Also, I really wish they'd fix the names of the sports here. Football is just a silly name for the sport it represents and soccer should be called football. That would help too.

Solace wrote:Soccer's just going to take a long time to catch on. It's not an "American past-time" so to speak, so will take many years to truly be a major sport here. If the US team starts going deeper in the world cups and younger generations start growing up with soccer, it will catch on.

Also, I really wish they'd fix the names of the sports here. Football is just a silly name for the sport it represents and soccer should be called football. That would help too.

what would you call football then? iTackle? *lightbulb*

Solace wrote:

TMS wrote:

Solace wrote:Soccer's just going to take a long time to catch on. It's not an "American past-time" so to speak, so will take many years to truly be a major sport here. If the US team starts going deeper in the world cups and younger generations start growing up with soccer, it will catch on.

Also, I really wish they'd fix the names of the sports here. Football is just a silly name for the sport it represents and soccer should be called football. That would help too.

what would you call football then? iTackle? *lightbulb*

If they call it iTackle, then iWillCry.

Football should be called uh... hmmm... uh... well... I'm sure someone can come up with a name.

American girlie Rugby with added protection? Caution: the preceding sentance was a joke. Please do not assume I am denigrating your national oasttime, just cuz y'all ain't man enough to play it without 25lb of cushions strapped to your body. Damn i did it again!

firefly wrote:

Solace wrote:

TMS wrote:

Solace wrote:Soccer's just going to take a long time to catch on. It's not an "American past-time" so to speak, so will take many years to truly be a major sport here. If the US team starts going deeper in the world cups and younger generations start growing up with soccer, it will catch on.

Also, I really wish they'd fix the names of the sports here. Football is just a silly name for the sport it represents and soccer should be called football. That would help too.

what would you call football then? iTackle? *lightbulb*

If they call it iTackle, then iWillCry.

Football should be called uh... hmmm... uh... well... I'm sure someone can come up with a name.

American girlie Rugby with added protection? Caution: the preceding sentance was a joke. Please do not assume I am denigrating your national oasttime, just cuz y'all ain't man enough to play it without 25lb of cushions strapped to your body. Damn i did it again!

Americans do play rugby btw... the fans just don't buy into it like they do with the cushions.

TMS wrote:u guys are pretty much reiterating the point i made earlier about marketing being the main reason why you don't see soccer as popular in this country as sports like baseball & basketball have become in other countries... it's all about media exposure... if the networks aren't showing it & the sponsors aren't promoting it, the chances of the sport gaining in popularity are nonexistent.

Its really interesting TMS as Basketball has/had much the same problem in Germany for years now.
Even despite having a huge star player like Nowitzki in the NBA ppl followed the NBA on TV but didnt really start to play organized ball... there has been an German league in place for years but outside of some specific places (where the sport is locally popular) the generall public had NO chance to follow the league on TV for years... the games where not even shown!!! How can that promot a sport in a country where soccer is played by almost every youngster who begins sports!?! Of course following a national league on TV and see that its a quality sport does motivate ppl to go out and play.
Another point is that it is even more difficult as there are only few Germans playing in the league. Most of the good players there are second fiddle americans like Casey Jacobsen or Dan Dickau.
On a side note... my soccer club... FC Bayern Munich has decided to push its basketball department (yes they do have a basketball department) into the first league so I am really looking forward to watch some good live basketball in Munich soon!!! Love it and will follow how this does influence the sports on a regional level!

it has been growing, quite clearly since 1994.

this past year was the first season espn broadcast english premier league and spanish la liga games, where you see higher quality play than the mls.

it hasn't been something that has a history here so it naturally takes a while, also given the other sports that dominate here, to grow.

the u.s. team's quality is higher than ever and that is definitely a testament to the growth of the sport.

yesterday in a concrete area i used to play stick ball, after the u.s. match, i saw a bunch of teenagers playing soccer.

never in my entire life have i seen that happen in that space.

dodger78 wrote:

TMS wrote:u guys are pretty much reiterating the point i made earlier about marketing being the main reason why you don't see soccer as popular in this country as sports like baseball & basketball have become in other countries... it's all about media exposure... if the networks aren't showing it & the sponsors aren't promoting it, the chances of the sport gaining in popularity are nonexistent.

Its really interesting TMS as Basketball has/had much the same problem in Germany for years now.
Even despite having a huge star player like Nowitzki in the NBA ppl followed the NBA on TV but didnt really start to play organized ball... there has been an German league in place for years but outside of some specific places (where the sport is locally popular) the generall public had NO chance to follow the league on TV for years... the games where not even shown!!! How can that promot a sport in a country where soccer is played by almost every youngster who begins sports!?! Of course following a national league on TV and see that its a quality sport does motivate ppl to go out and play.
Another point is that it is even more difficult as there are only few Germans playing in the league. Most of the good players there are second fiddle americans like Casey Jacobsen or Dan Dickau.
On a side note... my soccer club... FC Bayern Munich has decided to push its basketball department (yes they do have a basketball department) into the first league so I am really looking forward to watch some good live basketball in Munich soon!!! Love it and will follow how this does influence the sports on a regional level!

Funny you mention that. When that 7'1" German kid got picked in round 2 this past Thursday, and they were showing his highlights after the pick, it looked like he was playing his games in my elementary school gym. I thought at that time, "Man, basketball must not be that popular in germany"