Soccer, Becks and shifting coverage...

[NoTalentAndFatToo]

On the eve of another round of Champions League games, I'm curious as to what kind of soccer coverage (international, MLS and local) you are providing and whether you have seen a marked increase in that coverage during the last decade or so (say, post '94).

Here in Canada, it has to be the sport that has seen the greatest increase in coverage, especially in Toronto. During the World Cup it is played big--even though the Canadian national team couldn't find the tournament with a telescope--and even the European Championships are given lead story treatment.

Champions League has gone from agate, if the readers were lucky, to, at the least, full wire reports with some papers doing more. The Toronto Star, for instance, has a full-time soccer columnist and the coverage Toronto FC is getting is surprising. The Star covered the MLS team's Florida training camp (of course, the Blue Jays are down there too).

Which brings me to Mr. Beckham. With the MLS opening things up this year, and with the sport’s most recognized star coming to the US, do you think that will change how you cover soccer?

A lot of questions there, and I'm sure many have been discussed before. But, nevertheless...where do you see soccer coverage going?

And, although I'm sure it won't stop some from telling me, I don't care how much you think the sport sucks.

 

[Cadet]

Like the sport itself, I think soccer coverage is getting a boost from the grassroots level.

The quality of youth, high school and collegiate soccer in my state has increased exponentially in the last 10 years.

As youth and high school teams get better, they participate in more high-level tournaments, which generates more coverage for the small, local papers.

As more high school players earn scholarships to big-time soccer schools and residency in Bradenton, it generates more initial interest and follow-up coverage.

As the in-state college teams succeed at the NCAA level, it requires more statewide coverage.

And as kids and parents follow soccer - including MLS, USNT, Premier League, etc. - from elementary school on up, they are more interested and demand (sometimes irrationally, I know) more coverage.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

It'll change around here, but then ... Becks is coming to our back yard.

Won't change in most areas. Beckham's debut will get some mention, but not much more than that.

I would argue that your particular back yard (where Becks is coming) already gets a solid amount of soccer coverage, based on location, demographic and number of writers from different local rags dragging out to MLS stuff regularly. Some individual editors remain resistant, but it's not tough to find an outlet in Los Angeles that will provide good quality soccer news already.

Becks' debut in each city will get good mention. Every MLS city has at least one writer at the local rag who likes the sport, and they will know this story will be one that actually gets some support from the higherups and readers. They'll play the preview/advance/feature well, and the game itself too.

I wish I could agree with what Cadet said. But I'm pessimistic as to readers asking for more soccer coverage, and even more pessimistic at the idea that sports editors will do anything but drag their feet except when t's something undeniably massive like beckham.

As an illustration of how far the sport needs to go still as far as people just understanding its niche coverage-wise, you should find the "How did you paper play the Beckham news?" thread of January. We actually - hilariously - had a poster try to suggest that Beckham was behind the likes of Michelle Wie in global recognition.

 

[sportschick]

It was fun mocking him though . . .

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

It was fun mocking him though . . .

I was more saddened . . . . .

Then I enjoyed the mocking.

 

[andyouare?]

For what it's worth, the news about Beckham's knee injury keeping him out only a month was one of the front page news items on Time.com. If that's an indication of the kind of buzz his arrival will generate, I think you'll see a lot of soccer stories during the MLS season: first game, first goal, first game in your city, etc.

How many stories get into non-MLS or non-soccer market papers will be interesting to see.

 

[ballscribe]

And no doubt the Posh-Becks have several relentless publicity people who are working furiously as we speak getting their faces everywhere ...