Euro snob - Americans who support European teams/nations, not actual Europeans example: ordered the England v Israel PPV Saturday, my girlfriend and one friend were born and raised in England watched along with 4 American friends who showed up in England shirts, go to the pub to watch Premiership matches and have never been to see MLS in person, when asked why, 2 memorable responses were: 1. I studied in London for a semester 2. My mom is 25% English (never been to England) they are "Euro snobs"
I like I say, if you love the beautiful game, then you love the beautiful game and you should enjoy watching it no matter what. Instead of whining at each other about this league or that league, let's just love it all. Afterall, we have enough grief to deal with from the sports fans out there who freak out at the notion of soccer. You know why the Navajo Indian Reservation surrounds the Hopi Indian Reservation? So that those two tribes would be mad at each other instead of ganging up on the federal government. Let's gang up on the soccer-haters, not the soccer-lovers.
Or, you can view them as football/soccer fans. Who cares if they have a reason to support the team, the fact that they do that rather then call it a girly sport that only gay Europeans play is good enough for me. And you never know, maybe they can be converted to MLS fans eventually.
I guess im a Eurosnob cuz I support an EPL team, but im not ashamed to state say, I love Chelsea!!! I like the MLS too. I dont think there i anything wrong in supporting whatever club you want most people who do are very passionate about the clubs they support. I mean as long as more people start getting into football then its all good in my opinion I could care less what league or team they support. Ofcourse once we get an MLS team here then I'll support them and Chelski!!!!
You're right that a "eurosnob" is not necessarily a European, but by your definition I'm a Eurosnob, but I don't consider myself one. I like MLS, but I've moved around a lot and don't feel a local affiliation yet. So what? I support it in general, but I'm realistic and don't feel the need to pretend it's the best league in the world, or even going to be near the top within 10 years. I'm very impressed with how far it's come in the last 10 years, though, and tell everyone I know that the future looks bright. The word "eurosnob" gets thrown around a lot, but really there are hardly any actual eurosnobs. That is, those who feel the need to put down and insult American soccer, and who consider themselves superior just because they've chosen to support a Euro team. Talking of snobs, during the down years of top rung English football, weren't there those who supported French or Italian sides? What were they called?
Tossers! Relevant point though, simply because the people who jumped on the Italian bandwagon weren't really fans at all. Most had never been to a game and didn't really understand the connection fans feel towards a club. You'd get the odd Italian football geek watching TV, and coming out with all the rubbish the commentators came out with ... but you knew they just didn't really understand the concept of being a fan. A lot of parallels here eh... Don't misunderstand me, a lot of real fans including me watched a few games but never really got that much into it. Besides I think we're too pasionate about our own teams to ever really support another team, it'd be like being unfaithful. And we'd never admit, even to ourselves, that their league was better either We never watched French league football though, can't see why anyone would want to either.
.. and before some people get upset becasue they think I'm saying no-one should follow 2 clubs etc. I'm not. Our situation was different, mainly because our league was very established. And while a lot of people followed Italian football we didn't look down on our own league. Apart from the people who weren't proper fans of a club ... and have now got bored of Italian football and are supporing Chelsea ... for now at least ;-)
Well, that kind of brings up a significant reason why American footy fans can be so schizophrenic sometimes. Even though we come from the same country, we often come from different places as fans. For example, very few, and they would be quite young, have grown up as fans of a particular American soccer side. How could they? Even if they followed the USMNT they still had to follow some club as well. A good number (the majority) have come to love soccer through foreign teams. So, you've almost got two distinct camps: the homegrown American soccer fan, and the American world soccer fan. The HASF probably played soccer himself, or has kids who play(ed), perhaps loved NASL, then jumped behind MSL when it was formed. The AWSF may or may not have played, but became a fan of the game based on watching non-American teams. Snobs can form in both camps, but they probably consider themselves "purists". For example, the HASF hates to hear Americans use English terminology if it differs from what he learned on the pitch (sorry, field). Likewise, the AWSF can't understand why we are so arrogant in America that we can't use perfectly good traditional terms. Especially, because they sound more natural to him since they were the ones he learned watching TV. Additionally, the HASF "purist" has developed strong ties to his MLS/USL to the point that he can't bear criticism of the league. Like you said, it would be "disloyal" to admit that anybody else could be superior. There's something to be said for that level of passionate fandom, but I think we're all going to have to appreciate one another and band together, regardless of how "pure" we are. We're all on the same side, so to speak.
Oy Vey people . . . What are we talking about here, we're talking about soccer. Don't matter the league or the country or the level of play. What are we doing here, we're moaning and groaning and whining about each other. Who is the enemey? Not each other . . . it's the lunkheads out there who have never watched the game but can't pass up any opportunity to fly the flag of ignorance and bash soccer. I root for: A.S. Roma, Houston Dynamo, Manchester United, Sevilla, PSG, Fulham, Napoli, Derby County, D.C. United, USMNT, IMNT, USWNT I am not a Eurosnob or HASF . . . I am Brian Zygo and I am a fan of the Beautiful Game
Yeah I dunno what the big deal is but whatever. I dont have an MLS team to root for right now, hopefully soon. The only Club team I root for its Chelsea and Ive been supporting them for a bit now. Besides them the other teams I root for are the United States and Panama's(my home country) National Mens Team. I think some people root for Europen teams because its "Hip" and those people are jackasses but if you really support a team who cares where the hell they are from. Now I must go back to mourning the lost of the Special one.
Maybe not but you certainly are stretched pretty thin....good lord. Who do you actually support? Not that list, can't be....
Is the thread starter serious? The US will never ever be the best league in the world, why? Because soccer isnt the #1 sport in the US. Not even the top 3. This is a big reason. Now will it be the best league in the America's? That can happen. It can be apart of the big 4 IMO if we get invited to the CL(copa libertadores) and stay competitive in the sudamericana. The other 3 leagues that are the best in the america's i believe are , Argentina, Brazil, and mexico. All 3 because of money, 3 fairly wealthy soccer leagues, with mexico being probably the most. I see MLS reaching MFL's wealthyness hopefully if our league becomes popular enough to knock off hockey, which i believe has something like a 40million average salary per team. I just want half of that and we'd be good.
Hey, things change, you never know. Fifty years ago baseball was king, gridiron football not nearly as popular, and basketball/hockey were barely there. I'm not saying MLS will be the biggest in the world guaranteed, but I wouldn't guarantee that it can never happen, either. I think soccer could pass hockey within 10 years, and, as you say, that might be enough to make it good enough to challenge Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Actually, given the sheer amount of athletic talent that the Big 3 American Sports scoop up, I'm very surprised how many talented footballers are generated by the US. Just think how many will be coming out of the youth development academies in the near future. It might take 15 years, but I can see it happening.