US goes soccer crazy as team eyes second round

[jope]

You guys have your work cut out for you, LOL.

NFL most popular for 30th year in row

By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com January 26, 2014

Pro football is the most popular sport in America for at least the 30th straight year.

That's according to a survey taken this month by the Harris Poll, which has been asking adult fans, ages 18 and over, about their favorite sport since 1985.

In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent).

In 1985, the first year the poll was taken, the NFL bested MLB by just one percentage point (24 to 23 percent), but since then interest in baseball has fallen while the NFL has experienced a huge rise in popularity.

Bummer!

[David48]

You guys have your work cut out for you, LOL.

NFL most popular for 30th year in row

By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com January 26, 2014

Pro football is the most popular sport in America for at least the 30th straight year.

That's according to a survey taken this month by the Harris Poll, which has been asking adult fans, ages 18 and over, about their favorite sport since 1985.

In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent).

In 1985, the first year the poll was taken, the NFL bested MLB by just one percentage point (24 to 23 percent), but since then interest in baseball has fallen while the NFL has experienced a huge rise in popularity.

When the survey says 'popular', does it mean the most enjoyed, the most watched or the largest number of participants?

Three different measures of the same question.

[kevozman1]

Given that American "football" is less absorbing than watching paint dry, "soccer" may well make inroads and become more popular.

I don't watch it anymore but that's kind of silly ... apples and oranges. It might be helpful though to change the name of American football to something else.

Any suggestions?

Handegg

[IsaanUSA]

You guys have your work cut out for you, LOL.

NFL most popular for 30th year in row

By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com January 26, 2014

Pro football is the most popular sport in America for at least the 30th straight year.

That's according to a survey taken this month by the Harris Poll, which has been asking adult fans, ages 18 and over, about their favorite sport since 1985.

In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent).

In 1985, the first year the poll was taken, the NFL bested MLB by just one percentage point (24 to 23 percent), but since then interest in baseball has fallen while the NFL has experienced a huge rise in popularity.

When the survey says 'popular', does it mean the most enjoyed, the most watched or the largest number of participants?

Three different measures of the same question.

lol, read the thing you quoted. The answer is in the second sentence.

[David48]

You guys have your work cut out for you, LOL.

NFL most popular for 30th year in row

By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com January 26, 2014

Pro football is the most popular sport in America for at least the 30th straight year.

That's according to a survey taken this month by the Harris Poll, which has been asking adult fans, ages 18 and over, about their favorite sport since 1985.

In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent).

In 1985, the first year the poll was taken, the NFL bested MLB by just one percentage point (24 to 23 percent), but since then interest in baseball has fallen while the NFL has experienced a huge rise in popularity.

When the survey says 'popular', does it mean the most enjoyed, the most watched or the largest number of participants?

Three different measures of the same question.

lol, read the thing you quoted. The answer is in the second sentence.

"NFL most popular for 30th year in row" ...

[IsaanUSA]

Sorry, sometimes I assume that English is everybody on ThaiVisa's first language.

Here is the second sentence:

That's according to a survey taken this month by the Harris Poll, which has been asking adult fans, ages 18 and over, about their favorite sport since 1985.

[NeverSure]

Soccer isn't as new in the USA as some foreigners imagine. I'm not young and it was part of the sports program in my elementary school and no, it was not coed.

I have to agree with JT's comment above.

More then 2 decades ago, I did a Summer Camp in the US.

I taught them Water-Skiing and Canoeing, but also assisted with their Soccer program.

What surprised me was the amount of Soccer played in the States.

It's not the Glamour sports of Basketball, Baseball or Gridiron, but certainly embraced as a sport, particularly by the younger players.

Also JT makes sense (am I really penning this ) when JT writes ... "But over time, as soccer gains in inevitably Latino dominated USA" ... I can see some logic in that also.

I wonder what the States Soccer style would be?

