McGinnis: Will Americans ever embrace soccer?
Written by Jeff McGinnis | | jmcginnis@toledofreepress.com“How long does it take to forever change history? To mend a lifetime of broken hearts? To turn the doubtful into the faithful? To turn a nation of nonbelievers into the converted? Well, if you do it right, it takes just one second.”
— AT&T World Cup Commercial
I am a soccer fan, I admit. I love the game, and have for nearly a decade now. It began for me back in 2002, with my then-roommate watching World Cup games on ESPN. At first, like many American sports fans, I scoffed at him, belittling it as boring and slow. These judgments I passed without ever even watching a full game.
But slowly, surely, the competition reeled me in. I began to understand the flow of contest, and how it was different from any other sport. How hard-working and athletic the players had to be. How rabid and enthusiastic the fans were. How, though the game was timed, it was not ruled by the clock alone. And, though goals may have been hard to come by, how magical they were when they occurred.
So, I became a fan. Not an over-the-moon die-hard, mind you, but a fan. I began watching games as often as I could, mainly on the Fox Soccer Channel, which is basically the only place you can find soccer 99% of the time. I awaited World Cup season every four years like it was Christmas morning.
And, like every American soccer fan, I endured the endless criticism from other American sports buffs. My own ill-informed views from years past now sting as I hear a game I love mocked by people who, like me back then, often have never even bothered to watch it.
The reasons they give for their disdain really don’t stand up to any scrutiny. Soccer is boring, they say. Yes, there are boring soccer matches, just like there are boring events in any sport. But there are also tremendously exciting ones, too. And much of what we consider “exciting” in American sports is much more dull than we acknowledge.
I mean, our version of football consists of 4 seconds of guys pushing each other, 40 seconds of players standing around, then 4 more seconds of guys pushing each other. Studies show that for every 60-minute football game, on average there’s only eleven minutes of actual, physical action. Eleven minutes of game spread out over three hours of telecast. And soccer, which is practically non-stop movement, is the “boring” sport.
This doesn’t even begin to address baseball, which is an even greater offender in the “nothing is happening” area. And I’m not trying to bury either of these sports — I love baseball, and I certainly enjoy American football, as well. I’m just pointing out how, when you really look at what our society finds exciting, soccer would seem to fit right in.
The criticism continues: Nothing happens in soccer, they say. If by “something happening,” you mean “goals,” then yes, goals are at a premium. But there’s almost always something happening, and in this sport, a draw can be just as much of a victory as a win. The rules are hard to understand, they say. Not at all. In fact, they’re refreshingly straightforward. And how often has an exciting touchdown been negated by an obscure penalty that happened far away from the ball?
Really, when it comes down to it, I think there is one big reason why soccer hasn’t made any headway in the American imagination: We’re not very good at it yet. As Patton said, “Americans love a winner, and will not tolerate a loser.” Every four years at the Olympics, we pump tons of money in an effort to prove that we have the best basketball/hockey/etc. players around. Our football may not be that popular elsewhere in the world, but if it was, we’re still confident we’d whip everyone’s butts.
American soccer hasn’t had that. We came close to a breakthrough last Wednesday, with Landon Donovan’s breathtaking goal against Algeria. Then the USA lost to Ghana in the round of 16, and everybody came back down to Earth.
But a funny thing happened — people I never heard talk about soccer were watching that game. Commenting on it, interested in it. And when the USA lost, their attitude was not dismissive, but hopeful. “We’ll see you in four years, world!”
Soccer isn’t a major sport stateside yet. And it won’t take “just one second,” as that commercial claims. It’ll take a lot longer. But with each passing World Cup, perceptions are changing. And the more popular the sport becomes, the more athletes will try it, and American teams will get better. And the day comes closer where an American team will make a real impact on a World Cup tournament.
It may take a lifetime of work and support. But that one second of glory would make it all worth it.
E-mail Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com.
Tags: FIFA World Cup, Jeff McGinnis, Pop Goes the Culture, soccer
Come on! Football “soccer’ is such a boring. If you want to get into a new sport try Rugby.
This comment was posted on June 29th, 2010 at 6:07 amThe Football World cup has proved how painfully boring the game is. “men” rolling around pretending they are hurt and behaving like 10 year old spoiled girls.
Wait til next years Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. That’s a real sport played by real (non steroided, non helmeted, non padded) very skilled and extremely fit (80 mins non stop – no ad breaks every 30 seconds) MEN!
