All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

Exactly. The very notion that "Americans aren't into" a certain thing is bullshit, just because the country is so diverse and has so many more entertainment options than ever before. The overwhelming majority of Americans aren't watching the NBA Finals or the World Series; does that mean Americans aren't into basketball and baseball?

 

These columns are flat out embarrassing. There's no intellectual argument being made here. It's just a sad good ole boys club desperately trying to hold onto a past which is no longer there.

 

But what else would you expect from Jay Mariotti. The next time he looks out of the window instead of into a TV camera will be the first time in ages.

 

Absolutely. I've read enough of that lazy fellow in Chicago to know he may not have been a joke in the past, but he is now.

 

The next time a columnist writes "Americans aren't interested in soccer" just swap "White males in their 50s and 60s" for "Americans."

It'll make much more sense that way.

 

Valentin at fault for another.
Egads.

 

I love this bit;

"The novelty of Beckham will sell out some stadiums, including the one in Bridgeview when he arrives to face the Fire on Oct. 21, smack in the middle of Bears season and the baseball postseason."

Neither Chicago team will be in the playoffs and the Bears are away to Philly that evening so its not like people have to choose between the three for live entertainment.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Some otherwise excellent columnists become morons when writing about soccer. Frank Deford is the standard bearer for these bozos. Gene Wojewhateverthehell, Jay Marriotti (who's always a moron), and plenty of other, lesser-known columnists want to join the party.

But the thing is, I've never had a long argument with someone, a normal sports fan, who stood there and sold that "soccer sucks and no one cares!!!!" Known plenty of sports journalists who feel that way, but never an average fan. Maybe my experience is different.

That all said . . . . . . MLS and the Galaxy get no points for the way they handled this. The saturation of Beckham invited criticism, which likely would have come anyway. I understand they were looking for marketing, but yesterday's media event was way over the top . . .and thus had Lalas written all over it.

 

Cruyff is my all-time favorite player and it's not close. I saw damn near all of his home games in his brief time with the LA Aztecs, and I've never seen a player dominate a game like he did. That brief period when the Aztecs were primarily Dutch was an unbelievable experience -- the crowds were enormous.

And having said that.. his impact isn't even a fraction of Pele's impact.

 

Note to self: Women's soccer with both teams playing four-fullback schemes is not exactly viewer-friendly sport.

Oh, buh-rother.

 

I love soccer. But several of you are painfully misguided here.

Everything draws somebody. Semi-pro football draws in some areas. You can't take isolated occurences and make it indicative of a trend.

If ManU was playing Sunderland next week in Philly, you bet they'd come out for it. But D.C. United against Real Salt Lake? Sorry. Uh-uh. And if you're truthful with yourselves, you'll admit that MLS is still regarded with a chuckle in the "serious" soccer nations.

So you have a dedicated fan base in some MLS cities. Tell me when that dedication stretches to regions, throughout a state or three.

Soccer is not over the hump in the U.S.A. And stamping one's foot in the dirt and saying it is doesn't make it so.

 

We're not saying soccer is over the hump in the U.S.

I, at least, am saying that there are columnists out there, like Mariotti who put their fingers in their ears and start going "lalalala" so they can ignore the fact that as many people are showing up at Toyota Park for a last place team as do for the Bulls at the United Center, and more show up for MLS in Chicago currently than they do the NHL.

But he, and others, insist that "We aren't interested", meaning the populace of his own city, and in that regard he couldn't be more wrong.