OT: If soccer was the #1 sport in USA

[samir7maher]

Watching a football game is so daunting with all the ads and time-consuming that comes with it. At times, I wonder why so many people like the NFL so much when it's so boring as hell.

The reason why American football got popular over the decades is because the networks and being perfect for advertisements. Which is the reason why soccer wasn't popular in the past, it's not perfect for commercials. Networks do not like to broadcast soccer because it brings very little ad revenue compared to football. But time has changed.

Basketball got popular in the past decade or so thanks to successful international players in the NBA and as well the rap music associated with it that influence the youths over time. But now, it's just insulting with the commercials.

This is the only argument I hear from soccer fans about why it's such a great spectator sport - no game play interrupting ad breaks. And you know what? I'd rather deal with ad breaks (where I can at least go to the bathroom, get a snack, or check my phone without missing anything) than watch a guy spend 2 minutes setting up a free kick, throw in, or corner kick over and over again.

But you have to watch all of that boring stuff when you watch soccer because the exciting part (scoring) happens in an instant, and might only happen once or twice a game. You're chained to staring at a screen where nothing interesting is happening just because something *might* happen. I remember watching the World Cup final one year, I watched the entire game except for 2 minutes when I had to go do something else and I missed the one goal that happened in that 2 minutes.

that playing the ball around has also his beauty if you understand the game and played it as kid.
i can reall enjoy for example barcalona play the ball around for 3 minutes in the back and middle and score out of it.

or as a famous dutch sports commentator has said it when i see barcalona play i sit on the couach with my hand in my pants so horny it makes me

[samir7maher]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but aren't the US Women's team like historically dominant in the world cup and 3x champions? A lot of this is attributed to the fact that soccer is like the #1 sport for women/girls in the US while Basketball/baseball/football is more popular for men. If American men focused on soccer, why couldn't they dominate?

Yep, it's pretty obvious why we produce the best athletes for sports that we care about. America has the tools to dominate in any sport period, we just need it to be a focus of the country. If we started caring about Cricket then I guarantee eventually we would be the best at it.

sorry to be the guy bursting your bubble but the usa is not the best sporting nation in the world.
If you look to the last 2 olympic ( because of the many different sports a good way to look @ it )

in 2018 winter the usa was number 24 in the world
in 2016 summer the usa was number 44 in the world

the big difference between summer and winter is because of that in the winter many poor countries dont get medals because of the high cost of winter sports

[Saint Lazarus]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but aren't the US Women's team like historically dominant in the world cup and 3x champions? A lot of this is attributed to the fact that soccer is like the #1 sport for women/girls in the US while Basketball/baseball/football is more popular for men. If American men focused on soccer, why couldn't they dominate?

Yep, it's pretty obvious why we produce the best athletes for sports that we care about. America has the tools to dominate in any sport period, we just need it to be a focus of the country. If we started caring about Cricket then I guarantee eventually we would be the best at it.

sorry to be the guy bursting your bubble but the usa is not the best sporting nation in the world.
If you look to the last 2 olympic ( because of the many different sports a good way to look @ it )

in 2018 winter the usa was number 24 in the world
in 2016 summer the usa was number 44 in the world

the big difference between summer and winter is because of that in the winter many poor countries dont get medals because of the high cost of winter sports

Huh? Check your own facts?

[samir7maher]

Yep, it's pretty obvious why we produce the best athletes for sports that we care about. America has the tools to dominate in any sport period, we just need it to be a focus of the country. If we started caring about Cricket then I guarantee eventually we would be the best at it.

sorry to be the guy bursting your bubble but the usa is not the best sporting nation in the world.
If you look to the last 2 olympic ( because of the many different sports a good way to look @ it )

in 2018 winter the usa was number 24 in the world
in 2016 summer the usa was number 44 in the world

the big difference between summer and winter is because of that in the winter many poor countries dont get medals because of the high cost of winter sports

Huh? Check your own facts?

Sorry those are the facts

in 2018 winter the usa was 24 ( 1 medal per 13974731)
in 2016 summer usa was 44 ( 1 medal per 2656353)

[Saint Lazarus]

sorry to be the guy bursting your bubble but the usa is not the best sporting nation in the world.
If you look to the last 2 olympic ( because of the many different sports a good way to look @ it )

in 2018 winter the usa was number 24 in the world
in 2016 summer the usa was number 44 in the world

the big difference between summer and winter is because of that in the winter many poor countries dont get medals because of the high cost of winter sports

Huh? Check your own facts?

