Are Tears a Sign That Soccer/Football Has “Made It” in the US?
They’ve been saying it for years. Someday, with all the kids playing soccer in the US, the sport will surpass all the other major sports. But year after year that didn’t happen. In fact there’s been a definite disconnect between the youth soccer player and the young adult soccer watcher who sometime in the years between 16-25 lose touch with the game and become ambivalent. No, they didn’t hate the game like many mainstream sports guys in the U.S. who always seem to find the need to tell us how dumb the sport is and how it’s just not American. There was just nothing there to keep them attached and interested. When they were young soccer was their life. As they grew older, perhaps entered college and were influenced by peers who watch their local TV sports, ESPN SportsCenter and read local newspaper sports sections, all who rarely cover the sport, those former soccer players became disinterested.
While American football, baseball, basketball and even hockey were all covered in local newspaper, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN, soccer was nowhere to be seen. These were the same young people that Major League Soccer see as the lifeblood of a growing soccer audience. The “target market” as it’s called. The 18-35 year old, who are principally male and really get the game. They’ve played it, they’ve lived it and if you allow them the chance to be passionate about it again, they will be.
While Fox Soccer Channel, Goal TV and ESPN are finding that there is an increasingly large audience that does care about the game, the dinosaurs of local TV and newspapers have often missed the boat following the same tired old line they have used for years – until World Cup 2010 that is.
World Cup 2010 is changing many things. Yes, Twitter, Facebook and blogs have all been influential in this. But this time more than any other factor is ESPN. The TV sports network giant has sunk an enormous amount of money into this World Cup, and when ESPN talks, people listen.
But will this cause a movement that will allow soccer to overtake other sports in the US? Hell no, and quite frankly I really don’t care if it does. The growth of soccer/football will continue and those that invest in it will find there are profits in covering the sport as it does grow. The U.S. has more soccer blogs than any other nation in the world. Why? Partly because we are a very connected nation, but as I have said for years, the US mainstream sports media didn’t give it to us, so we went out and created the content ourselves.
So what is a clear cut sign that soccer has made it here in the US? I don’t think it’s the number of TVs tuned into ESPN, ABC and Univision during the World Cup. I don’t think it’s how many tickets are sold at MLS games, even though all those things are important. I don’t even think it’s the number of national sponsorships ESPN and ABC is selling on these broadcasts. Nope! It’s something way more core, more emotional than that. It’s not about numbers and it’s not about dollars. It’s about passion.
I’ve been involved with the game in different fashions for almost 35 years now and I’ve seen something during this World Cup I’ve never seen before. It’s called passion. Bar after bar in the U.S. are filled with people watching the games. Friends are having watch parties at home with multiple TVs inviting neighbors, friends and coworkers who are all joining in watching. In Minneapolis a local theater is showing the U.S. games and selling out. At local establishments like Brit’s, The Local, Kegan’s, Keiran’s, the Liffey, Nomad, Sweetwater and even non-soccer bars like the Bull Dog in North East Minneapolis, supporters are filling these establishments to gather and watch with other like-minded US soccer supporters.
After the second US goal against Slovenia that allowed the team new life in the tournament, the cameras went to a young US supporter at the game in South Africa who unabashedly crying. That’s something you’ve rarely seen in the from U.S. soccer supporters. You may see it in England, Brazil, Nigeria or Turkey, but in the U.S.? But there he was, totally overcome with emotion and you know what? I could relate to him and I don’t think I was alone.
Today the US defeated Algeria to win group C finishing ahead of world soccer power England. When Landon Donovan scored the winning goal minutes into stoppage time, the bar where I was watching erupted. I mean it went really crazy. I’ve heard similar reports from around the nation. But there was something more. An emotional outpouring that in all my time involved with soccer I’ve never seen. Not live at a US soccer match right smack in the middle of Sam’s Army or at a watch party in a soccer bar. There were tears. Lots and lots of tears. From men – from women – from everyone. When I looked around everyone was jumping up and down, hugging and executing high fives. I’ve seen all that before. But this time there were tears. U.S. Soccer supporters overcome with the moment.
Here in the U.S. we are at a point where many supporters have been following our national team from 8-20 years and some even longer. Supporters who know the game, know the team and more importantly know the history of the game in the U.S. and understand what it’s taken to get to this point and time. We’re still a long ways from the pedigree that some nations have developed with over one hundred years of play. But as a soccer nation we are growing up and we’re not going away. We are becoming a nation of supporters who are passionate for the world’s game. And that’s good enough for me.
