In
1994, nationally-recognized sports marketer Nye Lavalle boldly
predicted that “there is
no chance [Major League Soccer] will survive. Absolutely no chance
whatsoever.” His prediction was grim, but also off the mark. Twenty-five years later, American professional soccer has not only survived, but
steadily grown its
base. Still, no one today can argue that soccer's popularity in
America has exactly exploded in that time, either. Of the five major US
sports leagues, it has the lowest attendance and brings in the least
amount of sponsorship dollars
, especially compared to the "Holy Trinity of American Sports": baseball, basketball, and football. Thus
far, men's pro soccer has failed to
seep into the country's consciousness the way other sports have. So, in
many regards, men's pro soccer remains the
ugly step-child of American sports. (As for women's soccer, the US
Women's National Team
triumphant final match in the 2015 Women's World
Cup was our country's most-watched soccer game ever.) Of course, all of
this
stands in stark contrast to the rest of the world, where soccer
—or football, as it's known
—is
a maniacal obsession. What is behind many Americans' resistance to the sport? Why has soccer failed to firmly take root in
America? And does the 2026 joint Canada-Mexico-US World Cup hold promise for domestic soccer fans? Finally, are you soccer fan? Why or why not?
Include at least two of the following in your discussion:
Required:
- MLA Style
- 250 words
- Works cited
Due: Wed 3.27
No comments:
Post a Comment