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Why soccer will never be big in the USA....... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter IC FBGCav
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shader
Footballguy
EYLive
Footballguy
I don't care for soccer. I watched as many world cup games as I could 2 years ago, but I generally find it boring. Other than Germany dropping 8 goals in 15 minutes on whoever the opponent was, there's not enough scoring for me to be interested.
In contrast, lesser known sports like team handball and ultimate frisbee are far more appealing due to there being more action. Those players actually have a good reason to dive.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Hopefully the signings of Giovinco, Dos Santos and the incredible new player Seattle just signed, Lodeiro (all in their prime) is a step in the right direction.
While I think the league will, at least for the near future, still significantly over spend for the ginormous names (Beckham, Henry, Kaka, Pirlo, etc) with various results, I am hopeful that more teams will search out the game changers in their mid 20's, even if they are not huge names.
cstu
Footballguy
Signing over the hill overpaid players seems like a mistake long term. There have got to be a lot of frustrated players in their prime out there like Giovinco who would like the chance to make big money and have an offense built around them. The ego boost isn't bad either. I imagine guys are watching Giovinco and thinking about it.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
It is a hard equation to solve.
The league did not start to take off until Beckham came in and it has been nothing but slow and steady growth since then. The owners seem convinced that it is the big names that draw people to the stadiums and they have a good amount of evidence to back that up.
I have no idea what their long range plan is though.
I also think there is a big difference in signing a player like Henry at 31 vs signing a player like Lampard at 37. I would be fine if they want to keep targeting players in the very early 30's.
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AAABatteries
Footballguy
The Gator
Footballguy
Hawks64
Footballguy
Boring as hell to me period. It's on a huge field and appears very very slow, I've tried to watch but it's worse than MLB for me. Add in the BS acting and I'd rather watch the NBA.
For me it's NHL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NFL>>>>>>>>>>>CFB>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>anything else.
Hov34
Eephus's Great Great Great Love Child
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jimmy b
Footballguy
Let me know when Soccer gets the Red Zone Channel and wake me when the World Cup starts.
shader
Footballguy
I used to think that. I remember saying "if they would play on a small field, soccer would be fun".
But then I learned about the game.
Hawks64
Footballguy
I understand the rules but that does nothing to speed up the game, that's what kills it for me.
shader
Footballguy
Watch more exciting teams.
I'll give you an example. I always cringe when the NFL sends two crappy teams to London to "expand the sport". Great, so they want to expand the product and they send the 49ers v Dolphins to London. Why not send two great teams??
While as Americans we love football, we also recognize that there are a ton of crappy games. Some of the more obsessed football fans can sit down and watch Northwestern v Purdue and enjoy every minute of it. But the majority of people usually watch their favorite team, or the big games.
It's the same with soccer. You have to pick a team and watch the exciting games. The Olympics, for instance, is basically full of amateurs. All the best players in the world, (except Neymar from Brazil) are playing club football right now, not at the Olympics.
Buzzbait
Footballguy
So if speed of the game is the litmus test jai alai and badminton should be your two favorite sports.
shader
Footballguy
I suppose he prefers watching a play happen, then waiting 40 seconds, then watching a play, then going to a TV timeout, then watching 3rd down fail, then a punt, then another TV timeout!
Hawks64
Footballguy
I have seen premier league games....still boring. Sorry, not everyone will like the sport you love watching. It's incredibly boring to me.
shader
Footballguy
If you're interested in learning about club football, every weekend NBC has a "match of the day" type show where they compress all the highlights into an hour. It's a great way to learn players, feel the passion of the game, and figure out which team you want to pull for. I recommend it.
Hawks64
Footballguy
Speed of the sports object has nothing to do with it. It's how fast the game is. Soccer is slow. Someone asked for an opinion from someone who doesn't like soccer, so I gave my opinion.
Hawks64
Footballguy
In case you missed it Hockey is by far and away my favorite sport. Not really much waiting around. You guys sure have a problem if someone isn't a fan of the sport you like.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Buzzbait
Footballguy
Don't know about others but I have zero issue with you not liking soccer. Why would I? Differing opinion is what makes the world go around. The only thing that struck me as strange was your comment about speed. Speed might be something that draws you to a sport but it also shouldn't be something that prevents you from liking a sport. There are lots of other factors that go into making a sport compelling.
El Floppo
Footballguy
I think it's interesting- I never think of soccer as slow since there's constant action (where "action" isn't always about a move to goal, but trying to get something set up without the clock stopping). but yeah, the size and material of the field, duration of the game and use of subs compared to hockey makes for a much different, and I guess "slower" game (even if the guys on the field are constantly moving and sprinting and ball is always moving).
I never played hockey (not saying that's a requirement for liking a sport), so have never really "gotten" the intricacies of the sport... makes it less interesting to me- even if guys are flying around and pace is more frenetic. never really thought about the field size, even if it's an obvious distinction. I think I prefer the manipulation of space required on the soccer field to open up the game, create goal scoring chances, etc.... which needs that larger field.
eta: and yeah- panties get easily bunched up in here.
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CGRdrJoe
Footballguy
This part always gets me, the NFL has become unwatchable for me because every play is celebrated as if they just won the super bowl. Caught a pass for a first down at mid field? hand behind the head and do a lunge to celebrate. Make a tackle after a 3 yard game? Break dance like MC Hammer. OOOFFFF
Hawks64
Footballguy
I still watch but it's only a handful of games a year instead of all Sunday long, I'll watch CFB occasionally as well. 90% of my sports viewing is the NHL.
