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If you don't like women's soccer, you're a sexist, and not even a real soccer fan.
Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 03:01 PM by Dan Loney
Updated 19 Dec 2008 at 01:12 PM by Dan Loney (You win this round, misspelled words that are other actual words - thanks, bigredfutbol)
Updated 19 Dec 2008 at 01:12 PM by Dan Loney (You win this round, misspelled words that are other actual words - thanks, bigredfutbol)
Tags crystal pepsi, fickle pickles
Yes, that's probably how I'd start this post if I were trolling for controversy. Nick Green's headline referencing his Daily News column was much more mature.
The question, as Bud Dickman would put it, is "How come the women's team can't not draw no fans no more?" Green lists several possible reasons, none of which seem to satisfy.
First, he's way, way off about the outstanding personalities - anyone who's exchanged ten words with Abby Wambach could vouch for that. Wambach's an intimidating presence...but so was Hamm, who could never be described as a sex symbol. Not with that competitive stare piercing your brain like diamond bullets.
The Hope Solo debacle probably contributed to why we're not seeing quite as much personality as we used to. Wambach and Solo excepted, the team seems to be a charming bunch, quick to smile and laugh...but speaking unedited to the press brought about swift and vicious retribution not merely from coach and teammates. You can't really say the USWNT is under a totalitarian dictatorship - I don't think Stalin ever produced a video as adorably goofball as Tobin Heath's walkabout.* It's entirely possible that the USSF sees lack of personality as a feature, not a bug.
Nick's commenters took aim at the USSF for publicizing these games about as well as Fox did with "Arrested Development," but I don't know how much more juice was in the pomegranate. The USWNT has scheduled post-tournament garbage letdown games - excuse me, Victory Tours - pretty much annually now, and if "Achieve Your Gold" is anything to go by, they're running out of steam in names as well as interest.
Part of the problem is also Los Angeles, a city of fickle pickles. Take Mia, Juile and Joy's farewell game:
Green implies that was good attendance. It was most certainly not. More than ten thousand empty seats to see the last game of the most famous women's soccer player ever? (Although it was on a Wednesday night, come to think of it. What kind of chuckleheads schedule the retirement of a legend on a Wednesday night?) That game should have been in Cary, or Washington...or Oregon.
The big difference between the 90's and today, apart from the deplorable lack of Crystal Pepsi, is Nike's unwillingess to push the USWNT as singlemindedly. The Olympics and Women's World Cup were in the United States in the same cycle, which helped a great deal. It wasn't simply that the ads were all over the place, it's that those ads showed the team with, Christ preserve us, personality. In 1999, Tisha Freaking Venturini had extended speaking roles in ads. In 2007, it was Rainn Wilson phoning it in while the team stood around and looked stupid (fair warning for the Brazil game, in retrospect).
Women's Professional Soccer might help...but the WUSA didn't do a hell of a lot to make anyone famous. (With the possible exceptions of Wambach, Boxx, Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra.) I don't think the tail is going to wag the dog again until the US hosts the Women's World Cup, at least (preferably in the same cycle as a US city gets the Summer Olympics again, although we might not be enough of a repressive dictatorship). That's looking like 2019 at the earliest, unless Canada hosts in 2015 and Nike gloms onto to that.
*Oh, right. Congratulations to Soccer By Ives, the best soccer blog in the United States. In Galarcep's honor, I present this heartfelt tribute video:
[youtube]zawR7VYNdNg[/youtube]
The question, as Bud Dickman would put it, is "How come the women's team can't not draw no fans no more?" Green lists several possible reasons, none of which seem to satisfy.
Quote:
It's a slower, more technical, less powerful version of the men's game. But as we saw in 1999, it can still generate enough sparks to make an entire nation take notice.
I understand the economy is in the toilet, that people are distracted just before the holidays, there are lots of other entertainment options and that it was a pretty cold night for thin-blooded Southern Californians.
But still.
I understand there are no particularly outstanding personalities on the team good for a compelling quote a la Foudy or a player like Hamm who was not only good on the ball, but easy on the eyes, too (although those who subscribe to that notion might want to check out www.heathermitts.com).
But come on.
And yeah, the team is still suffering from the fan backlash that developed in the wake of the Hope Solo debacle at the 2007 World Cup.
But nevertheless, a national team that once appeared on the covers of general news magazines now can't attract more people than see a typical high school game in a city the size of L.A.?
I understand the economy is in the toilet, that people are distracted just before the holidays, there are lots of other entertainment options and that it was a pretty cold night for thin-blooded Southern Californians.
But still.
I understand there are no particularly outstanding personalities on the team good for a compelling quote a la Foudy or a player like Hamm who was not only good on the ball, but easy on the eyes, too (although those who subscribe to that notion might want to check out www.heathermitts.com).
But come on.
And yeah, the team is still suffering from the fan backlash that developed in the wake of the Hope Solo debacle at the 2007 World Cup.
But nevertheless, a national team that once appeared on the covers of general news magazines now can't attract more people than see a typical high school game in a city the size of L.A.?
