Comments on: Here Come the Haters http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/ It's always football season somewhere. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:41:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: blucrow http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-20327 blucrow Sat, 18 Aug 2007 01:45:43 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-20327 soccer is the only pro sport where n american fans don't watch the best athletes in the game. the world's best baseball, basketball & hockey players all end up here, where the big $ is. in soccer, that $ will always be in euro, & casual n american fans won't follow a sport where the best players regularly leave town. soccer will continue to grow by adding afficianados, but won't ever break thru. soccer is the only pro sport where n american fans don’t watch the best athletes in the game. the world’s best baseball, basketball & hockey players all end up here, where the big $ is. in soccer, that $ will always be in euro, & casual n american fans won’t follow a sport where the best players regularly leave town. soccer will continue to grow by adding afficianados, but won’t ever break thru.

]]> By: a different dave http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-17544 a different dave Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:16:55 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-17544 If the haters were ignoring soccer, I would be worried. The fact that they have to go out of their way to bash soccer proves that soccer is winning. Soccer doesn't have to become the biggest sport in the USA to win - that's absurd. It just has to persist and build its fan base. What the bashers don't want you to notice is that more and more MLS clubs have their own SSS and are finally at or near breaking even financially, that lots of new revenue is coming in to the league, that soccer is getting more and more TV coverage, both on existing non-soccer networks and on three soccer only or mostly soccer networks (FSC, GolTV, Setanta), etc. MLS is doing fine. USL, the "soccer minor leagues", are doing fine, too. There are an estimated 20 million soccer fans in the USA who follow European or Latin American leagues, who haven't even been tapped into yet by MLS. Once this starts happening, the growth will be even more impressive (and MLS will attract these fans by not insulting their intelligence the way the early MLS was wont to do). Professional soccer is here to stay. The haters are just mad because the arrival of Beckham makes it impossible for them to ignore soccer, which they would prefer to do. As to soccer being only for kids in the USA, well, duh - as soon as kids get to junior high or high school, they have to undergo the anti-soccer hazing rituals from the knuckle-dragging neanderthals who run organized sport in our public schools. Now that many soccer players in the USA can actually earn a living in their sport, both here and in Europe, this reactionary rear-guard will prove less and less effective in preventing young soccer players from persisting in their favorite sport as they grow older. If the haters were ignoring soccer, I would be worried. The fact that they have to go out of their way to bash soccer proves that soccer is winning. Soccer doesn’t have to become the biggest sport in the USA to win – that’s absurd. It just has to persist and build its fan base.

What the bashers don’t want you to notice is that more and more MLS clubs have their own SSS and are finally at or near breaking even financially, that lots of new revenue is coming in to the league, that soccer is getting more and more TV coverage, both on existing non-soccer networks and on three soccer only or mostly soccer networks (FSC, GolTV, Setanta), etc. MLS is doing fine. USL, the “soccer minor leagues”, are doing fine, too.

There are an estimated 20 million soccer fans in the USA who follow European or Latin American leagues, who haven’t even been tapped into yet by MLS. Once this starts happening, the growth will be even more impressive (and MLS will attract these fans by not insulting their intelligence the way the early MLS was wont to do).

Professional soccer is here to stay. The haters are just mad because the arrival of Beckham makes it impossible for them to ignore soccer, which they would prefer to do.

As to soccer being only for kids in the USA, well, duh – as soon as kids get to junior high or high school, they have to undergo the anti-soccer hazing rituals from the knuckle-dragging neanderthals who run organized sport in our public schools. Now that many soccer players in the USA can actually earn a living in their sport, both here and in Europe, this reactionary rear-guard will prove less and less effective in preventing young soccer players from persisting in their favorite sport as they grow older.

]]> By: War Eagle http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-17419 War Eagle Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:05:29 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-17419 Well you cannot ask a reporter (the ones covering other sports) to know about soccer, they can cover baseball, football, or any other sport, they won't learn to watch soccer, so for them is like my job gets cut in other half, so do not expect those guys to talk about soccer. In the other hand about some of the reporters writing there , is not like the boys and girls play soccer and move to other stuff, it is because at this moment high schools and colleges have not seen the potential of soccer and that's why there are no more soccer programs at those levels, once they start knowing that more money will be entering to them by playing soccer then you will see how "other stuff" will be soccer. Not all boys and girls can play football, basketball, baseball and hockey, they will like to play other sports that can help them to do exercise and lose all those mcdonals and burger king that you as parent give them every day cause your wifes do not cook, so no doubt that if you do not understand the concept of the game then you are against it. Simple, it is like no learn other language cause ...?, cause you can't that's it and better to be against that than try it. that's the fact. Well you cannot ask a reporter (the ones covering other sports) to know about soccer, they can cover baseball, football, or any other sport, they won’t learn to watch soccer, so for them is like my job gets cut in other half, so do not expect those guys to talk about soccer.

