re: Where does soccer rank with other sports?

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It is going to take a lot of marketing on soccer's behalf to make it not appear as if it's a privileged white kid sport.

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I don't think it's seen like this to the younger generations. Ten years ago it definitely was.

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Personally, I have not seen the growth

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No. You've definitely seen it, but it happens slowly.

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Soccer is one of the more played sports in america at the youth level and as adults for recreation.

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IIRC, it is the #1 played adult sport.

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you must not have been very good a looking.

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I don't actively look for soccer

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# of games on TV is up in the last 5-10 years

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I don't watch soccer except for USA would cup games.

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Ratings of world cup games is up for 4 years ago.

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good

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Soccer had the 3rd most watched sporting event in the last 3 years

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Its is no doubt the most popular sport in the world....no one is debating that.

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Soccer is one of the more played sports in america at the youth level and as adults for recreation.

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probably has been for many years

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Its is no doubt the most popular sport in the world....no one is debating that.

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In the United States, the US portugal game was 3rd most watched event.
Nfl what ever. Superbowl obviously, i bet playoffs, opening game, didnt want to sift through everything.
BCS NC game and US-Portugal game have similar rating of 26 million viewers but through flaws in the rating process such as not being able to include watch parties i would argue that more people watch that US-Portugal in the US than the college football national championship.

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I don't actively look for soccer

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you don't have too. Havent you seen the coverage kick up on ESPN. which is why I mentioned the rise in the # of games on TV. obviously you don't watch soccer.

Well in this 37 years on this earth, you must have learned to be ignorant or stubborn, because the popularity has certainly increased for reasons mentioned by me and other and shown through examples, yet you still try to write it off because you are a troll or willfully blind to change

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Well in this 37 years on this earth, you must have learned to be ignorant or stubborn, because the popularity has certainly increased for reasons mentioned by me and other and shown through examples, yet you still try to write it off because you are a troll or willfully blind to change

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Where did I say the popularity has not increased? You seem a little overly sensitive to me.

In the US,

1. NFL
2. College Football
3. NBA
4. MLB
5. NHL
6. MLS

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petar

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The problem is you're putting all your eggs in the World Cup basket, when it's the event that's drawing people in, not the sport. More than 32 million people watched NBC's Olympic coverage the night Bolt won the 100-meter dash in London. Is track the second-most popular sport in America behind the NFL? No. The World Cup transcends the sport. Just like the Olympics transcends track, gymnastics and swimming (and even how the Super Bowl transcends football and is a cultural celebration).

The Champions League final is the most anticipated/important club match of the entire year in the entire world, would you disagree? It had less than 2 million people watch in America. Just think about that. The domestic league championship only had 500k.

The other thing is just because people play the sport doesn't mean it's as popular from a spectator standpoint. My brother's played soccer his entire life. He was a great high school player, played the club circuit, won two State Cups in Ohio South, went to Nationals, could have played lower Division I. Extremely knowledgeable about the game and it was basically his life as far as sports are concerned from 8 to 18. He still plays frequently in intramurals/pickup leagues. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and goes to Ohio State. He has always been a bigger fan as a spectator of college football than soccer and always will be, despite only playing two seasons of football as a kid in 1st and 7th grade. He watches more football, knows more about it (not strategy of course, but stats/standings/which teams are having good seasons), cares more as a fan, etc., than soccer, although he still likes to watch. I've never played ice hockey in my life. Never. Not once, either in a league or pickup/on a pond. The NHL is my second favorite sport to watch behind college football, despite the fact that I played football and lacrosse competitively and basketball and soccer recreationally. I still enjoy watching NCAABB, NCAA lacrosse, soccer, etc., but they're all behind the NHL for me.

Soccer's popular. No, it's not as popular as football, basketball, baseball and hockey. It could pass hockey, but it has more to go than you think, and won't for the next 15-20 years, probably, if it does. I really don't think it will pass baseball in any time within the next 40 years. Don't see it passing football/basketball "ever" (I use quotes, because obviously 100 years from now things can change a lot and who knows about the concussion thing with football).

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but if you think anyone would seriously compare women's volleyball to the NFL or NCAA football, you are the willfully ignorant one.

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By saying this, are you seriously saying your comparison of soccer to women's volleyball was a serious one?



Son, you're still drunk. Go to bed.

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The problem is you're putting all your eggs in the World Cup basket

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I'm not.. of course, the world cup has casual fans who will rout solely because one team has a USA jersey on it. i know what i am saying and it has good relevance.

The problem with comparing soccer viewing habits to other sports and saying that that is the best way to determine popularity is flawed.
First, there is no prime time soccer games for US viewers. MLS doesn't count. Good games overseas and even the champions league happen at like 2pm eastern at the latest. Of course, soccer will not get the viewers on a per game analysis.
Second, unlike the "big four" there is no one unified league to cite television figures to. Which is one reason i think a better comparison rather than ratings is # of views. if you looked at this and combined all the United states viewings of soccer, i think it would be comparable to similar stats for baseball, and hockey, and possibly basketball.

therefore, one reason i always cite FIFA video game buying habits (as one of the highest purchaced sports video game in north america every year) and playing habits(the most played sport in america) is that there is no primetime games meaning that people who want to watch soccer have nothing to watch.
People don't want to wake up at crack of dawn to watch a sporting event. People don't want to watch a lessor league. People don't want to watch a basically meaningless game.
Therefore, i don't think you can dismiss soccer based on pure viewership stats because there are no games that fit the NBA Finals/ NHL Finals/ World Series mold to compare them too (which is almost the only time pro leagues get very healthy numbers)
So rather than the World Cup game being an anomaly because it brings more casual fans to the table. I think it is almost more of an anomaly that it brings all the soccer fans to one game in a primetime spot.
People play soccer more than any other sport, people play video game soccer as much as any other sport. People watch soccer on TV when there is a game worth a frick at a time that worth a frick.

So no it might never in our life time be as popular to your standards of ratings on tv. but to all other measures, it has passed hockey, and is on its way to pass baseball.