Why is soccer perceived the way it is in America?

[rondembo]

I hope this doesn't turn into a nationalistic/troll thread. My questions are simple, its probably been asked a million times before, but it still stands:

Why is soccer so unmanly/lame/boring/uncool/unpopular in the eyes of (non-immigrant, non-hispanic) American men?

How did the girly/sissy image of soccer arise in the minds of American sports journalist and sports fans?

And finally, will the image of soccer in America ever change? Or will it forever be a hated/ridiculed sport?

 

[Football_Bat]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

Oh dear.

 

[JR]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

Oh dear.

As Boom would say --I can't imagine I'm quoting him--it's not hated or ridiculed, it's mostly met with indifference.

Popcorn and quick. This thread has a very short shelf life.

 

[albert77]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I enjoy watching soccer when it's played at a high level. It's probably the most athletic sport there is, although I think basketball comes close.

However, the perception is that all they do is run around and chase a ball, without really getting many chances to score. Nothing bores Americans more than a 0-0 game, regardless of the sport.

As for the sissy question, Americans don't like men who flop on the field like they're dying at the merest hint of contact in athletic competition. That's not seen as sporting.

I also think fan behavior feeds a certain xenophobia about the game. We see fans rioting in the streets around soccer stadiums in Europe, South America and other places, we see moats and barbed-wire fences at many of those stadiums and it's a turnoff.

Finally, it's possible it has something to do with not being able to use your hands. Americans like to work with their hands, and I think it goes back to building this nation pretty much from scratch – with our hands. And a sport that doesn't allow the use of one's hands goes against something fundamental to Americans. I mean, think about the sports that originated in North America: baseball, football, basketball and hockey. All require keen hand-eye coordination, and soccer denies that.

 

[rondembo]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

Oh dear.

As Boom would say --I can't imagine I'm quoting him--it's not hated or ridiculed, it's mostly met with indifference.

Popcorn and quick. This thread has a very short shelf life.

You're Canadian right? I'm talking about America, not Canada. Soccer is not hated in Canada, it is met with indifference in Canada.

However its certainly not met with indifference in the US. The media virtually never talks about soccer unless it is to ridicule it. There are endless soccer bashing articles from the US sports media, its almost become as stereotype that American men are supposed to talk **** about soccer. Sports pundits and talking heads generally openly disparage the game at every opportunity. Every time soccer manages to penetrate into the American cultural consciousness (World Cup, Beckham signing, Confed. Cup win against Spain...etc), the old stereotype that "Americans hate soccer" comes up, and endless amount of ink (virtual or real) have been dedicated to this, ex:

Usually when a person dislikes a sport, they simply choose to ignore it. In America, soccer gets a different treatment. American men actively HATE soccer. They deride it as "wussy", "boring", "slow" and basically "European".

Why? Why must we make an effort to show how much we dislike soccer instead of just letting it exist like all of the other fringe sports?

http://www.east-coast-bias.com/2009/06/real-reason-americans-hate-soccer.html

Anyway I don't have to prove this, its obvious that soccer has a negative image in the minds of American men. Its a girls/sissy sport that is boring and uncool to be a fan of. My question isn't whether this image exists or not, but why?

 

[outofplace]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I don't know that many people who see soccer as "girly/sissy." I know plenty who find it boring.

rodembo, no, you don't have to prove your point, but it kinda helps if you try.

 

[hondo]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

 

[GB-Hack]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

Oh dear.

As Boom would say --I can't imagine I'm quoting him--it's not hated or ridiculed, it's mostly met with indifference.

Popcorn and quick. This thread has a very short shelf life.

You're Canadian right? I'm talking about America, not Canada. Soccer is not hated in Canada, it is met with indifference in Canada.

You should inform the constantly sold-out stands at MLS's Toronto FC of that fact.

Or 2011's expansion franchise in Vancouver. And the expected expansion franchise in Montreal.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

Americans don't hate soccer, otherwise ESPN wouldnt be showing so much of it.

