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| Many American stars, like Carlos Bocanegra, still seek mainstream exposure |
In 1994, 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 wrong. Almost twenty years later, American pro soccer has not only survived, but grown its base. Still, no one today can exactly argue that soccer's popularity in America has exactly exploded in that time, either. Of the major American sports leagues, it has the lowest attendance and brings in the least amount of sponsorship dollars. Men's pro soccer has, thus far, failed to seep into the country's consciousness, the way other sports, say, basketball and baseball, have. So, in many regards, soccer remains the ugly step-child of American sports. (As for women's pro soccer in America, it is faring even worse than the men, having just suspended its 2012 season.) Of course, this stands in stark contrast to the rest of the world, where soccer—or football, as it's known—is a maniacal obsession. Why has soccer failed to take firmly root in America? What is behind many Americans' resistance to the sport? And is it just a matter of time before soccer joins the ranks of baseball and football, or will it always be relegated to second-class status?
Include at least two of the following in your discussion:
- "Top Ten Reasons to Hate Soccer" (Bleacher Report)
- "So, What If Soccer Isn't a Big Deal Here?" (Wall Street Journal)
- "Can Soccer Be Popular in the U.S.? Actually, Numbers Show it Already is" (Bleacher Report)
- "Analysis: Soccer Growing, but US Not Delivering on Field" (Reuters)
Required:
- MLA Style
- Must be exactly two-full pages in length
Due: We 2.15
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