Good article on soccer in USA

[ChiTownSpurs]

I'm finding this thread difficult to follow to be honest. If we are talking about USA becoming a powerhouse of world football, then it is likely to happen - look at the influx of ex Premier League players- Beckham,Henry, Lampard, & Gerrard at the end of this season, plus many others- all top EPL players. As big names go to play there & the national side gains recognition, then it will surely gather momentum. Average attendances are already higher than Argentina AND Brazil- not sure of populations but would hazard a guess that Brazil has a pretty high population. What I wouldn't like is the American spin on it. Sky are bad enough, but one of the reasons that most US sports are unwatchable is because they are disjointed affairs. I once tried watching the Super Bowl & couldn't believe how they drag it out for hours to please sponsors & advertising. I'd hate it for games to be decided e.g by a crossbar challenge "in the event of a tie".
However, Spurs are pioneering the U.S market & Levy knows where there is a bob or two to be had. Our own club is busy exploring the American market. If the US don't try to change football & it's rules to suit sponsors & advertisers, or make it more appealing to an American audience who "don't get" the current format, then Why would anyone have a problem? Maybe it's a fear that them yanks may actually do a fucking good job of it? As for "I don't like America or Americans" in whatever shape or form people have posted on here, I happen to feel pretty embarrassed by it. It's rather like someone saying they don't like black people, or white people, or Asian people, or Jewish people because they've met one or 2 & didn't get along with them. I've been to America a few times, & found the people to be friendly, courteous & yet patriotic. They were interested to know where abouts in England we were from, they were brilliant with my kids & whilst it can come across as overbearing at times, I think American people are just enthusiastic & love their country. To be honest, it's a fucking shame a lot of us Brits aren't like that.

We tend to think you guys all live right next to each other, which will lead to people asking if you know the only other person they ever met from England. We also like your accents especially in children because they sound hilarious, like that Charlie bit my finger video

 

[Furball man]

I consider the MLS as a retirement home for good players

It's still a mixed sex league right?



DUUUUUUUUCCCCK

 

[The Yinzer]

I think we all could get behind football in America if some MLS team was willing to take Ade and pay his extortionate wages.
:avbpray:

 

[ILSpur]

You've missed the important bit, which was WITH OVERLAPPING CULTURAL THEMES.

No, they're not the same. Is their culture the same? Not exactly, but mostly. Unless you're claiming some Americans aren't culturally American?

Culture is a byproduct of people. If they are "mostly" the same, you are only accounting for slight deviations of your supposed American norm of loud, boisterous, ass injecting, mass consumerists.

I disagree. Media and people in power play a huge part in spreading, or limiting, culture. Look up the Iron law of oligarchy; there are many different theories regarding culture. I think those in power control it, not the people as a whole.

The people in power are capitalists, and the laws o supply and demand are at the heart of their decision making. Does that mean that the citizens of the US, or most countries in general, have 100% free choice in their consumption of different ideas or mediums? No, but for the most part they will attempt to provide what the market wants, OR what can make them money. There are hundreds of TV channels available, so how do you attempt to get more viewers? By getting more and more outrageous with your programming. Many available options for news coverage are readily available, how do they beat out their competition? By getting more and more sensationalized and polarized in their coverage. These are tactics that target basic human psychology, not just Americans. It's the same way in which McDonald's essentially works in every country it goes into.

The actual % of the US population who actually get cosmetic injections in their ass is extremely small, same with those who actually participate in the frenzy of your so-called consumerist holiday. The reality is that they make for great headlines and clips on TV, so that is what then forms what some people consider to be the norm.

And instead of informing me of some of the best aspects, people have just thrown mud around. Tell me, what person has tried to tell me anything culturally significant about America, or some of it's great cultural or social assets? No one. Not a single person. All I hear is "America has a lot of culture" and then you go on to tell me fuck all, which says a lot.

If I were to say that I think that all black people are "mostly" the same, make derogatory statements about the aspects that are the same, stereotype them based upon sensationalized ideas of this seemingly single culture they all have, and state that I've never really liked a single black person I've ever met, is it really incumbent upon others to tell me all the positive aspects of black people, OR is it incumbent upon me to pull my head out of my ass?

 

[Juicy Sushi]

Almost be better doing it by state, California Verses Texas.

Some are. Part of the issue with the rivalries is that they take time to develop. The teams are young, so there isn't a century of bad blood to stew over.

 

[Joe Clash]

I think there is something in what you say, but my hypothesis would be that they were generally older and more educated than the the average gold ole Brit that comes on here. I am guessing that this is representative of the demographic that follows European Soccer in America rather than a general trend through society, but I may just be talking bollocks; it wouldn't be the first time

I wasn't being 100% serious - I was only trying to play down the 'I'm smarter than you' aspect of this lamentable thread.

 

[cantthinkofany]

Club football in the U.S will never be anything near European standard. Americans have tried to convince me since the beginning of the 90´s and not much has happened apart from, that a few more football pensioners have sucked a little more money out of their careers in the MLS.

Last time I tried to take it serious was when they exported Freddy Adu as the next football superstar, who was coming overseas to teach us how to play.

American women are good at playing though.

 

[Joe Clash]

One of the greatest Philosophers who probably ever lived and the modern inventor of atheism.

I don't think he invented it. How can someone invent atheism? He didn't even name it.

 

[Tomo]

Club football in the U.S will never be anything near European standard. Americans have tried to convince me since the beginning of the 90´s and not much has happened apart from, that a few more football pensioners have sucked a little more money out of their careers in the MLS.

Last time I tried to take it serious was when they exported Freddy Adu as the next football superstar, who was coming overseas to teach us how to play.

