Metric football--why Americans are not soccer fans

Steven Warshawsky:

...

In my opinion, a lack of scoring is not merely an incidental aspect of the game of soccer—it is its essence. That is, the ultimate purpose of soccer is to engage in lots of furious activity to accomplish . . . absolutely nothing. Not surprisingly, when that elusive goal is scored (if it is scored), ear-shattering howls of euphoria erupt from players, announcers, and spectators alike, as if their very souls were being released from the depths of hell.

Goals are indeed a rare commodity in soccer, so much so that soccer is, essentially, a zero sum game. The “pie” of goals not only is meager, it never grows. So it is fought over with an intensity that is almost never found in American sports. This isn’t boring, but it is deeply unsatisfying to Americans.

...


This is just a small slice of a thoughtful piece. It should be noted that some have the same problem with baseball. When I took my kids to see their first major league game, my daughter nudged me in the fourth inning to ask, "Dad, when are they were going to start playing."

Comments

  1. bbeth10:58 PM

    Interesting...but I don't buy it.
    Soccer is like religion...you have to be converted by someone.
    It is growing in popularity even if you don't see the immediate results...just look how many high schools have added the sport in the last 20 years.

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