Is soccer unamerican?YER G-DDAMN RIGHT IT IS!
Posted on 08/03/2004 10:08:04 AM PDT by aynrandy
The late Mike Royko once wrote that soccer's worldwide popularity only proves that most of the world is too poor to build bowling alleys.
I'm inclined to agree, and so is the American public, which has rejected the sport by paying it absolutely no attention.
So why then is Commerce City, a working-class municipality, banking its future on a soccer stadium?
Last week, Commerce City officials and Kroenke Sports Enterprises announced plans to develop more than 360 acres of land that would house a soccer utopia. (Is that an oxymoron?)
The complex would include a 20,000-seat soccer stadium for the Colorado Rapids, youth soccer fields, retail outlets and a civic center.
Under terms of the agreement, Commerce City will contribute 160 acres for construction, and Kroenke Sports will purchase 200 acres from the city for commercial or retail development.
But the plan, unanimously approved by the City Council of Commerce City, can only commence if voters approve a $64 million bond issue in November.
So much for the free market.
A $64 million loan. ... Strike that. Any loan in the name of soccer is just asking for trouble.
David Ehrlich, Kroenke Sports' chief operating officer, obviously disagrees, and in a statement said the Prairie Gateway is an "ideal location" for the site. A somewhat disingenuous statement, considering there really is no there there.
In fact, a quick experiential survey of the proposed site at the intersection of Interstate 70 and Quebec Street reveals that the closest entertainment is a "gentleman's club" called the Landing Strip.
What doesn't bode well for the future soccer stadium is that the Landing Strip probably outdraws the Rapids on any given Sunday.
Before you send me indignant messages about the growing popularity of soccer, or the evils of stripping, remember, we've been hearing both for decades.
Admittedly, recreational soccer is almost as popular among children as strip clubs are among men - youngsters, evidently, don't know any better.
But professional soccer, the financial anchor of the deal, has reliably failed to attract an audience or revenue.
If we use the dismal history of professional soccer in the U.S. as a guide, Commerce City will be extraordinarily lucky if the Rapids even take the field in the spring of 2007, when the stadium is projected to open.
Stan Kroenke, owner of the Rapids, and seemingly every other sports team in Denver, for that matter, may not be able to see Commerce City from his penthouse atop the Pepsi Center, but he's certainly a man who knows what he's doing when it comes to professional franchises.
If anyone can make soccer a hit in the area, he can. But Kroenke can also afford to fail. Commerce City's working class can't.
Yes, city officials have promised that this deal won't raise taxes. And yes, they contend that around $12 million of the bonds will be paid back through sales tax revenue generated by the stadium.
That's if Major League Soccer (another oxymoron?) breaks the mold and stays in business for a couple of decades. And even if they do stay in business, and even if the Rapids sell tickets briskly, it will take decades to pay $12 million in debt by the annually generated sales tax revenue.
Perhaps this cynicism is misplaced, a personal crusade against soccer. Perhaps Commerce City will become the soccer capital of Colorado, which is about as prestigious as being the croquet capital of Alabama.
Perhaps well-to-do fans might occasionally wander up from Stapleton and Park Hill and spend a couple of bucks on beer and treat themselves to a 0-0 tie.
If, however, the plan fails, Commerce City will definitely be stuck with a deserted stadium and millions of dollars of debt.
All because of soccer.
David Harsanyi's column appears Monday and Thursday. Contact him at 303-820-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com .
But to answer the question......yes, soccer is both un-American and un-watchable.
Is Golf Un-American?
Is soccer unamerican?YER G-DDAMN RIGHT IT IS!
Daughter lives in Colorado. Has been to some soccer games, called 'friendlies' between the USA team and the Mexican team. It's great fun and while the crowds are almost entirely rooting for Mexico they are good natured and don't trouble the girls at all for cheering for the USA!
Two weeks ago, 65,000 people showed up at Soldier Field to watch Bayern Munich play an exhibition against Manchester United. If you give Americans top-quality soccer, they'll pay. Unfortunately, MLS doesn't do that.
Nope, but it damn sure is boring.
What is it with all the anti-soccer threads and comments lately?
It's a great sport when you understand it (like kockey). But it's a personal taste. I cannot stand watching American football, baseball, golf or fishing shows. It doesn't mean those are awful sports. They're just not for me.
The dangerous thing is when soccer becomes a religion...which it is for many fans in other parts of the world.
Is Soccer Un-American?
Well, it's definitely socialist... you gotta play with both hands tied behind your back.
Looks like someone is expecting a large influx of mexicans and south americans.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
"kockey" should be "hockey"
Note to self: try spell-check once in a while...
Ah yes, the old "if I cannot understand it, it must be socialist" argument. If soccer is socialist, then most other sports are as well.
Soccer is not Un-American. I never said it was. Now SHOVE IT!
I meant to ask if this writer ever gets around to answering the question, but then I realized you changed the title.
Please don't change article titles. Especially when your new title has NOTHING to do with the article.
Calculus is un-American, too. Too complex, takes too much time.
Agreed, Choose Ye.
I would have to go further, as I'm safely five time zones from any form of retaliation. American Football is like lane swimming. It's duller than basketball.
Remember chaps, "Football" is what the great game is called, not "soccer". And take it from me, we were robbed in Euro 2004. Eng-land! Eng-land!
Soccer utopia?
No commercial breaks, either.
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