What's with the fixation on "popularity?" NFL football is the most popular sport in the U.S., by far. Soccer is growing more popular, and probably rising to the levels of NHL hockey and MLB baseball. But who cares?
Who seriously looks at the growing popularity of a sport, any sport, and says "my sport is more popular?" Are these people threatened by something? Are these the same people who think that a sport, any sport, is being "shoved down their throat?"
Here's a protip: turn off ESPN, then.
These are businesses. Popularity translates into revenue. The NFL was not always the most popular sport in the US. In many ways, it is the product of television and good marketing. The NFL is made for TV. There are set commercial breaks and it has a defined beginning and end, unlike baseball. Soccer is compatible with the defined time aspect, but there is no break in the action--no timeouts--and that hurts from the perspective of advertising.
I am a avid sports fan of almost every sport. Those who seek to deride soccer in the US point to its relatively low popularity compared to football. The natural rejoinder is to state that soccer in the world's biggest and most popular sport. And the retort is that soccer is anti-American.
“Here’s a protip: turn off ESPN, then.”
I don’t have cable...personal choice. Usually there’s plenty to watch on the networks.
For me, CBS is 13.1 on the DTV dial, over the air. There is also a sister station 13.2, which shows ‘second run’ type television...Adam 12, Bosom Buddies etc.
And 60 miles away from me, there is a soccer team in Kansas City. The network started airing their games on 13.2. Fine.
But suddenly, the network has started airing them on 13.1, the main CBS station...my only CBS station. So more than once, I have turned on the tv expecting to watch something...only to find it pre-empted by soccer. I never watch, so I can’t be sure, but I’m fairly sure there aren’t even commercials. The commentary is bland and not in an ‘announcers voice’...they only seem to have two cameras, and the color and picture quality remind me of the 1970’s.
I have no idea why the networks airs this...they have to lose money. I suspect that since soccer is sacred, the network gets credit towards their ‘community service’ requirements for their FCC license.
Anyway, on some days I kinda do feel like soccer is being shoved down my throat.