Soccer Blows! Here's proof
I, for one, am tired of the politically correct media frenzy about World Cup soccer.
For one thing, Americans just don't care, no matter WHAT the news media say. In a New York Times article called "World Cup Ratings Certify a TV Winner", the Times gushes "Through 52 games, ESPN’s average viewership is up 58 percent to 2.86 million; Univision’s is 2.1 million, up nearly 9 percent. " Huh? 2.86 million people watched the World Cup in English? 2.86 million is one quarter the viewership of CBS's NCIS...a summer rerun of NCIS. 2.86 million would not put the World Cup in the top 20 shows on TV...in summer rerun season.
And 2.1 million on Univision? WOW! Considering there are over 46.9 million Hispanics in the US, even if most of the 2.1 million are American citizens who speak Spanish, this is a tiny number and it proves my point that Americans don't give a shit. This means that over 300 million Americans were NOT watching most of the time. And just the way we were told (unsuccessfully) by the media that the metric system is better because the rest of the world loves it, the media have embarked on a one-world campaign to make us like soccer. We don't and we never will. I don't care if 700 million viewers are watching around the world. 600 million live in mud huts, and most of the rest don't live anywhere there's a ZIP code.
Americans hate ties. We like physical aggression and plenty of statistics. We love scoring...lots of it. And what the fuck is "extra time"? No buzzer beaters here...just a bunch of sleepy 1-1 or 0-0 games where you can't even tell when the game is supposed to end.
Even the way the media use British terminology, calling games "matches", the field a "pitch" and scores as "1-nil" is offensive. No wonder no one is watching. Yet they keep showing us live shots of morons carrying orange pigs and faces painted like the flags of countries most Americans couldn't even locate on a map.
If you need any final convincing that soccer is shit, watch this video from an ESPN expose on FIFA and European soccer. This is the sport everyone is trying to shove down our American throats. Why don't they show any faces painted like swastikas? Waka waka? How about Heil Hitler?
We are America for a reason...
...we don't give a breathtakingly huge shit what the rest of the world does or likes. And when we do look what it gets us...soccer. It blows because there are no commercials showing the might of our CAPITALISTIC society. As far as the person who replied that in soccer you don't see someone texting, sleeping, or whatever...that's because we multipask you moron. I guess we could be like those great Eurpoeans and start calling Rod Woodson, Kobe Bryant, or Tiger Woods a monkey and throwing bananas at him like they do. The reason no one falls asleep is if you do you might end up in one of the many riots that happen at almost all soccer games. The only reason the viewer ship went up was AMERICANS wanted to see their team kick the hell out of the teams made up of NON-AMERICANS. I tried to sit through the MLS Cup game and fell asleep three times and no one scored in that time. America was not founded by a bunch of pud pounding she-males and that is why we have always been number ONE! If you don't like this country buy a Rosetta Stone and learn to speak French.
If soccer sucks so bad... Why do you have to bend statistics?
Tom, I understand that you, like most Americans, don't like soccer, but why do you have to player-hate against it? If you don't like it, don't watch it, but don't talk sh*t. Specifically, don't spout nonsensical statistics only to prove your point.
You describe the viewership of the World Cup 2010 up to the first 52 games. This would be the equivalent of analysing the NCAA March Madness viewership by looking at the first round. Secondly, your numbers account for the AVERAGE viewership over the span of 52 games. I wonder what's the average viewership over the first 52 games of the NHL. Maybe that's why the NHL competes for viewers on a shit network like Versus.
An accurate analysis of the viewership of the 2010 World Cup would be to look at the ratings for "Primetime" games. Had you done this, you would have seen that, "the United States’ loss to Ghana was seen by 14.9 million on ABC — an American record for the tournament — and an additional 4.5 million on Univision." According to the NY Times.
