bobbyake Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I'm not going to single out the baby boomers and mention how wrong they are when they say "no one cares about soccer," see post #13 as an example, I mean no offense. It appears that soccer has a very bright future in the United States Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Seems to be grasping at straws to me. They separate NFL and NCAA football. They also do the same to basketball. Football and basketball have a giant core group of fans. Soccer is a niche sport, like hockey, that will always have a loyal following, but will not take over traditional American sports. Over time, the distance between soccer and hockey will happen in soccer's favor because it doesn't take money to be able to play the game...Similar to basketball. Poor kids (Hispanics) can play soccer because it only takes one ball and a some open space to play. When the best athletes in the US decide to play soccer as their primary sport, like they do in Europe, it will always be the sport kids play who couldn't play any other sport. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Seems to be grasping at straws to me. They separate NFL and NCAA football. They also do the same to basketball. Football and basketball have a giant core group of fans. Soccer is a niche sport, like hockey, that will always have a loyal following, but will not take over traditional American sports. Over time, the distance between soccer and hockey will happen in soccer's favor because it doesn't take money to be able to play the game...Similar to basketball. Poor kids (Hispanics) can play soccer because it only takes one ball and a some open space to play. When the best athletes in the US decide to play soccer as their primary sport, like they do in Europe, it will always be the sport kids play who couldn't play any other sport. You could assume that MLB represents all of pro-baseball because college isn't popular at all. Baseball is a dying sport according to attendance trends. When the baby boomers die off, MLB will struggle big time. Baseball would be considered a traditional American sport and soccer is indeed taking over it. Both the MLS and MLB seasons are during the same time so they're direct competitors. According to your logic of merging the NCAA sports with Pro, soccer would be the 3rd most popular sport in the US for that age group.. I love college basketball and won't try to argue against basketball's popularity, but I don't think the NBA is heading in the right direction with having a few super star teams and a bunch of mediocre ones for the good teams to beat up on. This "When the best athletes in the US decide to play soccer as their primary sport, like they do in Europe, it will always be the sport kids play who couldn't play any other sport." is the dumbest thing I've ever read before, grats on that!! I believe you said the same exact thing on these boards a year ago and you were proven incorrect. Sad that you have a hard time with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Please Stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yazan07 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Please Stop. How about if you don't like soccer you gtfo and stop trolling the soccer forum to try to affirm your manhood by degrading what you falsely believe to be a lesser sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ando Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 the notion that if all the best athletes from the big four sports started playing soccer we'd suddenly have a huge influx of fantastic soccer players is pretty dumb i mean it's not without reason that the best soccer players in the world don't particularly resemble kobe and lebron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z.I.P. Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Over time, the distance between soccer and hockey will happen in soccer's favor because it doesn't take money to be able to play the game... GP1, my friend, be glad you don't have kids who are young soccer players with college potential. The coaching fees and travel expenses required to play on a top-flight soccer club (unless the kid is good enough to latch on with an MLS Academy, where he (but not she) would receive complete scholarships) are easily heavier than the cost of a top private education! That's one big reason why the game has for so long been dominated by kids from places like Rancho Santa Margarita in the OC. Hopefully the growth of $$$ in the sport will spill down more to provide more opportunities for those kids who grow up kicking the ball on dirt fields. And hopefully there will be more Wilmer Cabreras who rise to leadership spots in the US Soccer infrastructure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Yes, soccer is growing ever so steadily. It has never grown by leaps and bounds in the US, but soccer has grown steadily over the last several decades. It is a grass roots movement if there ever was one. Interest continues to rise because people play the sport. The real error is to perceive that our relationship as fans to any of these sports is in stasis. These relationships are in constant flux, as are all other cultural factors. Talk to someone from a previous generation. Baseball was once everything; horseracing used to out draw basketball by a large margin. Sixty years ago, professional boxing was much more popular than American football. Look at the rise of NASCAR over the last 15 years. How far have the X games come in a very short time? Things change. My job forces me to converse frequently with folks from all over the world. The pervading and derisive sentiment is that