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what a great read
Surprised you didn’t mention Landon Donovan sobbing immediately after the match for the interview. I agree, this time it feels different.
Thanks Brian.
Also, did you see this video on the Star Trib website?http://www.startribune.com/sports/97021659.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUBcy7h_0O8UiacyKUUr
It is absolutely infuriating how patronizing it is.
BQ, great stuff!
So proud of USA right now!!!
http://unitedstatesofdonovan.com/
I took my 9 year old out of his year round school this morning to go to the pub with me to watch the match. When Donovan scored, I turned to give him a big bear hug and he was absolutely bawling, tears running down his face. I grabbed him, jumped up and down and started bawling right along with him. It just may be the happiest moment I’ve ever had as both a US Soccer supporter and as a dad.
Can’t wait until Saturday.
That was fantastic. I couldn’t agree more.
Amazing – well done BQ – great hug this morning too!
Time for payback for four years ago.
Jarret C’s comment hit the nail on the head and is exactly what I love to hear happening in this country. I can’t ever remember experiencing as wonderful of a moment with this sport like I did this morning. You simply can’t purchase the joy that we all felt today. I can’t wait for Saturday.
Fantastic editorial BQ! I loved reading it, and I was hoping you’d keep going.
I was in an Irish pub this morning with a good size group of fans. The pub normally opens only in time for lunch, but the owners (being avid fans themselves) opened and even served drinks and food…beer and burgers for breakfast and all…it was an electric atmosphere.
The best part for me was that the people who were there watching were of different ages (majority men 20 to 40 yrs old), different races, different haircuts, different religions. Everyone was cheering for our team. There were people who were fairly silent, others had their lips moving for the entire 90 min plus stoppage. Some people were dressed in suits and ties, others in shorts and t-shirts, some just crawled out of bed, others were looking as if they were getting ready to enter an executive meeting. There were even a few people in uniforms, two clergymen included (everyone was very thankful for the Godly presence lol). Watching this mosaic made me happier than I’ve been in a long time at a match.
Our emotions were up and down and up and down again, especially when Dempsey’s goal was wrongfully disallowed and naturally when our team did not capitalize on some very good chances. Our men did not give up at all. That’s a fantastic quality in footballers.
BUT when the stalwart Donovan scored the whole place erupted in screaming and cheering. People were hugging me and I was hugging others in a show of joy that you seldom see. I can’t wait for Saturday. Go USA!
What does it say that I’m tearing up reading about people crying? Jeez. It has been twenty years of waiting huh?
Love the article, BQ.
Truly one of the greatest and most emotional games I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Cried like a baby when Donovan slotted the winner home. Completely spent after the game and felt like I had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson…
I can’t wait to head home tomorrow so I can be with my soccer friends on Saturday for the Round of 16. See you at the Sweety!
Excellent read BQ and I completely agree with your last paragraph. My new take on knowing when soccer has finally “made it” is when the soccer hipsters get all uppity about more people supporting the national team and game. For me that is when I know soccer has “made it”.
Unfortunately, as I listen to the non-soccer geeks, they enjoyed the fact that the US won, but they found the game boring. While I find that unbelievable, it is not what I think, but what they think, that is important.
I doubt that this World Cup will have that much of an impact on the regular joe here in the States at this time.
It will still take a few years…..
Love this post, Brian! Keep up the good work! Unbelievable matches for the US so far, and so much heart from this team. I was shocked when my 60+ year old female realtor saw me wearing my US jersey and: 1. asked if I knew the result from the morning 2. commented that she was happy the US won after what happened in the Slovenia match. There is no doubt people are taking notice!
Do you know why FOOTball/soccer is so different, touching, overwhelming, stunning, thrilling, irresistible, awesome?
Firstly because it is the most popular worldwide sport;
generates more discussion, debate and comments;
is accessible;
a weaker team can beat a stronger team (traditional, favorite, wealthy);
and mainly because other sports are not as competitive (with many competent and qualified candidates) as the FOOTball/soccer!
In the others sports, victory or achievement is a detail because what matters most is show business!
That way, if you win: great, if not: patience!
FOOTball/soccer is unique: the win is exciting, supernatural, triumphant
and the defeat is painful, frustrating, terrible!
See You Later!
Great article and completely right. As far as I am concerned soccer has already made it. The whole nation is talking about the team and there is an emotion there that has never been there before. Most people have never experienced the roller coaster ride of emotions the US has put us through this World Cup, and those emotions are why the game is so beautiful.
BQ, I love this post! I was a little embarrassed when I started tearing up on Wednesday, but I see that I was in good company.
You were in the Best of company.