Yep, another ESPN thread (MOD: Soccer popularity)

[hoss75]

I like watching all sports…
Yes, some get me going as a fan more then others, but I love the theater of sports in general.

You are right... I was an idiot to get sucked in. Typical ESPN, writes some stupid article and makes lame assumptions based on stadium size and we get fired up.
If the article had stated "Part of soccer's increasing popularity comes from the support of NHL die hards. 'They're just great fans' said Alex Ferguson"; this thread would read completely different:
"I might try a game this week." or
"I relate to soccer fans cause..."
Stupid ESPN.

 

[SkinsFan09]

The funny thing about 1980...the 1960 team might've been the bigger upset gold medal winners.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Can't we all just get along?

Anyways, most of the reporters on ESPN love hockey

 

[Nashvols]

Fair point, but in this case football is the finest and most popular at the same time. Much as i love hockey, it can't match.

That sounds like an opinion more than anything...

Again, like some other posters mentioned, I have nothing against football/soccer, the MLS, etc...but it's simply not my sport of choice. Yes, I can get excited about it, especially when it comes to the World Cup...but at the end of the day, I prefer college football, hockey, college basketball, pro football, and pro baseball to soccer. It's just MY personal interest.

It's nice to see that soccer is finally getting some respect in the states, and I do wish for the sport to succeed...but like MayDay said, some of these ridiculous articles are incredibly annoying. You're not going to win over fans by forcing it on them, telling them its superior, etc. You win fans by making an exciting product, and marketing it well. Finally, soccer marketing is getting better...and there is more money in the game here for better players. It still has a very long way to go before it joins the Big Four and makes it the Big Five. Claiming otherwise is outright false at this point in time.

 

[SkinsFan09]

Did anyone actually watch that soccer game.It was pretty good.

The gap between men and women in soccer is the lowest of the major sports. Basketball it's a completely different game, softball =/= baseball and women's hockey is about as bad as basketball comparatively. Soccer however, the gap is much closer. Biggest difference is the athleticism if goalies.

 

[headsigh]

Stop liking what I don't like.

 

[Pentothal]

The gap between men and women in soccer is the lowest of the major sports. Basketball it's a completely different game, softball =/= baseball and women's hockey is about as bad as basketball comparatively. Soccer however, the gap is much closer. Biggest difference is the athleticism if goalies.

This is completely false although I don't know what you define as "the major sports". The difference in quality between women and men in soccer is huge.

 

[SkinsFan09]

This is completely false although I don't know what you define as "the major sports". The difference in quality between women and men in soccer is huge.

That wasn't what I said. I said relative to the OTHER sports it's the smallest. See what reading does? You really think the gap is more than that in basketball, hockey and baseball?

And I'm not counting NASCAR which is only a hotbed in the American South.

 

[Rhodes 81]

That wasn't what I said. I said relative to the OTHER sports it's the smallest. See what reading does? You really think the gap is more than that in basketball, hockey and baseball?

And I'm not counting NASCAR which is only a hotbed in the American South.

nascar is a hotbed in the american midwest more than anything.

and there's only one woman in nascar, and her only when it's not in the way of her formula one career. formula one has quite a few female drivers though and they're actually quite competitive.

 

[bostonphoenix]

I will most definitely be watching the US womens game at the top of the hour.

 

[Buckwheat]

**** soccer haha

 

[Strong Island]

It's beating baseball in the ratings. That has never happened before.

Can you put this statement into context please? I'd also like to see the numbers if you have them. I couldn't find anything with a quick google search.

 

[Pentothal]

That wasn't what I said. I said relative to the OTHER sports it's the smallest. See what reading does? You really think the gap is more than that in basketball, hockey and baseball?

And I'm not counting NASCAR which is only a hotbed in the American South.

Alright, calm down. I was wondering what you considered "major sports". My impression is that women fare much better in sports like Tennis and Golf for instance. Compared only to the big NA sports which rely heavily on physique it's no wonder that the women teams fare badly compared to men.

However, as I said the gap between men and women in soccer is huge. The Swedish women's national team which is one of the best in the world usually get beat when facing 16 year old boys.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

The funny thing about 1980...the 1960 team might've been the bigger upset gold medal winners.

The events leading up to the 1980 gold medal win were a huge factor in that game.

So many haters.




Soccer is fantastic, and should be more popular.

What happened during the other 90 minutes?

 

[Sabre Dance]

Anyone ever check out baseball attendance numbers? I find it interesting that the Marlins and Panthers have similar attendance, especially with the huge Latin population in Miami.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/sort/homePct

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Can you put this statement into context please? I'd also like to see the numbers if you have them. I couldn't find anything with a quick google search.

ESPN reported on air that the US games are beating their nightly baseball games. They specifically mentioned the Yankee game that was on the same night as the soccer not getting higher ratings than the soccer.

 

[Confound]

On topic of ESPN, anyone watching the ESPY's tonight?

I rarely watch the Espy's but I look forward to this year and hope Tim Thomas wins the best male athlete award.

 

[Sabre Dance]

On topic of ESPN, anyone watching the ESPY's tonight?

I rarely watch the Espy's but I look forward to this year and hope Tim Thomas wins the best male athlete award.

Is he nominated?

Aaron Rodgers will win this IMO.

 

[Hasbro]

Wow - a soccer website said something negative about hockey!

Why does it matter what a soccer website says?

The residents' of Soccertown, Guyana tendency to crap all over other sports in order to build up their game probably hurts soccer acceptence in this country.

Anyway just another vainglorious piece of soccer propaganda from a media outlet with a vested interest in the sport.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Anyone ever check out baseball attendance numbers? I find it interesting that the Marlins and Panthers have similar attendance, especially with the huge Latin population in Miami.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/sort/homePct

miami is just a pathetic sports town.

 

[EmeticDonut]

It seems soccer requires more of an attention span to see the plays develop than the average American has. They like their sports that either have quick and short plays with lots of breaks or very slow that doesn't require any concentration to follow. Soccer doesn't cater to any of those things. And soccer broadcasts is hard to fit into the over-commercialized mold of American sporting broadcasting.

 

[Sabre Dance]

So many haters.




Soccer is fantastic, and should be more popular.

Soccer could be a top 4 sport in the US if they didnt encourage dives and faking injuries. I love the sport, i play it when i have a chance, its a lot of fun, its just the players have this soft mentality about them. US likes toughness.

 

[Strong Island]

ESPN reported on air that the US games are beating their nightly baseball games. They specifically mentioned the Yankee game that was on the same night as the soccer not getting higher ratings than the soccer.

Baseball has a 162 game season while the Women's World Cup is a once every 4 year event. It's impossible to compare the two in terms of ratings.

I thought you meant that nationally televised MLS games were beating nationally televised MLB games.

 

[Strong Island]

Anyone ever check out baseball attendance numbers? I find it interesting that the Marlins and Panthers have similar attendance, especially with the huge Latin population in Miami.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/sort/homePct

You might as well disregard the Marlins' attendance as they are moving into a brand new stadium next year. It will be more telling how the Marlins do in 2017 than how they've done in that dump of a stadium for the last 18 years.

 

[Rhodes 81]

It seems soccer requires more of an attention span to see the plays develop than the average American has. They like their sports that either have quick and short plays with lots of breaks or very slow that doesn't require any concentration to follow. Soccer doesn't cater to any of those things. And soccer broadcasts is hard to fit into the over-commercialized mold of American sporting broadcasting.

you just had to go and make it anti-american didn't you?