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Why soccer will never be big in the USA....... (1 Viewer)

The no commercial/no timeout thing can’t be stated enough. I think even if it was just 2 hours of the players painting a wall commercial free, I’d probably prefer that to watching a baseball or American football game at this point. TV timeouts are just the worst thing ever. 

 
The no commercial/no timeout thing can’t be stated enough. I think even if it was just 2 hours of the players painting a wall commercial free, I’d probably prefer that to watching a baseball or American football game at this point. TV timeouts are just the worst thing ever. 
I find it to be great "background" if I'm not really watching anything the same way prerecorded music is better than radio since there are no annoying ads. So yes, it does have that going for it.

 
The Gator said:
Yup, it's a huge problem for developing youth and discovering players. Cuts out a large part of the population. 
Unfortunately, we had to pull our son from his travel team after just one year.   It sucked, because he loved his team, butwe just couldn't afford it. :(

 
I could give a ####...but I actually heard them say on sports center that that might be more fair....just funny as ####
Why do you keep coming back if you really don’t care?  Seems odd to spend this much time professing your hate for a sport you really don’t care about.

Maybe deep down inside you really do love soccer, but can’t let that out of the bag for some strange reason. I can say the soccer clan here is a very accepting group. I mean even @AAABatteries is tolerated.  We will accept you with arms wide open (hope you don’t mind we might be shirtless when that happens). 

 
Well if it had a little more incentive to take chances and score, even when ahead, and not being so defensive, instead of just kicking it around and settling/being happy with ties and ####, etc.....you might not run into these situations....
Dude stop. You speak out of your ###. The first tie breaker is GOAL DIFFERENTIAL followed by MOST GOALS.

 
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I have two non-footy friends who think the no commercials thingy is a bug, not a feature. They are completely attuned to the game rhythms of watching American football where they really only have to look at the game periodically to still see every play from scrimmage. NFL broadcasts now feature more minutes of replay than live action so you can do tons of other things while the game is on and still never miss any of it.

I can't even post on this board while I'm watching futbol. I don't know how those guys do it while the game is in progress.

 
Why do you keep coming back if you really don’t care?  Seems odd to spend this much time professing your hate for a sport you really don’t care about.

Maybe deep down inside you really do love soccer, but can’t let that out of the bag for some strange reason. I can say the soccer clan here is a very accepting group. I mean even @AAABatteries is tolerated.  We will accept you with arms wide open (hope you don’t mind we might be shirtless when that happens). 
:goodposting:

 
I have two non-footy friends who think the no commercials thingy is a bug, not a feature. They are completely attuned to the game rhythms of watching American football where they really only have to look at the game periodically to still see every play from scrimmage. NFL broadcasts now feature more minutes of replay than live action so you can do tons of other things while the game is on and still never miss any of it.

I can't even post on this board while I'm watching futbol. I don't know how those guys do it while the game is in progress.
With the advent of the DVR I stopped watching commercials.  I watch almost nothing in real time anymore.  With a soccer match I can start it 15 minutes late or watch live until halftime and go do something for 15 minutes and then come back.  With the NFL, I can at least buffer and then skip through commercials and from play to play.  With baseball it's nearly impossible to leverage the DVR except for commercials.  It's why I almost never watch an entire game - just takes too long.  As mentioned I use it for background noise when I'm working and that's about it until playoff time.

Also, for this reason I don't get to post in the FFA during a lot of games.

 
With the advent of the DVR I stopped watching commercials.  I watch almost nothing in real time anymore.  With a soccer match I can start it 15 minutes late or watch live until halftime and go do something for 15 minutes and then come back.  With the NFL, I can at least buffer and then skip through commercials and from play to play.  With baseball it's nearly impossible to leverage the DVR except for commercials.  It's why I almost never watch an entire game - just takes too long.  As mentioned I use it for background noise when I'm working and that's about it until playoff time.

Also, for this reason I don't get to post in the FFA during a lot of games.
I dvr tons of games, too, partly because I genuinely have other things to do and partly because I'm lazy and entitled. But somehow I still retain the habit of watching nonstop for 45 minutes at a time. Maybe that helps me better feel the genuine flow and rhythm of the game. And I still like watching live sometimes, too.

 
You can find a thousand different opinions on why this is so, which sorta tells me that we just don't know the answer. I'm in the camp that we're still 100 years behind the best countries' development and 3,000 miles away from what the Soccernomics guys call the "great soccer information networks of western Europe." Whatever the reason, there's little argument that almost everybody handles the ball better than we do.

And then there's this looming problem (maybe).
Thanks for posting @roadkill1292  Very surprising.