Sorry those are the facts

in 2018 winter the usa was 24 ( 1 medal per 13974731)
in 2016 summer usa was 44 ( 1 medal per 2656353)

US was first in 2016 and 4th in 2018 by total medal count. I have no idea what the hell you're talking about.

[samir7maher]

Huh? Check your own facts?

Sorry those are the facts

in 2018 winter the usa was 24 ( 1 medal per 13974731)
in 2016 summer usa was 44 ( 1 medal per 2656353)

US was first in 2016 and 4th in 2018 by total medal count. I have no idea what the hell you're talking about.

its per capita because i think thats a more honest way to compare countries.
you can do it off course in other ways but only looking to total numbers of medlas doesnt tell the full story.
Because if you look in the history you can see great sporting nations that are now broken up in the different nattions ( for example yugoslavia or sovjet) The sovjets for example had more olympic medals than the usa the time that they where a country.
an other example is the eu that also has far more medals than usa.

you can also look to the 10 most popular sports in the world only basketball is dominated by the usa.
Thats also changing bacause more and more nations are taking basketball serious. You only have to look to the top 10 players under 25 in the nba and how many of those are american. And you can see some countries are catching up. Iam not saying that the next world champignon will not be the usa but what iam saying is that in 20 years may not be the best basketball nation in the world

Back to the question can usa be dominant in soccer in the world. Dominant i think is reaching semi finals in world cup very time and winning it most of the times. I dont think the usa can be dominant in soccer because no nations can be dominant in soccer. Its so competitive because the whole world plays and cares. That most nations have up and downs even the great soccer nations like brazil and germany. But if you say can the usa be a top 12 nation in the world on a regular bases with some top level generations that can be the best in the world. Yes off course it can because its a sports crazy nation and rich nation . Only you have to change alot of thinks about your league and the way you train kids in the youth

[Saint Lazarus]

Sorry those are the facts

in 2018 winter the usa was 24 ( 1 medal per 13974731)
in 2016 summer usa was 44 ( 1 medal per 2656353)

US was first in 2016 and 4th in 2018 by total medal count. I have no idea what the hell you're talking about.

its per capita because i think thats a more honest way to compare countries.
you can do it off course in other ways but only looking to total numbers of medlas doesnt tell the full story.
Because if you look in the history you can see great sporting nations that are now broken up in the different nattions ( for example yugoslavia or sovjet) The sovjets for example had more olympic medals than the usa the time that they where a country.
an other example is the eu that also has far more medals than usa.

you can also look to the 10 most popular sports in the world only basketball is dominated by the usa.
Thats also changing bacause more and more nations are taking basketball serious. You only have to look to the top 10 players under 25 in the nba and how many of those are american. And you can see some countries are catching up. Iam not saying that the next world champignon will not be the usa but what iam saying is that in 20 years may not be the best basketball nation in the world

Back to the question can usa be dominant in soccer in the world. Dominant i think is reaching semi finals in world cup very time and winning it most of the times. I dont think the usa can be dominant in soccer because no nations can be dominant in soccer. Its so competitive because the whole world plays and cares. That most nations have up and downs even the great soccer nations like brazil and germany. But if you say can the usa be a top 12 nation in the world on a regular bases with some top level generations that can be the best in the world. Yes off course it can because its a sports crazy nation and rich nation . Only you have to change alot of thinks about your league and the way you train kids in the youth

Why would I give a **** about per capita? The entire point of the argument is that the US in combination of their population size and technology would dominate soccer EASILY if that was their only sport.

[samir7maher]

US was first in 2016 and 4th in 2018 by total medal count. I have no idea what the hell you're talking about.

its per capita because i think thats a more honest way to compare countries.
you can do it off course in other ways but only looking to total numbers of medlas doesnt tell the full story.
Because if you look in the history you can see great sporting nations that are now broken up in the different nattions ( for example yugoslavia or sovjet) The sovjets for example had more olympic medals than the usa the time that they where a country.
an other example is the eu that also has far more medals than usa.

you can also look to the 10 most popular sports in the world only basketball is dominated by the usa.
Thats also changing bacause more and more nations are taking basketball serious. You only have to look to the top 10 players under 25 in the nba and how many of those are american. And you can see some countries are catching up. Iam not saying that the next world champignon will not be the usa but what iam saying is that in 20 years may not be the best basketball nation in the world

Back to the question can usa be dominant in soccer in the world. Dominant i think is reaching semi finals in world cup very time and winning it most of the times. I dont think the usa can be dominant in soccer because no nations can be dominant in soccer. Its so competitive because the whole world plays and cares. That most nations have up and downs even the great soccer nations like brazil and germany. But if you say can the usa be a top 12 nation in the world on a regular bases with some top level generations that can be the best in the world. Yes off course it can because its a sports crazy nation and rich nation . Only you have to change alot of thinks about your league and the way you train kids in the youth