Americans invent sports no one else plays so that they can proclaim their supremacy. I constantly defend basketball and American football to non-Americans, only to turn around and defend soccer to fellow Americans. Each defense is equally foolish. I recognize this even if I cannot help myself. These are just sports, which are essentially war substitutes, a non lethal competition. Soccer is one the most popular cultural phenomenon in human history. It just is. That alone is the best defense of soccer. Many Americans are quietly and fundamentally disturbed that soccer does not appear to need them. Soccer will flourish, at least in the short term, whether America embraces the sport or not. Soccer does not need the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 see post #30 "Let's be honest. In the US, you play soccer if you can't play football, basketball or baseball. In Europe, you play basketball and whatever other sports they play because you could not play soccer." - GP1 Soccer requires a different type of athlete than Football or Basketball. Could you imagine Lebron James, Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant trying to play soccer? Could you imagine Brian Urlacher, Joe Thomas, or Jason Taylor trying to play soccer? American Football is a sport that everyone can play. Whether you're very tall or overweight, there's a position that allows you to participate in the sport. 17% of high school kids are in the obesity category. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 How about if you don't like soccer you gtfo and stop trolling the soccer forum to try to affirm your manhood by degrading what you falsely believe to be a lesser sport. How about if you and a couple of others stop using the Zips Sports forum to make the same failed argument that soccer fans in America have been trying to make for the last half century? Yes, we all know that tons of young kids play soccer. It's not anything new. It's an inexpensive sport for parents who want their children to be active. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 How about if you and a couple of others stop using the Zips Sports forum to make the same failed argument that soccer fans in America have been trying to make for the last half century? Yes, we all know that tons of young kids play soccer. It's not anything new. It's an inexpensive sport for parents who want their children to be active. things have changed a lot over the last half century. Fight the facts all you want, but MLS has been experiencing very strong growth over the past few years. 2011 was a record year for attendance and viewership, 2012 will top those records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootforRoo44 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I think it's fairly obvious to anyone under 40 that soccer is for once seriously growing in popularity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 How about if you and a couple of others stop using the Zips Sports forum to make the same failed argument that soccer fans in America have been trying to make for the last half century? Yes, we all know that tons of young kids play soccer. It's not anything new. It's an inexpensive sport for parents who want their children to be active. Dear skip-zip, Please advise the Akron Riflery team of how insignificant their sport is. Or perhaps the Swimming team. Unfortunately, that dialogue would reside on a different forum than this. Nevertheless, I am sure they would love to hear from you. Don’t go changing for me! Sincerely, Everyone Else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 How about if you and a couple of others stop using the Zips Sports forum to make the same failed argument that soccer fans in America have been trying to make for the last half century? Yes, we all know that tons of young kids play soccer. It's not anything new. It's an inexpensive sport for parents who want their children to be active. Dear skip-zip, Please advise the Akron Riflery team of how insignificant their sport is. Or perhaps the Swimming team. Unfortunately, that dialogue would reside on a different forum than this. Nevertheless, I am sure they would love to hear from you. Don’t go changing for me! Sincerely, Everyone Else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTank123 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Seems to be grasping at straws to me. They separate NFL and NCAA football. They also do the same to basketball. Football and basketball have a giant core group of fans. Soccer is a niche sport, like hockey, that will always have a loyal following, but will not take over traditional American sports. Over time, the distance between soccer and hockey will happen in soccer's favor because it doesn't take money to be able to play the game...Similar to basketball. Poor kids (Hispanics) can play soccer because it only takes one ball and a some open space to play. When the best athletes in the US decide to play soccer as their primary sport, like they do in Europe, it will always be the sport kids play who couldn't play any other sport. Soccer is a niche sport? Is baseball also a niche sport because according to that graphic its less popular...Soccer is here to stay in a big way. Deal with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTank123 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 see post #30 Soccer requires a different type of athlete than Football or Basketball. Could you imagine Lebron James, Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant trying to play soccer? Could you imagine Brian Urlacher, Joe Thomas, or Jason Taylor trying to play soccer? American Football is a sport that everyone can play. Whether you're very tall or overweight, there's a position that allows you to participate in the sport. 