Anyone else think this is way over hyped? I mean he is a good player and all, but soccer is never going to come close to the interest the "BIG 3" have in America. Not to mention the NCAA.
Anyone else think this is way over hyped? I mean he is a good player and all, but soccer is never going to come close to the interest the "BIG 3" have in America. Not to mention the NCAA.
I would say that the expectation isn't that soccer would one day overtake baseball or football as the #1 sport in the country. It just has to do well enough to sell out games and be profitable. I think the idea behind Beckham is to attract more fan interest, which brings in money, which can hopefully be put into raising the level of play, which then sustains fan interest. Basing success on relative positioning with other professional sports is a recipe for disaster.
Personally, I think soccer has a realistic chance of supplanting the NHL or NASCAR as the "4th major sport" in a lot of communities, especially was immigration skews demographics in the bigger cities. In fact, I think with the age of global telecommunications and access to sports, if the MLS were able to raise its level of play, it could possibly attract enough international interest in order to be profitable through global broadcast rights, not unlike the English Premier League or the leagues in Spain, Italy, France and Germany. There are enough people worldwide who like good football that there is money to be made if the quality is there. Maybe MLS should consider selling some teams to crazy Russian oligarchs.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
It make overtake the NHL at some point, but never NASCAR. I cannot believe how popular NASCAR is although i am not a fan.
I don't know. NASCAR has a lot of diehard fans willing to spend a lot of their disposable income on NASCAR, but to me, it seems like their fanbase is culturally and geographically restricted. Most people I know either love NASCAR or have no interest. There just doesn't seem to be a casual NASCAR fan willing to put in the effort to trek out to the track for a race. They've also got a "good ole boy" culture in both the teams and fans that just doesn't appeal to a lot of people. And outside of the US, NASCAR is not a factor. The two sports that have some ability to attract money from outside the US are the NHL and MLS. Plus, NASCAR, and all motor racing sports, will eventually have to find alternative fuels to use. Will NASCAR be as exciting if everyone drove electric cars? Or would it be too much like slot-car racing?Originally Posted by Chi-Town Red
If I were buying stock in sports, NASCAR would be the one to buy with the intent of jumping out before the bust comes. If I were willing to take some initial losses in hopes of long-term growth, soccer would probably be the way to go.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
The issue that soccer will always have in this country is that the fan base is large...but diverse. There are Mexicans that follow the Mexican league, Europeans that follow the various Euro leagues, etc., etc. Our country's soccer fans remain dedicated to teams that come from their home countries. That's the majority of the fan base.
Soccer is featured on ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel, GOL TV, Telemundo, Univision, there is a WorldSport HD channel that shows a lot of soccer...someone's watching all those games. But it's going to be a long and gradual process as the sport continues to solidify it's place among American sports.
MLS is fighting an uphill battle in that respect. However, beyond the top 20-30 elite European teams, there aren't many of them that draw much more attendance than the MLS teams.
Soccer will not take over baseball, football, basketball, nascar, etc. But if it sticks to its niche, it will survive and thrive -- I think it's more popular than the NHL now (but that's largely the fault of the poorly run NHL).
Beckham was a great move for MLS, IMO. For while he's overrated as a soccer player, he is a tremendous draw for fans and non-traditional soccer media. He's created a buzz that MLS has not had. I think they need to follow this up with a Ronaldo (if he hasn't gotten too fat)...or some other player that has the style to attract attention by his mere presence. A few years back, I thought Baggio was that guy, but he chose to retire quietly.
It's a very big deal; not over-hyped at all in terms of what Beckham's coming to MLS can mean for that league's growth and profitability.
Every game he plays for at least the next 2-3 seasons will sell out, whether at home or on the road.
And his recent form has been spectacular; he just needs to get--and stay--fit.
I was really disappointed me about the broadcast of the Galaxy/Chelsea match. What MLS MUST do to capitalize on Beckham is to use him to introduce viewers to other players and teams in MLS. I wanted to hear talk more about Donovan, possibly the best American player ever. I wanted to hear them talk about the Americans playing in England. Instead, they focussed on Jennifer Love Hewitt and Eva Longoria, who is rapidly setting a record for a celebrity being shown at sporting events. Nearly every game the Galaxy plays will be on national TV, the MLS and its broadcasting partners need to use it wisely.
Also, don't you think that this would be the perfect time for an England v. USA friendly to help them tune up for the Euro's? Get the England boys out here or the US to Wembley...
Finally, as far as soccer's role in American Sports, here's my wish. I wish that when the US National team would play, the entire country would get behind them like happens around the world. I want every car driving down the street honking after a big win or every bar filled with sad faces after a loss. We don't have a single sporting event that can galvanize the whole country at one time. The Olympics are too fractured (some people like track, some gymnastics, etc...) and the Super Bowl is largely watched without a rooting interest. The closest thing is maybe when a big upset is happening in March Madness, but that still would have a ton of people on the otherside. So, here's my plan. We schedule games with the following countries: France, Iran, and North Korea. "Red-Blooded" Americans would love to see us beat the French as well as some part of the good ol' "Axis of Evil." What do you think?