Why would I give a **** about per capita? The entire point of the argument is that the US in combination of their population size and technology would dominate soccer EASILY if that was their only sport.

because thats how you compare nations. you dont say nigeria is richer than norway because the gdp is bigger but you look to the gdp per capita

And already said no nation can dominate soccer but your argument is population size and how rich they are. If those are the only things in your argument than you must put your money on china. Bigger population and on its way to becoming the richest nation in the world like it always has been ( only the last 150 years not). And the president loves soccer and they investing millions to have a great result in 2030. To keep the great leader happy

[Saint Lazarus]

its per capita because i think thats a more honest way to compare countries.
you can do it off course in other ways but only looking to total numbers of medlas doesnt tell the full story.
Because if you look in the history you can see great sporting nations that are now broken up in the different nattions ( for example yugoslavia or sovjet) The sovjets for example had more olympic medals than the usa the time that they where a country.
an other example is the eu that also has far more medals than usa.

you can also look to the 10 most popular sports in the world only basketball is dominated by the usa.
Thats also changing bacause more and more nations are taking basketball serious. You only have to look to the top 10 players under 25 in the nba and how many of those are american. And you can see some countries are catching up. Iam not saying that the next world champignon will not be the usa but what iam saying is that in 20 years may not be the best basketball nation in the world

Back to the question can usa be dominant in soccer in the world. Dominant i think is reaching semi finals in world cup very time and winning it most of the times. I dont think the usa can be dominant in soccer because no nations can be dominant in soccer. Its so competitive because the whole world plays and cares. That most nations have up and downs even the great soccer nations like brazil and germany. But if you say can the usa be a top 12 nation in the world on a regular bases with some top level generations that can be the best in the world. Yes off course it can because its a sports crazy nation and rich nation . Only you have to change alot of thinks about your league and the way you train kids in the youth

Why would I give a **** about per capita? The entire point of the argument is that the US in combination of their population size and technology would dominate soccer EASILY if that was their only sport.

because thats how you compare nations. you dont say nigeria is richer than norway because the gdp is bigger but you look to the gdp per capita

And already said no nation can dominate soccer but your argument is population size and how rich they are. If those are the only things in your argument than you must put your money on china. Bigger population and on its way to becoming the richest nation in the world like it always has been ( only the last 150 years not). And the president loves soccer and they investing millions to have a great result in 2030. To keep the great leader happy

If per capita is your only argument on why the US isn't a good sports nation, then think of another argument.

[ciueli]

that playing the ball around has also his beauty if you understand the game and played it as kid.
i can reall enjoy for example barcalona play the ball around for 3 minutes in the back and middle and score out of it.

or as a famous dutch sports commentator has said it when i see barcalona play i sit on the couach with my hand in my pants so horny it makes me

Part of it may be that I was watching World Cup soccer. Good teams playing against bad teams, and the bad team just plays defence the entire game hoping for a draw, or hoping the good team makes a momentary lapse that allows them to score a fluke goal and scrape out an underdog win.

It's brutally frustrating to watch, and it's the kind of tactic that is impossible to play in most major sports. Score a goal, spend the rest of the game kicking the ball away or out of bounds to protect your lead. Spend an inordinate amount of time setting up throw-ins, corners, or free kicks just to kill time off the clock since the the timekeeping in the game is completely screwed up (extra time never fully compensates for this, unfortunately, but the precious goal of "we need each half to be exactly 50 minutes long" must be adhered to).

[samir7maher]

that playing the ball around has also his beauty if you understand the game and played it as kid.
i can reall enjoy for example barcalona play the ball around for 3 minutes in the back and middle and score out of it.

or as a famous dutch sports commentator has said it when i see barcalona play i sit on the couach with my hand in my pants so horny it makes me

Part of it may be that I was watching World Cup soccer. Good teams playing against bad teams, and the bad team just plays defence the entire game hoping for a draw, or hoping the good team makes a momentary lapse that allows them to score a fluke goal and scrape out an underdog win.