Maybe a little flair of the Central and South American countries, mixed in some German preision.

What ever it is .. good to see the USA in the World Cup finals and being competitive ...

They've done better then we Aussies.

.

David, as an American I need to tell you something.

The gridiron is only the playing field. It isn't the game or the people or the sport. It came into use because the field is marked off into stripes, and a real gridiron is the ribbed cooking surface of a broiler.

PS Speaking of broilers, are you aware of the large national chain of steak houses called The Outback? Do they have them in Australia? In America it's one of the best places to have a good steak and salad at a reasonable price. (Maybe $20 plus drinks and tip.)

In America, a baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives would be standard fare with a steak. The Outback serves a baked sweet potato with brown sugar and butter. Yum.

[David48]

^^ Mate, thanks for that reply.

I've never seen the chain of Steak Houses called the Outback ... but Australia is a big place.

Interesting about the Gridiron term.

We would recognise that is a name for American Football.

But we'd be unlikely to use the term NFL as our Rugby League code is called the NRL

"In America, a baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives would be standard fare with a steak. The Outback serves a baked sweet potato with brown sugar and butter. Yum." ...

[NeverSure]

We just call it football. College football, high school football, professional football (usually the NFL) and so on.

The Outback will serve you hot, home made dinner rolls and butter, a nice salad with dressing, the sweet potato, a quality generous steak and an American beer (urp ) or a soda for about $20.

[NongKhaiKid]

I'm sure any of the forum's American members will disagree with what i'm about to say but the thrust of my post came from an American acquaintance years ago.

We were discussing the WC on at the time and the US doing well but he pointed out that American enthusiasm would wane as soon as the US was eliminated as he said " Americans don't do neutral spectator very well. "

It's natural the supporters of a team in any sport are knocked out of their stride when their team is eliminated but not necessarily to give up on a tournament completely.

Would any of our American friends care to advise if this attitude still exists or even if it ever did ?

[NeverSure]

I'm sure any of the forum's American members will disagree with what i'm about to say but the thrust of my post came from an American acquaintance years ago.

We were discussing the WC on at the time and the US doing well but he pointed out that American enthusiasm would wane as soon as the US was eliminated as he said " Americans don't do neutral spectator very well. "

It's natural the supporters of a team in any sport are knocked out of their stride when their team is eliminated but not necessarily to give up on a tournament completely.

Would any of our American friends care to advise if this attitude still exists or even if it ever did ?

I can't relate to that at all. For instance pro football has the Super Bowl each year which is the national championship at the end of the season. The teams are known by the city they play in. Each football fan will favor a team that is near him, or perhaps one where he used to live.

But the attendance and TV viewership from all over the country is astounding for the Super Bowl even though almost all teams have been eliminated. If my favorite team loses early in the playoffs, then I still love the game.

Something that might be said about American football. It's a game where if you don't know the strategy and most of the rules, it would be very boring. It might seem slow moving, even. But if one can watch the strategy such as the way the defense lines up at the line, and the way the offense lines up (shifting positions around) then he can read the intent of each team and see how its strategy worked. In a way that's almost like chess.

Seeing a quarterback fake a handoff to a running back to buy a couple of seconds so he can step back and throw a long spiral to a receiver, and watch the defense react down field to the pass is in a way quite a bit of fun.

[Sealbash]

In my opinion "football" or soccer, is becoming more popular in North America mostly because the cost of equipment for baseball, hockey, American football, etc is extremely high. Especially as children grow and require new equipment every couple of years. Soccer can be played with a set of running shoes and a ball.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[NongKhaiKid]

I'm sure any of the forum's American members will disagree with what i'm about to say but the thrust of my post came from an American acquaintance years ago.

We were discussing the WC on at the time and the US doing well but he pointed out that American enthusiasm would wane as soon as the US was eliminated as he said " Americans don't do neutral spectator very well. "

It's natural the supporters of a team in any sport are knocked out of their stride when their team is eliminated but not necessarily to give up on a tournament completely.

