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Soccer and U.S. politics

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Soccer and U.S. politics Empty Soccer and U.S. politics

Post by Ben Reilly Tue Feb 05, 2013 4:30 am

I've noticed that soccer is hated by the American right. I can't figure out why.

The brother of a legendary Texas high-school football coach once told me what his brother thought about soccer:

"He always said it was a communist sport and they needed to keep it over there." I guess "over there" means "not America."

So I've downloaded a report from the Sociological Quarterly from 2011 about it. I'll excerpt it here and again, likely, as I read it through.

In the meantime -- any ideas as to why some American sports fans appear to actively hate soccer?

During the 2010 World Cup, right-wing talk show host, Glenn Beck, told viewers, “It doesn’t matter how you try to sell it to us . . . we don’t want the World Cup, we don’t like the World Cup, we don’t like soccer, we want nothing to do with it.” Conservative radio host Mark Belling claimed that liberals are “force feeding [soccer] down our throats.” Dan Gainor of the conservative think tank, Media Research Center, offered that “Soccer is designed as a poor man or poor woman’s sport . . . the left is pushing it in schools across the country” (Hertzberg 2010). Such rhetoric is nothing new. In 1986, on the floor of Congress, Congressman Jack Kemp opposed an American bid to host theWorld Cup, saying, “a distinction should be made that football is democratic, capitalism, whereas soccer is a European socialist [sport]” (Foer 2004).

While anti-soccer rhetoric is fairly common in the mass media, it seems clear that soccer is growing in popularity in some sectors of the American population. Soccer has long been the most popular youth participatory sport in the country with over 3.3 million children, ages 5–19, currently playing soccer in organized leagues alone (US Youth Soccer 2011). Thirty years after the first boom of American youth soccer, professional soccer is thriving as well. The national professional men’s league, Major League Soccer (MLS), has grown to 18 teams, with over half of the teams playing in soccer specific stadiums. Televised coverage of matches from the world’s top domestic leagues in England, Spain, and Italy as well as international games have expanded dramatically
in the past few years on prominent sports outlets such as ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel. And Americans are watching more soccer than ever. ESPN and ABC averaged 80 percent higher ratings per match for 2010 World Cup than in the 2006 World Cup.
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Post by Lurker Tue Feb 05, 2013 4:43 am

Joe McCarthy is alive and well. Everything the repugnant right doesn't understand is communist. I am so tired of conservative ignorance and misinformation.
The Tennessee legislature wants to pass a bill that states they don't have to do anything the Federal Government tells them to do. They want to pass laws that neutralize federal laws - especially anything that looks like gun control. I'm surprised they haven't passed a bill that outlaws soccer in Tennessee. I vote for the Tennessee General Assembly as being the stupidest gaggle of Republicans on the planet. The "don't say gay" bill is a prime example:
http://www.dnj.com/viewart/20130204/NEWS/302040028/New-version-Don-t-Say-Gay-bill-filed-Tenn-

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Soccer and U.S. politics Empty "In the meantime -- any ideas as to why some American sports fans appear to actively hate soccer?"

Post by Manicfoot Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:56 pm

They don't understand the offside rule and you don't often get a match where lots of goals are scored. I say this because I have noticed that most if not all American ball games give teams the opportunity to score and the crowd to witness a gazillion points being won. :D
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Post by Ben Reilly Sat Mar 23, 2013 10:05 pm

But as someone quite observantly pointed out on a soccer blog I follow, a 21-7 final in American football is really a 3-1 final Smile (Of course, most 3-1 soccer games aren't very interesting.)

Yeah, I think a LOT of sports fans in America are accustomed to the high scoring. Look at basketball, for crying out loud.

Until you watch a game like soccer or hockey, and learn to appreciate those scoring moments because of their rarity, I don't think you can appreciate soccer.