It's brutally frustrating to watch, and it's the kind of tactic that is impossible to play in most major sports. Score a goal, spend the rest of the game kicking the ball away or out of bounds to protect your lead. Spend an inordinate amount of time setting up throw-ins, corners, or free kicks just to kill time off the clock since the the timekeeping in the game is completely screwed up (extra time never fully compensates for this, unfortunately, but the precious goal of "we need each half to be exactly 50 minutes long" must be adhered to).

i can understand that some teams park the bus @ 16 m and dont care. Thats unwatchable soccer i agree with you on that.
Mourinho the manager of manchester united is famous for playing really a terrible result minded soccer.
Thats why i like the dutch league, defense is not in the mind of most players. Its a very open kind of football most of the games even the small teams play very open and attacking. Off course its not the best soccer in the world but the entertainment value is very high

[aggerrard]

For a start call it Football.

If the US cared about Soccer, we'd dominate it so thoroughly that the rest of the world would choose some other sport to play, and try to make us feel like we should care about it more than the sport we own.

Probably not. The world are preferring football and rugby over american football. Those two sports were the basics of american football. American football is huge in america, while football and rugby are huge world-wide - so ofc you're dominating american football.

You don't dominate baseball and you don't dominate ice-hockey, despite only a few, smaller or much smaller countries, with the same interest in the sport as the US. That leaves us with basketball. The one sport you actually dominate who has gained popularity world-wide - and even though the interest in the US are still 10x the interest world-wide, some of the best talents are from outside the US. Doncic, Giannis, Simmons, Jokic, Embiid, Gobert, Siakam, Kristaps, Sabonis etc. Despite basketball being in the shawdow of football in most of the world, the world are still producing world class players, who are as good or better than the best players from the US. In football the US still hasn't produced a single player who can be considered a world class player. Pulisic might be the greatest talent ever produced in the US - and for now players like Donovan and Dempsey as the greatest american players ever, are mediocre compared the elite and far from considered as a great in the sport.

You'd probably be able to compete with the best in football with more interest in the sport - but we don't abondon sports as soon as we get some competition. Football are the number one sport in so many countries, many of them don't have a hope in hell to ever compete or to win anything. If they went for the easy challenge, they should start focusing on american football instead.

Soccer should be required viewing for WWE performers. Take notes.

Isn't wrestling only big in the US. It's basically a written act acted out on a stage. So if football reminds you of WWE, there is no reason it shouldn't be big in the US.

[NO-KG-AI]

For a start call it Football.

If the US cared about Soccer, we'd dominate it so thoroughly that the rest of the world would choose some other sport to play, and try to make us feel like we should care about it more than the sport we own.

Probably not. The world are preferring football and rugby over american football. Those two sports were the basics of american football. American football is huge in america, while football and rugby are huge world-wide - so ofc you're dominating american football.

You don't dominate baseball and you don't dominate ice-hockey, despite only a few, smaller or much smaller countries, with the same interest in the sport as the US. That leaves us with basketball. The one sport you actually dominate who has gained popularity world-wide - and even though the interest in the US are still 10x the interest world-wide, some of the best talents are from outside the US. Doncic, Giannis, Simmons, Jokic, Embiid, Gobert, Siakam, Kristaps, Sabonis etc. Despite basketball being in the shawdow of football in most of the world, the world are still producing world class players, who are as good or better than the best players from the US. In football the US still hasn't produced a single player who can be considered a world class player. Pulisic might be the greatest talent ever produced in the US - and for now players like Donovan and Dempsey as the greatest american players ever, are mediocre compared the elite and far from considered as a great in the sport.

You'd probably be able to compete with the best in football with more interest in the sport - but we don't abondon sports as soon as we get some competition. Football are the number one sport in so many countries, many of them don't have a hope in hell to ever compete or to win anything. If they went for the easy challenge, they should start focusing on american football instead.

Soccer should be required viewing for WWE performers. Take notes.

Isn't wrestling only big in the US. It's basically a written act acted out on a stage. So if football reminds you of WWE, there is no reason it shouldn't be big in the US.

I don't know what point you're trying to make, but Football and basketball are the only pro sports America cares about. The NFL doesn't play in the the olympics, and team USA is so thoroughly ahead of the rest of the world, that the entire world fielding a team of one against USA probably still doesn't win.

[aggerrard]

For a start call it Football.

If the US cared about Soccer, we'd dominate it so thoroughly that the rest of the world would choose some other sport to play, and try to make us feel like we should care about it more than the sport we own.

Probably not. The world are preferring football and rugby over american football. Those two sports were the basics of american football. American football is huge in america, while football and rugby are huge world-wide - so ofc you're dominating american football.

