bobbyake Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 UA Soccer is exactly what this area needs. With the MLS growing and no MLS teams in the area, UA is the next best thing. I know there are a lot of old school minded people that continue to think Soccer in the US is not popular, but that isn't the truth anymore. 99.2 Million US TV Viewers Have Watched Some Of The World Cup and attendance is up in the MLS: NFL - 67,508.69 (2009 season) MLB - 30,213.37 (2009 season) MLS - 18,452.14 (2010 season, as of 04/11/2010) NBA - 17,149.61 (2009/10 season) NHL - 16,985.31 (2009/10 season) I haven't bothered looking up 2010 results, but I'd be willing to bet that MLB is below the 30k's for 2010. The Indians average less than the Columbus Crew. Could U.S. Soccer Eclipse Basketball And Hockey? $200M Adidas Pact a sign that MLS is the next major sport in the US With soccer growing and our Zips dominating the college scene, Lee Jackson Field is going to need that expansion soon!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jberry1337 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 I agree that soccer is awesome, and MLS is definitely growing. But I do not think that it could eclipse hockey, basketball, or any other major sport in a long time. Especially revenue wise. If you put season length into that equation, NFL: 67,508 x 10 home games = 675,080 total tickets in a season MLB: 30,213 x 78 home games = 2,340,000 total tickets in a season MLS: 18, 452 x 15 home games = 276,780 total tickets NBA: 17,149 x 41 home games = 703,109 total tickets NHL: 16,985 x 41 games = 696,385 total tickets And if you factored average ticket price, I am sure the list would be NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and far trailing: MLS If the MLS stadiums were the size of Europe's, and we could sell them out, then heck yea! Soccer would rule the land. But that won't happen, unless they build one in Akron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 UA Soccer is exactly what this area needs. With the MLS growing and no MLS teams in the area, UA is the next best thing. I know there are a lot of old school minded people that continue to think Soccer in the US is not popular, but that isn't the truth anymore. 99.2 Million US TV Viewers Have Watched Some Of The World Cup and attendance is up in the MLS: NFL - 67,508.69 (2009 season) MLB - 30,213.37 (2009 season) MLS - 18,452.14 (2010 season, as of 04/11/2010) NBA - 17,149.61 (2009/10 season) NHL - 16,985.31 (2009/10 season) I haven't bothered looking up 2010 results, but I'd be willing to bet that MLB is below the 30k's for 2010. The Indians average less than the Columbus Crew. Could U.S. Soccer Eclipse Basketball And Hockey? $200M Adidas Pact a sign that MLS is the next major sport in the US With soccer growing and our Zips dominating the college scene, Lee Jackson Field is going to need that expansion soon!!! You are not looking at everything. Compare TV ratings in each and it tells the real story. Soccer is a niche sport that not many people like, but those who do like it really like it and have the money to go to games. I'm sure millions of US viewers watched "Some of the World Cup". I did and I hated every minute of it. We watch it not because we like it, it's because it was forced down our throats like the Little League World Series and the WNBA are forced down our throats. MLS can out draw NBA and NHL because it has bigger stadiums and fewer games. Did MLS even break 2.0 million fans last year? The NHL will be played in an NFL stadium this year and there will be 60,000+ fans watching it. What that tells me is if the NHL had as few games as MLS and played in bigger stadiums, they would average more than MLS.....same for the NBA. Please stop with how popular soccer is in the US. My entire life, I have had to listen to how soccer is becoming more popular and it is still a niche sport played by kids who couldn't make the baseball, football or basketball teams. It is also painfully boring to watch and Americans won't put up with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted October 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Please stop with how popular soccer is in the US. My entire life, I have had to listen to how soccer is becoming more popular and it is still a niche sport played by kids who couldn't make the baseball, football or basketball teams. It is also painfully boring to watch and Americans won't put up with that. Your statement is the dumbest thing I've heard. If you look at soccer's popularity over the past 10 years, you would see strong growth. The thing to look at here is that MLS is growing, whether it's bigger than NHL, or the NBA. Soccer is the biggest sport in the world and makes more money than the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB combined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Soccer is the biggest sport in the world and makes more money than the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB combined If you limit it to the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB then it is probably true. However, basketball is played in many countries that have professional leagues other than the NBA and those leagues are very popular. The interest in the NBA in China, the fastest growing economic market and largest population, is huge. Let's see where soccer is in a few years. My guess is basketball will give it a run for its money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolyZip Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 I think these stats are actually pretty interesting. Coming from someone in their mid-20's, I can personally say I know more people that watch soccer on tv than hockey or baseball. I really enjoy watching the skill/creativity it takes to score a goal in soccer. I agree there may be flaws in the attendence suggestion that soccer is more popular than other sports (such as looking at tv viewers/ratings or total ticket sales), but I definetely think that the younger generations will see a continued rise in the popularity of soccer. Of course thinking soccer will pass basketball or football seems completey out of the question at this point, but you never know? That's just my view of the topic of course, as I don't really have any solid stats to back it up besides experience... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yazan07 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Please stop with how popular soccer is in the US. My entire life, I have had to listen to how soccer is becoming more popular and it is still a niche sport played by kids who couldn't make the baseball, football or basketball teams. It is also painfully boring to watch and Americans won't put up with that. Yeah exactly! They even said the other night during senior night that Ampai had always dreamed of playing American football in college, but he didn't make UA's football team so he had to settle for playing soccer and being the best player in the nation. What a failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronad Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 As avid a sports fan as I am, I feel all of our professional sports with the possbile exception of hockey are being forced down our throats. Turn on any TV any night during the NBA season and there is at least 2 games that can viewed. Actually, I think we are well past the saturation point as far as how much sports is on TV on any given day or evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Geez. Guys, I've been on this planet a long time, and certainly can't count how many times I've heard one of these phrases.... 1) More kids play soccer than any other sport. 2) Soccer is the biggest sport in the world. 3) Some day, soccer is going to "catch on" in the USA. I've been watching sports since I was a kid in the 60s, and I've been hearing these phrases ever since, and one thing has never changed, AMERICANS don't like soccer!! We watch the World Cup like we watch the Olympics, and root for our country. Does that mean you can say that we have all become Water Polo fans?? Or Equestrian Horse Riding fans?? Give me a break. On the other hand, I'd LOVE to see soccer become HUGE. Yes, it would make Zips Soccer's accomplishments gain some big national interest among sports fans. It's just not gonna happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 I think soccer is definitely growing in America. I'm not going to lie, the MLS is becoming more and more fun to watch. It helps that we are Zips fans and we have players in the MLS, but still. I think with the NBA going downhill because of the "Big 3", and the NFL on the verge of a lockout, the MLS will grow along with the NHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatwad Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 :horse: :horse: :horse: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc251 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 It looks like college soccer is doing well in attendance this year too: http://www.socceramerica.com/article/40128...n-the-rise.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDZip Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 It looks like college soccer is doing well in attendance this year too: http://www.socceramerica.com/article/40128...n-the-rise.html Similar one from the NCAA web site. Highlights the Zips in a few places: Linke currently holds a variety of jobs, but his current one with Fox Soccer Channel brings him to different college locations all over the country to broadcast some of the best games in Men's college soccer. A little over a month ago, Linke and broadcast partner Keith Tabatznik traveled to Ohio to see Tulsa face Akron for a match of the top two schools in the country. "It was electric," Linke said, "1,500 people were there an hour before the game." The Zips won 4-0, and from start to finish, the crowd was always involved. Linke saw fans of all ages, including grandparents, jumping, shouting, and cheering for the Zips, but regardless of location, it has been the same story everywhere. The partnership has brought television cameras to some of the best soccer schools in the country like Akron, Maryland, UCSB, and UConn. These four schools also make up the top four teams in the country in terms of attendance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 It think there's some growth, whether it ever moves into the top four I don't know. It's making strides, but we'll need more than just the 2010 WC to keep the momentum going. I also think the haters are going to hate and will never change. That's nothing against the sport, each one has it's detractors. They just happen to like the popular sports and want to criticize everyone else. If it were the other way around... So we criticize a sport because an athlete is 5'8 and not built for basketball or football. That's a reach... Maybe Zeke wanted to play soccer but was too tall and uncoordinated. Does that mean basketball is stupid? Maybe we should compare attendance figures within UAkron... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 It looks like college soccer is doing well in attendance this year too: http://www.socceramerica.com/article/40128...n-the-rise.html Similar one from the NCAA web site. Highlights the Zips in a few places: Linke currently holds a variety of jobs, but his current one with Fox Soccer Channel brings him to different college locations all over the country to broadcast some of the best games in Men's college soccer. A little over a month ago, Linke and broadcast partner Keith Tabatznik traveled to Ohio to see Tulsa face Akron for a match of the top two schools in the country. "It was electric," Linke said, "1,500 people were there an hour before the game." The Zips won 4-0, and from start to finish, the crowd was always involved. Linke saw fans of all ages, including grandparents, jumping, shouting, and cheering for the Zips, but regardless of location, it has been the same story everywhere. The partnership has brought television cameras to some of the best soccer schools in the country like Akron, Maryland, UCSB, and UConn. These four schools also make up the top four teams in the country in terms of attendance. Both links are great finds. Another example of US soccer popularity growing. I look forward to seeing Akron averaging over 4k per game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Speaking of MLS, see former Zips' striker Steve Zakuani and the Seattle Sounders face the LA Galaxy Sunday (10-31-2010) at 8 pm on ESPN2 in the first game of the Conference Semifinal of the MLS Cup. The game is at Qwest Field, where Sounders fans create the greatest atmosphere in the MLS. I believe the Sounders had the best 2nd half record in the MLS; so, although they lost 2 games to LA in the early season, this game could have a different outcome. As I understand it, the team that scores the most goals in a home & home 2-game set advances to the Conference Final. The Sounders made the playoffs for the 2nd time in their 2-year existence. Perhaps Akron will be mentioned during the game. Sounders Road-to-the-Playoffs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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