Sound Off: Is Football (Finally) on the Rise in America?

[Seahawk76]

There is simply no doubt that interest in soccer has been growing over the past 20 years or so but its been steady growth. The sport isn't going to suddenly explode overnight into a major sport in this country. If and when it gets there it will have happened incrementally.


Personally I think its only a matter of time before soccer passes hockey as the fourth most popular sport but it is decades away from challenging football, baseball, or basketball, if it ever does. But that doesn't mean that the US couldn't eventually grow into a world power in the sport. There are too many great athletes in this country and over time more and more of them will play the sport.


Just the fact that you can now see the EPL on network and cable TV illustrates that there is a rising market in this country.

[dickey1331]

With the NFLs problem with concussions and parents worried about their kids safety. It's just a matter of time before the NFL falls. They have nowhere to go but down. It may not be in 10 years or even 30 years but in my life time soccer will be a top sport in America.

The MLS doesn't need to get rid of ties. If they want to succeed and be able to compete with Europe then we need to be more like them. Getting rid of ties will ruin the MLS.

[eyeamg0dly]

Quote: Originally Posted by dickey1331

With the NFLs problem with concussions and parents worried about their kids safety. It's just a matter of time before the NFL falls. They have nowhere to go but down. It may not be in 10 years or even 30 years but in my life time soccer will be a top sport in America. The MLS doesn't need to get rid of ties. If they want to succeed and be able to compete with Europe then we need to be more like them. Getting rid of ties will ruin the MLS.

The NFL will never fail at least not in our lifetime. The sport is embedded into American culture way too deep. If anything the sport will grow more, but honestly what happens in the NFL will not effect MLS or soccer in general.

I know you might argue that our country's top athletic prospects are going to our major sports and not soccer, but honestly think about how many of those top prospects even hit their potential or fall out because of injury or lack of interest in general. Soccer and baseball (t-ball) does tend to draw out the very young kids since you have to be a certain age to play tackle football. It has always been this way at least since I was a kid. It is just a matter of keeping them interested in the sport.

I think once we have world class American soccer players and the media really gives in and follows the sport across the world, we will see a dramatic swing in the popularity of the sport.

[iTz BlaKe B]

Well they've gained me as a life long fan. If that's a indicator of anything.

[inkcil]

As long as the best players in the world play in leagues in other countries, forget about it.

The reason why we love the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA so much is because the best players in the world come here to play. Then they assign themselves with us geographically - Boston, Cleveland, LA, NY, Oakland, Philly, etc. There is a sense of community and family around the teams and their "top of the world class" players. That geographical connection is HUGE and it is something we'll never get from a League in another country. Sorry.

The minute the NFL becomes a European League and all of the worlds best players go there to play is the minute (i.e. the London Steelers and the Paris Raiders) that the NFL starts to fall off in America, and not a minute sooner.

Besides, where does the MLS rank in terms of World Leagues? Is it the 10th best? 20th? Someone please tell me because I listened to the commentary team on the ESPN FC call MLS highlights this week and they laughed their way through it. Some of you guys saw it too. They laughed through the whole highlight reel.

The World Cup is an International Spectacle akin to the Olympics in that it creates a passion centered around nationalism and pride. "Everybody" gets caught up all over the world, whether you follow the sport all year round or not. Do the masses follow gymnastics or sprinting all year round in America? No. But come the Olympics you couldn't tell.

Soccer is a great sport and America has room for it year round. But until the best players in the world come here to play in Jacksonville, in Dakota, in Seattle, in LA, in Chicago, in Charlotte - it will always be a "once every four year World Cup fling" that has as much or more to do with national pride and people wanting to chant "USA" than anything else.

