Comments on: The American Sportswriters War on Football

By: eros

eros — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:55:30 +0000

It’s very refreshing to read something that is so true, yet so ignored, about the attitude of U.S. society about itself and the rest of the world. Slow to change and very ignorant, or in denial, of the rest of the world or its activities, if it makes the U.S. look bad in any way, or is just not to our liking. The U.S. way is the only and best way, and everyone else should either change, or they will be ignored or demonized. The example of world football vs. U.S. football is one very good example of that kind of attitude. It’s too bad the people of the U.S. can’t appreciate the rest of the world more, because I would bet that the rest of the world would then be able to appreciate the U.S. alot more.

By: peter osgood

peter osgood — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:28:46 +0000

Much of KKK’s piece is based on endless comments from the broadcasting world, either sports radio, conservative political radio, cable opinion news – including MSNBC – and of course cable sports news and local tv sports news as well.

Not easy to find links for this and if KKK had a staff to do that work for him it would certainly make his piece more complete. Anyone who hasn’t caught absurd, cowardly, insipid off-handed remarks from any of the above mentioned sources then they aren’t listening or watching.

This piece by jack-off Kevin Hench is typical, he’s looking at the merits of the European football system to add competiveness and intergrity to US pro sports leagues that have become pedantic and insipid, and yet takes moronic shots at football along the way to show his inain American readership that he looks down on football, the world’s most competitive athletic challenge in human history.

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9673156/Let’s-steal-some-ideas-from-soccer

By: jackie

jackie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:29:19 +0000

Before Beckham football was every 4 years thing now i follow all season long.So all the haters can say what they want ,he bought me back.I’ll be supporting him when he comes back to the galaxy and i will be supporting England for the world cup . Thank you david

By: football league

football league — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:34:38 +0000

Good one , but the only thing that holds me back on pursuing more is monetary.

By: Lars

Lars — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:33:38 +0000

Some folks at CBS and NBC are blasting the game of football because the US lost in the Final. Stupid. The game provided some of the best excitement I’ve seen in a football game and it’s truly unfortunate the US didn’t pull it through.

By: Kartik Krishnaiyer

Kartik Krishnaiyer — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:00:13 +0000

Juan-John working on getting the ratings and will have a report as soon as we get them.

By: Juan-John

Juan-John — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:34:30 +0000

Anybody know what ESPN’s ratings for Sunday’s final were?

By: Jack

Jack — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:57:51 +0000

There has been no one who trencends the game in America yet. Until there is a player like Pele, Ronaldo, or Beckham who is from the States then football will be behind the others. Sports writers and networks are only going to show what generates revnue. Look how hockey has fallen in viewership in the States compared to the 90’s. NBA has also lost its luster. Where are the quotes to basis your argument on? Many of the sports radio talk shows are talking about the US defeating Spain is almost as big as the US defeating the USSR in hockey in 1980. There is more coverage of soccer on the local level than ever and that is where it starts its popularity, so your argument is really weak because many stations have start to cover more to add revnue.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:00:06 +0000

The last time I checked, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Guyana, Belize, St. Kitt’s, Grenada, and a few others were all countries that spoke english and were all located south of the United States. All in all though, a very good article.

By: eplnfl

eplnfl — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:43:47 +0000

Tony:

I have heard many strange political theory before but soccer being a victim of the cold war? Come up with something better.

As to the post itself, a slavery comparison to why soccer has not been more popular, please find something more relevant in the American character. Yes, we are slow to change here in many ways( we kept George Bush around another term for no good reason) but for instance the NBA become a huge force in sports overnight with the arrival of Johnson and Bird. Until that time pro basketball was a side show. Thinks can happen quickly. You are right that football/soccer is becoming more popular because of the growing Latin population but that is not translated to support of the US Men’s team or MLS across the board. Interest in the leagues from various Latin countries has sky rocketed and the European leagues and the international game.

When this piece was first published and I will repeat it today, I know of no negative local press for Blanco. Period. Please show me the negative stuff.
I agree with the underlying thought of this piece and especially as to baseball writers ideas but have thought that this was not one of Kartik’s better articles.