Would any of our American friends care to advise if this attitude still exists or even if it ever did ?

I can't relate to that at all. For instance pro football has the Super Bowl each year which is the national championship at the end of the season. The teams are known by the city they play in. Each football fan will favor a team that is near him, or perhaps one where he used to live.

But the attendance and TV viewership from all over the country is astounding for the Super Bowl even though almost all teams have been eliminated. If my favorite team loses early in the playoffs, then I still love the game.

Something that might be said about American football. It's a game where if you don't know the strategy and most of the rules, it would be very boring. It might seem slow moving, even. But if one can watch the strategy such as the way the defense lines up at the line, and the way the offense lines up (shifting positions around) then he can read the intent of each team and see how its strategy worked. In a way that's almost like chess.

Seeing a quarterback fake a handoff to a running back to buy a couple of seconds so he can step back and throw a long spiral to a receiver, and watch the defense react down field to the pass is in a way quite a bit of fun.

I'm sure my friend was referring to a minority sport such as ' real ' football, and on an international level, as opposed to those which are domestic institutions in the US.

[zydeco]

Well, here's a different point of view: http://www.humanevents.com/2014/06/25/americas-favorite-national-pastime-hating-soccer/

Baseball and basketball present a constant threat of personal disgrace. In hockey, there are three or four fights a game—and it’s not a stroll on beach to be on ice with a puck flying around at 100 miles per hour. After a football game, ambulances carry off the wounded. After a soccer game, every player gets a ribbon and a juice box.

[Jingthing]

Well, here's a different point of view: http://www.humanevents.com/2014/06/25/americas-favorite-national-pastime-hating-soccer/

Baseball and basketball present a constant threat of personal disgrace. In hockey, there are three or four fights a game—and it’s not a stroll on beach to be on ice with a puck flying around at 100 miles per hour. After a football game, ambulances carry off the wounded. After a soccer game, every player gets a ribbon and a juice box.

That's funny. Typical reactionary American nativist conservative tripe. But still funny.

I resent the force-fed aspect of soccer. The same people trying to push soccer on Americans are the ones demanding that we love HBO’s “Girls,” light-rail, Beyonce, and Hillary Clinton

All good stuff! Especially HBO's Girls!

[bigbamboo]

Well, here's a different point of view: http://www.humanevents.com/2014/06/25/americas-favorite-national-pastime-hating-soccer/

Baseball and basketball present a constant threat of personal disgrace. In hockey, there are three or four fights a game—and it’s not a stroll on beach to be on ice with a puck flying around at 100 miles per hour. After a football game, ambulances carry off the wounded. After a soccer game, every player gets a ribbon and a juice box.

Interesting angle from the Americans given that in the rest of the world it tends to be girls and gays who hate football.

[NeverSure]

I'm sure any of the forum's American members will disagree with what i'm about to say but the thrust of my post came from an American acquaintance years ago.

We were discussing the WC on at the time and the US doing well but he pointed out that American enthusiasm would wane as soon as the US was eliminated as he said " Americans don't do neutral spectator very well. "

It's natural the supporters of a team in any sport are knocked out of their stride when their team is eliminated but not necessarily to give up on a tournament completely.

Would any of our American friends care to advise if this attitude still exists or even if it ever did ?

I can't relate to that at all. For instance pro football has the Super Bowl each year which is the national championship at the end of the season. The teams are known by the city they play in. Each football fan will favor a team that is near him, or perhaps one where he used to live.

But the attendance and TV viewership from all over the country is astounding for the Super Bowl even though almost all teams have been eliminated. If my favorite team loses early in the playoffs, then I still love the game.

Something that might be said about American football. It's a game where if you don't know the strategy and most of the rules, it would be very boring. It might seem slow moving, even. But if one can watch the strategy such as the way the defense lines up at the line, and the way the offense lines up (shifting positions around) then he can read the intent of each team and see how its strategy worked. In a way that's almost like chess.