According to the same article, 14.9 million tuned into the Argentina vs. Mexico game, with 9.4 million watching on Univision. That's 20% of the 46.9 million Hispanics you stated, many of which are not of Mexican or Argentine descent, had to work, or just couldn't watch the game. Furthermore, 7.9 million watched Germany vs. England, 15.6 million watched the final (Spain vs. Netherlands), and 13.6 million unique visitors streamed games from ESPN.com and Univision.com, as the Daily Variety reports.
Lastly, the vast majority of the World Cup games were played during the early morning and working hours, on business days which drastically reduced the potential number of viewers for the World Cup. Damn Tom, you just got served!
Soccer Blows!
Couldn't agree more. Here in Portland Oregon (2nd home of the other white meat) they have dismantled our minor league Baseball team, the Portland Beavers - No, Really Beavers, and completely renovated the stadium where they played to have our third rate minor league soccer team, the 'Timbers' move up to the 'Bigs' with a high dollar stadium that's supposed to impress the world.
We get rid of the national pass time in a stadium that my great grandfather, grandfather, father and myself and my kids used to watch the Beavers play in for... ... ...Major League Soccer.
I can’t wait for Merritt Paulson to lose his ass and have to turn the whole place into a giant falafel stand.
The reality is that it's not
The reality is that it's not that soccer "blows" but that the American sports schedule is already full of games that are being marketed for the public to take an interest in. Secondly, soccer does not have any history in the US. Conversely, baseball which is a much more boring sport in my opinion, has a huge following. Its more a matter of marketing and history in my opinion that soccer is not big in the US. Besides, Americans have never been that good at it, which adds to the lack of interest. The second the US becomes that best in "futbol" you bet your ass the entire advertising and media arena will promote it with fervor, and being that we are such programmable monkeys, we will watch it, and probably like it.
I agree soccer blows
While soccer may blow, I find it odd that a hockey fan would bash it. Hockey is pretty similar.
Yea....
Interesting to see that because you personally do not like soccer, and that because a low number of people in America watch soccer that that must mean the sport as a whole is 'shit'. Interesting to hear from such a purporter of logic.
metric system
The metric system is better. It's based on the physics of the cesium atom
and the speed of light in vacuum. Feet and pounds however are based on
who knows what. In addition, the metric system helps to quantify
electromagnetism. Feet, pounds, slugs, miles, etc are not used
to quantify electromagnetism. Therefore, miles, feet, pounds, etc. are
fucking stupid as hell.
metric system
i'd say 'buckin-A" for a metric Week. Get rid of Tuesday and the goofy Thursday! In addition, who cares for February or November?! Get rid of them too. OK, let' make Thanksgiving on December 7, a week after Haloween, or somethin' along those lines. Just a thought, you know, nothing personal, just "metric is better".
ooohhh come on TOM !!!
first of all i want to say you're a person i respect, but you just gone to far with this in fact soccer is my favorite sport so with all your respect back off tom and find something else to talk smack about...
Tom, spot on!
Perfect subject to talk smack about! Is there another sport in which you cannot use your hands? Yeah, didn't think so.
Tom is misinformed
Dad, i've been a listener since 2001 and a follower of you but you've got it wrong on Soccer. You're a red blooded American and it is in your DNA to hate Football. It's called Football cause you use your feet to move around and kick the ball. Football is not boring though. It's 90 minutes, back and forth, no timeouts or stopping plays for advertisements and there's no 20minute commercials in between. At Football matches, we don't see people reading the newspaper, texting, falling asleep, talking on the phone, or even stuffing their face with nachos (like you do at Baseball and American Throwball games) cause they're paying attention to the sport they're watching. In the end, Football doesn't need validation from you or anyone else cause it's the worlds sport and it's massive. It makes more money than the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL combined. Maybe not in America but yes in the rest of the world. Just remember that every sport has it's black spots (Baseball/steroids, American Throwball/Steroids, men sending pictures of their tools to news women) but it doesn't mean that everything or everyone is like that. Don't paint everything pertaining to Football with the same brush. I know you have a lot of time on your hands now, so you should definitely lay off the Football bashing and go bash the Illegal Aliens that are sucking our economy dry.