You don't dominate baseball and you don't dominate ice-hockey, despite only a few, smaller or much smaller countries, with the same interest in the sport as the US. That leaves us with basketball. The one sport you actually dominate who has gained popularity world-wide - and even though the interest in the US are still 10x the interest world-wide, some of the best talents are from outside the US. Doncic, Giannis, Simmons, Jokic, Embiid, Gobert, Siakam, Kristaps, Sabonis etc. Despite basketball being in the shawdow of football in most of the world, the world are still producing world class players, who are as good or better than the best players from the US. In football the US still hasn't produced a single player who can be considered a world class player. Pulisic might be the greatest talent ever produced in the US - and for now players like Donovan and Dempsey as the greatest american players ever, are mediocre compared the elite and far from considered as a great in the sport.

You'd probably be able to compete with the best in football with more interest in the sport - but we don't abondon sports as soon as we get some competition. Football are the number one sport in so many countries, many of them don't have a hope in hell to ever compete or to win anything. If they went for the easy challenge, they should start focusing on american football instead.

Soccer should be required viewing for WWE performers. Take notes.

Isn't wrestling only big in the US. It's basically a written act acted out on a stage. So if football reminds you of WWE, there is no reason it shouldn't be big in the US.

I don't know what point you're trying to make, but Football and basketball are the only pro sports America cares about. The NFL doesn't play in the the olympics, and team USA is so thoroughly ahead of the rest of the world, that the entire world fielding a team of one against USA probably still doesn't win.

Yea, sure. Americans don't care 'bout baseball or ice-hockey.

You are making my point. No one cares about american football, besides americans. Might be some fans around the world, but they don't play it. The world cares about football and rugby, and american football is a combination between those two that no one, besides america have picked up.

The world are gaining more and more interest in basketball, and you can clearly see the talentpool grow. Just saying, americans aren't superior to everyone else.

[Foye]

I would go that far to say the US only do not care about football because they have been historically incompetent at putting together a good NT, football infrastructure and domestic league.

If you look at the US NT. Not even qualified for WC 2018 despite the weak opponents in the qualification.
Not even going to talk about MLS. The quality of play is really bad. Like amateur level of bad with a couple well paid foreigners being the faces of the league.

[Cactus Jack]

Yea, sure. Americans don't care 'bout baseball or ice-hockey.

Tbf the sport of Hockey is really Canada's sport. Doesn't have the same significance in the States. The top three sports are American Football, Basketball & Baseball. Latin countries love & do well in Baseball.

[Cactus Jack]

Just saying, americans aren't superior to everyone else.

Well, that's just flat out wrong.

[aggerrard]

Yea, sure. Americans don't care 'bout baseball or ice-hockey.

Tbf the sport of Hockey is really Canada's sport. Doesn't have the same significance in the States. The top three sports are American Football, Basketball & Baseball. Latin countries love & do well in Baseball.

Fair.

Mostly making the point that the US isn't that superior to everyone, that they just can dominate football if they invested in it. We see it with basketball, they more it growth world-wide, the bigger the international talentpool becomes aswell. And with Baseball, as a sport that other countries, with a lesser population, also invest in, the US aren't dominating. Even Holland won the world cup once in Baseball, despite several sports being more popular.

[Cactus Jack]

Yea, sure. Americans don't care 'bout baseball or ice-hockey.

Tbf the sport of Hockey is really Canada's sport. Doesn't have the same significance in the States. The top three sports are American Football, Basketball & Baseball. Latin countries love & do well in Baseball.

Fair.

Mostly making the point that the US isn't that superior to everyone, that they just can dominate football if they invested in it. We see it with basketball, they more it growth world-wide, the bigger the international talentpool becomes aswell. And with Baseball, as a sport that other countries, with a lesser population, also invest in, the US aren't dominating. Even Holland won the world cup once in Baseball, despite several sports being more popular.

I'll add that in the States, both Hockey & Soccer "Football" are viewed as more niche type sports. Both have loyal/diehard fans but with smaller fanbases.

[aggerrard]

Tbf the sport of Hockey is really Canada's sport. Doesn't have the same significance in the States. The top three sports are American Football, Basketball & Baseball. Latin countries love & do well in Baseball.

Fair.

Mostly making the point that the US isn't that superior to everyone, that they just can dominate football if they invested in it. We see it with basketball, they more it growth world-wide, the bigger the international talentpool becomes aswell. And with Baseball, as a sport that other countries, with a lesser population, also invest in, the US aren't dominating. Even Holland won the world cup once in Baseball, despite several sports being more popular.

I'll add that in the States, both Hockey & Soccer "Football" are viewed as more niche type sports. Both have loyal/diehard fans but with smaller fanbases.

Just went of the '4 major leagues'.

But looking at the numbers, i can see that ice-hockey isn't as big as the other 3.