re: Soccer then and now.

quote:

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As an American spectator sport, on a scale of 1-10 in terms of prominence (10 being NFL), where was soccer 20 years ago, where is it now, and where will it be in ten years?

I will say it was a 1, now it's a 3.5, and in 10 years it will be a 5.

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If we're just talking about MLS and the US MNT and WNT, it's still probably a consistent 2 rising to 4-5 on rare occasions.

If we're including EPL and Euros and things like that, it's probably a consistent 4 overall, maybe rising to 6ish+ in urban areas and at peak times. I live in Atlanta, and it's pretty normal for me to go to a normal (not soccer) sports bar and see an EPL game or recently, a Euro game on TV.

We're getting to the point where EPL games and Champions League get time on the front page of ESPN and on Sportscenter. Non-soccer people talk about stuff like Leicester City and other notable events in a generic, "universally interesting sports story" sort of way. I come across more and more people who have started to claim EPL teams even if they are far from avid viewers.

I think all of that is different. It's almost like people are preparing themselves for the day when soccer is truly prominent ("I can't say I watch that many of the games, but I'd probably be an Arsenal fan"). shite like that.