Last edited by improbus; 07-22-2007 at 03:06 PM.
Variatio delectat - Cicero
I would have liked to see more focus on the game last night, but I kind of expected the celebrity fixation for his first game. I think Donovan's problem is that he completely disappears in games. If he had been working harder to get to the ball, his name would have come up more. As it was, it seemed like he only touched the ball on corners and free kicks, so the discussion focused on whether he would defer to Beckham on those. Meanwhile, it seems like Cobi Jones had jumped into the "juvenation machine" before last nights game. He was all over the field, always near the ball on his side. Xavier and Martino had a knack of finding the ball too.
On a side note, Eric Wynalda's dry humor can be entertaining, but I have to say he is the leading candidate to get fired for saying something inappropriate on the air. His style make me feel like I'm watching a game with my brother, which, while it is incredibly entertaining for us, would likely end up offending somebody at some point.
Of the celebrity interviews, I enjoyed Drew Carey's interview. It was the first time in any sports "sideline" interview that I've seen where the interviewee seemed to have more interest in what was going on on the field than the interview. He seemed to plug MLS soccer more than he did his own show, too.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
I agree with your sentiment about Donovan, but he's what we've got. Lots of great players disappear, most notably Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho, so that is no reason to ignore them.
Also, I do think that that broadcast team is generally outstanding, but ESPN handcuffs them regularly (big surprise). Tommy Smyth is an Irish, less annoying, very insightful version of Dick Vitale (without the glass eye). Wynalda is kind of a crazy man, which is great. Also agree about Drew Carey, he's a great soccer fan who once had a TV show where he travelled to different stadia to watch matches and mingle with fans.
Finally, where was that play when Martino was on the Crew...
Variatio delectat - Cicero
Yeah, I would have liked to see the guys in the booth able to call the game without the interference from the sideline reporters and the "Beckham Cam." I liked how Tommy Smyth and Wynalda weren't afraid to mix it up in there when they disagreed on something.I agree with your sentiment about Donovan, but he's what we've got. Lots of great players disappear, most notably Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho, so that is no reason to ignore them.
Also, I do think that that broadcast team is generally outstanding, but ESPN handcuffs them regularly (big surprise
Finally, where was that play when Martino was on the Crew...
I'm not sure what they could have said about Donovan last night though. If he's not doing much, it doesn't really look good to keep pumping him up. It's kind of like saying "Hey, here's Landon Donovan, America's best player. He hasn't done much tonight, but he's really good." Eventually, fans tuning will start to ask, "Well, if he's so darn good, why isn't he doing anything." I think that might turn people off, especially when you're trying to attract fans. Hopefully the addition of Beckham gives Donovan the chance to shine. In that case, I'm sure America will be hearing much more about him.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
Beckham? Isn't he about to change soccer teams or something?
And, say, is he married? I haven't heard much about his family life.
Dear God, make it go away.
The biggest problem with Beckham is that his best years are behind him. I'd still love to have him and he's still a wonderful set shot guy, but his legs aren't what they used to be. The move to MLS was as much about keeping his stock up by playing against lesser competition as it was anything else.
It's akin to the Mariners new deal for Ichiro. As a baseball player, there's no way in heck he comes close to being worth that kind of money, particularly as he ages. But the intangibles don't age as quickly, so it's a good fit for everybody. In England or Spain he's just a former great on his way downhill. In the US he gets his stardom extended.
I agree 100% that Beckham can be best used as an entry point for new fans. It would be a great shame if he was treated as an end to himself.
Last edited by RedsManRick; 07-22-2007 at 05:10 PM.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Hmmm, we're really talking about soccer.
Who knew?
All I know is that when I had Columbus Crew season tickets for 2002-2004, it was good entertainment, and good value for my money.
As for Beckham, I must say, him not being in "Bend It Like Beckham" really disturbed me, but not as much as the chick from Pirates of the Carribean sporting the boy-like haircut.
I think this is big news. It would be like Derrik Jeter going overseas next year to play in an european baseball league (if it exists). Beckham isn't what he once was but he may be the most recognizable athlete on the fact of this earth.
As for Donavan he isn't the best american has to offer. He is the most hyped player for USA but he has failed to produce when the spotlight is on in the world cup and has failed a couple of times in Europe only to return to his safety net of MLS soccer. He succeedes at a AA level of soccer compared to the major league level played in Europe.
Donovan is going to become US Soccer's leading goal scorer from the mid-field position, which says two things. One, he is great, and two, we've never produced a true goal scorer.
Also, I agree that Donovan should have gone to Europe and stayed, but nobody can make him. He would have improved more in Europe, oh well. But, I don't think he failed because he couldn't play, I think he was homesick (at least that's the story I've always heard).
BTW, Buck, if Donovan isn't the best American, who is (excluding the goalkeepers)?
Variatio delectat - Cicero
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