Soccer Now Pretty Mainstream

[KRAM1]

If anyone still needs any proof of soccer's arrival as a mainstream sport in the U.S. Need look no further than today's TV listings where NBC Sports is carrying a three (3) hour presentation entitled "Premier League Transfer Deadline Day Show".

There was a day not that long ago when you could not even find a regular league match on TV.  Now I can watch pretty much all the major European Leagues on TV, MLS and many Mexican and Latin American games.  But, this three hour. "Transfer Day" presentation on TV pretty much screams soccer's arrival on the main sports stage.  Might be interesting to see what the viewership ratings are for the show.  Is that even possible?

[oldguystudent]

I know a lot of people in their twenties that follow Premier and Championships Leagues.  Many of them choose their team based on which jersey they like the best.  They tend to avoid the big 4 teams in Premier because that's just too easy.

They try to tell me that there's more scoring and a LOT less diving than the world cup, but I've never been inclined to purchase cable or get up at 3 in the morning to find a British friendly bar to watch the games.

I've got nothing against soccer.  Played it in high school and really enjoyed it, but I've just never been able to watch it.  You'd think that with my love of baseball, attention span wouldn't be an issue, but it is because I don't understand the ongoing subtleties in soccer like I do in baseball.

Nonetheless, I guess I'm glad it's growing.  My other school has a really good men's team who often makes it to the sweet sixteen, so maybe sometime, it'll bring them prominence.

[KRAM1]

3 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

I know a lot of people in their twenties that follow Premier and Championships Leagues.  Many of them choose their team based on which jersey they like the best.  They tend to avoid the big 4 teams in Premier because that's just too easy.

They try to tell me that there's more scoring and a LOT less diving than the world cup, but I've never been inclined to purchase cable or get up at 3 in the morning to find a British friendly bar to watch the games.

I've got nothing against soccer.  Played it in high school and really enjoyed it, but I've just never been able to watch it.  You'd think that with my love of baseball, attention span wouldn't be an issue, but it is because I don't understand the ongoing subtleties in soccer like I do in baseball.

Nonetheless, I guess I'm glad it's growing.  My other school has a really good men's team who often makes it to the sweet sixteen, so maybe sometime, it'll bring them prominence.

Major European league games and Premier League games are no longer only telecast at such early hours.  You can watch Premier League games at reasonable hours each weekend as a matter of course these days.

[Coffee and TV]

6 hours ago, oldguystudent said:

I know a lot of people in their twenties that follow Premier and Championships Leagues.  Many of them choose their team based on which jersey they like the best.  They tend to avoid the big 4 teams in Premier because that's just too easy.

That's funny, because I find that to be the opposite of all my soccer friends. They pretty much all pull for either of the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Arsenal. It's even worse when all my "Bundesliga" friends alllllllll support Bayern Munich. Must be tough for them...

I have one friend actually from East London who pulls for West Ham, and another friend who did a semester abroad and fell in love with Fulham. I support Everton myself as they were the first to grab onto an American outfielder oh so long ago with Joe Max Moore.

[KRAM1]

4 hours ago, Coffee and TV said:

That's funny, because I find that to be the opposite of all my soccer friends. They pretty much all pull for either of the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Arsenal. It's even worse when all my "Bundesliga" friends alllllllll support Bayern Munich. Must be tough for them...

I have one friend actually from East London who pulls for West Ham, and another friend who did a semester abroad and fell in love with Fulham. I support Everton myself as they were the first to grab onto an American outfielder oh so long ago with Joe Max Moore.

Don't forget Cobi Jones who played for the Sky Blues (Coventry City) back when they were in the Premier League.

[MeanGreenTeeth]

Lord... we've been told soccer is about to go mainstream in the US for 40 years now.  It is the nuclear fusion of the sports world.

[KRAM1]

17 hours ago, MeanGreenTeeth said:

Lord... we've been told soccer is about to go mainstream in the US for 40 years now.  It is the nuclear fusion of the sports world.

Agree.  But, I would wager that today a ton more kids play soccer than hockey in the US and that the trend for MLS average attendance figures is a nice upward slope on a graph of attendance.

[southsideguy]

communist sport

[oldguystudent]

I remember when I was a kid I thought soccer was mainstream because Pele played for the New York Cosmos.  Seems like that league almost made it.

[Censored by Laurie]

16 hours ago, southsideguy said:

communist sport

Premier League clubs just spent over £1 billion in player transfers during the summer of 2015 and the most recent january transfer windows. There is no salary cap, there is no collective bargaining agreement and there are only VERY loosely enforced financial fair play rules in place. 

not sure how you get much more capitalistic than that

 

 

20 hours ago, KRAM1 said:

Agree.  But, I would wager that today a ton more kids play soccer than hockey in the US and that the trend for MLS average attendance figures is a nice upward slope on a graph of attendance.

global warming...