The most popular sport in the world, hands down, is soccer. No question. No contest. No comparison. Nothing draws the world’s interest like the World Cup. It’s far and away the biggest sporting event in the world. It’s one of the few competitions that truly deserves the title of “world championship.” Many countries send their very best athletes to this soccer tournament.
You can’t count the United States in that group, however. Our best athletes tend to be busy with other things. That’s not meant as a knock on the U.S. soccer team. It’s just a reflection of the fact that football, basketball, and yes even baseball are still bigger than soccer.
Some thought that would change as youth soccer leagues grew in popularity. It did make soccer slightly more popular, but not on the same scale as the number of kids that have played the game. Most of them still prefer other sports.
Here are some unscientific, half-baked ideas as to why that is true:
- The commercial aspect. Soccer does not lend itself to advertising as other sports do (though part of that is the fact that networks in the U.S. don’t seem to have figured out how to run commercials during the game, as they do in other countries). Commercials basically only run before the game, at halftime and after the game, not at the times when people are truly focused on the set. The United States even made a push to switch world soccer to be played in quarters, rather than halves, just to get more commercials in. Without commercials, companies don’t put as much money into soccer. Lack of funding hurts the game.
- The strategy aspect. We like games where you stand around and talk. Seriously. People from other countries complain about American football, where they play for 5 seconds, then stand around and plan for 30. Baseball is like that. Even American-style basketball is slower paced than international basketball. Rugby doesn’t give you that. Soccer doesn’t give you that. Hockey, which is losing popularity every year, doesn’t give you that. We want to strategize. During the game.
- Comprehension level. Adults in the United States don’t tend to understand soccer at the level they do other sports. I thought that the proliferation of youth soccer leagues would change that, but it hasn’t seemed to. To me, it’s a bit like opera, ballet and modern art; I recognize that my lack of appreciation for those art forms speaks to a lack in me, not a deficiency in them. I don’t understand them, so I can’t appreciate what I’m seeing. I think that happens a lot with soccer.
This last point also speaks to a lot of complaints I hear about soccer. The same people who gripe about the lack of scoring in soccer can love a no-hitter in baseball. They can see the beauty of a well-executed draw play, but can’t see the elegance of a corner kick.
Will time change the States’ views toward soccer? Maybe. The first World Cup was played in 1930, and the United States was one of 13 nations that participated, placing third overall. It’s taken almost 80 years to get the United States back to a respectable international level. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.
Good post. The last one is probably the most important one. Most just do not understand the game. They don’t see the movement on the field by all the players like those who understand the game do. It is pretty much fear of the unknown. It is easier to insult something than to actually understand it. I was listening to a radio station yesterday while running an errand and they were talking about the World Cup and a game was currently on and they were in studio watching it and the DJ says, “look, they just kick the ball back and forth… I’m supposed to watch this?” Simple ignorance.
I know we are pushing for World Cup 2018 or 2022. We will probably get one of those. Interestingly enough, the 1994 tournament was the most successful Cup in history (I have heard); and even for this World Cup, I heard that Americans bought the most tickets. Go figure.
I’ve never been much of a soccer fan, though I have watched a few games that I really enjoyed. My son played for a few years, but gave it up for long-distance running. I’m a big hockey fan, so I understand how people can criticize something out of ignorance (I’m so very tired of the lame joke that goes ‘I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out’).
I agree with something Rick Atchley said on Twitter. He said one reason soccer has trouble catching on here is that Americans don’t like playing for a tie. Personally, I was glad when the NHL put in the shoot out to keep games from ending in a tie.
Futbol is not a stats sport. The American sports fan loves stats, and soccer just doesn’t work that way.
I’ve been thinking, also, about the whole “event vs. time” idea from our recent conversation. A soccer match is an event; it starts, and it goes until the timekeeper says its over. American sports have lots of stoppages. Now that I type that out, I’m not sure it makes sense, but maybe someone else can figure out what I’m thinking.
I don’t understand how pub-going fans in Britain, etc., keep up with rugby and soccer w/o bathroom breaks.
Neither futbol nor baseball (or hockey, for that matter) are well-served by television. No-hitters are “boring” on TV because you can only see one or two things going on; not the ten different things going on all around the field every time the ball is thrown. Soccer and hockey, I believe, would be better served with following cameras rather than the sideline perspective. I think the plays and the tactics would be much more clearly visible if you could see the pitch from the attacker’s perspective.
Nick, it’s interesting, though, that the baseball fan or soccer fan can avidly follow a radio broadcast because he can visualize in his mind’s eye what is going on. I can’t listen to either, but can listen to Am. football or basketball and enjoy the experience.
Interesting thought, Jeff, about ties. Ties used to be a part of American football, but were virtually taken out. Wonder what that says about our society?
Jr, I’d heard the same about U.S. travelers and tickets. Surprising. I guess we can write some of that off to affluence, yet it does show a growing willingness of the fan base to commit to the game.
like with most things, seeing them in person, makes a difference.
nick is right about stats, too.
Tim, well there’s some quote about great minds…but I can’t remember it and it probably doesn’t apply to us anyway
letterman was funny last night, lots of word cup
he cracked, “soccer for us is daycare”
the announcer was bllowing a vuvuzela during dave’s monologue, and dave was cracking a lot of jokes
I’m actually planning a post on the difference between Latin commentators and ESPN’s commentators. ESPN actually does give a lot of stats. The guys on Univision do lots of color. It’s a totally different experience.
My son runs Cross Country, and it’s interesting to see the rivalry between his sport and Soccer (both are fall sports here). Both accuse the other of stealing their best athletes.
i enjoy univision guys even though I only understand half of it b/c it’s in spanish, over english speaking announcers who I understand completely