World Cup Scores Only Small Audience - Only 6% Following Tournament Very Closely (Great News)

Rasmussen Reports ^ | June 23, 2006 | Scott Rasmussen

[John Lenin]

Soccer would be big here too if it was the only game in town but we have year round sporting events.

[Stallone]

Soccer is an amazing test of physical endurance, skill and strategy.

As a spectator sport, I don't think anything compares.

It is only ignorance of the finer points of the game, understandable in North America when it comes to soccer, that prevents more of an audience.

In Canada, it is the familiarity of playing and watching soccer from a toddler that makes it fascinating.

In America, other sports such as baseball connect to the soul.

An American growing up in Italy or Brazil would be a lifetime rabid fan of soccer.

Similarly, one growing up in India might have an affinity for cricket.

[dfwgator]

The big thing lacking in US Soccer is the emergence of a marketable superstar. Look how much having a Mia Hamm helped with Women's soccer, but there is nobody on the Men's team that is really marketable.

[Stallone]

Oops - Canada = HOCKEY!

Anyways, the point is the more knowledgeable one is about a sport, the more interest.

I'll never forget the first time I understood and watched Texas Hold'Em, after years of wondering what the point of the game was, I was hooked.

And so it goes.

[John Lenin]

You don't hear too much about soccer scholarships. Maybe that's why, no demand for the sport.

[Bogeygolfer]

"Compared to Super Bowl ratings Soccer has a long way to go in the US. The longer you live in this country the more you see what a dud sport it is compared to the NFL and even the NBA. Baseball is fun to play but can get real boring to watch if the pitchers are good."

I would love to argue all the negative points in your thread and others and not just because I like to argue. It largely depends on you experiences. Soccer strategy is in many cases more complex than football. In most cases football is very much a position game. Every position has it's responsibilities...we tend to think of the offensive coordinator or the QB as complex and therefore the sport in general is complex. The IQ of our average football player is neither great nor are they taxed intellectually to play well. From an average position players point of view American football is far easier to manage than soccer. From my experience playing both it was far more intellectually challenging playing soccer than football. I was a linebacker/end in high school and played soccer rather unsuccessfully in college (I was great in high school before I had my wake up call)(in my defense I also found out about college parties too so I may not have applied myself..yeah sure). Basketball is very limited strategically and baseball is a child's game by comparison. In baseball if you're not the manager or pitcher the only challenge is hitting. Fielding is certainly not easy but not strategically challenging. As for the fake injury garbage brought up by others well every sport has it's issues. The fake injuries are often strategic and yes they are weak. Hockey is more challenging than basketball or baseball and my thoughts are that fluid team sports require all players to be fairly well versed in the strategery of the game.
I've enjoyed watching some of these games but then I now enjoy watching golf as well and would rather watch paint dry than watch another NBA game....they are all the same at this point. Baseball is only enjoyable for me with a BBQ/Beer or at the game. American football is clearly the best game to watch, college being far superior to the NFL. Next is the NCAA Hoops tourner. After those they all fade in comparison.

[Poser]

It's like watching wrestling. Guys rolling around pretending to be injured; diving on the ground at the slightest touch; referees run amok calling fouls for no reason.

So far, the World Cup has been really lousy.

[hershey]

It's amusing because Foreign Big Money in Football/soccer has done everything possible to make soccer a big time sport in the US. They started with little kids on Sat. am, all those small towns around the US with soccer moms and dads running the kids to games and practice in between jaunts to the town dump. They moaned on NPR that baseball and football...not to mention basketball...had an unfair advantage since those sports swallowed up most of America's attention and money.

They want the US totally involved in soccer, to the point of mania, ala Brazil, Mexico, the UK, Germany, etc.. All they see are dollar signs, and they're finding the US a tough nut to crack. Doubtless, with broken borders and twenty four million illegal aliens already here, soccer will become much more popular. One Happy Hemisphere will see the rest of the hemisphere moving north, bringing soccer mania with them. It's all about money. The US has a national 'identity', a history of sports, and it's baseball and football, not soccer.

[68 grunt]

I'd like to call BS on it, too, but I'll settle with being a 6%'er ;^)

[John Lenin]

I see too many kicks in soccer that are either to clear the ball of kicked into a crowd where anybody has a shot at the ball. That's what I'm referring to in 'mindless kicks'. They appear mindless to the fan unless a goal is scored on said kick.

[hershey]

I like soccer, myself, but distrust the motives of the people behind this push to make it 'America's sport'. It's not, for whatever reason...and if you think about it American individualism runs counter to soccer...the team mentality thing. Just a thought.

[68 grunt]

... watching the games on Univision as well. ...

And, Univision doesn't have that irritating trait of putting the stats, or information windows and other nonsense directly over the ongoing activity on the pitch.

[68 grunt]

... Don't know why so many idiots have staked so much of their tiny sense of self worth on soccer being unpopular. ...

I consider the repeat offenders to be disruptors, seeking any opportunity to drive a wedge between FReepers, thus weakening our unity, however so minimally.

[68 grunt]

... or a commercial ...

Soccer, no commercials for 45+ minutes, wonderful!

Soccer; a 90 minute game which finishes in under 2 hours.
Football; a 60 minute game which takes around 3 hours.

[68 grunt]

... We ...

Why do you say 'we' when you put in your $.02?

[ishabibble]

Because you never kick in, seriously, you're such a mooch...next time you're putting in the 2 cents. I'm sick of paying your freight...seriously, when's the last time you bought me a beer? Huh? Oh, nothing to say now, is that it???

[68 grunt]

Hey, I just coughed up $02, six, now seven, times. And you say I'm cheap! ;^>

[ishabibble]

Sorry. We never talk anymore...it's all the little things. You don't open up and share your feelings like you used to back before you hit it big. Back when there was no .02...but we didn't need money...we had each other.

NOW LOOK. OF COURSE IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT I NEVER CARED ABOUT THE MONEY WHY DO YOU HATE MY MOTHER?

[68 grunt]

There is nothing about your mother I hate! I thought you'd be like her. I had a thing for her. There, now you know ...

[ishabibble]

Oh yeah? My own mother? I'm picking up the phone right this minute and calling my lawyers, Stall, Linger, and Delay.

Enjoy that .02 while you can. Now I'm calling Tahiti and booking a suite. Deluxe. Thanks so much, I'll write when I get there...so you know where to send my moolah!