All-inclusive "Media disparagement of soccer, real or imagined" thread

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

It was pretty easy for me. I was studying in Ratingen back in '96 and my host family was hardcore Borussia Dortmund supporters. They won the league that year and went on to (shockingly) win the Champions League the next (Laars Ricken ftw!). I was hooked. Unfortunately it was very difficult to follow the team here in the US, and it wasn't until the soccer cable packages and (cough cough) internet feeds that I was able to watch them play.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Ah yes, the glory days when teams like Dortmund or Ajax still had a shot of winning the CL. No more. Now only the billionaire clubs have a prayer.

I think TV really is how almost all Americans are going to "pick" clubs from now on. Of course if it's via the CL, that means tons more Barca, Bayern and Man U fans. Ugh. Oh well, a rising tide raises all ships.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

I picked the team closest to where my girlfriend lived when I was living in London, and it helped that Shepards Bush was where the Who were from. It just really felt right.

I should note that when I initially "picked" a soccer team, it was West Ham. But I wasn't actually a soccer fan at the time, just trying to be edgey.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

No.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Actually, that should be

NO!!!!

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

the BvB run in the '97 Champions League was a a huge upset. We beat the heavily favored Man United in the semis, then went on to shock everyone by beating Juventus in the final (although I'd say beating Man United was a more difficult feat). Could we do it again this year? Yes, but the mountain is definitely steeper this time around. But if Scheisse can make the semis, anything is possible!

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Thanks for these links, by the way. It was really cool to hear that guy's transformation.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Surprisingly, that's not true
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14367608.stm

It's all 20 offering entry for 50 euro, or £43.50

I think those cheapest might be concession tickets for some clubs. It seems a little mixed.

Even so, that 50 euro would even buy you the most expensive regular ticket at 10 clubs.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Also b/c it's lucrative... but to your latter point, X-Games...

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

College football was major on a national scale for decades before ESPN even existed.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

First off, College Football was big time LONG before ESPN. And I wonder what you meant by "...to a lesser extent, basketball..." Considering, College Football is bigger than College Basketball.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

believe in what Klinsmann said at conference " Soccer can not be stopped "

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

TV made the NFL was it is today. College football has been popular for over 100 years. Watch any sports news from the early to mid 20th century and they talk about two things: baseball and college football.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

College football in the years before ESPN was major on a regional level. People in the Midwest cared about the Big Ten, people in Texas cared about the SWC, people on the West Coast cared about the Pac-10, etc. It's why they got away without a real national championship system for so long... because the majority of the nation only cared about their own in-conference rivals. Now, it's major on a national level... in 1980, the only time people outside of the south saw an SEC game was a major rivalry or the Cotton Bowl.

And by "to a lesser extent" I meant that college basketball is less popular today, but also that the NCAA tournament was already a big deal on a national scale... unlike, say, the Big 8 Championship which only mattered to people in Big 8 country.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

I've taken German friends who've come to visit in the States to see NHL, NBA, MLB games and NCAA footbal games, and they agree 100% that College Football is the American sport who's atmosphere and fanbase most match soccer in Europe.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ent.../08/nbc-sports-snags-major-league-soccer.html

Apparently the LA Times is saying that NBC gaining MLS rights, is a "blow" to Fox Sports. FSC is only aired in 40 million households, while VERSUS is aired in 80 million. 12 million a year for three years.2 regular season games on NBC, plus playoffs on VERSUS.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Two regular season MLS games on network TV every year? Someone pinch me this can't be real.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Yeah it's actually 2 regular season and 2 playoff games. One small step...

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

Kinda hard to accept that the sport is being respected when you have such a high profile match (intense rivalry w/Mexico, played in prime time... Klinsmann's debut) and not only do they shunt it onto ESPN2... but even then it gets preempted in favor of some facking Little League baseball game.

If this is respect for the sport... I'd hate to see what they'd do if it wasn't respected.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

That would be American society from the 1990s and earlier, where soccer was regularly derided and suspected to be a Communist conspiracy and whose players were called every name from grass fairy to ************ and worse.

Be grateful you don't live in that era because it could very easily go back to that.

Oh and of course, no soccer being on tv, period.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

i think the game should nt have been schedule, 2. with mexico after the gold cup massacre of 2011. plus Football season comming up so this game would barely make the news anyway, I mean i uderstand the bump to espn 2 the little league world series is going on so it mAKES sense.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

I lived thru that period... trust me, it was a Godsend the day I was mucking around on the TV in 2000 and stumbled upon Fox Sports World. Life hasn't quite been the same since. Before that the best I could get were the old Serie A broadcasts on RAI in NY in the late 80s.

Re: Is soccer still commonly belittled or ridiculed by the media in the US or has it changed?

A) the Little League World series is a bigger event, thats a No brainer, plus the soccer game was a exhibition, USSF should be blamed for scheduling such a meaningless game.

B) USSF is still to blame, plus ESPN News doesnt should games, just pregame and post game, Highlights of various games throughout the day. the little league world series is a once a yr event, and gets better ratings than your average USMNT exhibition/ and MLS game put together.

c) it is what it is, Little league world series vs exhibition soccer? on a english speaking cable network... No brainer baseball wins, baseball looks better on SC highlights at the end of the day!