Not every summer can be perfect. If you busted out some Cheever or O'Hara anthologies - or a Vargas Llosa novel - drank good coffee, wine, and beer, and took a daily swim... You get the idea. Enjoy what you have left, my man. I'll try to do the same.
Well if you haven't got many left I guess it was a bonus as you got the chance to do something more interesting than watching footie on the goggle box
Come on Sal, this isn't hard. Follow along. By "disaster," people were talking about missing the Cup being "a huge set back for American soccer." So, ya, "we're at exactly the same level after the world cup as we were before." Interest in the sport hasn't fallen off. I don't think MLS ratings or attendance have dropped. I'm guessing that registration for youth soccer next year will be on the same trendline as it was before. As for "nothing about the systems in place has malfunctioned because of the failure to qualify" .... I don't know what that means.
Were you planning to travel to Russia? I love the USMNT (and WNT), but their absence from the WC can't spoil my summer. Too many great other options. Peace!
I don't think that's what people mean by it but let's suppose they did. In that case, did a thread really need to be made for something so obvious? I apparently gave the topic more credit than it deserved. The US has a growth in fandom every WC, so I'd argue that this remaining the same as before the WC is a bad thing. Perhaps not disastrous but negative by any metric. And more importantly, when the WC miss is referred to as a disaster, you don't get to rid the failure of all the baggage it carries (The US failing to replace older key players, generational gaps in quality, etc.). All things that some fans saw clearly but that became clear to everyone else with the elimination. The topic is meaningless if all we're talking about is wether the WC miss itself damaged US soccer in some concrete way like huge drops in ratings, academy players switching to baseball, etc.
Ya, it is. Sure, it's negative. But, far from a disaster. The hell I can't. I just did. You ascribe meaning your way. I'll ascribe meaning ..... the real way. There was a time when a WC miss would have had those affects. Seems like you really want this to have been some massive set back for U.S. soccer. It wasn't. We're still here, same as before. The train is still coming.
Then you created a topic where by definition you were always going to be right and that no one needed in the first place. Considering you didn’t even reply thoughtfully to anything I said, I don’t have anything else to say to you on the matter. You reek of smugness.
Only in BigSoccer can an individual whose posts are, for the most part, personal attacks on other people, become a moderator.
What are you even talking about? I only talk banter in World Rivalries. Stop smearing my name dude, seriously.
The unfortunate piece was about the lack of solidarity payments for players developed in US academies, particularly free to play academies.
Fair point although I’m not sure that domestic soccer fans can’t watch great youth players as there’s more access to global players than ever. I’m not sure that going to games makes that much of a difference quite frankly. We’re in the Red Bull’s developmental program and I’m pretty sure that they’re profitable and far from free-to-play except for perhaps a few talented prospects. It’s a money making machine - I’m impressed from a business perspective. I’m really hoping that solidarity payments happen but that’s up the the league and the union.
You reek of smugness. Let's name call and have an "I know you are but what am I" conversation. "Moderator" lol. You got called out for only making personal attacks and defended it by saying "I only talk banter in World Rivalries. Stop smearing my name dude, seriously." If I'd know that if you were only here to troll, I wouldn't have engaged you. You're on ignore. Ciao. I have children and a job. I don't have time to try to relive middle school, and no need to. It went fine for me. I'm sorry you're stuck in that rut. Try therapy. I asked if anyone felt like there was some set back to U.S. soccer. In past years, that would have been a possibility. This year, people were saying this was a "disaster." And, I said in my first post - I'm not that connected. My sense is that it hasn't hurt U.S. soccer. Is that true? For all I know, people could have said MLS ratings have tanked, people think soccer is for losers. Tanking in '98 was a real problem for the U.S. Not making it in 2018 doesn't seem to be a big problem. The performance was worse than '98. The impact doesn't seem comparable.
That's the problem: you can't put "moderators" on ignore. I had that guy on ignore when he was a regular user, but now that he's a mod I have to see his constant passive-aggressive abuse of people. It's like being forced to allow someone you don't want around into your home.
Not a troll. Don’t care about any of the other stuff you called me. All I’ll say is if we’re on topic, comparing ratings for MLS and fandom for US matches pre and post WC is interesting, but I agree it probably won’t be much lower. I think those who call this miss a real problem are referring to everything that culminated in the US missing the World Cup. Mainly it’s the generational gap and the fact that MLS doesn’t seem to be producing any great talent. You can point to all the recent prospects to deny it but if you think about how many MLS-made players since Dempsey have had a successful career in Europe, it’s a one hand list. I’d argue Yedlin is the only one so far, and even he has had a shaky career. In the first sense you’re right, it’s probably not a disaster although I wouldn’t be surprised if fandom did go down. In the second sense it’s definitely a disaster. I thought it was pretty clear those calling it so were using the second sense. And there are lots of those in this thread.
Ha! Oh well, I don't need a setting to ignore someone. The guy as much as said he's a troll. Ain't nobody with a life got time for that sh*t.
Dude, stop seriously. You want to "ignore" me and continue to take jabs. When did I "admit" I was a troll? I specifically said the only place I banter is in World Rivalries. That section was specifically created for banter, several US and MX posters post in there, it's just a fun shit-talking section. I don't troll in the US section. Anyway, feel free to go back to posting about your busy lifestyle as if that adds anything to your arguments. I'm out, I've already overstayed my welcome replying to your comments.