[eyeamg0dly]

Quote: Originally Posted by inkcil

As long as the best players in the world play in leagues in other countries, forget about it. The reason why we love the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA so much is because the best players in the world come here to play. Then they assign themselves with us geographically - Boston, Cleveland, LA, NY, Oakland, Philly, etc. There is a sense of community and family around the teams and their "top of the world class" players. That geographical connection is HUGE and it is something we'll never get from a League in another country. Sorry. The minute the NFL becomes a European League and all of the worlds best players go there to play is the minute (i.e. the London Steelers and the Paris Raiders) that the NFL starts to fall off in America, and not a minute sooner. Besides, where does the MLS rank in terms of World Leagues? Is it the 10th best? 20th? Someone please tell me because I listened to the commentary team on the ESPN FC call MLS highlights this week and they laughed their way through it. Some of you guys saw it too. They laughed through the whole highlight reel. The World Cup is an International Spectacle akin to the Olympics in that it creates a passion centered around nationalism and pride. "Everybody" gets caught up all over the world, whether you follow the sport all year round or not. Do the masses follow gymnastics or sprinting all year round in America? No. But come the Olympics you couldn't tell. Soccer is a great sport and America has room for it year round. But until the best players in the world come here to play in Jacksonville, in Dakota, in Seattle, in LA, in Chicago, in Charlotte - it will always be a "once every four year World Cup fling" that has as much or more to do with national pride and people wanting to chant "USA" than anything else.

Yet the people who actually follow the sport both here and abroad have no problems tuning in to watch top level soccer in Europe. If you and your friends don't follow it, then that is fine, nobody is judging. However that argument is flawed when you say nobody will watch the sport because the MLS isn't a top level league. What you should say is that hardcore american sports purist won't watch it.

MLS is designed to create playing time for american players for the world cup. That is why there is a limit to the number of foreign players per team. There are also other "american" rules like salary caps, draft, etc. As far as the league quality, Most would consider fairly close to English Championship which is one step down from Premier league.

[inkcil]

Quote: Originally Posted by eyeamg0dly

Yet the people who actually follow the sport both here and abroad have no problems tuning in to watch top level soccer in Europe. If you and your friends don't follow it, then that is fine, nobody is judging. However that argument is flawed when you say nobody will watch the sport because the MLS isn't a top level league. What you should say is that hardcore american sports purist won't watch it. MLS is designed to create playing time for american players for the world cup. That is why there is a limit to the number of foreign players per team. There are also other "american" rules like salary caps, draft, etc. As far as the league quality, Most would consider fairly close to English Championship which is one step down from Premier league.

I thought it was clear that I was speaking in the context of Soccer rising to the level of the other major sports in terms of National interest and following. Of course many Americans watch the MLS, the Premier League and other world leagues year round, but is soccer on the rise in America? I would say no. In other words, for example if it was (hypothetically) the 8th most popular sport in America (behind the Big 4, X-games, Motorsports & Golf) before this World Cup it will not be 7th or higher when the Cup is done. Let the dust settle and check back in a year. It will still be 8th. IMO.

[SteelersFreak]

Quote: Originally Posted by eyeamg0dly

The NFL will never fail at least not in our lifetime. The sport is embedded into American culture way too deep. If anything the sport will grow more, but honestly what happens in the NFL will not effect MLS or soccer in general. I know you might argue that our country's top athletic prospects are going to our major sports and not soccer, but honestly think about how many of those top prospects even hit their potential or fall out because of injury or lack of interest in general. Soccer and baseball (t-ball) does tend to draw out the very young kids since you have to be a certain age to play tackle football. It has always been this way at least since I was a kid. It is just a matter of keeping them interested in the sport. I think once we have world class American soccer players and the media really gives in and follows the sport across the world, we will see a dramatic swing in the popularity of the sport.

Honestly, in about 100 to 200 years I think history books will look back on American football and think "What the **** were they thinking?"

The more research they do on playing football, the worse and worse it looks for the health, football is either going to become non-existant or its going to become flag football, seriously. And its not necessarily because its really THAT dangerous, but when you have former pro players not allowing their kids to play football because of what happened to them, that tells you something and more importantly, it tells parents something.