The Hope Solo debacle probably contributed to why we're not seeing quite as much personality as we used to. Wambach and Solo excepted, the team seems to be a charming bunch, quick to smile and laugh...but speaking unedited to the press brought about swift and vicious retribution not merely from coach and teammates. You can't really say the USWNT is under a totalitarian dictatorship - I don't think Stalin ever produced a video as adorably goofball as Tobin Heath's walkabout.* It's entirely possible that the USSF sees lack of personality as a feature, not a bug.
Nick's commenters took aim at the USSF for publicizing these games about as well as Fox did with "Arrested Development," but I don't know how much more juice was in the pomegranate. The USWNT has scheduled post-tournament garbage letdown games - excuse me, Victory Tours - pretty much annually now, and if "Achieve Your Gold" is anything to go by, they're running out of steam in names as well as interest.
Part of the problem is also Los Angeles, a city of fickle pickles. Take Mia, Juile and Joy's farewell game:
Quote:
And the last time an Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. women's team played at the Home Depot Center, 15,589 attended in December 2004 to see Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett one final time before their respective retirements.
The big difference between the 90's and today, apart from the deplorable lack of Crystal Pepsi, is Nike's unwillingess to push the USWNT as singlemindedly. The Olympics and Women's World Cup were in the United States in the same cycle, which helped a great deal. It wasn't simply that the ads were all over the place, it's that those ads showed the team with, Christ preserve us, personality. In 1999, Tisha Freaking Venturini had extended speaking roles in ads. In 2007, it was Rainn Wilson phoning it in while the team stood around and looked stupid (fair warning for the Brazil game, in retrospect).
Women's Professional Soccer might help...but the WUSA didn't do a hell of a lot to make anyone famous. (With the possible exceptions of Wambach, Boxx, Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra.) I don't think the tail is going to wag the dog again until the US hosts the Women's World Cup, at least (preferably in the same cycle as a US city gets the Summer Olympics again, although we might not be enough of a repressive dictatorship). That's looking like 2019 at the earliest, unless Canada hosts in 2015 and Nike gloms onto to that.
*Oh, right. Congratulations to Soccer By Ives, the best soccer blog in the United States. In Galarcep's honor, I present this heartfelt tribute video:
[youtube]zawR7VYNdNg[/youtube]
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Comments
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Oh God I miss Phil Hendrie.Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 03:36 PM by lloydbonafide 
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In just four days, that fact is no longer valid. Should've sent him here to Detroit for last night's rematch against China. We only had 11,933 screaming fans there. Oh, and it was on a Wednesday night, too. Never been a crowd that size for ANY weeknight women's game since the sendoff.Quote:Originally Posted by Nick GreenTo be sure, what we are seeing now is probably an accurate reflection of the interest in the women's game. Only twice this year have more than 10,000 people attended a U.S. women's game in this country.
In fairness, not only did Green cover this in his blog today, but I read his blog today and meant to mention it in the context of LA kinda sucking for USWNT crowds. Je suis my bad. -D.Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 03:42 PM by opal347
Updated 18 Dec 2008 at 05:30 PM by Dan Loney -
I hate you for having linked to that video. Between the corny music, the stiff with the ears the size of dinner plates and the utter lack of Tobin Heath, you should be ashamed.Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 03:57 PM by Bill Archer 
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Quadruple negative? So that is a positive statement? But in what context is it positive? The team has to no longer try and draw zero fans to a game?Quote:"How come the women's team can't not draw no fans no more?"
Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 04:05 PM by YukataNinja
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Were there USWNT games recently?Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 04:15 PM by Reignking
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just wait till Alex Morgan (who scored the winning goal for the U-20's) gets to the full national team...problem solved....
The Chileans certainly think she's hot stuff-you should see the tribute page to her on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readme...03193448?ref=sPosted 18 Dec 2008 at 06:54 PM by Frankie Boy
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I expected 5,000 at the Detroit game, so, at least in our neck of the woods, the WNT really brought out a crowd. Largely due of course, of the hard work the local youth soccer clubs, Dan Duggan's Michigan Bucks PDL organization and many others (including the fledgling MLS Detroit effort) did to spread the word. Since this was the first major match in such a long time, everybody was excited about it. Maybe Angelos have access to so many games that they are just blase about yet another NT match.
Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 08:17 PM by DetroitTFC
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Maybe SocFed could try and let people know that the WNT is playing (oops, they don't want people at WNT games, my bad).
WUSA's attendance was 3-5 times that week in and week out (and occasionally 10 times that).Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 11:56 PM by Morris20
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ok, firstly their aint nothing wrong with women FOOTBALL,
secondly it aint soccer its FOOTBALL, you dumb american calling it soccer, when its football, u call a crappy version of rugby american football, when you dont use your feet much anyway, so get it right!
FOOTBALL!
FOOTBALL!
NOT SOCCER!
so you aint a real footy fan then cause you call it soccer so you cant say who is or who isnt a real fan
It's quite possible that you might be my new best friend in the whole world. -D.Posted 19 Dec 2008 at 04:55 AM by godshenry
Updated 19 Dec 2008 at 01:10 PM by Dan Loney -
What godshenry said. (No, not really.)Posted 19 Dec 2008 at 09:09 AM by Ollie Irish
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