Wednesday, August 01, 2007
American Soccer
Here's all you need to know about the future of professional soccer in America. Thirty-two year old, broken down, Englishman, David Beckham signed the biggest (by dollar value) soccer contract in American history.
Beckham is a celebrity. His wife is a Spice Girl and a celebrity. They already have their own reality TV show. Paparazzi are tailing them everywhere in the City that always Peeps. Beckham has barely played for his new team the LA Galaxy in the three or four games scheduled since his arrival, one token fifteen minute appearance was all he could manage thus far.
On the other hand, the most talented American soccer player, young, athletic, rising star, Freddy Adu is leaving behind professional soccer in America. He has signed with a Portuguese club team, Benfica. You know that global economic powerhouse, Portugal.
Soccer has as much chance to make an impact on the American professional sports scene, as track and field has of making a huge comeback. Soccer is behind in ratings and recognition NASCAR, hockey, horse racing, ultimate fighting, boxing, etc. and this is not to mention the big three American sports.
Anybody old enough to remember when the Cosmos signed an aging Pele to the biggest contract in the sport's history? It was going to change the course of soccer in North America forever. The Cosmos folded seven years later. The LA Galaxy and Beckham won't even be around that long.
Beckham is a celebrity. His wife is a Spice Girl and a celebrity. They already have their own reality TV show. Paparazzi are tailing them everywhere in the City that always Peeps. Beckham has barely played for his new team the LA Galaxy in the three or four games scheduled since his arrival, one token fifteen minute appearance was all he could manage thus far.
On the other hand, the most talented American soccer player, young, athletic, rising star, Freddy Adu is leaving behind professional soccer in America. He has signed with a Portuguese club team, Benfica. You know that global economic powerhouse, Portugal.
Soccer has as much chance to make an impact on the American professional sports scene, as track and field has of making a huge comeback. Soccer is behind in ratings and recognition NASCAR, hockey, horse racing, ultimate fighting, boxing, etc. and this is not to mention the big three American sports.
Anybody old enough to remember when the Cosmos signed an aging Pele to the biggest contract in the sport's history? It was going to change the course of soccer in North America forever. The Cosmos folded seven years later. The LA Galaxy and Beckham won't even be around that long.
Labels: Pop Culture, Predictions, sports
Comments:
I will take that bet regarding the LA Galaxy. MLS is here to stay - especially once the other teams complete there soccer specific stadiums. Soccer could be considered part of the top 6, including Nascar, in 10 years.
# posted by 
: 8/02/2007 1:59 PM
: 8/02/2007 1:59 PM
Ahhh, the soccer dreamers, every few years soccer is just about to make a big breakthrough...notice how it's people with kids who might play soccer, who are always the most enthused about this prospect. Who remembers the American Soccer League? Centered in northeast, with a franchise in Jersey City, it operated from 1921 to 1933 when it collapsed! No??! Or the the NASL (North American Soccer League) in operation from 1968 to 1984...The MLS is next in line.
Here's a great capsule on why the soccer "breakthrough" is no different, from my favorite ESPN columnist Bill Simmons, "Every five years, people predict soccer could "take off" in America. Every five years, it doesn't happen. Why? Because Americans don't want to watch anything less than the best possible athletes. That's why the USFL and Arena Football failed as TV sports, that's why the CBA doesn't have a TV contract, and that's why ESPN2 doesn't show minor league baseball every night. Pro soccer can't become a major American sport when 99.7% of the quality players play overseas. It's a fact.
So what's my silver lining? That people keep stupidly perpetuating the "every kid grows up playing soccer -- those are the kids who become adults and who might buy tickets" argument. You know what else I did as a kid? I gave myself a Muslim name. I ate my own boogers. I seethed because Tom never caught Jerry. I checked my closet every night to make sure an evil clown wasn't there. I left my baby teeth under my pillow because a fairy gave me money for them. None of these things has any correlation to my life now. The fact remains: Americans will never care that Beckham is playing soccer in a league of half-decent guys, just like English people wouldn't care if they had a mediocre baseball league and the London team signed A-Rod."
Here's a great capsule on why the soccer "breakthrough" is no different, from my favorite ESPN columnist Bill Simmons, "Every five years, people predict soccer could "take off" in America. Every five years, it doesn't happen. Why? Because Americans don't want to watch anything less than the best possible athletes. That's why the USFL and Arena Football failed as TV sports, that's why the CBA doesn't have a TV contract, and that's why ESPN2 doesn't show minor league baseball every night. Pro soccer can't become a major American sport when 99.7% of the quality players play overseas. It's a fact.
