Replies

With all due respect I disagree with the soccer is catching on and is better than football angles.

First of all soccer is again being shown this time as really, really ready to break into the big league as compared to all the other times is has also been described thusly. This has been said now for over 30 years with citations of youth soccer being popular. Youth soccer has been popular now for these same 30 years but professional soccer may be a little more popular now but even with the higher ratings of 33% the average attendance was 3,439 as compared to the NHL’s (considered America’s FOURTH most popular pro sports league) average attendance of 17,500 in spite of unchecked immigration from other countries [who are more likely to be soccer fans] the last few years.

With all due apologies to Bo Jackson and LeBron James who also said he wouldn’t let his kids play football youth and those on this board who say football isn’t as popular as soccer youth football participation increased again last year to 1.23 million despite the media’s continued assault on the game.

http://usatodayhss.com/2016/survey-shows-increase-in-youth-football-participation

There will always be more youth soccer participation than football as 1.) Youth soccer numbers include girls and 2.) There is no equipment such as helmets to buy and is less physically dangerous for younger athletes and rightfully so most parents opt for this as a first option in youth sports.

Don’t know how top NFL players’ jersey sales stack up to Lionel Messi’s Barcelona club jersey sales of 1.15 jerseys but the NFL had merchandise sales last year of 1.55 billion dollars.

And while soccer has no commercials not sure if that’s good or bad but no offense if there was a commercial break one probably wouldn’t miss much as there would probably be no score or any other change of situation such as field position.

Soccer is a physically demanding and difficult sport but just because people are mad at the NFL right now (and rightfully so as I also support the boycott until the NFL get’s its’ PR and Social Justice Warrior tendencies out of its’ system) I just am getting a little tired of the claims that soccer is now ready to take over America.

Now I will say, that I don’t think the MLS is going to ever be on equal par with the other major sports league here, because in terms of the level of talent, it’s like a Single-A baseball team compared to the best European Leagues. But more and more people are following the Euro Leagues.

You can watch every English Premier League game on NBC, and now Fox features the German Bundesliga. And the day is fast approaching when the UEFA Champions League Final will rival the Super Bowl.

You make some valid points. I don’t think soccer is taking over the United States (there might be an argument if you were referring to all of the Americas) but it offers an option to those who are looking for a sport other than the big three.

I enjoy the game because there is almost non-stop action. I’m sure it does appear to the newcomer as just a bunch of guys running around on a field. It takes time to learn the rules and understand the fine points. I’ve watched the NFL for years and still don’t all the rules although the fact that the league has a habit of changing them so often doesn’t help.

I can’t speak to jersey sales but very few fans don’t have some team apparel to wear to matches.The fans are loyal; some might say rabid.

Actually, there are commercials, just not commercial breaks. They run those ticker-tape ads along the top of the screen; they’re still annoying.

Soccer is still the world’s most popular game. We routinely see 50-60,000 at here at Sounders matches. In the UK it’s practically a religion. Even in the poorist mudhole countries in Africa, you’ll find the kids booting a soccer ball around in the dirt. I’m surprised the SJWs haven’t gotten behind soccer (I’m NOT one, BTW). Where else can you find players of every race, color, creed and ethnicity playing together on the same team?