Comments on: Alright Soccer, Here’s Your Chance To Make Yourself A Major Sport In The U.S. http://sportspr101.com/2009/06/29/alright-soccer-heres-your-chance-to-make-yourself-a-major-sport-in-the-us/ A Public Relations Sports Blog Tue, 08 May 2012 02:02:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike S http://sportspr101.com/2009/06/29/alright-soccer-heres-your-chance-to-make-yourself-a-major-sport-in-the-us/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Mike S Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:43:01 +0000 http://sportspr101.com/?p=117#comment-27 I think Mario's comment about building local followings hits on the best chance soccer has for success in the US. Ted's post puts a lot on the National Team and I'm not not sure that is the right approach. Everyone always compares the popularity of soccer in this country to the Big 3/4 sports and is waiting for the day when/if it will truely be major league. But think about those big sports - the national teams are afterthoughts, if they exist at all. Baseball has the WBC which right now is just a novelty and uses players not at yet their season peak or in shape. The basketball national team is a vacation for the top players - if they play at all. Football doesn't have a national team. Hockey is the closest to matching soccer for having national team pride, but the NHL still rules comparatively. I think these sports show having a strong national team isn't critical for popularity. On a related note I have to admit I'm also a little surprised soccer hasn't taken off a little more in this country 15 years after the World Cup in the US. The MLS has been around a long time but can't seem to get ahead despite having, now, a good 20 years of solid youth participation built up. I think Mario’s comment about building local followings hits on the best chance soccer has for success in the US. Ted’s post puts a lot on the National Team and I’m not not sure that is the right approach.

Everyone always compares the popularity of soccer in this country to the Big 3/4 sports and is waiting for the day when/if it will truely be major league. But think about those big sports – the national teams are afterthoughts, if they exist at all. Baseball has the WBC which right now is just a novelty and uses players not at yet their season peak or in shape. The basketball national team is a vacation for the top players – if they play at all. Football doesn’t have a national team. Hockey is the closest to matching soccer for having national team pride, but the NHL still rules comparatively. I think these sports show having a strong national team isn’t critical for popularity.

On a related note I have to admit I’m also a little surprised soccer hasn’t taken off a little more in this country 15 years after the World Cup in the US. The MLS has been around a long time but can’t seem to get ahead despite having, now, a good 20 years of solid youth participation built up.

]]> By: Gary http://sportspr101.com/2009/06/29/alright-soccer-heres-your-chance-to-make-yourself-a-major-sport-in-the-us/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Gary Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:42:07 +0000 http://sportspr101.com/?p=117#comment-16 By the way... With all the excitement of that USA/Brazil game,and as good as it was to watch, there was one thing I absolutely hated! When Donovan scored the 2nd USA goal, he reacted like all most all the other soccer players in the world, he ran AWAY from his teammates instead celebrating with them. That was bad enough, but the worst part was while running away from his teammates, Donovan could be seen clearly yelling ..."ME! ME!"... as he pointed to his own chest. Don't we see enough of this garbage in football and basketball? I hate it, and was really surprised to see Donovan react in that way. By the way… With all the excitement of that USA/Brazil game,and as good as it was to watch, there was one thing I absolutely hated!
When Donovan scored the 2nd USA goal, he reacted like all most all the other soccer players in the world, he ran AWAY from his teammates instead celebrating with them. That was bad enough, but the worst part was while running away from his teammates, Donovan could be seen clearly yelling …”ME! ME!”… as he pointed to his own chest. Don’t we see enough of this garbage in football and basketball? I hate it, and was really surprised to see Donovan react in that way.

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