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Joined: 10/07/1999 Posts: 35179
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It hasn't grown like people projected, but that isn't "failure."

Soccer is the 4th most popular sport in the US. It has already passed hockey, and is well positioned to pass baseball for the #3 spot soon.

But it has two significant things holding it back with the average US fan...in particular those from the Boomer or GenX generations.

1 - We value toughness above all other attributes in our athletes. And soccer has a horrible image problem when it comes to toughness. It is basically a sport played by 11 punters (and the requisite feax-flopping in an attempt to draw a foul).

2 - We like our athletes to be bigger/stronger/faster than mere mortals. Soccer is an endurance sport, not a power sport. People who are 5'-10" and 165# can be good at it. And that just doesn't capture our imagination the way our football and basketball gladiators do.

I think the Millennial generation doesn't have those two issues the way older Americans do. So maybe soccer will grow even more once Boomers start to die off and that generation gets replaced.

(In response to this post by Hokie1992)

Posted: 05/09/2019 at 09:03AM

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Current Thread:

That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever witnessed. You want to know why soccer -- CPRVHokie 05/08/2019 5:02PM

Has the entire soccer experiment in the American colony failed -- Hokie1992 05/09/2019 07:06AM

It hasn't grown like people projected, but that isn't "failure." -- Tafkam Hokie 05/09/2019 09:03AM

I disagree there are only 2 things holding soccer back here in the US -- VTHokie2000 05/09/2019 09:45AM

I am talking about problems with the very sport itself, not how the league -- Tafkam Hokie 05/09/2019 2:30PM

In this particular case, I do think they go hand and hand -- VTHokie2000 05/09/2019 3:23PM

Maybe I'm thinking more of soccer's ceiling. -- Tafkam Hokie 05/09/2019 3:33PM

Maybe you are or we are talking tangents of the overall issue -- VTHokie2000 05/09/2019 4:12PM

Now I see why we look at it differently. -- Tafkam Hokie 05/09/2019 4:53PM

I do agree with you that soccer will stay below football and basketball -- VTHokie2000 05/09/2019 5:19PM

Damn. I don't care about soccer one way or the other but it's nice to have -- Hurley09 05/08/2019 7:06PM

Any chance 'Arry Kane will be back for June 1? ** -- North Main Hokie 05/08/2019 6:45PM

I’m rewatching the game. First things first ** -- CPRVHokie 05/08/2019 6:50PM

What happened? I saw the first and last [replay] goals. Slept between. ** -- TomTurkey 05/08/2019 5:44PM

Soccer is slow and boring. -- SDHokie 05/08/2019 5:03PM

Sports are mostly slow and boring unless you truly care about one of the -- BG Hokie 05/08/2019 6:51PM

Even for football (as opposed to futbol), I usually won't start watching -- Tafkam Hokie 05/08/2019 6:58PM

You also really only need the last two minutes of an NBA basketball game ** -- Hokie1992 05/09/2019 06:57AM

I can accept this answer as long as you don't like baseball. Lose all -- CochraneResident 05/08/2019 5:19PM

He was being facetious and mocking that POV ** -- Nova Hokie 95 05/08/2019 5:27PM

How foolish of me?! That was so obvious. /s. That /s means sarcasm. -- CochraneResident 05/08/2019 5:32PM

Millenials must assimilate with Gen X or leave the lounge. We have a system ** -- CPRVHokie 05/08/2019 6:32PM

Enjoy CC’s latest column...it might be his last. -- vthokieq 05/08/2019 5:08PM

I hope Will offers referral discounts to members if their lead -- VTHokie2000 05/08/2019 5:44PM

I'm expecting the headline to be, "There's been an international incident -- ElbertoHokie 05/08/2019 5:16PM

Even if the Pentagon sends Omega Force to clean up the mess? ** -- VTHokie2000 05/08/2019 5:35PM

I have a friend over there who can bail him out. ** -- CPRVHokie 05/08/2019 5:31PM

Emma Peel? Saw her pic earlier. ** -- TomTurkey 05/08/2019 5:46PM

Woof. No. But if you need blow... ** -- CPRVHokie 05/08/2019 6:33PM

Anti Shun -- okiehokie1 05/08/2019 5:52PM

It hasn't grown like people projected, but that isn't "failure."

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