Us Defeat (Who's To Blame?)

[ajoknoblauch]

If that's the case, why do you feel so threatened by it?

Soccer is not a threat but, every four years, it becomes an annoyance. In the States, it draws about six million fans per year, so less than two percent of US residents attend a game, and only a couple franchises consistently sell out their games despite playing in small venues. In attendance, it comes in a very distant fifth, after baseball, football, basketball and hockey. The latter two outdraw soccer nearly four-to-one despite playing indoors.

Of course, MLS (or should it be "ALS?") does earn more than US$30 million annually from its TV contracts. In baseball, by contrast, the Los Angeles Dodgers have had to settle for a paltry US$7 billion over 25 years. For a single team, that's barely US$280,000,000 per annum, not even ten times what all of soccer earns.

On that scale, soccer is relatively innocuous, though it appears that evangelist fans, rather than the players, are the ones suffering from header concussions.

 

[Matiasba]

Your posture is like Football (soccer) in the US was like 10 years ago. It changed dramatically.

 

[PhilipDT]

Soccer is not a threat but, every four years, it becomes an annoyance. In the States, it draws about six million fans per year, so less than two percent of US residents attend a game, and only a couple franchises consistently sell out their games despite playing in small venues. In attendance, it comes in a very distant fifth, after baseball, football, basketball and hockey. The latter two outdraw soccer nearly four-to-one despite playing indoors.

Of course, MLS (or should it be "ALS?") does earn more than US$30 million annually from its TV contracts. In baseball, by contrast, the Los Angeles Dodgers have had to settle for a paltry US$7 billion over 25 years. For a single team, that's barely US$280,000,000 per annum, not even ten times what all of soccer earns.

On that scale, soccer is relatively innocuous, though it appears that evangelist fans, rather than the players, are the ones suffering from header concussions.

Baseball games sell out and yet nobody watches on tv. How can that be?

Oh, right! Nobody at the stadium is watching either...

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Baseball games sell out and yet nobody watches on tv. How can that be?

Oh, right! Nobody at the stadium is watching either...

At baseball games, unlike soccer, there's actually something to analyze and talk about with your neighbor. In soccer (especially in Argentina), you simply urinate and throw firecrackers at your neighbor.

 

[scotttswan]

At baseball games, unlike soccer, there's actually something to analyze and talk about with your neighbor. In soccer (especially in Argentina), you simply urinate and throw firecrackers at your neighbor.

"he hit that ball, He caught it, He ran around the square, we need another 2 more people to run around to win, He's not very good today"

sure lots to talk about.

Baseball isn't even a proper team game, Just look at "moneyball".

 

[French jurist]

Maybe sports that were more profitable to the TV companies have benefited from a better coverage in the US (Basket, Baseball, American football) since it's possible to air more ads during a game (if you watch soccer, you don't want to be interrupted for 30 seconds during a half-time).

Would explain why soccer didn't catch up quickly (+ maybe it was considered a latino thing, could have meant something a few decades ago, not sure).

 

[ajoknoblauch]

"he hit that ball, He caught it, He ran around the square, we need another 2 more people to run around to win, He's not very good today"

sure lots to talk about.

Baseball isn't even a proper team game, Just look at "moneyball".

Complexity escapes soccer fans. In fairness, it could just be the header concussions they suffered in childhood.

 

[Matiasba]

Maybe sports that were more profitable to the TV companies have benefited from a better coverage in the US (Basket, Baseball, American football) since it's possible to air more ads during a game (if you watch soccer, you don't want to be interrupted for 30 seconds during a half-time).

Would explain why soccer didn't catch up quickly (+ maybe it was considered a latino thing, could have meant something a few decades ago, not sure).

I wrote the exact same thing like a year ago here. The no tv advertisement is the key to understand the not success of soccer.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

I wrote the exact same thing like a year ago here. The no tv advertisement is the key to understand the not success of soccer.

In fairness, TV adverts are more interesting than soccer.

 

[Joe]

In fairness, TV adverts are more interesting than soccer.

This poll blames you for the US defeat. I think that is unfair. There are many things that you can be blamed for, e.g. highly repetitive annoying posts (which I attribute to OCD anyways) - but blaming you for the US defeat is crossing the line. And I am here to defend you!