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Advice for soccer noobs

Crazy question here.

Can we all agree that MLS is growing in popularity but it is not as popular as the NBA?
 
Apparently my post started this.

I simply tried to state the positive things about this thread.
 
PhDeac said:
Crazy question here.

Can we all agree that MLS is growing in popularity but it is not as popular as the NBA?
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No doubt. The best players in the world at Basketball play in the NBA

The best players in the world do not play in the MLS. There maybe 1 in the top 50 actually.

But its definitely growing. The Sounders are as popular in Seattle as any EPL team is in their city. I think the Timbers have tried to follow suit and there is a neat little rivalry there, which doesn't have much history, but is growing.

I think as popularity grows, = more money. More money will mean better players. We are seeing that in small doses with Kaka, Defoe, Henry, Beckham, Dempsey coming home, etc.
 
Chivas is just a terrible, terrible franchise anyways. They should be excluded from this conversation because they aren't remotely representative of the rest of the league.
 
RJKarl said:
To many, saying soccer is a great sport for little kids, but most leave it when they can play other sports is attacking soccer.
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That does sound like an attack.
 
It's something that is going on now. Like millions of Americans, I watch it every four years.

Barca, what have I said that is negative towards soccer? Saying it's a niche sport in the US isn't negative. It's reality.

I never said it wasn't growing and have said it is great for kids.

Could it someday catch hockey to become the fourth most popular pro team sport in the US? Maybe, but not for many years to come.

One great thing about the America's sports market is that it can support many more sports than almost any other country.
 
I would have suggested that but I didn't want to be defensive again.

And most American Outlaw balls to the wall soccer fans here will hate me for this, but I still won't watch or recommend the MLS. It's still an inferior product to me. I'd rather watch and pull for a team 1000 miles away from me in the BPL than go grab a couple $10 Philadelphia Union tickets a short subway ride away. I kinda get the MLS hate. It's not the most attractive soccer to watch. I like going to games, but it hasn't stuck with me.
 
qcdeac said:
That does sound like an attack.
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Why does does that sound like an attack? It's what happens in the US. I didn't say kids "should" or "older kids hate soccer". All I said that soccer is a great sport for little kids.

Don't most leave soccer to play football, baseball or basketball? When kids are little soccer is the overwhelming choice. By then time they make it to high school soccer falls in popularity to third or fourth.
 
TownieDeac said:
I would have suggested that but I didn't want to be defensive again.

And most American Outlaw balls to the wall soccer fans here will hate me for this, but I still won't watch or recommend the MLS. It's still an inferior product to me. I'd rather watch and pull for a team 1000 miles away from me in the BPL than go grab a couple $10 Philadelphia Union tickets a short subway ride away. I kinda get the MLS hate. It's not the most attractive soccer to watch. I like going to games, but it hasn't stuck with me.
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I have a buddy who took this a step further, and refuses to support the USMNT because of the quality of their play and roots for Germany because "they have a chance to win it." He actively supported Germany in that last group game.

This dude was born in Jersey City and has never left the country.
 
RJKarl said:
Why does does that sound like an attack? It's what happens in the US. I didn't say kids "should" or "older kids hate soccer". All I said that soccer is a great sport for little kids.

Don't most leave soccer to play football, baseball or basketball? When kids are little soccer is the overwhelming choice. By then time they make it to high school soccer falls in popularity to third or fourth.
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I can't speak to leaving soccer to play other sports, but soccer has the third most HS athletes in the country after football and basketball. Link to the last 5 years of data - http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=3282
 
Do we let people form Jersey leave the state much less the country?

And he's not just from Jersey but from Jersey City.....
 
so....a majority of those kids ended up moving to football? it's possible to play soccer and basketball b/c soccer season is in the fall for most places, right?
 
TownieDeac said:
I can't speak to leaving soccer to play other sports, but soccer has the third most HS athletes in the country after football and basketball. Link to the last 5 years of data - http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=3282
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And I said this:

"By then time they make it to high school soccer falls in popularity to third or fourth."

Hmm....I say the same thing, but in some way it's different. Thanks for proving my point again.

BTW, using your own charts soccer is the fifth most popular sport in US high schools for boys. It's behind football, basketball, baseball and very surprisingly track and field.
 
ImTheCaptain said:
so....a majority of those kids ended up moving to football? it's possible to play soccer and basketball b/c soccer season is in the fall for most places, right?
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not sure there's anything to suggest that

the football kids could have also - and i'm just spitballing here - grown up playing football

the soccer to football transition doesn't make a ton of sense skill wise, but i'm sure it happens a fair amount
 
RJKarl said:
And I said this:

"By then time they make it to high school soccer falls in popularity to third or fourth."

Hmm....I say the same thing, but in some way it's different. Thanks for proving my point again.

BTW, using your own charts soccer is the fifth most popular sport in US high schools for boys. It's behind football, basketball, baseball and very surprisingly track and field.
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I gave up basketball to continue my soccer career both for my club team and high school team. I then almost gave up my football career to go to college and play soccer.
 
TownieDeac said:
not sure there's anything to suggest that

the football kids could have also - and i'm just spitballing here - grown up playing football

the soccer to football transition doesn't make a ton of sense skill wise, but i'm sure it happens a fair amount
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In California. Football is Fall. basketball and Soccer are Winter
 
RJKarl said:
Why does does that sound like an attack? It's what happens in the US. I didn't say kids "should" or "older kids hate soccer". All I said that soccer is a great sport for little kids.

Don't most leave soccer to play football, baseball or basketball? When kids are little soccer is the overwhelming choice. By then time they make it to high school soccer falls in popularity to third or fourth.
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It sounds condescending and marginalizes the sport. By saying "most leave it when they can play other sports" implies that soccer is great for 6 year olds running around in a cluster chasing a ball, but once they "really" learn how to play a sport, they can move on to football, baseball and basketball.

It doesn't appear to be your intent, but ("_____ is a great _____ for little kids, but...") could have easily been viewed as an attack.
 
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