American women are good at playing though.

Again culture has a part to play, growing up most women I knew played netball at school but women's football is huge in the states, therefore you are going to get the best American female sportswomen having a go at it, it's not the same for American men, American Football and Basketball are very dominant.

Women's football at a high level is also far more recent than men's so it wasn't like the Americans had to catch up with anyone, if anything we are having to play catch up with the yanks, German and Japanese women.

 

[Millbanks]

Another good ol' fashioned UK vs US cunt-off. In the Spurs section of the forum. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Sooo soccer in America...

We can get every BPL game every weekend via NBCSN which is huge to spread the sport. I heard you guys in England don't get the games televised, is that incorrect? Do you wish a company would have random games available?

This is all taking streaming from random sites out of the equation.

Sky have a strange-hold on football, with BT doing their best to nudge in on the action.

I have been on holiday in Spain and seen chaps at the bar selecting which Bundesliga match to watch - but had the choice of every game.

You have no idea how alien that is to the English!

Don't know when this was but I was surprised to see that the MLS was in the top 10

Thanks for this table SC, really good info in it. Fascinating to see the MLS already has a higher average attendance than one of the powerhouses of world football, Argentina. And it's far from impossible that in the the next 10 years the MLS wil overtake one of the biggest leagues of all, Serie A, in terms of average attendance. That's a measure of the growth of soccer in the States, and something that really pleases me.

Football is one of this country's greatest cultural exports, and with the States joining in now, it is easily the world's number 1 sport/game. Actually, for me, it's more like a religion and a love affair, but that's another debate.

Being in the top 10 in reality means very little on its own though, as your population makes those figures look insignificant, same as China being 9th. In fact, it has no bearing at all on the league itself, the quality, desirability, fan base - nothing. It needs to be

J-League 11th? Algerian league 16th!? Scotland down in 21st? I defy any American, Chinese, Japanese or Australian team to recreate a Celtic Park at full capacity.

I don't think you can really rank leagues, as the differences are too varied to draw any kind of comparison, but World Soccer Magazine have come up with the most comprehensive comparison I've seen, the results of which can be seen here

http://www.givemesport.com/342964-top-20-best-leagues-in-world-football

 

[jimmyriggle]

I had a similarly low impression of football in the states before I actually went to an MLS game.

The relatively low quality met my expectations. However, the fan experience was some of the most fun I've had at a game and certainly way more than most spurs games. Of course some of it retains that American cheese, but We could definitely take a few notes out of their book in this respect.

 

[sammyspurs]

Baffles me how people can say football won't become big in America. Anything that can make money or that's remotely capitalist gets abused and conquered, eventually.

What do you need for a top league? Money.

What does America love? Money.

You don't need history. You don't need top stadiums. You don't need fantastic fans. You need high wages and big transfers.

One thing you have ignored, the most important thing, is a market. You need interest.

They could pump 100 Billion into making Baseball big in England if they want, and all that will happen is they will lose 100 Billion because no one will go.

 

[Benny]

jimmyriggle I think that's due to the British (and perhaps other nations) being a little 'ashamed' of stealing certain football fan cultures, or being seen to at least.

 

[cantthinkofany]

Again culture has a part to play, growing up most women I knew played in the UK played netball at school but women's football is huge in the states, therefore you are going to get the best American female sportswomen having a go at it, it's not the same for American men, American Football and Basketball are very dominant.

Women's football at a high level is also far more recent than men's so it wasn't like the Americans had to catch up with anyone, if anything we are having to play catch up with the yanks, German and Japanese women.

Yes, all boys growing up in the US wants to be Tony Romo - not Messi., and when they fail they wont begin to play soccer to see if they can make in that sport, as its considered to be a bit of losersport for men. Maybe they will play a little to get some exercise.

By the way im not from the UK.

 

[SoCalSpurs]

Holy shit I'm laughing hard at this. Perfect gif to a perfect question.

 

[Joe Clash]

look at the influx of ex Premier League players- Beckham,Henry, Lampard, & Gerrard at the end of this season, plus many others- all top EPL players.

But when it was the NASL or whatever, they had Pele, Beckenbauer, Best, Cruyff and H. Redknapp among other superstars, and it still fell on its arse. I'm not saying it will this time, but attracting overseas players is not enough on its own. Having said that America does appear to be embracing football like at no other time in its history.

 

[SoCalSpurs]

Another issue is the lack of real rivalries. You have a couple like Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, but our country is so big that away support is almost non-existent for most games which probably detracts alot from the atmosphere.

One of the worst parts of American sports

 

[cantthinkofany]

One of the worst parts of American sports

Actually the sportsgames I have been to in the US seemed to be big parties for eating, drinking and having fun. When the home team lost everybody got over it within 5 min. and laughed a bit at how shit they were.

 

[Greaves357_bestever]

The United States is a huge country of 300 million people so football does not have to grow that much to overtake somewhere like Argentina with around 40 million people in terms of attendence. However the league and game structure will determine long term success in terms of American teams not simply having a lot of people and money. You only have to look the most dominate team in World Sport by a country mile the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team or that Spain is a stronger football league than Italy despite having less people to see that structure/culture/environment are the key to success.

Fair comments, but it's precisely because the States is such a big country that it can carry soccer as a major sport alongside its other major sports. Given its size, super power status and GDP, the USA is very much a continent in its own right, and therefore the possibilities for soccer are enormous.Something I've always felt. I'm delighted my optimism for the game over there, despite much, it now seems incorrect, pessimism/cynicism from many Limeys over the years. Another big call from Greavesie, bang in the hoop and the net from yours truly.

 

[FightingIllini]

'We're the yids in America'

Genius.