Notorious T.R.E.
Showdown!™ Administrator
roadkill1292
Footballguy
I'm wif Scoob. I don't care how popular it is any more, I've got plenty to watch and a few simpletons to talk about it with (hi, Gator!). You poopy heads can have your NFL and MLB and NBA.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Only complaint I have is that no one has started the Benzema 24/7 channel yet. 
Cjw_55106
Footballguy
Seriously? I watched a soccer guy carried off in a stretcher because he was pushed down on Saturday night. Pushed down. The lineman hitting the QBs are 300lbs+ .
In any case, not sure how ripping another sport justifies anything. IMO, watching the women play is much more enjoyable because they dont flop around.
cstu
Footballguy
Hockey has 4 times as many shots on goal as soccer, that makes it seems much more exciting.
cstu
Footballguy
How about a bigger goal that would encourage more shots?
Idea was actually considered by FIFA but purists ended the discussion.
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Ned
Footballguy
The Gator
Footballguy
Seems like that's about as many touchdown chances that are in an American football game. NFL just converts a higher percentage
El Floppo
Footballguy
fatguyinalittlecoat
Footballguy
I think the size of the goal should stay as it is during regulation, but for tournament games that go to extra time, the goal should keep getting bigger until someone wins. Would be much better than going to penalty kicks.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Just FYI, this has been discussed ad nauseam in some other threads here. Removing the offsides rule could stretch out the game significantly would allow teams to goal-hang, leading to less team play and buildup and more bombing the ball forward in hopes of having your striker latch onto it. Tweaking the offsides rule should be a viable discussion, but IMO it would be a major detriment to the game itself to remove the rule entirely.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
For me, I find a sport much more compelling when I understand the deeper strategy, tactics, theory behind it. I love soccer and football, for example, because I "understand' those sports on a deeper level and can watch off-ball movement or run-blocking or <insert otherwise benign activity here> and appreciate what I am watching.
I like hockey, I split a Sabres season ticket with some people....I understand the rules but I don't understand the nuances of the sport for the most part, and that detracts from my hockey-viewing experience. Not to argue hockey vs. soccer, to each his own, but I find I personally enjoy things where I can more fully immerse myself in the experience. That's just me though.
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El Floppo
Footballguy
I think when it goes to extra time, the goal keepers should get smaller and smaller until somebody wins. would keep very small goalies employed. win win.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
It is hard to get a good shot in soccer. In fact, I'd argue that's the essential key to understanding the game. All things being equal, the team that can carve out the best shooting opportunities (or scoring chances) over the course of a game normally wins.
Now again, if that's why you don't enjoy the game, that's fine. But if you want more shots and goals, there's always indoor soccer/futsal.
Now again, if that's why you don't enjoy the game, that's fine. But if you want more shots and goals, there's always indoor soccer/futsal.
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
I would stop watching soccer if they got rid of the offside rule.
Casual fans see a guy run on to a through ball behind the defense, then the whistle blows for offsides and they think "Stupid rule! That would've been a goal without offsides!"
But the reality is that would almost never happen without the offsides rule, because no team would ever play a high defensive line. Forwards would try to cherry pick, forcing teams to keep multiple defenders parked in front of goal, and the end result would be an extremely disjointed game of hoofball.
It would become a very physical, frantic type of game, and I suppose some might like that. But it would also take away most of the skill and strategy.
EYLive
Footballguy
And hence "Why soccer will never be big in the USA"
There's plenty of ways to make it more palatable to US sensibilities, but current fans aren't interested in making changes to fit the tastes of a small portion of the global audience. And they shouldn't. If 99% think the game ain't broke, then there's nothing to fix.
But as for me, I'd rather watch a kids' game of four square.
There's plenty of ways to make it more palatable to US sensibilities, but current fans aren't interested in making changes to fit the tastes of a small portion of the global audience. And they shouldn't. If 99% think the game ain't broke, then there's nothing to fix.
But as for me, I'd rather watch a kids' game of four square.
Doug B
Footballguy
Got into a discussion on another board a few years back about modifying the offsides rule. One concept that I thought made a lot of sense was that it could be legal to receive a pass offsides by a certain distance -- we were kicking around 5 meters.
Some brought up that enforcing the 5m rule would require too many judgment calls from bad angles. That was probably true at the time. Maybe one day in the future, with sensor chips sewn into kits and or boots, there can be a technological way forward.
Some older fans here may remember that the 1970s-80s NASL had 35-yard lines (cf. blue lines in hockey). Offsides was legal between those lines and the goals, right? How did the NASL prevent defensive "goal hanging", and did the 35-yard lines help scoring? Doesn't seem that it did, but I was a little kid then and never got to watch NASL games.
EYLive
Footballguy
Or just use the midfield line as the off-side line (for passes only) like they do in hockey.
Ned
Footballguy
roadkill1292
Footballguy
You old football and basketball guys are dying out, though. The new century belongs to basketball, soccer and UFC. Your grandkids will be laughing at pop pop sitting there through all those commercials while they argue about a ref's call on the field.EYLive said:
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
The old NASL was a very high scoring league and many thought the 35 yard line was a big factor.Doug B said:
By the way, there was some historical precedent for the 35 yard line.
Going all the way back to 1923, the English FA was concerned that the offside rule (which at the time required 3 defenders behind the ball) was strangling the game. They tried twice to institute a 40 yard line marker but both times it was just slightly out voted to make the change.
Shortly after, they made the change to require only two defenders, and the rule remained unchanged for about 60 years until FIFA made the change for even is on instead of off side.