But, hey, generalize all you want.

 

[rondembo]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I enjoy watching soccer when it's played at a high level. It's probably the most athletic sport there is, although I think basketball comes close.

However, the perception is that all they do is run around and chase a ball, without really getting many chances to score. Nothing bores Americans more than a 0-0 game, regardless of the sport.

As for the sissy question, Americans don't like men who flop on the field like they're dying at the merest hint of contact in athletic competition. That's not seen as sporting.

I also think fan behavior feeds a certain xenophobia about the game. We see fans rioting in the streets around soccer stadiums in Europe, South America and other places, we see moats and barbed-wire fences at many of those stadiums and it's a turnoff.

Finally, it's possible it has something to do with not being able to use your hands. Americans like to work with their hands, and I think it goes back to building this nation pretty much from scratch – with our hands. And a sport that doesn't allow the use of one's hands goes against something fundamental to Americans. I mean, think about the sports that originated in North America: baseball, football, basketball and hockey. All require keen hand-eye coordination, and soccer denies that.

Thanks for the honest answer.

 

[GB-Hack]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

I think you're wrong about this, slightly.

We're not annoyed by the fact that you don't like the sport we do.

It's that it appears to be a source of pride for you.

If I didn't like football, or baseball, or basketball, all of which I do like, that would be up to me. I wouldn't walk around like it's some badge of honor that I dislike a sport.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

The goal is bigger than a two-car garage, and yet nothing happens for 80 minutes.

I can be patient but not that patient.

 

[fishhack2009]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I enjoy watching soccer when it's played at a high level. It's probably the most athletic sport there is, although I think basketball comes close.

However, the perception is that all they do is run around and chase a ball, without really getting many chances to score. Nothing bores Americans more than a 0-0 game, regardless of the sport.

As for the sissy question, Americans don't like men who flop on the field like they're dying at the merest hint of contact in athletic competition. That's not seen as sporting.

I also think fan behavior feeds a certain xenophobia about the game. We see fans rioting in the streets around soccer stadiums in Europe, South America and other places, we see moats and barbed-wire fences at many of those stadiums and it's a turnoff.

Finally, it's possible it has something to do with not being able to use your hands. Americans like to work with their hands, and I think it goes back to building this nation pretty much from scratch – with our hands. And a sport that doesn't allow the use of one's hands goes against something fundamental to Americans. I mean, think about the sports that originated in North America: baseball, football, basketball and hockey. All require keen hand-eye coordination, and soccer denies that.

So Americans don't like basketball, huh? Plenty of "men who flop on the court at the merest hint of contact" in that sport, too, if you watch closely enough.

Anyone who wants to call soccer players sissies is just being dumb. Show me another sport where the participants are on the move constantly for up to 45-50 minutes at a clip.

Football? Run for 15-20 seconds, stop, walk back to the huddle, catch breath. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Baseball? 90 percent standing around.

Basketball? Close.

Part of it could be that we Americans have a hard time embracing something we can't claim as our own ... like football, basketball, baseball or hockey.

 

[outofplace]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

I think you're wrong about this, slightly.

We're not annoyed by the fact that you don't like the sport we do.

It's that it appears to be a source of pride for you.

If I didn't like football, or baseball, or basketball, all of which I do like, that would be up to me. I wouldn't walk around like it's some badge of honor that I dislike a sport.

Sorry, GB, but that just isn't true, at least not for all soccer fans. Some of you treat it like some kind of crime if a sports fan dares to just be disinterested.

All these other theories are truly comical. I don't care who invented a sport when I watch it. I don't care if we can "claim it as our own." Can't I just enjoy some games and not others? It's really a very simple thing.

I don't hate soccer. I watch it here and there. It's just well down the list when it comes to sports I would choose to watch.

 

[rondembo]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

Please, lets not turn this into a "my sport is better than your sport thread". No sport is inferior to another, they're all arbitrary games people play.

