Why did you choose soccer over baseball, football, basketball and ice hockey?

Discussion in 'Soccer in the USA' started by psveindhoven, Feb 17, 2010.

  1. psveindhoven

    psveindhoven New Member

    May 17, 2006
    Why did you choose soccer over baseball, football, basketball and ice hockey? For me it was an easy choise, because I'm from Europe. But why did you Americans choose soccer, while their are four much bigger sports in your country?
     
  2. MuD life

    MuD life New Member

    Nov 24, 2003
    West Haven, CT
    baseball = put me to sleep
    hockey = wake me for play off
    basketball = gotta be in the mood
    football = i would like it more if it was played like it was in the 50s-60s now its to slow
     
  3. Roehl Sybing

    Roehl Sybing Guest

    It must be dreadful to live in Europe if the ideas floated around over there are as terribly simplistic as this.

    Are people outside of America compelled to "choose" a certain sport over others? What happens if people are caught following multiple sports at the same time? What happens when the Olympics rolls around? Are they required to turn off the television set?

    What are the punishments that are called for when people skirt this custom? Flogging? Public humiliation?

    I guess that's why America is so great. We have a mind and freedom to pursue as many interests as we want. What a great people we are!
     
  4. Big Soccer Member

    Jan 16, 2008
    Surrey, England
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    To be far to the OP, there will be a lot of Americans who have 'chosen' soccer over the traditional American sports. If it doesn't apply to you simply don't reply.
     
  5. Roehl Sybing

    Roehl Sybing Guest

    I'm not even sure that's the least bit true. When it was really a niche sport fifteen years ago, maybe likely. These days? Likely not.

    Anyone who thinks otherwise has never been to a tailgate or a watch party and seen what kind of people American fans really are.
     
  6. Big Soccer Member

    Jan 16, 2008
    Surrey, England
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    What does that have to do with anything?
     
    1 person likes this.
  7. Roehl Sybing

    Roehl Sybing Guest

    Fine, I'll willfully ignore whatever you say too.
     
  8. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I didn't choose soccer over other sports. In fact, I like that most EPL games are not played at the same time as sports in the United States.
     
  9. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Most didn't. Most Americans added soccer to to the other sports they already liked.

    I know some soccer fans who, yes, have lost interest in other American sports. But I know some others who like soccer plenty, but love American football or baseball more.
     
  10. RedWolf

    RedWolf New Member

    Feb 17, 2010
    Arkansas
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As has been mentioned by a lot of people, I didn't choose soccer over other American sports necessarily. In fact, American Football is still my #1 sport, while soccer has shot up to #2 for me. Basketball would be 3, hockey a distant 4 and baseball and even more distant 5.
     
  11. AguiluchoMerengue

    Oct 4, 2008
    South Carolina
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    i've been here for about 10 years.

    where i grew up soccer was king.

    now if i was borned in here, i would prob have gone for american football, im sure i would've been fast enough to play as a running back.

    just like it is hard to pick other sport over soccer if you live abroad, i think it was very hard for americans to pick soccer over their traditional sports.

    one of my friends from high school who got really good at soccer told me that when he was in middle school, 2 kids from brazil moved into his neighborhood and all they did was play soccer after school so he got some skills.

    when we met in high school, he was trying to hang out with my brother and i all the time so he could learn our skills, apparently those brazilians kids moved out so he had nobody to play or talk about soccer with anymore.

    the kid became a soccer follower to the point that now he only watches soccer and ocassionally a few nfl games.

    just though ill throw that in.
     
  12. Dtown

    Dtown Member

    Sep 5, 2009
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll join the parade of people who said Soccer has just joined the list of sporting favorites. As for order it can really depend on which of my favorite teams is doing what.
     
  13. JeremyEritrea

    JeremyEritrea Member+

    Jun 29, 2006
    Takoma Park, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I didn't. I follow soccer, football, basketball and hockey. I pay some attention to baseball, but not as much as I used to before the 1990s.
     
  14. DCUdiplomat96

    DCUdiplomat96 Member

    Mar 19, 2005
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I never had to choose anything. ofcourse Im Not playing at a Professional level or being awarded a scholarship.LOL..... basically like what others said It just a add on to what other sports I already Like. To me I watch alot more soccer after January thru the summer because my Favorite sport Football is on during the fall Months and Hoops, hockey fills in the other months til summer time. folks In North America really benefit now days because the big European games are on earlier compared to thier primetime(+5. or +6 hours ahead) then at Night time over here in NA, you have MLS or Mexico or some other games from South America...
     
  15. An Unpaved Road

    An Unpaved Road Member+

    Mar 22, 2006
    Club:
    --other--
    At the organized level I tried soccer, baseball, and basketball as a kid. Baseball bored me. Basketball was a little better, but I didn't have my own hoop to practice with, and eventually I grew tired of the indoor courts. Soccer hooked me with its constant action, and playing outside on fields that were (being in Pennsylvania) more often that not mud pits was just my cup of tea.

    Following sports as fan was a slightly different route. Hockey was always my number one sport to watch, although starting with 94 I took a casual interest in the U.S. national soccer team. During the NHL lockout, though, I started keeping a close eye on World Cup qualifying, and that in turn led me to becoming an ardent fan of MLS, EPL, etc.
     
  16. DwayneBarry

    DwayneBarry Member

    Aug 25, 2008
    As a kid I played and followed football and baseball, no hockey, played some basketball never followed it.

    As a young adult I still followed football, got into cycling, both racing and following the professional sport, which is overwhelmingly European.

    Just lost interest in football as it became all run & gun and lost all its grit. To me games on TV, especially professional, look like video games.

    Started following F1 about 5 or 6 years ago. Started following soccer about 4 years ago, mainly because of FSC.

