The World's Pastime
If the FIFA World Cup of Soccer in any way interests you please stand up (along with the real Slim Shady). That’s right, get out of your chair (I assume you’re sitting) and stand right up.
How many of you are standing?
I’d love to know.
Sunday afternoon brought a nationally televised grudge match between two European national teams. I think it was France and Italy, but really, who the hell knows.
Regulation ended in a way that far too many soccer games end – a 1-1 tie. Regulation was followed by two overtime sessions that did happen to provide some excitement. Unfortunately an actual goal was not part of this. It was a forehead of a French player landing on an Italian player’s chest that brought me to attention. The Frenchman’s over-zealous behavior landed him in the locker room for an early shower. The game then ended on an anti-climactic penalty kick session that made a mockery of goalies (excuse me – keepers). Those guys look pretty silly diving for the left corner while the ball flies in the right side. They should spin the kicker around ten times on a wiffle-ball bat before the kick to make it fair.
Unlike the scoring in the World Cup, the ratings in the US were surprisingly up – more than doubling the ratings of 2002. However, some attribute this increase to a more time-friendly location for live viewing (Germany vs. somewhere in Asia). I’ve even heard someone explain the higher US ratings by citing the onslaught of immigration since 2002.
So why does soccer pale in popularity to our beloved big three – football (American style), baseball, and basketball? Even the suffering NHL pulls more viewers that the MLS.
Some people think it’s because goals in soccer games are more infrequent than baseball players who aren’t using steroids. But let’s think about this – our national pastime has moments of outfield grass growing faster than the pace of the game, basketball can take forty-five minutes for the clock to move two, and don’t even get me started on hockey.
(For those of you looking for some criticism of American football it’s not going to happen because it does not exist)
So back to the question at hand – why do people in the US care more about the Professional Bowling Tour than Major League Soccer?
I think tradition plays a huge role. We grew up watching the big three and learning the history behind teams and players. Our brains became wired – just like the rest of the World was getting wired with stories and advertising of their respective soccer stars. And since we’re on the subject of advertising – it deserves some investigation. Soccer does not lend itself to frequent advertisement. Football, basketball, and baseball games can cut to commercial on a whim while soccer games rarely stop. In the land of capitalism, money not only talks, but determines what sports are most frequently televised. So I’ll just conveniently blame soccer’s lack of popularity on American greed.
Or maybe it’s because soccer is kind of boring.
Send John Poole some PKs at poolejohn@gmail.com
How many of you are standing?
I’d love to know.
Sunday afternoon brought a nationally televised grudge match between two European national teams. I think it was France and Italy, but really, who the hell knows.
Regulation ended in a way that far too many soccer games end – a 1-1 tie. Regulation was followed by two overtime sessions that did happen to provide some excitement. Unfortunately an actual goal was not part of this. It was a forehead of a French player landing on an Italian player’s chest that brought me to attention. The Frenchman’s over-zealous behavior landed him in the locker room for an early shower. The game then ended on an anti-climactic penalty kick session that made a mockery of goalies (excuse me – keepers). Those guys look pretty silly diving for the left corner while the ball flies in the right side. They should spin the kicker around ten times on a wiffle-ball bat before the kick to make it fair.
Unlike the scoring in the World Cup, the ratings in the US were surprisingly up – more than doubling the ratings of 2002. However, some attribute this increase to a more time-friendly location for live viewing (Germany vs. somewhere in Asia). I’ve even heard someone explain the higher US ratings by citing the onslaught of immigration since 2002.
So why does soccer pale in popularity to our beloved big three – football (American style), baseball, and basketball? Even the suffering NHL pulls more viewers that the MLS.
Some people think it’s because goals in soccer games are more infrequent than baseball players who aren’t using steroids. But let’s think about this – our national pastime has moments of outfield grass growing faster than the pace of the game, basketball can take forty-five minutes for the clock to move two, and don’t even get me started on hockey.
(For those of you looking for some criticism of American football it’s not going to happen because it does not exist)
So back to the question at hand – why do people in the US care more about the Professional Bowling Tour than Major League Soccer?
I think tradition plays a huge role. We grew up watching the big three and learning the history behind teams and players. Our brains became wired – just like the rest of the World was getting wired with stories and advertising of their respective soccer stars. And since we’re on the subject of advertising – it deserves some investigation. Soccer does not lend itself to frequent advertisement. Football, basketball, and baseball games can cut to commercial on a whim while soccer games rarely stop. In the land of capitalism, money not only talks, but determines what sports are most frequently televised. So I’ll just conveniently blame soccer’s lack of popularity on American greed.
Or maybe it’s because soccer is kind of boring.
Send John Poole some PKs at poolejohn@gmail.com
posted by John Poole at 10:38 PM
1 Comments:
Alright dude, I'm your friend and all but come on with the crapping on soccer.
Take any player in the NFL and pair him with any professional soccer player and see who can be active longer. While American football can be exciting. There is also a lot of down time. Hike, exert one's self for 4 to 15 seconds depending on the play chosen, rest for 20 seconds. Yes, I'm sure it's tiring. More tiring I would argue would be running non-stop for 45+ minutes with quite frequent 50 yard plus sprints, intermingled with the battle for posession with another few players and then having the finesse to cross the ball or pass it in the perfect spot for someone else to the kick it artfully where the keeper isn't, possibly with some English on it.
You may be right however about the advertising thing. No doubt Vonage was loving the World Cup though. I wonder how many new customers they have now. I think one of the big reasons it hasn't caught on in the US is because, like you said, there isn't enough scoring. Personally I think that makes it more intruiging to watch. There are many times during other sporting events on TV that one with excuse themselves to take a piss, get a beer, etc. I tried not to do this because I knew if I did someone would convert a bicycle kick into a goal and I would get to see it live.
Also, this is interesting. Poll ten girls about which players, in general, they think are the best looking: Football, basketball, hockey or soccer. I guarantee you the majority will say soccer.
More with our next conversation -- EJS
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