I'm simply trying to understand why the American sports culture perceives soccer in such a different (and unfortunately negative) manner. Its a interesting question, at least to those interested in sociology.

 

[GB-Hack]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

I think you're wrong about this, slightly.

We're not annoyed by the fact that you don't like the sport we do.

It's that it appears to be a source of pride for you.

If I didn't like football, or baseball, or basketball, all of which I do like, that would be up to me. I wouldn't walk around like it's some badge of honor that I dislike a sport.

Sorry, GB, but that just isn't true, at least not for all soccer fans. Some of you treat it like some kind of crime if a sports fan dares to just be disinterested.

OOP, it's the Jim Rome's of the world that give those who constantly bash and cheapshot soccer a bad name, wearing their disdain for the sport as a badge of honor. If you don't see that being the case, and people who love the sport reacting back in kind, then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

I have never, ever, not once, heard a soccer fan rage about the rubes who don't appreciate the game.

I have, however, read countless posts and columns from people who claim that all soccer fans do this.

I am a lifelong soccer fan that does not give a single **** whether you like the sport. I'm befuddled why so many writers seem to think it makes them look clever to mock the game, but to each his own.

 

[rondembo]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

I think you're wrong about this, slightly.

We're not annoyed by the fact that you don't like the sport we do.

It's that it appears to be a source of pride for you.

If I didn't like football, or baseball, or basketball, all of which I do like, that would be up to me. I wouldn't walk around like it's some badge of honor that I dislike a sport.

Sorry, GB, but that just isn't true, at least not for all soccer fans. Some of you treat it like some kind of crime if a sports fan dares to just be disinterested.

All these other theories are truly comical. I don't care who invented a sport when I watch it. I don't care if we can "claim it as our own." Can't I just enjoy some games and not others? It's really a very simple thing.

I don't hate soccer. I watch it here and there. It's just well down the list when it comes to sports I would choose to watch.

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

Thanks for the response, its actually quite interesting. Do American soccer fans look down on non-soccer fans? The way you describe them, they sound awfully snobbish/elitist. I can't imagine someone saying that people don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate soccer, since soccer is perphaps the most basic, easy-to-understand sport there is, its as easy to understand as basketball or volleyball or boxing. Its not like a unshaven drunken slob who cheers on Manchester United has some great intellectual capacity.

 

[outofplace]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

I'll tell you one thing that rubs a lot of American sports fans the wrong way: soccer fans can't stand the fact that someone might not like their sport. You can't even be ambivilent about it. If you don't love it, then the implication is that you don't have the intellectual capacity to appreciate such a creative, ingenious and beautiful game. If you remark that soccer might be a bit boring and 1-0 scores aren't really that thrilling, you're immediately branded as a dumb ass redneck American.

I think you're wrong about this, slightly.

We're not annoyed by the fact that you don't like the sport we do.

It's that it appears to be a source of pride for you.

If I didn't like football, or baseball, or basketball, all of which I do like, that would be up to me. I wouldn't walk around like it's some badge of honor that I dislike a sport.

Sorry, GB, but that just isn't true, at least not for all soccer fans. Some of you treat it like some kind of crime if a sports fan dares to just be disinterested.

OOP, it's the Jim Rome's of the world that give those who constantly bash and cheapshot soccer a bad name, wearing their disdain for the sport as a badge of honor. If you don't see that being the case, and people who love the sport reacting back in kind, then I don't know what to tell you.

Please don't lump the rest of us who are just relatively disinterested in with Jim Rome. Personally, what I see is soccer fans thinking their sport is under attack more than it really is.

 

[JR]

Re: Why is soccer percieved the way it is in America?

You're Canadian right? I'm talking about America, not Canada. Soccer is not hated in Canada, it is met with indifference in Canada.

I was quoting Boom's take on soccer in the USA. Last time I checked Boom was an American.

Soccer in Canada does just fine both in terms of media coverage and attendance.