Seeing a quarterback fake a handoff to a running back to buy a couple of seconds so he can step back and throw a long spiral to a receiver, and watch the defense react down field to the pass is in a way quite a bit of fun.

I'm sure my friend was referring to a minority sport such as ' real ' football, and on an international level, as opposed to those which are domestic institutions in the US.

I imagine he's right. Americans aren't yet fans of the game itself, but rather fans of the country. They don't yet know the game itself, as I don't.

[NeverSure]

In my opinion "football" or soccer, is becoming more popular in North America mostly because the cost of equipment for baseball, hockey, American football, etc is extremely high. Especially as children grow and require new equipment every couple of years. Soccer can be played with a set of running shoes and a ball.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

When I was a kid in school, we didn't use more equipment than we would have playing soccer. We played by the real rules, except hitting and tackling weren't allowed. We played what's called flag football. Everyone was given a stip of cloth nearly a meter long, and he tucked it partly into his waistband with most of it hanging out the back.

Instead of tackling, an opponent would grab his flag and pull it out. When that happened the guy who lost the flag was considered tackled and down.

It was only the kids who actually played for a schools team, against other schools who had the real equipment and the school provided all but the shoes. That began at about age 13, or what we called the 7th grade. Even then until about age 16 the rules were much different so that kids didn't really get injured.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

It's not a blip. The USA is becoming much more Latino and combined with other immigrants, a critical mass has been met. Still bad we still call it SOCCER though! But that's the fault of the English (look it up).

Before long the USA will be up there with the great soccer/futbol powers. Just you watch!

Agreed. I posted this in another thread but in the next 20 years or so, USA will be a major power in world football, both at international and domestic level in my opinion.

[NeverSure]

It's not a blip. The USA is becoming much more Latino and combined with other immigrants, a critical mass has been met. Still bad we still call it SOCCER though! But that's the fault of the English (look it up).

Before long the USA will be up there with the great soccer/futbol powers. Just you watch!

Agreed. I posted this in another thread but in the next 20 years or so, USA will be a major power in world football, both at international and domestic level in my opinion.

That would be really nice. Most American sports are national, in that they have a national championship. It would be good to be involved more in a world wide sport.

I'm going to start watching it more and trying to learn it.

[zydeco]

It's not a blip. The USA is becoming much more Latino and combined with other immigrants, a critical mass has been met. Still bad we still call it SOCCER though! But that's the fault of the English (look it up).

Before long the USA will be up there with the great soccer/futbol powers. Just you watch!

Agreed. I posted this in another thread but in the next 20 years or so, USA will be a major power in world football, both at international and domestic level in my opinion.

Indoor soccer is actually okay. Lots of action and scoring. I remember that the indoor league had pretty good success at filling its arenas. Indoor soccer also had that magic ingredient that makes baseball, football, hockey, and basketball popular in the US--statistics. Meaningful statistics. Americans love statistical analysis. I can't see that too much in soccer, where it's pretty much down to goals and perhaps time of possession in the opponent's end of the field. Personally, I think soccer also needs a little more violence to be popular in the US. With every player who is barely touched acting like he was just pole-axed, you don't generate much interest or respect in America. where we like our players to play through concussions, dislocated collar bones, separated ribs, and other assorted injuries. I'll make a wager with you. If the world's best NFL players faced off against the world's best soccer players in each other's sports, which group would come the closest to being able to play with the other? I think you would need a triage center to take care of the soccer players.

[Jingthing]

OK, so here's an argument that soccer isn't really gaining much in the USA. Time will tell:

http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/soccer-seems-huge-but-its-not/

The deluge of soccer-related content raises a question that's always asked around World Cup time: Does this unparalleled level of interest mean the United States has embraced soccer?