-- Lack of free-play, opportunities for children to play on their own; - This hasn't changed in 8 years
-- Decline of in-town youth sports leagues (the traditional Little League baseball concept); 
-- Lack of nearby sports facilities for children to play at; - This hasn't changed
-- Low participation rates among children from low-income families; and - This hasn't changed
-- Lack of properly trained coaches. - This has gotten better

I just don't see these as the reasons.  Same as it ever was.  Personally I think it's the shift from a soccer system devoted to all kids to a soccer system devoted to building a pipeline for the national team and the MLS.  We're sacrificing kids to develop the next Carlton and Sargent.  Maybe there's nothing wrong with this???  I don't know.  All American sports are pay to play at the higher levels (except for football).  Poor kids who are good enough get a chance to play in other sports.  The problem with soccer is that it takes years to develop and exhibit the skills that will make you successful at a higher level.

 
Once again you show ignorance - maybe this thread is not for you.
Was I wrong in that penalties or lack thereof decided who advanced?  If I am wrong I apologize....

And the title of this thread isn’t “Come In and Talk About How Much You Love Soccer”....its to talk about why it will never be big in USA....I am just giving you reasons...so honestly this thread may not be for YOU....go find the “I love Soccer thread”....bet its just hoppin in there...

 
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Why do you keep coming back if you really don’t care?  Seems odd to spend this much time professing your hate for a sport you really don’t care about.

Maybe deep down inside you really do love soccer, but can’t let that out of the bag for some strange reason. I can say the soccer clan here is a very accepting group. I mean even @AAABatteries is tolerated.  We will accept you with arms wide open (hope you don’t mind we might be shirtless when that happens). 
It’s a why won’t it be big in the USA thread....so I am contributing and giving reasons why....if that bothers you....maybe this thread isn’t for you and you shouldn’t keep coming back or spending time here...I’m not worrried about being accepted....but thanks...

 
Dude stop. You speak out of your ###. The first tie breaker is GOAL DIFFERENTIAL followed by MOST GOALS.
Teams slow play/stall/don’t take chances ALL the time...similar to hockey....especially if they know Goal Differential etc, won’t really come into play....

 
Shocking revelation based on your posts here.

Opinions are all good and stuff but they are typically better received when they are at least somewhat informed.
What has changed in the game since...?...again all I have been doing in giving opinions about why it won’t be big in the USA...why is that a bad thing in this thread...?...its not about being misinformed or ignorant.....I may not know all there is about the sport....but as a 100% sports nut, it just does very little for me and I am saying why....and its appropriate for this thread....if this was soccer is butterflys and rainbows and puppies thread then I could understand....but it seems kind of weird to be asked why I am even in the thread when some of the things I am saying are exactly why the thread was created...

 
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Teams slow play/stall/don’t take chances ALL the time...similar to hockey....especially if they know Goal Differential etc, won’t really come into play....
How is this different than off tackle runs in a football game when there is a 14 point lead or running the shot clock in the NCAA?

 
I realize I have stated a lot of things soccer boy doesn’t want to hear...and I’ll take the heat in here because most of the posters still in here are the soccer guys....most of the people like me who don’t care for the sport, won’t even take the time to click on the thread....I like discussion and even some back and forth...I’ll play devils advocate and ruffle some feathers....but  I’m also cool with someone changing my opinion/mind...im open to it....but to be slammed on “why are you here” in this thread, makes no sense...

 
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Am I supposed to care if some people don’t share one of my interests? I don’t, but I’m not sure if that’s wrong. 

 
Why do you keep coming back if you really don’t care?  Seems odd to spend this much time professing your hate for a sport you really don’t care about.

Maybe deep down inside you really do love soccer, but can’t let that out of the bag for some strange reason. I can say the soccer clan here is a very accepting group. I mean even @AAABatteries is tolerated.  We will accept you with arms wide open (hope you don’t mind we might be shirtless when that happens). 
He sounds like a co worker of mine who needs constant attention no matter what. 

 
He sounds like a co worker of mine who needs constant attention no matter what. 
Was I and everybody else supposed to come into a thread about why soccer will never be popular in the USA and just start agreeing with all the people defending why soccer is so awesome and we “just don’t get it”....?....don’t need constant attention I’m just posting on a message board..lol...having some back and forth.....sorry if I am not saying the things soccer guy wants to hear, but its kind of the point of the thread........often when people get defensive, which soccer guy often has to do, and hear things they don’t want to hear...they will start with personal attacks...like yours....I have done none of that....I’v just said why I think soccer sucks and will not be popular here.....thats the thing, soccer guy gets so defensive, they can’t even admit there may things about their sport that could use improvement and why the normal sports fan might not appreciate it....if you say something bad, all of a sudden its “why are you here” and “you need attention”....lol....

