic curiosities like Poldark and The Good Life. How things change.
 


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