Posted on 07/28/2009 10:58:02 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
The president spoke with FIFA head Sepp Blatter in a meeting at the White House on Monday and stated his belief that hosting the event may help to promote the profile of soccer in the United States.
Blatter said in a press conference that he has a duty to be impartial to all 11 contenders for the 2018 event -- but confirmed that Obama had appealed to him to "make another move toward United States soccer."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Blatter, who played for nearly 20 years in his home nation of Switzerland, told a press conference that he had also been "impressed" by Obama's skills when the two kicked a ball between one another.
Is there anything this guy doesn’t get involved in?
Where was Obama in 94? Been there, done that, and Americans still aren’t into the sport.
Exactly. We hosted it in 1994. Doubtful we would get the opportunity again any time soon.
OOPS, American’s should be Americans.
And in 1994, it became the most widely attended World Cup in history.
Just another Obama mandate that the vast majority of Americans do not want.
and boy was it good al_c. Fans, fans and more fans.
Another feel-good gesture by the phony-in-chief.
in 1994 it was a HUGE event, bigger then WC in France or even Germany.. There is a massive number of Americans that love the game. Biggest issue is second/third rate nature of the Major League Soccer. Those that are fans watch EPL, Spanish league, Bundesliga. If MLS develops into a real premier soccer league it can definitely beat both hockey and basketball.
WC is the biggest part/sports even in the world, I was in Paris when French won it at home it utterly insane. In USA ever got to the final it would propel the game very far. US soccer development program is VERY good and is getting better, by 2018 with some luck and home field advantage.. who knows it might happen!
Can you imagine what butt we’d kick if our A list athletes were involved in the sport? If they started handling a ball when they were 5?
Even with (very talented) 2nd/3rd stringers, we’re still ranked 12th in the world. Not bad.
Somebody’s into everything. But the ‘94 World Cup really didn’t do anything to change the overall popularity of the sport here. I think the soccer people just need to accept that the game just doesn’t appeal to Americans. Kind of like hockey, I love hockey, but it’s never been popular in America and never will be.
And apparently none of the Americans that went ever watched another soccer game. I don’t really care if they hold it here, free tourist money is free tourist money. It’s the thinking that holding it here will make the game more generally popular that I’m saying has already been shown false.
All I know is that I’m still pissed off about losing to Mexico in the Gold Cup Finals, and I want revenge on August 12th in Azteca. I hate losing to Mexico in soccer as much as I hate losing to Florida State in football (not that I’ve had to worry about that in recent years).
“There is a massive number of Americans that love the game.”
Maybe in pure numbers, but the per capita interest is just not there. Sorry, but it just isn’t.
“In USA ever got to the final it would propel the game very far.”
Doubtful. The problem is that there is just to many ties and to few goals. As a spectator sport, soccer is just to frustrating. Why invest 90 minutes in watching an event that could end up with no winner. Heck, at the end of the halfs it is frustrating to “wonder” when the game will end. Our culture wants clear winners and action along the way.
I say this as a former high school soccer player that enjoyed playing the game very much.
“if it’s the world’s most popular sport there must be something to it”
You can’t argue with that. I might suggest that one of the reasons it’s the world’s most popular sport is because you it’s one of the cheapest sports ever invented, and you can learn the rules in a few seconds. But never mind. “100 million Elvis fans can’t be wrong.”
Never mind whether it’s de facto a good sport. On a philosophical level, I can’t get behind any competition that can end in a zero-to-zero tie. It offends my moral sense.
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