Dak Prescott, at his third FCD game tonight, notes he became a soccer fan from FIFA. #anotherone— Will Parchman (@WillParchman) June 4, 2017
I never thought in a million years that the Starting QB for the Dallas Cowboys would attend multiple games for an American Soccer franchise. What a crazy world we live in.
Donald Trump drawing the away teams for the fifth round of the 1991 English Rumbelows' League Cup. Back them Leeds United vs Manchester United was yuge! Thanks socceramerica.com
Another try at the Jimmy Butler tweet: We had the pleasure of welcoming @chicagobulls star @JimmyButler to Stamford Bridge earlier today...🏀 pic.twitter.com/EB63MVqN0Z— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 19, 2017
NFLer JJ Watt is dating Kealia Ohai of the Houston Dash and does soccer practice with a girls' team in what is essentially a 2 minute commercial for Gatorade: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/the9...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
He seemed a bit tired but that's what happens when you're on the pitch, er...field for about 90 minutes a season.
I especially laugh when the NFL has that "Play 60 Minutes" exercise campaign. Most of those butterballs couldn't run 60 seconds, let alone 60 mins, if they tried.
JJ Watt is no butter ball though. Most of these guys train to run high tempo for a few seconds on and off.
Not sure how deep their fandom is (although Beverley and Fultz are from the Chicago and DC areas, respectively), but any image of NBA players wearing soccer jerseys certainly doesn't hurt in continuing to increase mainstream acceptance/visibility of the sport in the US. Draymond Green on Friday vs. Draymond Green on Monday…(📸 IG: fcbarcelona/manchesterunited) pic.twitter.com/yBREtvWsPu— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 17, 2017 Seems like Soccer jerseys are the trend for NBA players at Summer League. Ben Simmons - Man. City, Patrick Beverley - Chicago Fire pic.twitter.com/FmBSHhSCID— Brad Humber (@djcuse) July 10, 2017 👋 @MarkelleF ⚫️&🔴are definitely your colors #JustSayin #DCU pic.twitter.com/jieSMTCPnZ— D.C. United (@dcunited) April 9, 2017 There was more pressure for immigrants to assimilate into American culture in the past during the height of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, which includes adopting the sports that Americans play. I feel this was one of the numerous impediments that de-railed soccer's growth in past decades. Obviously, second/third-generation Americans embracing US sports is not a rare occurrence (I'm one of them), but I imagine the social pressure to ditch soccer for being "communist" or "un-American" has eroded in this age of globalization. The sport is so ubiquitous now in various forms (TV in both English and Spanish, internet, video games, participation, etc.) that it's easier--and encouraged--for immigrants to retain some part of their cultural identity. This would not be the case in the 1980s, 1970s or any other decade prior to the end of the Cold War.
Kicker Stephen Gostkowski of the New England Patriots is at the Revolution match sporting a USMNT kit: I'd venture to say that kickers & punters lead the NFL in soccer fandom.
The first generation baseball fans tend to be from countries where it's already the dominant sport though, like Cuba, Venezuela, and the DR, etc...
Tiger Woods hangs out with Leo Messi and Luis Suarez after Barcelona game https://t.co/B6Rs1kTY0u— For The Win (@ForTheWin) July 30, 2017
I would be reluctant to make such a historical interpretation without evidence, especially if your theory is a cause-and-effect theory. (McCarthyism caused people to turn away from soccer in favor predominant American sports) For one thing, how popular was soccer in the 1950's? Unless one knows the history of the sport all around the world in great detail, this answer to this question is a mystery. It seems to me that soccer in the USA really took off around the same time as the technology developed which allowed most people in this country to see what was happening around the globe. The more people in the USA saw it, the more they wanted to be a part of that.
It has an effect on kids most of all imo. They see Odell Beckham hanging out with Alaba, Curry and Neymar, it wont be as strange and foreign.
Macauley Culkin seems to be a West Ham supporter. http://www.eonline.com/news/870175/...head-to-tattoo-parlor-to-get-matching-tattoos
Hilary Knight is one of the top women's ice hockey players in the world with a couple of Olympic medals and a whole bunch of world championships. I think I need to catch the @BostonBreakers in action tonight! #JK103— Hilary Knight (@HilaryKnight) August 4, 2017
Big time college football coach makes his players play soccer??? https://www.wsj.com/articles/jim-harbaughs-advice-to-football-recruits-play-soccer-1502729321?mod=