    For me soccer is probably #1 now, cycling and then F1.

    I can still watch a baseball game with my Dad, soccer has pretty much made football unwatchable for me. I tried to watch some of the superbowl. Flicked the TV on, caught a couple minutes of commercials, came back to the game, they ran literally one play, back to commercials for a couple minutes. Sorry, got better things to do than watch commercials interupted by some sport.
     
  17. ctsoccer13

    ctsoccer13 Member+

    Mar 25, 2002
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My mother came over from Germany and my father from Sicily back in the 60's. It was really the only sport that they knew and ended up being the only sport that I ever played. I played Rec, Travel and all the way through college and still play now in my 40's. At times I wished I had played other sports as well, as I believe I was good at them when we played pick-up games but never played in any organized leagues. But, I have no regrets. Soccer has been such a huge part of my life and a passion that I hope my children have for some sport as well.
     
  18. song219

    song219 BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 5, 2004
    La Norte
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Vanuatu
    Soccer has been #1 for me by a large margin for awhile. The biggest factor has been being able to watch many games live.

    For a long time even while watching soccer I though it would never displace American football as my favorite sport. Then in mid 2004 I noticed that I didn't care about the endless Redskin training camp coverage (if you've ever lived in the DC area you know what I mean). Soccer has been number 1 with me since then.
     
  19. 760Epicenter

    760Epicenter Member

    Apr 15, 2008
    Level 1
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    I was baptized in the fires of futbol-fandom by the porras at a young age, as i watch Queretaro get scored on by America, Chivas, UNAM, and the like. nonetheless, i cherised every goal, and since then, i was hooked.

    Futbol will always be my #1. Queretaro and San Jose my #1.

    but that doesnt mean that I don't appreciate American Football.
    its my #2.
    San Diego Chargers and San Jose State Spartans.

    as for the others, if San Diego doesn't have it as a sport, I don't care.
    basketball seems like a big showboat exhibition between the LA Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Cleveland Cavaliers, and Co.

    and baseball? i can tolerate the padres on TV, but i get bored easily at games. i end up missing the Ultras/Porras mentality.
     
  20. SccrDon

    SccrDon Member+

    Dec 4, 2001
    Colorado Springs
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I grew up on baseball, football, and basketball. I got into hockey for a few years but lost interest, mostly because of the fighting. But now soccer is the only sport I really care about much.

    For me, soccer is the most fun to play, mostly because it's a game of flow, not constant stops and starts. It's the best to watch because the ball is usually in play and there isn't as much wasted time in telecasts (unless Harkes is talking). The players look like (really fit) regular folks, not pituitary cases or lard-butts. Other sports are waaaaaaay overcoached, and I don't want to watch coaches, I want to watch players. While I hate the diving and some teams' negative tactics, overall it's the best sport to watch.

    Pro baseball and football are difficult to watch, either in person or on TV, because they are too slow. Too many ads, too much incoherent babbling from bobblehead announcers, just plain too much time where nothing is happening on the field. A Wall St Journal article reported on a study that showed only 11 minutes of live play in an NFL game. <yawn>

    I don't enjoy basketball any more. I haven't followed the NBA for decades and college ball is getting more like the NBA all the time.
     
  21. Shinobu

    Shinobu Member

    Nov 6, 2009
    Narnia
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    you play soccer for the chicks! no other reason:cool:
     
  22. Neuwerld

    Neuwerld Member+

    Oct 15, 2007
    California
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    My family is not into sports at all so while I played sports I was never exposed to watching them and was never remotely interested in doing so even as I got older. In 2006 though I came across the World Cup on TV and was intrigued. I didn't watch much soccer after that until the Gold Cup in 2007 then the Copa America, and around that point I discovered MLS. Been watching soccer constantly since.

    I've watched parts of a few American football and basketball games and have caught glimpses of baseball and hockey, but none of them interested me in the least. American football is ok as a sport but is too slow-paced and stoppage-ridden to watch; basketball is decent, somewhat reminds me of soccer, but too many stoppages; hockey is too chaotic; baseball is agonizingly slow-paced. The primary and universal problem between them all though is the culture, which I find wholly disagreeable.
     
  23. DavidP

    DavidP Member

    Mar 21, 1999
    Powder Springs, GA
    Like others have posted, I just put soccer into the bag with the other sports I like. I developed a love for soccer and baseball when I was about six. For me, soccer and baseball are more or less tied for first, followed by hockey, football or basketball. Actually, the only sports I watch with any regularity are baseball (go Braves!!!) and soccer (I'm watching Monarcas v. Toluca right now). :)
     
  24. AguiluchoMerengue

    Oct 4, 2008
    South Carolina
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    at the end it all comes to money = women.

    when i was in middle school, i played tennis, basketball, volleyball for the school team, we were actually really competitive at sports and i played a few competitions, i was good in all of them, i even did some martial arts and boxing. haha school work was the less i did.

    volleyball and basketball can get you chicks too, tennis as well, martial arts and boxing help you with your athletism and helps you if anybody is trying to mess with you.

    at the end. at least where im from, everybody dreams of playing for CD Aguila, 14 times national champ, packed stadium and everybody in the city and country watching you on tv.

    that is something soccer is missing in this country, media attention.

    while in every other country if you are good at soccer, everybody knows who you are, you get the money and the honeys.

    yes, soccer is a good way to get chicks. plus if you play soccer, you are in great shape, you have nothing to envy to those dolce gabana models :D
     
  25. 760Epicenter

    760Epicenter Member

    Apr 15, 2008
    Level 1
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    from an atmosphere point of view, soccer tops all.

    sure you can talk about the "terrible towel" (gasp!)

    but it cant beat UltrAslan or gate 13
     

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