Why has Football (soccer) never become popular in the U.S.?
Answers:
I think your wrong on that count now! I've heard that they play it in nearly all the schools out there now and it doe's pull in the audiences!
It is popular on a local level. My two oldest kids play it.
However, I enjoy American football more. It really is a lot of fun.
Fun to play boring to watch.
Its a litle more popular now although a reason behind its lack of success especially early on was the fact that you can actually have a draw, even a 0-0 draw, and the Yanks only want winners.
because they cant wear padding or helmets
Because it's a sport where you have to put some effort into.
Because they suck at it.
There's only one break for adverts.
Because it's frickin' BORING! Like watching a bunch of ants kicking around an aspirin..
Because they can't play and hate to lose.
I think it is definitely gaining popularity. My son has played for 12 years and I think it will be his generation that puts soccer on the U.S. map.
I think for americans,soccer are fun to play but noy fn to watch.
They rather watch american football because it is more exciting.
soccer never has been popular, i dont think Americans like to see guys grabbing each others junk and pulling their pants down and running around kicking a ball, FOOTBALL will be and always is popular
From what I've heard It is popular, but only in the White middle class suberbs, where all the training grounds are situated.. Those Soccer moms dont want their little Boys being roughed up by those Black Kids. Its a shame really because if the game was opened up Nationally, The USA could end up as the new Brasil. But like all American sport it would be dominated by Blacks. And some people in the USA wouldnt like that.
Too much competition from other more established sports..hockey, baseball etc. It does have a small and growing following in the more affluent/middle class areas, but gernerally interest is restricted to european and south American expat communities.
Because they watch not what they want and what they like, but what they are wanted to watch!
During American football's formative years and then for years afterwards, their game was seen as way to stop what was in their view a Euro-elitist game. They thought if the game of soccer as they know it was allowed to spread, it would somehow make "European elitism" more palatable to the American public. These same people were keenly aware of the fact that America's populace at the time was only newly so, having only just come over from Europe in most cases. So, American football was their way of protecting the fledgling idea of American-ness, while holding at bay institutions like European football, which in their mind might have stirred up longing for the motherland. I don't subscribe to this, I read it in a Cigar Aficionado magazine article concerning "soccer" while visiting relatives in the U.S. I do think it's more popular over there. There's been an expansion in their league recently (MLS). My sister in Bristol was bemoaning the fact that the MLS all-stars had beaten Chelsea in a friendly over there. I'm surprised.
The yanks do not want to learn from others. Football started from europe or alteast its organisation did start there. So you see the US government never put much effort to make it as a big sport around schools. Many yanks now know little about the beautiful game of soccer.
Well it's getting more popular than before, but I will say it is still not as popular as Japan or Korea.
I think there are several reasons
1. Football doesn't cut for commercials (yeah, people in US really likes those beers and trucks commercials)
2. Football doesn't have cheerleaders (for guys to look at)
3. Football is too short (guys in US can sit on their a**es all day for American "Carryball", seriously, that game just go on way too long)
4. Football doesn't score enough according to people who hate watching football (they don't even watch pros, only the World Cup). On the other hand, you can score 3 or 7 point in American Carryball for one possesion (basically, a 21-7 Carryball game means 3-1). So maybe if American count a goal as 7 points and PK as 3 points., they may like it better that way?
because they cant play
Cos they c**p at it
They were never good at it but as with many other things, given time they would. The fact that they played at World Cup final is a testament of their acheivement.
Because fat people do not enjoy watching thin, energetic people running around ;)
you need a brain for english soccer
It's just a matter of time but they'd have to keep it European style. As long as they don't start changing the rules or add commercials, I believe it has a chance to grow.
Look at the friendlies with Barcelona versus American teams, the stadia were jam packed with attendance close to 90,000 and 69,000.
i am laughing my *ss off reading some of these answers. you europeans are so clueless when it comes to american culture. soccer has been a popular sport for small kids to play here for many, many years. that's because 'soccer moms' don't want their small children playing the much more violent and dangerous game of football. but that does NOT mean the small kids who play it are growing up to be soccer fans, or that soccer is going to be big here once these kids become adults. the thing is, once these kids reach high school age, the best atheletes drop soccer and play high school football. high school football on friday nights is a HUGE part of american culture. even though some high schools(not all) also have soccer teams, probably only the players family members go to see the games, and there is no newspaper coverage, because no one cares. only the kids who aren't good enough atheletes to play high school football keep playing soccer. so none of the best atheletes in america play soccer at the high school level or beyond. as for the people who said soccer isn't popular here because there are no chances for commercials, that theory doesn't hold water. NASCAR has the second highest TV ratings in america behind NFL football, and they don't have breaks for 'adverts' either. the networks simply break to commercials whenever they are scheduled to. they try to wait for cautions, but if not, they show commercials during green flags, and it works out fine. they could do the same with soccer if they chose, but soccer isn't on TV here because no one cares about it, not because there are no breaks for 'adverts'. and finally, for the clueless guy who suggested soccer isn't popular here because our government doesn't promote it, the government doesn't run this country, the people do. the fed has absolutely NOTHING to do with sports or TV. big brother may be present in YOUR country, but he will never show his face here. the american people would not stand for it
Soccer is extremely popular in the USA. It is played by more boys and girls than any other sport. It is not supported by adults as much as children because of the NFL and MLB that are better leagues and more entertaining sports to watch.
Americans are turned off to the international soccer game for a few reasons.
One,
the freaking diving when bumped off the ball. Americans are strong and tough and play through pain and succeed. International soccer players get a little bump and dive on the pitch like someone knocked them out. If these same players were on a football feild and got tackled by a linebacker, they would understand what pain is and would not be so soft and weak.
Two.
Players get carried off on a stretcher for the weakest of injury. Then once they are off the field, they stand up and walk with little problem. Again, this makes them look soft and very weak, not something americans are interested in.
Three,
All the dam cards. In the WC, the US played Ghana, should have won, but there were 15 total cards in the game and 3 red cards making the US finish with 9 players and Ghana with 10 players. Ghana got a red card for Elbowing and splitting open Brian McBride's (a Premier League Player) head causing him to bleed all over himself and the field. He did not need a stretcher to carry him off and he actually walked off under his own power, just changed his shirt and went right back on the field, because he is a tough american.
Football (NFL) and baseball are just better sports to watch.
It has not caught like baseball or basketball as if it deemed as boring because you can play 90 minutes and not have a winner.
OK so we're talking watching football not playing it (which is massively popular).
I think its a bit of a "chicken and egg" situation. Most Americans aren't bothered watching football because they find it boring, and they find it boring because they aren't bothered about it, so they don't watch it...
I support Everton (because I am a sensible rational human being) and a few years ago I went to a pub to watch Everton v Liverpool with my brother in law (Leeds). Before the game we were chatting with a Liverpool fan, watched the game and afterwards sat down to have a beer with the Liverpool fan. My brother in law (neutral remember) thought the game (0:0) was boring. The Liverpool fan and I were, literally, getting our breath back. It was a good three minutes before we could actually speak.
I always think that the American's are permanently in my brother-in-laws situation. The clip from the Simpson's below illustrates it perfectly - the US commentator represents the US, the Mexican represents the rest of the world. Same thing, very different reactions.
i dont want the yanks to get good at football they only will end up dominating it like every other sport. i hate to say that
because the yanks don't wanna make anything we invented popular. they like to take the credit for everything.
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