I thought about writing a blog about this but instead, I'll just rant on a forum. I love soccer, as many of you do, but there are some things that American soccer fans do that just annoys the crap out of me. I think I'll list a few. Pro/rel truthers: These people are the worst. It's gotten to the point where you can't even typle "pro/rel" in Twitter without becoming part of a promotion/relegation battle of words. I personally think pro/rel is stupid, but even people who like it but have common sense can't discuss it online. Europosers: You know the guy. He's the one that says "MLS needs to adopt the FIFA calendar" but doesn't understand climate prevents that. He's probably a Chelsea or Liverpool fan. He says things like boot instead of shoe, proper when referring to a league, and quality. He won't watch MLS because it's not quality but will wax poetic about Bobby Charlton even though he's 25 and never saw the man play. Hipsters: There's some crossover here with Cosmos fans but these are the people who watch NASL because it's a "proper" league. These guys get mad when a soccer team in a town tweets nice things about the local MLB or NFL team. They liked soccer before it was cool and corporate (wears shirt with Fly Emirates on it). What are your annoyances?
Those who are country over club. National team plays at most if you are lucky a few times a year but that is supposed to be where your first loyalty is?
That one doesn't annoy me too much but I see your point. I do make it a point to never boo a National Team player when they visit RSL.
That doesn't bother me--in this country, it's quite likely that the WC, specifically cheering for the USA at the WC, was your gateway to the sport. So the National team was quite likely your "first" team. And if you don't live near an MLS, NASL, or USL team, and don't have any particular connection to any city/neighborhood in Europe or South America, then the National Team will be "your" team to a degree that your chosen club never really will be. That's just me.
Completely disagree. Representing your country is a much greater thing than representing a city (which may or may not be your own). Regardless of where you're from in that country, the crest of the USMNT (or German or whatever) applies to you ... ... and to that extension, the National Team is that "something bigger" that we're all involved in (players, fans, whomever).
A team doesn't really represent a city. Some do by default but they don't have to. A team or a club is something you have an relationship to. You can debate how much relationship one has to a country but it doesn't really matter since the national team is not the country.
Root for whom you want to and don't pay any attention to "truthers" of any persuasion. you are in charge of your own fandom and don't let anyone else define its attributes for you. WAY too much of that with so many fans out there both here and abroad.
BTW, pro/rel in America is perhaps the single most idiotic argument going. No sport in America is organized that way, including baseball which has had "minor leagues" for over a century with never a smell of "pro/rel". It is not going to happen here. MLS owners pay big bucks of "franchises", as structurally, our league has a lot more in common with the NBA and NFL than it does with overseas soccer leagues. We also have "playoffs" which Euro leagues don't have and this does a similar job to keep teams focused throughout the season, esp. when a large % make the playoffs. People who actually take pro/rel seriously in the context of MLS really are living in a fantasy world. It is more likely a Euro cross border Super League with limited or no pro/rel comes into existence than MLS will agree to a setup like that.
The National Team isn't the country? We've got "Americans" .... and mixed descents from: Mexico, Germany, Vietnam, Norway, Ireland, Iceland, and many others either on our Senior team or in our YNT ranks. I'm not sure how much more representative you can get, of the USA. Pick any team, anywhere ..... I'm willing to bet the strongest relationship (or biggest category of relationship) anyone has to it, is the fact that it is the team in their city/town/area/whatever.
Of course not, no more so than the Olympic Mens Hockey team is the country or the flag is the country.
If i could rep this 100,000 times i would. I agree with it all. All those people you described do nothing but complain and are going to let their lives pass by without being able to enjoy American soccer. I am so happy I moved out of parents basement and am not one of them.
That may be true if you're a fan of a Caribbean island that doesn't get far in World Cup qualifying or Caribbean Cup qualifying and doesn't play many friendlies, but the USMNT plays plenty of games. The USMNT has played 72 games in the last 4 years. 18 games a year is more than "a few."
So what then, IS the USMNT in your opinion? Oh, and the USMNT will have played almost double the "HOME" games (14) than any NFL team will this year. Last year they played as many (7) as some NFL teams did. In 2013 they played 15 ... So I'm going to go ahead and call this one out. What then, is it? What is the Olympic team then?
None of them. All of them are just symbols and do not make up a reason in theirselves to support a soccer team.
Wearing the colors or symbol of their country, is not a reason for someone to support them? That makes absolute zero sense.
A symbolic representation of a country isn't nearly as significant as a team you can have actual contact with. In your scenario the team exists as little more than a stand in for a country.
What part of having players of my background, players from my state (and possibly even my town or school), and being able to see them live and person NOT having a contact point or connection with them? The team is made up of people that fall under the citizen category ... that's not standing in, that's a direct representation. Hell, I'm not sure there's been a more direct representation of a country than the 1980 US Hockey team. It isn't like we're getting the Brazilian squad to wear our kits and play as the USA ...
I think the main question is "why does this rise to the level of annoyance?" You're actually annoyed by people who show a preference that you do not, despite loving the same sport? In the US? Really? EDIT: well, at least this goofy argument is living down to its current home. Christ, what a strange thread.
It's a exaggeration but it's almost comparable to liking the Harlem Globtrotters more than your own team. I understand it though, I used to be that way.
Oh its a good deal like that in that that fandom is replaced largely by entertainment instead of any real connection. You like soccer but you don't have a team so you adapt one that you can see on television once in awhile and if you are lucky plays in not a too far away distance every few years. And that's good if you don't have a nearby team or you really don't like soccer very much anyway.
You may be in better shape than you realize, since these things, although they certainly are annoying, are relatively easy to ignore. Don't get yourself so wrapped up in what bugs you, and just enjoy the game.