 
Train wrecks draw intrest. You are a big one 
What have I said that isn’t basically the view of any “why soccer will never be big in the USA” guy......again another thing trying to make it personal....i don’t even need someone to say, you are right, we can see why some people hate soccer, but just the outright defiance of soccer guy and the defensiveness is so much fun...this is part of the reason it wont ever be big...as much as soccer guy thinks we “don’t get it”....soccer guy will never understand why the USA won’t embrace it.....I get it, other countries appreciate it more than we do, they fight, start fires in the stands, hooligans, get passionate over it like its a religion,...it just ain’t happening here....get over it...its really not a big deal....especially to people in the USA...

 
 @Stinkin Ref - I told as many of the 71,000+ folks tonight in Atlanta that they were wasting their time on a sport that will never be big here.  I got called an idiot a few hundred times but deep down they all knew I was right.
Lol...I guess maybe all this comes down to the definition of “big”....cue the “one night in Atlanta” music...

 
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Soccer apologists keep comparing it's flaws to football. Those arguments aren't helping your cause.

 
Lol...I guess maybe all this comes down to the definition of “big”....cue the “one night in Atlanta” music...
I don’t think you get slammed because you do not like soccer. I think you get slammed because you’re either trolling or unable to learn anything. You keep throwing out “facts” and when presented with real facts you double down on your ignorance (and I mean that in the literal definition of the word so spare me your “victim act” and how you’re being attacked).

You’ve now made at least 6-8 totally inaccurate statements in this thread and when you’re corrected you spin, deflect or ignore it - and then try to laugh it off as if you were right the whole time. 

No one cares if you hate soccer just like you probably don’t care about people that hate ellipsises.

 
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Soccer apologists keep comparing it's flaws to football. Those arguments aren't helping your cause.
There is such a thing as “soccer apologists”?  What’s next, beer apologists?  Food apologists?  Soccer just is.  

 
Didn’t know I even presented any facts in here, so not sure how I could be wrong about 6-8 of them....think the only thing I said was that one team advanced because they had fewer red and yellow cards than some other team throughout the tourney...was that not correct?...pretty much everything else has just been opinion...

but I did run by the local sporting goods store this morning to try and snag a soccer jersey to wear to Buffalo Wild Wings for the big soccer match today....was going to give it try and try to fit in with all the soccer guys in there....believe it or not I couldn’t find any soccer jerseys on the rack....(mind blown)....they had jerseys for like every other dang sport....but no soccer...so I ended up just snagging one of these bad boys...

https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/ar-junior-scrimmage-vest-16anryscrmmgvstglhkc/16anryscrmmgvstglhkc

Walked in to BWW rockin my jersey, took a seat next to all the fellas....you are  right...they were very accepting...even though their jerseys were a lot cooler than mine....I didn’t recognize any of them, but I guess a couple guys named like Messy and Rudolfo are pretty popular....said they ordered theirs through Amazon...waitress came by and asked if I wanted the “soccer special”....I said “sure”...little while later she came back with a bunch of orange slices and some string cheese...and I guess I was like some kind of prize winner cause I also got this participation ribbon thingy....and if that wasn’t already enough she said that every time somebody scored in the soccer match we all got free Capri Suns...I’m heading back next week....

 
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Thought about this some more today as the WC ended and Euro leagues get ready to start next month i checked in on the MLS and something occurred to me.

What will hold soccer back in the US is parity.

We will always be 2nd (3rd?) class to the rest of the world. 

England, Spain, France and Italy have had soccer for about 389 years? These countries have soccer stadiums every what, 7km?  Yet here we are in 2018 and as these leagues start up they have 20 league teams.

MLS? 23 with plans to be at 28 in the coming years...and MLS was born in 1993?

So, what little talent the MLS keeps in the US it will be spread out so thin that it will always give way to subpar soccer standards.

IMO if the MLS (soccer in the US) is to every be mentioned in the same breath it needs to aim for superior teams.  

Map out a plan to strive for 20 teams.

Add a 2nd and eventual 3rd league to allow for relegation/promotion.

Dont have a salary cap. Let 3-5 teams dominate.  

Its OK to not have parity and reward great teams. We say we want parity but we follow greatness. Ratings were good for the NBA finals and it wanst becuase the teams were great historic teams from big metropolitan areas. The world watched because it was a dispaly of the greatest players that made up the greatest teams. 

Im slowly starting to watch MLS but fear it will get so watered down that it will always seem like a 2nd rate talent show to the euro leagues. 

 

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