Random, 2:00am booze inspired question, which would you rather win, the World Cup, or the Superbowl. I'd pick the World Cup. To win an event that was basically made to screw you and show that your country isn't dominant in everything would be amazing. For an American team win the World Cup would be the greatest sporting achievement in American history. The Superbowl would be fun too though.
For it to be the greatest sporting achievement, people in America would gave to give a fuck. We win the world cup and it still ranks below that years super bowl winner in most American's opinions.
I would pick World Cup over any achievable sporting victory. I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that Australia won't ever win a World Cup* *until I have awesome soccer babies
At this point, with the ESPN coverage the world wide spectacle of the World Cup, I think it would be pretty tremendous. As much as it would be amazing to watch the Bears win the Super Bowl in a bar in Chicago, I watched the US draw with England during the group stage of the 2010 World Cup at a bar and it was a top 3 most amazing sports moment. There is something so holistically unifying about an entire country supporting their team in a major event that not even the Olympics can usurp. Canada-USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics was close, but I feel like a World Cup final would be even more massive. And also, despite hardcore denials of it, soccer viewerships and followings have greatly increased the last 5 years.
I'd like to hear more of this. Do you think it's mostly due to having a competitive league with top class players like Henry at the Red Bulls, or is it something else?
Excuse me Mr. Politically Incorrect, the correct career terminology is "Pelt Wrangler" and it is a respected trade profession. You wouldn't call a Sandwich Artist a "fast food employee" just because they are, would you? And my guess is he's driving a loud vehicle with incredibly oversized tires.
Clearly you know NOTHING about me, because if you did, you would know that I never lower myself to the point of frequenting an establishment that caters to the socioeconomic underbelly with that there devils food known as 'bread'. So, you're going with garbage man? I mean, 'sanitation engineer'.
We have friends visiting from Texas this month. I'm going to ask them to bring a bottle. It's just not available here. Which is lame. Because delicious.
A variety of things. The domestic league (MLS) is steadily improving, the National team just had their best year ever, the Premier League is more and more readily available on American television. And the fans are all rabid. American soccer culture as a whole is very accepting and fan-friendly; American Soccer Now is a great resource, and Free Beer Movement is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.
I think the ability to watch the games is a big factor. NBC plays one or two EPL games every Sunday morning. So I can wake up watch one of those and then go do whatever. Without an adequate TV presence its really hard to follow European soccer. I know whats going on in the EPL because of NBC, however I have no idea whats happening in Seri A, the Bundesliga, or La Liga. The national team doing well is significant as well. Everyone likes a winner, and I think Americans are getting turned onto watching the games. Going to a soccer bar to watch the national team play is really fun. I was at one during the US-Mexico game where we won, and the atmosphere was awesome. I think people are starting to understand there's more to the experience than watching a 1-0 snoozefest. I know people accuse Americans of being too nationalistic at times, but for a huge portion of the country we never really wear the red/white/blue and go crazy. Watching a soccer game allows you to throw on the colors and have fun without being some redneck at a NASCAR race.
All of that is correct. And then you also add in a large segment of people my age (late 20s) that were the group that was part of the youth soccer boom in America. So its not like people getting into cricket or rugby or some other sport that is largely popular but yet not played alot here, its a demographic of people that grew up playing soccer as kids and have more of a connection to that sport than football or hockey, which they may have never played.
Honestly, I like to watch the national soccer/hockey teams from time to time because it's nice to watch a team sport where we don't just curb stomp the other countries.
I'll always watch the World Cup. The elite of that sport are something to watch, and its a true world-wide coming together, which around here means shitloads of "Italians" born in Canada driving around honking with their Beamers festooned with green, white and red. My only real issue with the sport is Hollywood dives. Faggy fake fouls ruins the sport because it can change the outcome of a game when it never should have. I think it's wrong to win that way.
I've tried to watch soccer by myself, but I just can't. It is a terrible sport, rivaled only by the NBA in terms of unwatchableness. There is a reason why going to the bar to watch a game is fun, it is group think. Everyone cheering. If they were singing songs, drinking and cheering while watching paint dry that would be fun too. These four things could do leeps and bounds for the sport: 1. Eliminate the tie. (worked for hockey) 2. Eliminate the offisides rule. (kinda like a two line pass in hockey) 3. Time keeping needs to be completely overhauled. Like an official rule for how much time is added, and an actual official end to the game. 4. The best way to eliminate flopping in the sport would be to let the teams play. Make it ok to nudge someone or knock them down. Don't blow the fucking whistle once every 20 seconds. I understand you need fowls for things like kicking someone balls, or an all out tackle, but if you can't stay up from a gentle nudge you need to play in the NBA.
Are you giving your recommendations to the NFL on how they can grow their sport? You don't like it, which is fine. But, I think the sport is doing fine without your ideas.
The highest level of soccer has done very well without large scale American participation, that said, there's a huge financial incentive to get Americans into the game. I said it earlier, but I think the crux is showing Americans the highest level competition. I watched the Champions League Final, great game, I think any person who likes sports would've liked that. I'm not insinuating if they played that game over here people would buy into it, but I do think showing the best product consistently would get a significant amount of people into the game. Problem is, over here we have the equivalent of A or AA baseball. Its not the best and most people know that. If there was a top level league out here, I have no doubt people would get behind it. I think everywhere outside of the SEC could get into that. One fun fact, America has the largest youth soccer program in the world. People who think the game can't succeed on here should chew on that for a bit. So fuck soccer, its football time.