17% of high school kids are in the obesity category. I played college football only because I got too big in high school to continue playing soccer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-mann17 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 things have changed a lot over the last half century. Fight the facts all you want, but MLS has been experiencing very strong growth over the past few years. 2011 was a record year for attendance and viewership, 2012 will top those records. I like soccer, have no problem with it, but check the reasoning for increased viewership and attendance. Expansion. And the NBA can tell you that expansion isn't about success, it's about spreading the brand, it's a huge risk. Which is why the MLS is expanding mostly in Canada. Less pro sports to compete with, soccer runs opposite of the Canadian national sport hockey. MLS clubs have had to sell themselves, many now owned by European clubs. Why? Because they struggle to make money. However for European owners the costs of running the American clubs is much lower. It is growing, and will continue to grow. But is not quite as successful or relevent as many of you think it is just yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ando Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I think at least half of the things in the previous post are made up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I like soccer, have no problem with it, but check the reasoning for increased viewership and attendance. Expansion. And the NBA can tell you that expansion isn't about success, it's about spreading the brand, it's a huge risk. Which is why the MLS is expanding mostly in Canada. Less pro sports to compete with, soccer runs opposite of the Canadian national sport hockey. MLS clubs have had to sell themselves, many now owned by European clubs. Why? Because they struggle to make money. However for European owners the costs of running the American clubs is much lower. It is growing, and will continue to grow. But is not quite as successful or relevent as many of you think it is just yet. The point of this thread was to highlight the trend that young people are favoring soccer over other sports. This is extremely important for the future. GP1 had to chime in here saying he knows nothing about athletes, then Skip throws in that he doesn't understand change. No one's here saying soccer is supreme in the United States, but we do have evidence to make a strong case that soccer's relevance in the United States is growing, and growing fast. I don't understand why it's usually the American Football fan that feels threatened by soccer's growth in the United States, the MLS season is during the same time as MLB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I played college football only because I got too big in high school to continue playing soccer. Hence the Tank moniker? Where you a Defensive Linemen? That speaks to one of Bobby's previous points. Different skill sets are suited to different sports, just as different positions within any given sport require different skill sets as well. I switched from Free Safety to soccer because, at the time, my new school did not have American football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 did linemen in the NFL chose football because they were the best athletes? http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/29/Sports/A...e_problem.shtml do you think any of these guys could go 90 minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTank123 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I like soccer, have no problem with it, but check the reasoning for increased viewership and attendance. Expansion. And the NBA can tell you that expansion isn't about success, it's about spreading the brand, it's a huge risk. Which is why the MLS is expanding mostly in Canada. Less pro sports to compete with, soccer runs opposite of the Canadian national sport hockey. MLS clubs have had to sell themselves, many now owned by European clubs. Why? Because they struggle to make money. However for European owners the costs of running the American clubs is much lower. It is growing, and will continue to grow. But is not quite as successful or relevent as many of you think it is just yet. WTF are you talking about? Did you just make this up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTank123 Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 did linemen in the NFL chose football because they were the best athletes? http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/29/Sports/A...e_problem.shtml do you think any of these guys could go 90 minutes? No, but defensive lineman are some of the most phenomenal athletes in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyake Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 No, but defensive lineman are some of the most phenomenal athletes in the world. this guy could be an example of a phenomenal athlete, especially when he's on the dance floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Do I detect a little 1950s mentality at work here in the denial of some to recognize the reality that soccer interest is on an upward curve? Of course it's always hazardous to predict where current trends will lead over the next few decades. Things change. Soccer interest might start flattening out, or it could keep right on growing to the point that it challenges traditional American sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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