Coach Rab Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Yeah, attendance compares favorably to the NBA and NHL. As you say most teams play in their own soccer specific digs now whereas they mostly had to rent football stadiums before. The league has grown from 10 teams the first year to 19 now and will be 21 starting next season, with further expansion to come in 2017. They had to pay to get their games on the air when they first started out whereas next season they'll be getting $90 mil a year from their newest contracts. The problem with low ratings are as much about the perceived quality of the league as anything. The English Premier League pulls better ratings here despite the fact that you have to get up early on the weekends to watch. There are a lot of snobs who won't watch anything but the best, and MLS is of course not it. But they're slowly building the brand, and you have to remember the league is only 18 years old. Every other pro league was also a little pissant at the same stage of development. And in every other way soccer is doing better than ever here. A lot of matches from the aforementioned English league are broadcast here, with the rest available to be streamed over the Internet I believe, and you can catch a fair bit of the German, Spanish, French, and Italian leagues. Many of the Champions League qualifiers and group matches are televised, and all of the knockout stage games. In terms of international competition every single World Cup game is broadcast on television now ; and every US qualifier is broadcast (mostly ; the hosting nation holds the TV rights, so sometimes our road matches get sold to PPV outfits), and a lot of the European and South American qualifiers are too. You'll be able to watch every match of the European Championship in 2016, and a lot of the qualifiers starting later this year and through next year. You'll be able to watch every match of the CONCACAF championship next year (the Gold Cup ; US are the defending champs!). You'll be able to watch every match of the 2016 South American championship, the Copa America, which interestingly is going to be held in the US and which the US, Mexico, and a couple other CONCACAF teams will also be participating in. None of this used to be the case ; and it wouldn't be the case now if the sport wasn't "catching on". +100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirtFalcon Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 World Cup Soccer ranks right up there with minor league tiddly winks .... :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I was listening to ESPN on the way to work, and they were shouting the praises of the ratings that this Kickball tournament was getting. If the NCAA would have a football tournament it would make kickball look like a women's softball game in an average rec league. What's really laughable is this thread has almost as many comments as the main kickball tournament thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETIREDFAN1 Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 I thought Ann Coulter would spice up the soccer forum What's really laughable is this thread has almost as many comments as the main kickball tournament thread. Mission Accomplished...... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Another reason American's hate soccer the Vuvuzela will never replace the Cowbell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedBear Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Baseball is a dying brand and soccer is a rising brand. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't gaining ground. The rules won't be amended for an American Audience either. The brand is growing among younger generations. It will take awhile, but baseball is on a steep decline. Check the ratings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirtFalcon Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 ...... any way you slice it, soccer #### Do you know why people play soccer? ..... so the don't have to watch it. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Baseball is a dying brand and soccer is a rising brand. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't gaining ground. The rules won't be amended for an American Audience either. The brand is growing among younger generations. It will take awhile, but baseball is on a steep decline. Check the ratings. They've been saying that since the 70's. That's 40 years. The fact of the matter is we have more illegal immigrants living in the United States than we did 40 years ago. Today you can't even get a television package without it having Univision or Telemundo. Another reason is many parents are afraid that their child will get hurt playing football. I've always said baseball is better to either play it or watch it from the stands. The only time I really watch baseball on television is when it's playoff time, and they jack the ticket prices up. Soccer they might as well give the tickets away, and it still wouldn't fill the stands up to full capacity. As for Kirts comment the reason people play is you can use any round ball to play soccer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topher805 Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Qatar lost 2022 World Cup today. USA the likely landing place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETIREDFAN1 Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 The rules won't be amended for an American Audience either. You soccer lovers are delusional....that is EXACTLY the reason it won't catch on here any more than it already has....which isn't much...... :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I'd like soccer a lot more if they'd let the players carry the ball, tackle each other, and throw forward passes. It'd be awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I was listening to the radio today, and they were talking to the Dynamo Coach, and I had to flip the station. Baseball is something you can talk about. I'll admit I don't know much about soccer in Europe or Mexico, but Chivas played AC Milan in Houston right after the World Cup. You would expect soccer fans to still be on a wave of excitement, but they could only fill up 14,871 seats at NRG Stadium. You get more people in those same seats for a High School football game. Soccer is just a waste of time and tears up the turf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirtFalcon Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I wouldn't walk across the street to see the World Cup finals if admission and refreshments were free ... I can't think of a much more boring way to spend time. Soccer has to be the most boring "sport" ever invented .