It was twenty years ago this summer that the World Cup was hosted by the United States; this marker is considered a sort of "ground zero" for soccer fandom in that country. The issue is explored in today's Washington Post: Viewership enjoyed a growth spurt after 1994 but statistics show that there has been a leveling off in fan numbers... which is not surprising, of course.
As I addressed earlier in regards to the NHL (National Hockey League) and its failure to take hold in the U.S., soccer too has no cultural grip in a land already loaded with big-league sports -- (gridiron) football, baseball, and basketball. The good news is soccer has a great advantage over ice hockey in trying to win a significant foothold in the States: No fighting! (All the clowns in charge over at the NHL actually don't get it.)
By the way, star American soccer star Landon Donovan was not invited to play with the U.S. squad in Brazil for World Cup 2014. That is fine by me; for some reason I can't stand that guy.
Addressed in the Washington Post article is something that cannot be forgotten: Most Americans find soccer "boring". I used to think that way, until I immersed myself in the most beautiful game.
Washington Post...
On eve of 2014 World Cup, growth of soccer fandom in the United States remains uneven
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/on-eve-of-2014-world-cup-growth-of-soccer-fandom-in-the-united-states-remains-uneven/2014/06/06/16579306-ecea-11e3-b10e-5090cf3b5958_story.html?wpisrc=nl_hdtop
No comments:
Post a Comment