Why is soccer so unpopular in the US?

[omgwtfbbq]

dgm6780 said:
comparing the lack of scoring in soccer to scoring in baseball shows a real lack of understanding of baseball.

averages for 2007

Red Sox 5.3 - 4.0 opponent (lowest in runs allowed)
Yanks 5.97 - 4.79 opponent
Pirates 4.46 - 5.22 opponent
Arizona 4.69 - 4.51 opponent (this was lowest in MLB, 9.2 runs per game)

a 5-4 game isnt in the same realm as a 1-0 or 2-1 game. With a 5-4 game, that means on average, 1 run was scored EVERY inning. and you are comparing that to a game were you wait 45 minutes just to see a scoring opportunity.

and lets not forget the stupidity of playing out an entire game and ending it in a tie. (but hell soccer could go on for days trying to break a tie)
lets also not forget the stupidity of allowing the head referee to decide when the game will end, he adds on time at the end of a game, and the ammount of time added is wholely up to him and it isnt announced.

but you were right about one thing, soccer is BORING. i think the main draw for some Euros is the drinking/chanting/singing/fighting/family tradtitions and nothing do with the actual game.

soccer is popular worldwide because all it takes is a ball, not much equipment and you can play. so poor families, in poor nations can play it from the time they are young. (thats not true for baseball, basketball, or football - they are expensive to play/setup organized leagues)




oh and hockey isnt a major sport here in the US anymore. but atleast they were smart enough to do away with ties. and its not out of the realm that it could become a major sport again - say if they signed a deal to get weekly games on ESPN.

It's exactly this kind of American attitude of "if people aren't scoring nothing is going on" which will make soccer struggle over there. Soccer is an amazing sport when you understand the subtleties and I've seen some of the most incredible games of my life end up as 0-0 draws. But if all you're after is watching the ball go into the goal then you're better off watching basketball. Saying baseball is more interesting because more runs are scored has to be one of the weakest arguments I have ever heard.

However, I will definitely agree with your bolded line there. This is the biggest reason why soccer is the most popular sport in the world.