A name is just that... a name.

Also, Football is one word.  Not two.

There are MANY words as such whose definitions are far different from what they started as.

Doesn't really change the point I made at hand.

I think when I watch football I like not only to watch the goals, I think everytime a player steps in front of another one its like a duel, and its interesting to watch what some players will do to get rid of a defender, stop an attacker, etc... Also, I think the fact that there arent as many goals makes that each one of them is shouted with greater emotion than in any other sport.

I think many fail to see what really is going on on the field and thats why they consider it boring.

I would also say you have to get over that we call American Football well Football. It was called this when using your feet was far more important.  What were we supposed to change the name to make you feel better.  I think this is part of the reason that what we call Soccer isnt as popular. You have to get over your superiority complex.  American Football isnt superior to Soccer. Basketball isnt superior to Baseball. Hockey isnt superior to Football. They are all great beautiful games.  Some more popular to others, but all awesome. 

One thing that I can add why Soccer isnt as popular in the US.  People have brought up that although games may end in ties the scores do mean things to the tournament.  I hate this.  Goal totals in a tournament should rarely be used for judging teams. Each game should be able to stand on its own.  I mean here in the US the MSL has a 2 game series to start the playoffs and if each team wins one game the 1st tiebraker is total goals. Sorry, but we hate that.

you know, after reading this whole thread, i don't think they really care, because apparently you're all fat yanks who eat cheetos off your stomachs.

as a canadian, i've done my fair share of laughing at americans (fully knowing we're very much alike) but i've actually read through this whole thread, i've commented, and while many ppl bash americans for being obnoxious, ignorant, lazy pieces of turd (and i won't deny it, there is always some truth to things, but there's those types of ppl all around the world, those ain't american discoveries), i don't think i've ever been so disgusted at a lot of the comments from ppl about americans when all they need to do is hold a mirror up to their very own posts to see the obnoxious, ignorant and insolent behaviour.

and to be totally honest, while there were some stupid comments going both ways, all i saw coming from americans was soccer sucks or soccer is stupid. but apparently that entitles ppl to insult a nation as a whole, for only enjoying, breaks, cheerleaders to tap, violence, sports that aren't too "technical" bcuz as we all know, "football requires skills,thinking and passing with startegies not like mindless running and wrestling like American football"

i've lost a lot of respect for several ppl on this site. some ppl should get off their high pedestals cuz their shit don't smell like roses

The same can be pretty much said of any sport. I don't think there isn't a mainstream sport which the above doesn't apply to.

1) I call it football and never use any other word to describe it.

2) it is popular in America, Brazil and Argentina both have very good teams and players, what you are refering to is the USA, which is only one nation in North America, America is an umbrella term refering to the two continents that it consists of.

3) if people in the USA don't like football, that's there problem, I think they are missing out on a great sport, but so long as they arent attacking the sport, I dont care what they think.

My hypothesis is the soccer is generally played by poorer people. Baseball and American Football are expensive to play since you need a lot of equipment. Soccer is cheap. Just have a ball, and you can play. There is poverty in the United States, but no where near other countries, and the sport played by those in poverty in the US is basketball, not since poorer people generally are in more densely populated areas so basketball courts can be made in cities for cheaper prices than soccer. Now soccer has been around longer than basketball and has been played by generally older countries. Basketball was invented in the US so it was more likely to play basketball over soccer/football. That's just my hypothesis.

This is my favourite take on it.

I was thinking about that question just a few days ago. It's really kind of a phenomenon:

Soccer is by far the most popular sport in pretty much every single country, yet it's very unpopular in the US. Baseball and Football on the other hand are extremely popular in the US, yet these sports are very unpopular in pretty much every single country in the rest of the world.

The most plausible explanation I've come up with so far is that the US usually fails at soccer. US americans extremely identify with their country, so I'm sure they really don't enjoy watching a game where their team usually loses, at least when dealing with one of the better teams out there. Baseball, american football and basketball - it seems like the US americans love only sports where they have no serious international competitors.

By the way, what I really can't understand is the fascination for american football in the US. About 20 years ago the NFL started trying to make american football more popular in my country by introducing "NFL Europe", and I once went to a game with a couple of friends. I must say the prices were very reasonable and I really liked the whole entertainment etc. around the game. But the actual game was just sooo boring! It was just looong pauses sometimes being interrupted for a few seconds by men in tight and somehow ridiculously looking outfits pressing their bodies against other men. And if you've never watched american football before, It's impossible to understand the rules by simply watching. Compare that to soccer where watching for a few seconds is perfectly enough to understand the basic rules: "put the ball into the opponents goal without using your arms and hands". I think Basketball for example is much more fun to watch - at least it isn't constantly being interrupted...

Not true. If America wants top notch athletes, we buy them and naturalize them in our country. Ever wonder why we win the Olympics so much? We've got some of the worlds best athletes born in and out of the country.