In the other hand about some of the reporters writing there , is not like the boys and girls play soccer and move to other stuff, it is because at this moment high schools and colleges have not seen the potential of soccer and that’s why there are no more soccer programs at those levels, once they start knowing that more money will be entering to them by playing soccer then you will see how “other stuff” will be soccer.

Not all boys and girls can play football, basketball, baseball and hockey, they will like to play other sports that can help them to do exercise and lose all those mcdonals and burger king that you as parent give them every day cause your wifes do not cook, so no doubt that if you do not understand the concept of the game then you are against it. Simple, it is like no learn other language cause …?, cause you can’t that’s it and better to be against that than try it.

that’s the fact.

]]> By: Lates Links « Jackie Manuel’s Posse http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-17414 Lates Links « Jackie Manuel’s Posse Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:36:40 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-17414 [...] me a hater too. I wasted almost two hours of my honeymoon watching ESPN’s soccer abortion coverage of [...] [...] me a hater too. I wasted almost two hours of my honeymoon watching ESPN’s soccer abortion coverage of [...]

]]> By: Jeff http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-16980 Jeff Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:39:15 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-16980 Comparing attendance numbers across sports is somewhat ridiculous - and is occasionally ridiculous within sports too. The largest NBA arena, Chicago's United Center, can hold roughly 23,000; the smallest NFL stadium, Indianapolis' RCA Dome, can hold 57,900 (which makes it larger than all but two EPL stadia). And sure, we can say that average EPL attendance is 35,000, but that's spread out over a range that last year included Old Trafford (cap. 76,212) and Watford's Vicarage Road (cap. 19,920). Rather than goof around with attendance figures, I'd rather look at media coverage as a sign of popularity. And in this, soccer is pretty well off - MLS is on ESPN at least once a week, soccer has its own cable channel, the World Cup was pretty well covered last year, and I'm not even including the David Beckham media circus (which got a mention on Colbert - I guess that puts soccer about level with Ontario junior league hockey). Comparing attendance numbers across sports is somewhat ridiculous – and is occasionally ridiculous within sports too. The largest NBA arena, Chicago’s United Center, can hold roughly 23,000; the smallest NFL stadium, Indianapolis’ RCA Dome, can hold 57,900 (which makes it larger than all but two EPL stadia).

And sure, we can say that average EPL attendance is 35,000, but that’s spread out over a range that last year included Old Trafford (cap. 76,212) and Watford’s Vicarage Road (cap. 19,920).

Rather than goof around with attendance figures, I’d rather look at media coverage as a sign of popularity. And in this, soccer is pretty well off – MLS is on ESPN at least once a week, soccer has its own cable channel, the World Cup was pretty well covered last year, and I’m not even including the David Beckham media circus (which got a mention on Colbert – I guess that puts soccer about level with Ontario junior league hockey).

]]> By: Will http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-16958 Will Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:06:20 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-16958 My completely unresearched thoughts are that Soccer will eventually slot in as a 4B, sharing with Ice Hockey, and like Ice Hockey, depending on things other than TV revenue (e.g. Butts in Seats) for the lion's share of its revenue. This could take another decade or more, though, and is dependent on MLS not doing anything especially stupid. My completely unresearched thoughts are that Soccer will eventually slot in as a 4B, sharing with Ice Hockey, and like Ice Hockey, depending on things other than TV revenue (e.g. Butts in Seats) for the lion’s share of its revenue. This could take another decade or more, though, and is dependent on MLS not doing anything especially stupid.

]]> By: Daily Dose 07.19.07 - World Football - The Offside - Soccer News and Opinion from leagues around the world http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-16950 Daily Dose 07.19.07 - World Football - The Offside - Soccer News and Opinion from leagues around the world Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:07:06 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-16950 [...] Haters at the gate (Dave’s Football Blog) [...] [...] Haters at the gate (Dave’s Football Blog) [...]