Also -- you have to learn about the game, preferably from someone who knows about it, and there still aren't many American parents who do. They can't even tell their kids what makes for good defensive or midfield play, and that's another thing that, if you can appreciate and understand it, brings a lot of interest to the game.
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Post by Manicfoot Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:18 pm

Thats the thing with football though, yes a high scoring match is a good thing but it's also about how a match is played. It could finish 0-0 but could be one of the most exciting games you have ever seen because of incidents, collective or individual skill with and without the ball, etc. Hence it being known as 'the beautiful game'. I must add that I have seen some high scoring games and they have been as dull as an energy saving light bulb.
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Post by DrSchool Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:31 am

So even taking David Beckham over to play soccer in the US didn't help it become more popular? I love soccer and about 25% of my American friends feel the same way. I'm not sure why the ones that don't like it have an extreme dislike of the sport. Before I thought was because it is the most popular sport in the world and America always gets their asses handed to them on the field, but then the woman's soccer team was doing real well and still no one seemed to care. American networks will not pick up soccer because there aren't enough quarters, time outs, downs, or breaks for commercials.

I also love Rugby and wish that America would give up the overly brutal Football and take up a gentleman's sport (RUGBY). If you look at serious injuries and deaths related to sports, American football takes the cake.
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Post by Ben Reilly Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:42 pm

Actually, soccer is growing in popularity in the U.S. Major League Soccer was established in the mid-90s and has expanded from 10 teams to 19 this season; attendance keeps growing every year. Beckham didn't help as much as I think people believed he would (we mostly saw it as a stunt) but what's really happening is that kids are now growing up not just playing soccer but watching U.S. pro teams that are playing a better level of soccer than anything here outside our national teams.

In the early days of the MLS, the league was paying broadcasters to air its games -- now the broadcasters pay MLS for the rights. We have no commercial breaks or any of the other imagined Americanisms that have been thrown out there, like cheerleaders or a countdown clock. There's even talk of implementing a promotion and relegation scheme, as the country is also teeming with what are now termed "minor league" soccer teams.

Our teams are attracting international talent, and our young talent is going off to play for prestigious teams around the world. Look at all the Americans on European rosters today! A good example is my team, FC Dallas, sending Brek Shea to Stoke City of the EPL. That was a pretty big acquisition for them that allowed us to pick up some new players strengthening our roster.

Here's the highlight clip of our last game, where we downed Real Salt Lake (you know, the soccer team that the King of Spain established in Salt Lake City, Utah Rolling Eyes ):

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Post by Manicfoot Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:59 pm

It is a shame because when you look at what the US international squad over the past few decades have achieved, it must be said you have always put together a team that can compete with any other national team and give footballing royalty a run for their money. Some of your exports to the Premier League have been outstanding with more players coming here and to the other top leagues throughout Europe, so it's not a question of producing quality players.

DrSchool has hit the nail on the head there... there aren't enough quarters, time outs, downs, or breaks for commercials. I suppose the networks won't cover game for that reason, no ads no money. Yet the t.v. stations here pay millions for the privilege of airing games?!

As for Beckham, don't get me going on him. He's just a face for fronting and spreading the "word" of footy. Man U sold him at the right time. He ain't quick and never has been, doesn't have great skill on the ball, hasn't got the best football brain going, but he does (did) have two saving graces, his dead ball ability and crossing.

I don't know what it's like over there, but if the kids do not play at school then I can't see it catching on in a major way.
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Post by DrSchool Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:00 am

Looks like the level of play is improving. Beautiful goal by Castillo.
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Post by Ben Reilly Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:39 am

It was, wasn't it? And a beautiful game tonight for the U.S. men vs. Mexico, a match which over here is like England vs. France or something.

Kids do play a metric shitload of soccer over here -- it's the number one youth sport, highest participation in the country. The Dallas suburb of Flower Mound, a heavily Republican area, invested public money in a massive soccer complex. Then again, they also welcomed a mosque -- they're sort of weird for Republicans Smile

Meanwhile, a lot of parents are starting to not let their kids play our football -- gridiron -- because it's really dangerous. Seems like every other year a healthy kid dies from dehydration or a broken spine or something.
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Post by Ben Reilly Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:41 am

By the way, Manic, where's your location? Just out of curiosity.

Have to say though, I watched my FC Dallas on TV Saturday and the U.S. men tonight on TV.
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Post by JohnEAngel Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:00 am

i seem to remember that some of the UK media feels the same way about American football being played in their region. they seem to detest it.

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