Why Soccer Will Never be No. 1 - But Not Actually Hated
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by user Andersed
I appreciate all of the attempts to capture why soccer hasn't captured the hearts of Americans, but I feel compelled to offer up a few more important reasons.
It's not that America hates soccer. Obviously, many, many people care, but they just don't care enough. America only cares about American soccer once every four years, and then usually for just three matches. Maybe we just don't understand the TYPE of patriotism that goes into international competition. Do we really sing the national anthem, wave flags, or chant with such fervor as the German and Italians fans did today? And what about the German and Italian players?
Americans, athletes and fans, usually stand there stoically as the anthem is played. I could probably go into a long treatise on American patriotism, but let's just start with the basic assumption that American patriotism is different than patriotism in many other countries. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.
Also, all sports can be easily affected by officiating or fluky bounces. Baseball might be the king in this respect. Just look at the clearly talented Yankees have faired in the postseason since 2000. But soccer often comes down to one goal. If that goal is determined by a questionable officiating call (it seems more often than not that it's the case), or a fluky bounce, the entire game feels dirty. And these games are a wee bit important. I just couldn't handle being a diehard soccer fan. It would be an awful existence. No wonder Europeans fans drink so much.
Don't get me wrong: I love the World Cup. It's a spectacle like none other, and it makes the World Baseball Classic look pathetic by comparison. The quality of play is absolutely incredible and above my head. It's a bit humbling as a sports fan. But it will never surpass baseball in beauty, strategy, or (most of all) fairness.
Date
Tue 07/04/06, 10:55 am EST
