Any Interest?
- Thread starter Yappi
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nupanther
Well-known member
I think Tony Kornheiser (sp) said it best. In the USA , our sports plate is full. Each month a major sport dominates the sports narrative. There is simply no room for soccer in the US as a major sport. At best for the forseeable future the highest they can achieve will be 5th
I disagree. Soccer is undoubtedly a growing sport and is widely believed to have surpassed hockey in popularity on a nationwide scale.
It's biggest detractor in the US is the pay-to-play structure within the youth system and the fact that MLS has so many rules and restrictions that limit its growth. Professional players almost always have to play abroad to maximize their talents/potential and there are a lot of major challenges that come with that journey.
14Red
Well-known member
I'm not sure why sports like soccer and the WNBA can't just be happy with whatever attention they get. I'm nearly 60 years old, when I was young, back then they said soccer was going to be the next big thing. It's not. It never will be in America. Yes, most high schools have soccer now, something that wasn't around 40 years ago. But it was added mainly for bigger school to increase extracurricular activity opportunities, like tennis, golf, wrestling, etc.
MLS may be on a similar level to the WNBA within mainstream sports media right now, but international soccer is leaps and bounds ahead of the WNBA in terms of popularity.
Every major city in the US has a growing fan scene and many kids in these cities are opting to stick with soccer as their main sport as they grow up - especially over football and baseball. I see it on a first-hand basis every day.
14Red
Well-known member
I'd say in certain pockets of the country, more in major cities. Organically, across the entire United States, it's football / basketball. Baseball sadly has fallen off, and maybe that's where soccer has made some in roads. But alot like baseball, people / kids play baseball, but not many watch unless it's the big league level and in major baseball markets. But as I said, this was talked about 50 years ago like it was going to take over by the 80's and 90's and we're still waiting. Now globally, yes, I get you for that. But I think the original post was to the interest level in the states.
Look there is a booming industry of youth sports moving into high school college age. So recreational sports is big business now. 50 years ago, there was professional basketball, baseball, football, tennis, golf, auto racing and a few others for men, and basically golf, tennis for women with no pro team options. Over the last 30 years women's pro basketball has become a thing, but we see it for what it is. Heck now you have pro lacrosse, soccer, volleyball leagues for men and women, but they really are not much more than a single A or independent league baseball programs. There is little money so its really people who have other jobs or just have no other occupations so they stick out the sports thing until their bodies give way.
footballsalads43
Well-known member
I will say after living a few years in both Cincinnati and Cleveland, soccer seems to be much more popular in Cincinnati amongst their natives than up here in Cleveland. Which seems obvious, as they have FC Cincinnati. FC Cincinnati seems to get a ton of support from the city, it’s really nice to see it. However, I myself am more of a Columbus Crew fan. I refuse to root for any Cincinnati teams, but that’s more just a personal bias 
. But Cincinnati/Southwest Ohio does love their soccer.
. But Cincinnati/Southwest Ohio does love their soccer.
nupanther
Well-known member
I'm the exact age as you. I vividly remember my gym teacher in elementary school saying soccer will be THEE sport in the 90s
nupanther
Well-known member
I just googled a few things. I didn't want to link or copy and paste because it would've made this post too busy.
Soccer attendance is equal, or Slightly better than NBA & NHL. However tv viewership in soccer wayyy below NHL. Average salary for MLS is 500K. NHL is 3.5 million
While youth soccer is popular in a lot of circles, pro soccer in the USA has hit its ceiling for the foreseeable future
14Red
Well-known member
For the most part, American fans like offense. I think two major rule changes would help soccer tremendously here in the states. #1. get rid of the off sides call. It would be like banning cherry picking in basketball. If you want to stop the other team drop a guy back, but if a guy leaks out, so be it. Secondly, make the goals about 33% larger. Make it impossible for the goalie to stop a great shot from a shot 20-30 ft. out. Not necessarily higher, but wider. Soccer would be much more popular if the final scores were 12-10 rather than 2-0.
nupanther
Well-known member
I just googled the previous Major League Indoor Soccer seasons. The scores were similar to your 12-10 example. However attendance was never over 10 K.
Changing the rules to outdoor soccer MAY increase popularity. But, if you change the pro rules to make it easier to score than youth, high school and college rules you dont a true pro league. You have a farce. Also it would put American players at a huge disadvantage when they play international competetion.
Every other pro league has rules to make scoring harder. Narrow uprights for field goals. Deeper 3 point line in b- ball. Generally deeper fences in baseball. Plus if you get rid of offsides and make the goal wider you run the risk of alienating the purist in hopes of attracting casual fans.
MLS has purposely slowed their growth (aka they have limited roster spending) over the years to promote parity and keep their youngest (often, small market) franchises competitive.
The league also made a bad deal with Apple TV which is hurting its exposure to new audiences.
Pro soccer is nowhere close to hitting its ceiling though. MLS is trending upwards and the popularity of other world leagues is increasing rapidly across the US.