There are promising statistics in the affirmative. The American contingent at Brazil was larger than any other nation's. The match between the U.S. and Ghana garnered a record-breaking 15.9 million viewers. More people are watching the World Cup than are watching baseball, the so-called great American past-time.

[Travel2003]

Let's bring this thread alive again in 4 years time, and we will see the exactly same discussion about Football in USA, as the football world has had the last 30+ years.

[zydeco]

Let's bring this thread alive again in 4 years time, and we will see the exactly same discussion about Football in USA, as the football world has had the last 30+ years.

You won't need to wait even four more years. If the Germans run up the score and drop the US out of the second round, all the "going crazy" will disappear in a second. Frankly, I don't think there are too many "going crazy" right now. Hard to go nuts over a single win and a tie in a tournament where the biggest news is one player biting another.

[Travel2003]

Let's bring this thread alive again in 4 years time, and we will see the exactly same discussion about Football in USA, as the football world has had the last 30+ years.

You won't need to wait even four more years. If the Germans run up the score and drop the US out of the second round, all the "going crazy" will disappear in a second. Frankly, I don't think there are too many "going crazy" right now. Hard to go nuts over a single win and a tie in a tournament where the biggest news is one player biting another.

True that.

Every time USA do it fairly well in the WC, this very same prediction resurfaces.

Every time.

[jope]

Let's bring this thread alive again in 4 years time, and we will see the exactly same discussion about Football in USA, as the football world has had the last 30+ years.

You won't need to wait even four more years. If the Germans run up the score and drop the US out of the second round, all the "going crazy" will disappear in a second. Frankly, I don't think there are too many "going crazy" right now. Hard to go nuts over a single win and a tie in a tournament where the biggest news is one player biting another.

But were the biting news not fun?

Otherwise, I think the American "World Football" ( ) could aim at becoming popular enough to attract managers from South American and European clubs to canvas American clubs for talents. But even that will be difficult to achieve (good luck, anyway).

Regarding the match tonight: of course, Germany will not beat the USA (did you not read my previous post?), it will be a draw and it will be a scandal like the match Germany-Austria many years ago when both teams agreed to not hurt each other so both teams could go to the next round. Two risks, though: the German team might be motivated enough to kick out the German US-Trainer Kliensmann (just for the fun of it) and the US-Team will see a good opportunity to present themselves for contracts in Europe, where the real money can be made.

[7by7]

<snip>

If the world's best NFL players faced off against the world's best soccer players in each other's sports, which group would come the closest to being able to play with the other? I think you would need a triage center to take care of the soccer players.

Not really comparing like for like as American football and football are not that similar.

How about the best NFL players against the world's best rugby players, either code?

Provided the NFL players could be persuaded to take their armour and padding off!

[7by7]

Still bad we still call it SOCCER though! But that's the fault of the English (look it up).

Be fair, JT.

This side of the pond it's only called 'soccer' by posh rugger buggers!

[zydeco]

<snip>

If the world's best NFL players faced off against the world's best soccer players in each other's sports, which group would come the closest to being able to play with the other? I think you would need a triage center to take care of the soccer players.

Not really comparing like for like as American football and football are not that similar.

How about the best NFL players against the world's best rugby players, either code?

Provided the NFL players could be persuaded to take their armour and padding off!

You clearly don't understand what helmets and pads are used for in football. You use your shoulder pads to hit someone with. You lead with your helmet in making a tackle. And then there is basic physics. NFL players are much bigger and faster. Same goes for hockey versus rugby. Rugby players may be tough, but they just don't match up physically. That said, I don't mind watching rugby--I even like it, along with Australian football. Lots of action and scoring.

[7by7]

I can assure you that rugby tackles are hard.

The players, especially the forwards, are big men, too.

Union (Warning, the soundtrack to this video contains language which may offend.)

League (Warning, the soundtrack to this video contains language which may offend.)

Rugby players, of both codes, don't need to stop for a rest when they're tackled either; they just get up and carry on.