One reason not mentioned is that many people in the US don’t like Europeans telling them what they should like.
He is actually wrong about baseball. It is played widely throughout Central and South America especially Venezuela, as well as Canada. It is also played at a fairly high level in Taiwan and South Korea. It is not just a Japanese/American thing. There is also growing interest in Baseball in China as the ethos of the game sort of fits well in a Confucian culture or at least that is my observation.
I think soccer and lacross are ridiculously stupid sports.
“There is also growing interest in Baseball in China as the ethos of the game sort of fits well in a Confucian culture or at least that is my observation.”
Baseball is the perfect game, an infinite game I’ve always thought. Not sure if that fits with what you are thinking, but I figured I’d put it out there.