[Straight Vermonter]

Between Univision and ESPN, 25 million viewers tuned in to watch the U.S. play Portugal last Sunday. Compare that to 15.5 million viewers that the NBA finals averaged this year, or the 14.9 million averaged in last year’s baseball World Series. Worse, the NHL playoffs averaged only 5 million viewers. Only NFL football consistently beats soccer’s best rating.

This number has been quoted an nauseum. It means nothing in terms of on going sports viewing.

In the last summer Olympics gymnastics drew . In the last winter Olympics figure skating drew 25 million viewers.

Does anyone think that this shows we are becoming a country that watches gymnastics or figure skating regularly? Of course not. We watch these things because of they are an event not for the sport itself. Similarly the Superbowl has become a much bigger event than a game. Many (most?) of the viewers are people that seldom or never watch another sporting even all year.

[trisham]

"One nation under God.."

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[Labyrinthos]

From the article: Soccer is counting on the growing U.S. Latino population to raise its popularity. Between 2002 and 2012, the Latino population increased from 13.3% of the U.S. population to 17%. I’m certain that will be a factor, but perhaps not a huge one

I know many Hispanic immigrants and first generation Americans from Mexico, Guatemala, Equator, Columbia, and other Latin countries. Almost universally, they have gravitated away from soccer to American football, baseball, and to a lesser extent, basketball. Sure they still play soccer for recreation, but they are passionate about football and baseball and watch every game they can on TV. I've noticed the same trend with Irish immigrants.

[Colonel_Flagg]

We are a country of pioneers, and we like to see extraordinary effort rewarded... with points.

And since it takes extraordinary effort to score in soccer, what's the problem?