Do you think any sport can overtake soccer as the richest most watched pro sport?

[WizardHawk]

Nobody cares about Soccer especially in Seattle Seattle Sounders average 44,038 fans per game, break MLS record again | ProSoccerTalk

And as I said, that's probably part of the reason he is a bit over the top in his comments. Hell, we have Sounders game threads on the Seahawks board and I'm sure it doesn't sit well with him. There are plenty of absolute soccer haters out there and there is nothing wrong with that, but boy is there nothing that pisses them off more than open support of it by others around them.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Oh he knows full well that soccer has its fans in this country. His home city has the most rabid MLS fans in the country and he is keenly aware of it. He's just over compensating because of his own disdain for it. Nothing more.

The problem with the broader appeal is we just aren't that good internationally. If they had a few deep runs it would grow. We are totally bandwagon fans when it comes to team USA in just about anything, but becoming good in the worlds more popular sport would for sure raise a lot more attention. Just doubt that will happen any time soon.

Disdain is a very strong word, Wizard.

I wouldn't say I disdain it, I just don't find it entertaining. My point was trying to show that in America, soccer is a far 5th in terms of popularity. Seattle has a very passionate MLS fan base, but I don't get the impression any other city has anything like it. I will follow that with a disclaimer saying that I know very little about MLS and could be wrong about that, just from everything I've seen and read, it seems as if Seattle's embrace of MLS is much stronger than any other city.

It is the world's sport, nothing will over take it, but in America it will very likely remain behind football, baseball, basketball and hockey.

 

[seahawksfan234]

And as I said, that's probably part of the reason he is a bit over the top in his comments. Hell, we have Sounders game threads on the Seahawks board and I'm sure it doesn't sit well with him. There are plenty of absolute soccer haters out there and there is nothing wrong with that, but boy is there nothing that pisses them off more than open support of it by others around them.

Oh I don't hate soccer. My opinion on it is neutral, I just don't find it entertaining. I just didn't expect him to interpret my comments of "Nobody cares about soccer in America" so literally.

 

[bksballer89]

Soccer can become more popular here in one of 2 ways.

1) We developed better American players and those players stay here instead of playing over in Europe.
2) Major improvement in talent level of the MLS. If you had better Americans playing along with some of the top European players (in their prime) playing here, Soccer would get popular in a hurry. For example before this past summer when Dempsey came to Seattle, 4 of our best players played in Europe ( Dempsey, Howard, Bradley, and Jozy)

 

[The Derski]

I was listening to the herd with Colin coiwherd today and he said soccer will continue to rule as long as all you need is a ball and a foot to play it. So probably forever.

 

[seahawksfan234]

And your point? Who ever said Soccer was the most popular sport here? But to say nobody gives a shit about it here is being ignorant. Trust me if nobody cares about it here it wouldn't be 5th as sports like Nascar & Golf should be ahead of it.

"Nobody" was an exaggeration. My point was that it is far behind the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAAF and NCAAB in terms of popularity though.

 

[bksballer89]

I was listening to the herd with Colin coiwherd today and he said soccer will continue to rule as long as all you need is a ball and a foot to play it. So probably forever.

And this is why basketball is so popular as well. All you need is a ball and a hoop. With football, baseball,and hockey you need more equipment to play

 

[The Derski]

And this is why basketball is so popular as well. All you need is a ball and a hoop. With football, baseball,and hockey you need more equipment to play

Agreed basketball is second to soccer. Especially in china. Actually I think basketball is a bigger deal than soccer in china. Thanks to Yao.

 

[Camfantasy]

soccer is almost as ghey as hockey

 

[WizardHawk]

Soccer can become more popular here in one of 2 ways.

1) We developed better American players and those players stay here instead of playing over in Europe.
2) Major improvement in talent level of the MLS. If you had better Americans playing along with some of the top European players (in their prime) playing here, Soccer would get popular in a hurry. For example before this past summer when Dempsey came to Seattle, 4 of our best players played in Europe ( Dempsey, Howard, Bradley, and Jozy)

Sure, it can become 'more popular', but it will never become popular overall. We love our american sports and I don't care how good the USMNT ever gets, it won't eclipse the big 4. We just have way too much history with the others.

 

[NEhomer]

American Women's team WON THE FUCKING WORLD CUP and still nobody gives a shit a decade later.

 

[Microwahevo]

And your point? Who ever said Soccer was the most popular sport here? But to say nobody gives a shit about it here is being ignorant. Trust me if nobody cares about it here it wouldn't be 5th as sports like Nascar & Golf should be ahead of it.

^^This.

I love watching soccer. Played it through high school then a few local leagues after college. It's an enjoying game for me to watch. But I don't try to force people to try and "give it a chance". It's to them probably what hockey is to me. I simply can't stand watching hockey(minus the fighting of course). But to say no one in America gives a shit about soccer is ridiculous. Like bk said, it may not be the most popular, but people care.

 

[night]

American Women's team WON THE FUCKING WORLD CUP and still nobody gives a shit a decade later.

Yea but I mean come on, is women's soccer even a sport? Just kidding.


I honestly don't think anything we do in America will top soccer until we start pumping out a few billion more babies.

 

[BigAppleBadger]

No. It can be played anywhere and all you need is a ball.

Yea but I mean come on, is women's soccer even a sport?

In the words of my buddy who played college soccer: "watching women's soccer is like watching men play soccer in 3 feet of water"

 

[NEhomer]

If that chick didn't swipe off her shirt, I wouldn't even have remembered it!

 

[bconngemini]

10 Most Popular Sports In America - TheRichest

#5 is soccer. Behind NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL.

Actually #5 is pretty good for a country of 330 million that has a strong history of cultural insularism (especially in sports), that means there is an established and sustainable market for soccer.

It's actually had huge growth, back in 1990 you couldn't even watch the World Cup on mainstream American television, let alone any league. Today EPL is on NBC, Champions League is on FOX, MLS just signed a 800 million dollar deal with ESPN despite being at best the 20th best soccer league in the world, and more people watch the World Cup in America than the NBA Finals and MLB World Series. The MLS is now the 3rd highest average attendance league in America. There is a reason ESPN is giving non-stop blanket coverage to the World Cup this summer, its because the market is there and its only growing. America is changing both culturally and demogrpahically, and the more globalized view of sports in those born in the information age is driving that.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKUA9f7MoFM&t=150"]Portland Timbers@Seattle Sounders FC (Clint Dempsey's Home Debut) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[lilchi721]

I don't know how big rugby is around the world

 

[WizardHawk]

American Women's team WON THE FUCKING WORLD CUP and still nobody gives a shit a decade later.

I'd have two responses to that.

The Seattle Storm has won women's basketball championships here and despite that being our own pro team still no one gives a shit about them, and there is growing disinterest in general for basketball in this region. ITS WOMENS SPORTS FFS.

Women's world cup is in it's infancy. Less than half of the countries that have mens teams even have a womens team and even those that do don't spend a lot of time, money, or energy developing it. It's not hard to be the best when no one else gives a shit. I'm sure most of the world cares more about their under 23 squads than they do their top level womens team.

If soccer is ghey in any real way then women's soccer is flaming transgender horse blowing ghey.

 

[Jack_John_Mark]

lol @ the world and it's goofy sports

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Soccer costs $0 to play so it will always be the most popular sport in the world. If you have a rock and can draw a line in the dirt as a goal marker you can play a game.