]]> By: joejoejoe http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-16915 joejoejoe Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:43:05 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-16915 Compare the following. 8,086 16,746 20,814 What are these figures? Average attendance. 8,086 - Wilt Chamberlain's first NBA season 16,746 - Babe Ruth's first season in NY 20,814 - L.A. Galaxy pre-Beckham ('06) Compare the # US households viewing... 1993 World Series - 14.5 million 2006 World Cup - 17 million Soccer today is far bigger deal than 'the good old days' of the traditional big three American sports. Soccer will likely always be a smaller slice of the pie than the NFL and MLB but the pie today is massive compared to even the days of the New York Cosmos, nevermind Bill Russell and Johnny Unitas. The LA Galaxy will draw about as many fans as the Houston Oilers did in their last year in one of America's largest cities. Just because sportswriters think anecdotes about Dan Pastorini and Earl Campbell are more interesting than anecdotes about Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia doesn't mean soccer is irrelevant and football is important. It means lame sportswriters like to tell the same stories again and again regardless of context, accuracy, or relevance. Compare the following.

8,086
16,746
20,814

What are these figures? Average attendance.

8,086 – Wilt Chamberlain’s first NBA season
16,746 – Babe Ruth’s first season in NY
20,814 – L.A. Galaxy pre-Beckham (’06)

Compare the # US households viewing…

1993 World Series – 14.5 million
2006 World Cup – 17 million

Soccer today is far bigger deal than ‘the good old days’ of the traditional big three American sports. Soccer will likely always be a smaller slice of the pie than the NFL and MLB but the pie today is massive compared to even the days of the New York Cosmos, nevermind Bill Russell and Johnny Unitas. The LA Galaxy will draw about as many fans as the Houston Oilers did in their last year in one of America’s largest cities. Just because sportswriters think anecdotes about Dan Pastorini and Earl Campbell are more interesting than anecdotes about Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia doesn’t mean soccer is irrelevant and football is important. It means lame sportswriters like to tell the same stories again and again regardless of context, accuracy, or relevance.

]]> By: Ronald Dale..... http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-16865 Ronald Dale..... Thu, 19 Jul 2007 02:00:26 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-16865 I don't see it taking over in the US either. Yes its the world game. But being that it probably has more ground to lose than to gain in the future. Many countries have for a long time just massed around their traditional sports, but with access to information and coverage of other sports their may be some dilution over time. And as far as Aussie crowds, in Melbourne which probably has the biggest A League crowds many of the same supporters that attend Aussie Rules games in winter are in the A League crowds in summer i.e. they do not compete. I don’t see it taking over in the US either. Yes its the world game. But being that it probably has more ground to lose than to gain in the future. Many countries have for a long time just massed around their traditional sports, but with access to information and coverage of other sports their may be some dilution over time. And as far as Aussie crowds, in Melbourne which probably has the biggest A League crowds many of the same supporters that attend Aussie Rules games in winter are in the A League crowds in summer i.e. they do not compete.

]]> By: joe http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/comment-page-1/#comment-16848 joe Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:58:37 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/07/18/here-come-the-haters/#comment-16848 Soccer will never be popular in the united states. Yeah sure, it can surpass hockey as the number four sport in America, but I think it will never go mainstream. Also, I don't really know of a country where a football code serves the same niche. For example, take Australia. Before the socceros insurgeance recently, soccer in Australia was seen as an ethnic game. Team names were divided on ethnic lines like "Brisbane Hollandia". Rugby union appealed to the rich. Aussie rules football and rugby league appealed (and still appeals) to different parts of the country. For example, until recently with the success of the swans, aussie rules football did not appeal to fans in sydney. That said, I think the United States will be in new territory if it takes on soccer. Soccer will never be popular in the united states. Yeah sure, it can surpass hockey as the number four sport in America, but I think it will never go mainstream.
Also, I don’t really know of a country where a football code serves the same niche. For example, take Australia. Before the socceros insurgeance recently, soccer in Australia was seen as an ethnic game. Team names were divided on ethnic lines like “Brisbane Hollandia”. Rugby union appealed to the rich. Aussie rules football and rugby league appealed (and still appeals) to different parts of the country. For example, until recently with the success of the swans, aussie rules football did not appeal to fans in sydney.

That said, I think the United States will be in new territory if it takes on soccer.

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