Hoo boy. Let’s take a look at this, shall we?
>>Come on! Football “soccer’ is such a boring.
Such a boring what? And two quotation marks before soccer but only one afterward? Two grammar problems and we’re barely past the first sentence.
>>If you want to get into a new sport try Rugby.
“New” sport? Um, I said in the column that I’ve loved soccer for almost a decade.
>>The Football World cup has proved how painfully boring the game is. “men” rolling around pretending they are hurt and behaving like 10 year old spoiled girls.
“Diving” is a poor part of the game, yes. That’s why if you’re caught doing it, you get penalized. And as far as behaving like, ahem “spoiled girls,” there are a few members of American women’s soccer teams who would like to have a word with you.
Oh, and you forgot to capitalize “men,” though I guess that may have been an intentional typo for ironic purposes. Probably giving too much credit, though.
>>Wait til next years Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. That’s a real sport played by real (non steroided, non helmeted, non padded) very skilled and extremely fit (80 mins non stop – no ad breaks every 30 seconds) MEN!
You sure seem to be focused on the “manly” thing. So, for you, sports are only of any worth if they appropriately demonstrate your narrow definition of masculinity? Again, methinks some damn fine women athletes might take JUST a little issue with that.
Nothing against rugby, really. Never watched the game, might be awesome. Hope it has some more articulate, less testosterone-centric spokespeople.
-Jeff
This comment was posted on June 29th, 2010 at 10:10 amOn the “there is hope” side of the equation, soccer is the MOST PLAYED sport in the USA, so it’s almost inevitable that all those who are growing up with it will be financing the popular support for it (because, let’s be honest, it’s about the money when it comes to commercial support).
Soccer fans seem to be aware of the love of other sports in this country, yet fans of other sports seem ignorant to the real passion that already exists for soccer. I’m about to play in a soccer tournament for men AND women where the youngest player will be turning 30 this year, and the oldest player is somewhere in his 70s. This national (actually, international, as there is a team from Japan who competes annually) adult tournament recently added an O-65 division for women. I’m not excited about getting older, but this gives me something other than wearing red and purple together to look forward to!
Oh – and we ARE good at it….We’re ranked 14th in the world, our goalie is ranked in the top FIVE in the world, and our women’s team has won 2 of the past five Women’s World Cup tournaments, and been in the top three teams in the balance.
I might add you missed the chance to point out that soccer players are non-padded and non-helmeted, too. And, so far, no steroid scandals.
This comment was posted on June 30th, 2010 at 8:46 amI am glad you like soccer.
It is growing in America, and there are a number of American soccer players playing in the best soccer leagues in the world in Europe.
As the woman pointed out, more Americans are playing it, and the American women’s national team has won two world cups, and the men are in the top ten or fifeteen teams in the world now.
It is true that America doesn’t yet have a high paying soccer league like England, Germany, Spain, or Italy, but our national team is getting better, and American soccer fans can now watch on cable the best soccer leagues in the world in Europe, where some of our best players play, along with the great European and South American soccer players.
This comment was posted on July 1st, 2010 at 12:19 amYou are quite right in pointing out my omissions. And I did not mean to impune the quality of American teams — my point was to say that, to the layperson sports fan, it seems as though we’re not the *best* at it, and to those fans, that’s as much as saying we’re not very good at all. Look at the furor that resulted when ONE Olympics went by where the US did not win the basketball gold.
And you’re absolutely right about the hope for soccer’s future. Perhaps as the cracks show in other sports’ armor (steroid scandals, yes, but also increasing research into the long-term health effects of a heavy-contact sport like American football), soccer’s foothold in the national imagination will continue to grow.
This leads to a question: How long? World Cup viewership is increasing exponentially with every tournament. How long till networks take a chance on MLS?
-Jeff
This comment was posted on July 1st, 2010 at 2:54 amA.C. Milan rules! What’s your favorite football team? http://apps.facebook.com/my_footballteam
This comment was posted on July 7th, 2010 at 6:30 amGreat article Jeff. I too get confused how baseball fans and American football fans can say soccer is boring (although I am a fan of those sports too). It frustrates me that there are so many soccer fans in this country, yet most refuse to support the MLS. Do they not realize that we too can have a great professional league if we support it? It’ll be interesting to see who the MLS signs their next tv deal with after this season when it runs out with FSC (resign with FSC, or if rumors are true, sign with Versus).
This comment was posted on July 8th, 2010 at 12:06 pm