To all soccer snobs....

I didn't make that argument. I NEVER stated it was more popular than the "big 3 or 4." I have said that it is on par with them.

Let me know when they come out with a "Jump shot like LeBron" movie title.

WRONG WRONG WRONG
See, the problem is that you see me say that "Soccer is more popular than you give credit for" and suddenly you think I'm stating that it is the most popular thing in America. I never said as such. I never claimed as much.

I'm not "nannying" anyone. I'm merely pointing out that the "stats" used in this thread is shit. I am also saying that soccer isn't nearly the niche that it is claimed to be.

I didn't bring up the shirts. You did. I asked a question about LeBron's true fanbase in relation to his jersey sales.

And based on the poll questions asked, we can determine how serious the LeBron fans are out there. I would guess that many people purchase the jersey of the best player out there simply for fashion. This is something more specific to the NBA. But if you have some poll numbers saying that LeBron shirts are worn by serious LeBron fans I'll happily take my medicine.


My only case on soccer popularity has been and always will be on the diversity of it. I have friends that watch MLS and EPL. I have friends that watch SPL only. I have friends that watch none of the above and hate the sport.

Now if we were to discuss MLS and MLS only, then I would say, "Yes. MLS is not extremely popular or very popular at all." However, we are discussing soccer as a whole not one particular league.

 

No.

 

That's interesting. You're saying that the opinion of your circle of friends is more reliable a barometer than polls or any evidence which might be presented to you.

And please don't claim that your words have been twisted here. That's EXACTLY what you said.

 

Since we're throwing anecdotal evidence around about the popularity of soccer, here's a couple.

1) My sister is a big baseball fan, hates football, ignores basketball and puts up with hockey. She is absolutely addicted to the World Cup. Is actually taking time off work to stay home next week so she won't miss any of it.

2) There's probably not a more hockey-centric local around than the Goose. However, all the regs are watching it, it's on all of the 8 or 9 TV screens (including the coveted large screen) and sometimes they even turn up the SOUND (usually reserved for Leafs games and live coverage of Stanley Cup parades).

World Cup is the most popular sporting event in the world AND they keep score. As a sports fan, what's not to like?

I'd sooner watch a World Cup match than an NBA game--regular season or playoff--any day of the week. But they keep stuffing basketball down my throat.

 

Jones
Hondo AND logic are mutually exclusive concepts.

 

I never said you twisted my words. But the evidence presented so far by soccer fans has done nothing to convince me soccer is more popular in the U.S. than we really think, which is impossible to quantify by itself.

As for my circle of friends and family members, let's see. I work with 20 other people -- 5 blacks, 2 gay men, 3 southern women, 2 people from Michigan, 2 from east Texas and rest from all over the place. I've lived in four other states besides Texas, three of them above the Mason Dixon Line. My sister and I both played soccer. And of my entire family, plus all the people I work with and the girl I'm dating, not a single one of them watched a minute of the World Cup.

Not one.

It's a pretty diverse group in terms of race, religion, ethnicity, birthplace, age, religion and financial status. And no one watched soccer in the last year. And not just the World Cup. No soccer whatsoever.

And of the two sports bars just north of Houston which I frequent, none of them have ever had soccer of any kind on TV -- except for the World Cup -- while I've been in there.

So yeah, I think maybe I have a valid point.

 

AA, that could just be the area. Take at a look at the Ironbound section of Newark which was shut down and turned into a massive party into the wee night hours when Portugal went to the EuroCup Finals two years ago. That won't ever happen for a baseball, basketball, hockey, or football game.

From that area alone, I won't turn around and say that the sport is more popular than the other more established sports.

I have given you the quantitative numbers to look at in terms of popularity. You have two 24-hour channels. You have games on daily on any number of cable outlets. Try those ratings. Check the purchasing numbers of the NFL network to FSC or Gol TV.

Do you work with any Latin-Americans or Mexicans? Ask them if they are paying attention to the World Cup and where they go to watch it. Then, give it a shot and show up at one of those places and see how many people are there.

 

So does that mean you trust what you see on TV or read in the papers over the judgment of your circle of friends and what you experience on a daily basis?

 

Well, I trust my friends more than Alleyallen's.
My closest friend is not a fan, but is paying passing attention to the Cup. My other close friend is not a soccer fan generally but is into the Cup huge. At my nephew's graduation party, every single kid in his circle of friends -- and only one is a soccer player -- sat and watched Mexico/Arg. Most of the other adults weren't that interested and did graduation party-type things.
Some are interested.
Some aren't.
About what you'd expect.

 

Yes, let's take a look at the area. It's exactly 12 minutes north of Houston, an area that is HEAVILY Hispanic. And my particular town, Conroe, is also very Hispanic. And my high school (the same one my sister attended and played for) is also more than 45 percent Hispanic.

 

And they trust me more than they would you, which goes without saying.

But that's another argument, isn't it?

 

My only point on Beckham is that he is the best known current soccer figure to those with the most disposable income who would blow some of it on sports shirts. So he's the most valid name to throw out as a barometer. LeBron was not part of that section of the discussion (nor was the MLS for my last few posts).

And this Ironbound...again, demimonde. To say soccer is on a par of interest with the NBA, NFL and MLB in the U.S. is absurd. Big-ass bucks would be poured into non-World Cup soccer on the major networks and ESPN if that were the case, instead of Fox Soccer and the hispanic soccer channels you cite.

As enjoyable as good soccer is to watch, it's not something a lion's share of the sports public wants to do other than during World Cup years.