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I wouldn't walk across the street to see the World Cup finals if admission and refreshments were free ... I can't think of a much more boring way to spend time. Soccer has to be the most boring "sport" ever invented .... It was, and why Rugby was invented in the 1800's. If you notice, anytime someone brings up a kickball thread it gets the same replies from two people with about 15-16 comments. You'd think they'd learn that even golf is more popular than soccer even if Tiger Woods isn't in the mix anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberhammer Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'd give my left nut to attend a World Cup game. They're the most intense games of all sports. You guys that don't like the world cup games are in 1 of 3 categories. Old, ignorant of the sport, follower of everyone else. Now I admit, I only watch the World Cup, MLS is boring as hell but that's because of the quality of play. Players play so much harder for their county than their club team. Balotelli could be as dominant as Calvin Johnson if he could do with his hands what he can do with his feet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirtFalcon Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'd give my left nut to attend a World Cup game. They're the most intense games of all sports. You guys that don't like the world cup games are in 1 of 3 categories. Old, ignorant of the sport, follower of everyone else. Now I admit, I only watch the World Cup, MLS is boring as hell but that's because of the quality of play. Players play so much harder for their county than their club team. Balotelli could be as dominant as Calvin Johnson if he could do with his hands what he can do with his feet... Intense, my #### ... watching people running around chasing a soccer ball is about as intense as watching butterflies flitter around a cow pasture ... :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomer Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'm with Kirt. I hate soccer. It's boring and nobody hardly ever scores. When they do they act like they've never scored before. Suckyest sport besides golf and curling…. This is America do you all know we could ban soccer if we wanted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirtFalcon Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'm with Kirt. I hate soccer. It's boring and nobody hardly ever scores. When they do they act like they've never scored before. Suckyest sport besides golf and curling…. This is America do you all know we could ban soccer if we wanted? I'm with ya ... somebody should put up a poll about banning soccer in America. We also need to get up several petitions and send them to the UIL, the guvna and congress demanding they ban this ridiculous waste of time and energy .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETIREDFAN1 Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 I'd give my left nut to attend a World Cup game. They're the most intense games of all sports. See....delusional...... :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 I'd rather go to the local skating rink and watch kids on skates playing foosball, than watch a soccer game. That reminds me I haven't been to a skating rink in about 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedBear Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 I'm with ya ... somebody should put up a poll about banning soccer in America. We also need to get up several petitions and send them to the UIL, the guvna and congress demanding they ban this ridiculous waste of time and energy .... Is this Coach Mike Vallery?????? He said that verbatim my senior year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedBear Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 I'm with Kirt. I hate soccer. It's boring and nobody hardly ever scores. When they do they act like they've never scored before. Suckyest sport besides golf and curling…. This is America do you all know we could ban soccer if we wanted? Football players never celebrate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedBear Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Don't get me wrong. I'll watch most football games before a soccer game. Soccer is an acquired taste, a taste that America is acquiring. Be sure to let me know how you enjoy your grandchildren's games in 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETIREDFAN1 Posted September 26, 2014 Author Share Posted September 26, 2014 a taste that America is acquiring. Be sure to let me know how you enjoy your grandchildren's games in 20 years. Totally AND completely delusional........ :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveTV1 Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Don't get me wrong. I'll watch most football games before a soccer game. Soccer is an acquired taste, a taste that America is acquiring. Be sure to let me know how you enjoy your grandchildren's games in 20 years. That's what they said 40 years ago. I'm not holding my breath. I'd rather watch a game of Tudor Electronic Football than a soccer game. Even though you have to click and re-click the electricity it's more exciting than soccer. This is better than soccer : . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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