Quote of the Day: Why Soccer Won’t Work in America
By: Laurie | April 15th, 2008
“The fact is, I think, that soccer doesn’t fit the taste of the American sports fan, who likes a finite chance of success or failure on every play,” Steinberg said. “It doesn’t have the type of pacing, like a lot of scoring. There is continuous play without scoring and the game is not susceptible to commercial breaks. Americans like fast burst of action and scoring. I would suggest tinkering with soccer, but I know that’s sacrosanct.”
– Leigh Steinberg, “the top sports agent who represents N.F.L. and N.B.A. stars,” who says that “soccer’s failure to earn the embrace of big-time TV coverage in the United States has doomed it to second-class status, perhaps forever.” As quoted in the NY Times soccer blog, Goal.com.
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Comments
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It is all about TV at the end of the day. It would have taken off in the Pele/Cosmos era but for the TV rights being badly handled. I still think it could work in America if they just sold it properly.
Posted from
United Kingdom
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Leigh Steinberg is FOS.
Posted from
United States -
Steinberg’s idea of tinkering with soccer probably means using hands instead of feet.
Posted from
United States -
Translation of Steinburg’s comments: I can’t make any money off this sport.
Posted from
United States -
So what Steinburg is saying is that Americans are basically too stupid for soccer? We dont have the attention span to watch 45 minutes without a commercial? Oh, and if Americans prefer “fast burst of action” why do we like baseball?
I think one of the reasons soccer is not as popular here as elsewhere is because people see it as a game for kids. Oh, and because people in the media keep telling us we dont like it.
Posted from
United States -
i see what he’s saying with the fast bursts of action. oddly enough, i was just thinking that today. sports that are popular here but not a lot of other places are very stop and go. which is obviously useful for advertising purposes.
but i do think this so-called american aversion to soccer is waaay overhyped. and yeah, it does have much to do with money.
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United States -
Chuckleheads like Steinberg can’t see past his own biases. Americans are as engaged in soccer because there are not the storied rivalries yet. There is no Yankees/Red Sox, Washington Redskins/Dallas Cowboys legendary rivalries yet.
Americans glom onto those challenges more so than the start/stop of sports. When the MLS sees rivalries like that, that have developed over 15-20 years, you will see more attention.
Oh and a good World Cup victory will shut people up.
Soccer is big in america, it is, as people have noted, not big business–yet.
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United States -
it doesnt work here because americans are not willing to accept that they need to improve their game! they are not willing to accept defeat, they are not willing to play the game that every one else plays…..
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United States -
I think what the idiot is saying is that unless there is a commercial break every 2 minutes, it is not a real sport, and he and the average joe just aren’t interested unless someone is pimping product to them every two minutes or so.
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United States -
Wow, that is a bold comment coming from a sports agent who obviously doesn’t know how much European and South American leagues pay their players… but it got me thinking about..
uhm…
what I was saying is that…
Oh yeah, apparently I have the attention span of knat!!
Speak for yourself….Steinberg!!!Posted from
United States -
gnat
apparently Americans can’t spell either
Posted from
United States -
Well, apparently some Americans like soccer. We had an international friendly here (Seattle), Mexico v China, and over 56,000 people showed up. We had a great time!
Posted from
United States
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