Posted on 06/28/2006 3:40:11 PM PDT by new yorker 77
Despite a high level of media coverage for the World Cup soccer tournament, three-fourths of Americans (78%) are not following the action very closely if at all. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 adults found that just 6% are following the tournament very closely.
Nine percent (9%) of men are paying close attention along with 3% of women.
The Super Bowl remains the biggest sport championship in terms of fan appeal. Thirty-five percent (35%) of Americans say it’s their favorite championship to watch. The World Series is the only other championship to reach double digits—12% of adults say it’s their favorite.
One-fourth of all Americans (25%) say they don’t want any sports championships.
Despite the general lack of interest in the World Cup by the US audience, the soccer tournament is more popular than the NBA basketball championship and the NHL’s Stanley Cup hockey title. Both of those events were being held at the same time as the World Cup.
Fourteen percent (14%) of Americans say they played soccer in an organized league at some point in their life.
Fifty-two percent (52%) of Americans believe there is a professional soccer league in the United States (and they’re right).
The survey was conducted before the U.S. soccer team was eliminated. However, few were surprised by the lack of success--just 5% of the nation’s adults thought it was very likely the U.S. team would win the tournament.
Yes...it wasn't Mia Hamm.
That's an extra hour of time you're having fun
well if you're going to put it that way, what about baseball, where the average play is about a second? From the time the ball leaves the pitcher's hand to when the ball hits the catchers glove, with the occasional play lasting about eight seconds with a fielded hit.
In football the shortest play is generally 5 to 8 seconds
that's probably the most bizarre explanation I've ever heard. I could care less what body part they use, I'd watch a sport involving nothing but your shin if it was at least interesting
and for the record, I actually don't mind soccer that much
a better comparison would be any given sunday's nfl ratings to any given day's MLS ratings, and then comparing the super bowl with the world cup
Since WHEN is there TV commercials between any of those plays (minus the kickoffs and punts which are changes of possession) except when there is an injury or time out?
The answer is NEVER.
The American sportscasters are too young (Wyanlda, Balboa, Lalas) or uninformed (O'Brien, Musburger). I find it humorous these announcers are critical of the WC players that beat them in the past. They laugh at Ronaldo for being to fat, but he's the top WC scorer ever and he took the US team to school in their last match.
ESPN/ABC coverage has been awful and just downright *boring*
On another note - I see soccer at capitalistic, not socialist. Some of the top paid athletes in the world play soccer. Fans are spending huge amounts of cash at the venues. There is a reason why Malcom Glazer (Tampa Bucs owner) just bought a professional soccer team.
Which is why baseball isn't actually very exciting. It's interesting and discussable much like football, and with a good pitchers duel can be tense and suspenseful, but it's really only exciting when someone turns a nice double play. Baseball looses even more excitement because the season is so long, with a 160 game season it's hard to get excited about any one game, yeah 3 months from now it might matter for the penant race, but then again it might not.
Real sports folks can appreciate the skills of most any sport. One can be as passionate about NFL as it is about Soccer, Rugby, Basketball, Surfing, or any other sport.
The whole "soccer is socialist" argument is insulting to the intelligence. Doubly so to the person making it.
You haven't watched much football over the years have you.
Yeah the good part about athletic displays of prowess are that you really don't need to know anything about the sport surrounding the display to be able to say "damn that was impressive". Which is what keeps me watching sports I generally don't like, cause you never know when something amazing is going to happen.
I also enjoy a well designed NFL play executed by the team, a little different, but an exciting strategy. I think there is room for all the sports. Funny how sports are pitted against each other on FR.
I am the sort of person that would watch cricket on TV as long as somebody's not trying to sell me tampons every 5 minutes.
I think lots of folks would enjoy the 3 minute highlight reels instead of the entire game. I used to watch the Bundesliga highlights on the USA channel that way - fast-paced and fun!
All I know is that when a NFL player is carried off the field on a stretcher, he's going to the hospital. Can you give us a figure of the number of players carried of in the World Cup that indeed were admitted to a German Hospital?
I fail to understand why anybody would give two hoots about soccer. I tried to watch a little of the World Cup. But, Christmas on a Cracker!!!!!!!!
They are many problems with soccer and why it will never catch on in the US.
1. Not enough goal scoring.
Every player can not use their hands, well, except for the guy who is standing in front of the goal. What the? This comes across to most Americans as inherently unfair. Everyone play by the same rules. And if you insist on using your hands, take those girlie gloves off keeper, you look like Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady".
2. Faking injuries.
Players go to the ground at the slightest contact or perceived contact. They then proceed to roll around the ground in agony. A stretcher is summoned and they are carted off. How many of these "injuries" require a visit to the hospital? Can any red blooded American really picture Shaquile O'Neal or Derek Jeter being carted off the field on a stretcher after being kicked? No "F'ing" way as John Kerry would say.
3. The "wall" on free kicks.
Hey ladies, why do you cover you nuts? Go get a cup, be freaking man for once! If you get hit it might sting for a minute, but suck it up. I swear in one game I saw a Frenchman, cover his groin with one hand and his breasts with the other.
4. Yellow and Red Cards.
Is there anything more emasculating than seeing a 50 year old man in shorts skipping up to a player and waving little card in his face? This looks like something a Hall Monitor would do in elementary school. If there is a foul, put the player in a penalty box, or let the player who was fouled one free shot to knee the opponnent in the nuts.
5. Its zero not nil. What do you think think this is, England?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.