Football Popularity vs American Coverage
Sunday, 06 July 08, 06:11 PM · Comments(19)
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Still, I have to say it has gotten better in recent years here in the USA. For one, the USSF has refocused its directives for developing young players, placing value on individual skill versus complex team concepts and winning. Also, MLS clubs can now institute their own youth academies, thereby bypassing the college draft with its limitations. Finally, Euro2008 was on ESPN, live and in its entirety. We're talking about a competition that has nothing to do with the Americas. I would have liked to have seen the Copa Libertadores, but Euro2008 was pretty dang sweet nonetheless. Having said all this, I do have to admit I'm a cule and follow Barça. My home city will have its own MLS team next season, but I don't think that'll change my loyalties much. Still, it looks promising in the USA, if slow.
GREAT POST Stephanie!!!
Well, I've been discussing this subject with my friends a lot lately. And remember that I coach "soccer" too. So to me one of the big problems include the attention that the media does not give to football here in the USA. Is that going to change? Not anytime soon, I believe. Sports are a HUGE part of the American way of life, they know the value of "soccer" in their kids lives. But for most of the AVERAGE Americans "soccer" is nothing but a sport that kids play to help them socialize. Basketball and American Football and Baseball are still the main sports attractions in this country and then comes Nascar, Golf, Tennis, Track&Field... All of them have their main events shown on the main TV Networks. The Euro 2008 Finals were on NBC but most people here don't know how Germany and Spain made it to the Finals or not even WHY they were playing each other. Anyway... Even with the MLS growing, we still are going to have ot wait a few years (or a few great signings at the same level as David Beckham) before we see the AVERAGE American TV Network interested in "soccer" coverage!
Steph I agree with Pequito, things are getting better, but we as consumers need to demand more. We need to call and email our cable stations, satellite and tell them what we want. We need to give our voice to our local MLS and USL clubs. Fortunately I live in an American football city, LA and since I am a crazy fanatic I also watch all the Spanish language channels on Directv, so I can have options and I can watch Copa Libertadores. We need to continue to demand and voice what we want. The money and audience is here.
Thank you for the comments everyone.
I agree as well that it has been getting better here even with not being a fan or alive as many years as you were. Though the arrival of Beckham was helpful to the sport, it didn't only attract people who REALLY cared. There's people know nothing more than the name and face. Euro 08 was sweet, I don't know how long they've shown it here in the States since it was my first time watching the competition.
I very well agree with the fact we should demand more. The New York Times has much more information on what happens in the world of Football/Soccer on their website that could simply me added to the back of a newspaper.
Nice post. I believe there is a chapter in "How Soccer Explains The World" (an excellent book) that touches upon this. Apparently, there is an old guard of American sports journalists who don't wish to see futbol supplant baseball as the preeminent American pastime. More young kids play soccer than the other sports combined and these journalists aim to see that doesn't translated into anything bigger. Personally, I'm OK being a supporter of a sport many people ignore. The more popular it gets, the more numptys you will have to deal with. Soon we'll all be complaining about the homogenization of the sport.
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Nice one Stephanie!! Keep up the grt job!! I'm soooooo proud of u!!
Great post.
It's the same in Australia. Plenty of Aussies will call themselves football fans, but ask them what they think of Borussia Dortmund, FC Dallas or, heaven forbid... Adelaide United, and they'll look at you as if you've just beamed down from another planet.
Having said that though - even with all the resources that we have at our fingertips via the internet... how many football fans take the time to familiarise themselves with anything other than the English Premier League and/or the UEFA Champions League?
Not that many, I think, and it's not just an American trend.