So what's my silver lining? That people keep stupidly perpetuating the "every kid grows up playing soccer -- those are the kids who become adults and who might buy tickets" argument. You know what else I did as a kid? I gave myself a Muslim name. I ate my own boogers. I seethed because Tom never caught Jerry. I checked my closet every night to make sure an evil clown wasn't there. I left my baby teeth under my pillow because a fairy gave me money for them. None of these things has any correlation to my life now. The fact remains: Americans will never care that Beckham is playing soccer in a league of half-decent guys, just like English people wouldn't care if they had a mediocre baseball league and the London team signed A-Rod."
stealing flawed arguments from Simmons doesn't make you sound any smarter, Aaron. What about college football? It's nearly as popular as the pro game, and yet 3/4 of the players on the top 25 teams in college will never play a down on a NFL team. College basketball is -more- popular than the pro game despite the fact that the Memphis Grizzlies could wax any team in the NCAA.
That being said, I think that soccer has a better chance of making it -this- time because of changing demographics in this country. If you've never gone to an MLS game, you should try it some time: at least a good third of the crowds are Hispanic, and they will support a US league.
That being said, I think that soccer has a better chance of making it -this- time because of changing demographics in this country. If you've never gone to an MLS game, you should try it some time: at least a good third of the crowds are Hispanic, and they will support a US league.
Sorry it took me so long to respond Mr. Rock.
College football is not analogous. The fact that university have students and alumni with built-in loyalties is a fundamental difference. They paid to attend the university for what is, theoretically, it's primary purpose. This relationship literally buys their loyalty, think about the alumni donation solicitation system.
Who in LA is loyal to the Galaxy? The city can't support an NFL team. They have ignored their hockey team for twenty years, even, during all but the first year or two of the Gretzky era.
Don't try to say individual European cities are loyal to their football(soccer) clubs. No duh. In America baseball franchises once served that function, which is now fulfilled in most major metro areas by the NFL. (LA is an exception, the NBA's Lakers own that town.)
As for the Hispanic population of LA, these folks already have loyalties to individual soccer teams. The bad news is these clubs are in based in cities in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Costa Rica, etc. etc. They are not rooting for the LA Galaxy anymore than they are rooting for America in the World Cup. This subset of LA's population is more comparable in their sports loyalties to retirees in Florida. Who note, won't support the local baseball teams because they are snowbirds, who moved to Florida with pre-existing loyalties to the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, etc.
College football is not analogous. The fact that university have students and alumni with built-in loyalties is a fundamental difference. They paid to attend the university for what is, theoretically, it's primary purpose. This relationship literally buys their loyalty, think about the alumni donation solicitation system.
Who in LA is loyal to the Galaxy? The city can't support an NFL team. They have ignored their hockey team for twenty years, even, during all but the first year or two of the Gretzky era.
Don't try to say individual European cities are loyal to their football(soccer) clubs. No duh. In America baseball franchises once served that function, which is now fulfilled in most major metro areas by the NFL. (LA is an exception, the NBA's Lakers own that town.)
As for the Hispanic population of LA, these folks already have loyalties to individual soccer teams. The bad news is these clubs are in based in cities in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Costa Rica, etc. etc. They are not rooting for the LA Galaxy anymore than they are rooting for America in the World Cup. This subset of LA's population is more comparable in their sports loyalties to retirees in Florida. Who note, won't support the local baseball teams because they are snowbirds, who moved to Florida with pre-existing loyalties to the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, etc.
The great thing about NCAA football (and basketball, for that matter) is that the few talents who will definitely make it to the pros drastically outshine everyone else. In ESPN's "top plays" there is inevitably some mediocre runningback who goes 87 yards against a team that can't tackle.
I think soccer is great but the US will not realise this until the oficial lingua es espanol.
I think soccer is great but the US will not realise this until the oficial lingua es espanol.
Mr. Sled,
Not that I don't have a sense of humor, but...I don't see the American lingua franca ever changing to Espanol. The long established historical pattern of immigrants to America is to assimilate while retaining elements of their individual culture. Hispanic words will become mainstream English verbiage, a process that is, no doubt, already on-going.
But if you're waiting for Espanol to predominate, it is just another case in point for why professional soccer is doomed in America!
Yes, we know Beckham finally scored. (not with Posh who can be seen in this highlight giving him the slow clap.)
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Not that I don't have a sense of humor, but...I don't see the American lingua franca ever changing to Espanol. The long established historical pattern of immigrants to America is to assimilate while retaining elements of their individual culture. Hispanic words will become mainstream English verbiage, a process that is, no doubt, already on-going.
But if you're waiting for Espanol to predominate, it is just another case in point for why professional soccer is doomed in America!
Yes, we know Beckham finally scored. (not with Posh who can be seen in this highlight giving him the slow clap.)
