****Official Beckham Mania Thread**** - Page 5

ThaSaltCracka · #41 07-13-2007, 08:22 PM

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-Soccer will continue to grow in the US. Soccer will not crack into the top 3 sports for a long long long time if ever. That doesn't mean that soccer will never be successful.

[/ QUOTE ] Soccer will never be more popular than Football or baseball, but it could very easily be more popular than basketball and hockey. Just wait. I read somewhere this week 18million people play soccer in the US at all levels, more than any other country in the world. I unfortunately cannot prove this. It was mentioned in an article I read, but I didn't see a reference to where the number came from.

ThaSaltCracka · #42 07-13-2007, 08:23 PM

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unwarrented hype sets back the cause, IMO.

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I do agree with this, and worry that Beckham is being paraded unfairly and doesn't know what he's getting in to.

Then I read what everyone else says about him, and I'm sure he's got a 24/7 hardon at all the coverage he's getting and stop worrying.

[/ QUOTE ]Beckham definitely knows what he is getting in to.

TheNoodleMan · #43 07-13-2007, 08:39 PM

A case can be made that Soccer is more popular than Hockey in the US right now, but that has at least as much to do with the decline of the NHL as it does anything MLS has done right.

mmbt0ne · #44 07-13-2007, 08:41 PM

TNM,

What do you think that the MLS has done wrong?

ThaSaltCracka · #45 07-13-2007, 08:49 PM

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A case can be made that Soccer is more popular than Hockey in the US right now, but that has at least as much to do with the decline of the NHL as it does anything MLS has done right.

[/ QUOTE ]I don't really see how a case can be made. It seems pretty obvious to me soccer is more popular. For Gods sake, even ESPN didn't want to broadcast hockey.

TheNoodleMan · #46 07-13-2007, 08:57 PM

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TNM,

What do you think that the MLS has done wrong?

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I didn't say they have done anything wrong, but catching up to the NHL has more to do with the NHL shooting themselves in the foot than anything else.

ThaSaltCracka · #47 07-13-2007, 09:03 PM

eh, hockey flat out isn't a sport played in a wide array of places in the US. There is no reason for it to be popular anyway.

Karak567 · #48 07-13-2007, 11:27 PM

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I'm sorry, but 35 % of people that view espn.com don't watch premier league soccer. That can't be right.

[/ QUOTE ]you can read right?

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no i cant

no one ever taught me how

JaredL · #49 07-13-2007, 11:39 PM

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TNM,

What do you think that the MLS has done wrong?

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The MLS went wrong very early on when they had the hockey-style shootouts and the stadium clock. They alienated people that had been soccer fans for a while and the moves failed to bring in new fans. Switching back to standard was good.

Otherwise I think they've done ok. The problem is that the only way that they could bring in not completely washed up famous players other than Beckham is to pay them a ton of money. I don't think this would boost interest and ratings enough to offset the increases in salary.

Triumph36 · #50 07-13-2007, 11:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
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A case can be made that Soccer is more popular than Hockey in the US right now, but that has at least as much to do with the decline of the NHL as it does anything MLS has done right.

[/ QUOTE ]I don't really see how a case can be made. It seems pretty obvious to me soccer is more popular. For Gods sake, even ESPN didn't want to broadcast hockey.

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looool

yea when MLS gets its championship on in prime time on a network, then maybe you can make this claim

NHL is still way more popular than any pro soccer league in the US. World Cup prob gets better ratings than Olympic hockey, but the World Cup is awesome.