Tom is misinformed
"and go bash the Illegal Aliens that are sucking our economy dry"
It seems that it is YOU who is the misinformed one. LOSERS always look for scapegoats because they can't stand to look in the mirror and acknowledge the truth about themselves.
Soccer SUCKS
Thanks Tom. Your the first person to contradict all the hype the media has done to promote this ridiculous sport. The last world world cup all tried watching it after hearing all the hype made about it. It was boring because to me it was just a bunch of dorky looking guys running around doing nothing. Just running back and forth in a grass field. By the time someone scores who cares. When they do score it seems more like a fluke or accident instead of hard work or talent.
Soccer Sucks?
Have you ever play SOCCER?
I was a fan of you!!
TOM!!! I listened to your show for the last two tears of your broadcast and I never knew you hated futbol! I'll agree with most everything you say but this is just preposterous. Futbol is one of the best sports we have in the world! Of course unless you like a bunch of men grabbing each other till they are on the floor (ahem, "FOOTBALL," MMA etc). Try running for 90 min while a bunch of fans are chanting to get in your head and mess up your game... this sport not only takes physical but a great deal of mental strength.
ur so dumb, theres a lot more
ur so dumb, theres a lot more going on in those games then men grabbing each other, futbol is just a bunch of guys jogging.
More Stupiter!
Dude, have you ever played chess? Control the midboard control the game/ control the midfield control the game... Futbol, much like chess, is a thinking man's game. Takes strategy and physical ability.
Football? There's nothing footy about it!
There's only one football sport in the world and this stupid country calls it "Soccer."
The ratings don't matter Mr. Leykis. If you combine Basketball, Baseball, "Football," Hockey, Rugby, Golf, Softball, Track, swimming, gymnastics, etc.. Football soccer is still a much more popular and lucrative sport than all those.
Oh, and by the way, the world's population is a lot larger than the U.S. population --so who gives a fuck about your opinion on the subject! WC2010 still rocked the globe just like it did in USA94. No other sport does that. -- none!! Stick to your wine and investments and leave athletics to us, even though you're in desperate need of a little.
"Soccer" is from England!
My Friend, I think what he is trying to say is not matter what, unless there is fundamental demographic change in the United States, Soccer will not be a popular mainstream sport like, North American Football, Basketball, & Hockey in not just the United States, but North America in general since Canada isn't all that keen on soccer either, and it won't be until there is significant rise in the population of "visible minorities" and they become the "visible majority". I put baseball out of that equation because today, Baseball's driving force is the market outside the United States. It's not as popular in the United States as it use to be. In fact, the last game of the World Series had a whopping 22 million viewers. Even the last game of the NBA Finals beat that in rating with 23 million viewers. Now granted the 2010 World Cup Final did have a total of 28 million viewers. But I can assure you that the bulk of those 28 million came from California, New York, Florida & Texas, the very same states that take most of the immigrant population of the US resides in. And the US is country of 310 million. And the Average Viewership of each game was a whopping 3.5 million, thanks to most of the elimination round games getting a boost. On the other hand, 170 million people watched the Super Bowl.
Lastly, the term "soccer" comes from England, it doesn't come from the US, Because back in the 1880s, Football's original name was called Association Football to distinguish between Rugby Football. So to differentiate between the two sports they started calling one "Soccer" & the other "Rugby". But When Britain introduced the sport to other regions of the world, they introduced as it was formally called Association Football. But because for many people around the world that was a big complicated to remember they just began calling it Football. And so like that in England they started calling Association Football, Football, and started calling Rugby Football, Rugby.
However in many of the Southern Common Wealth countries & North America, Rugby became more popular, In North America North American Football derived out of Rugby, and in Southern Africa, Australia, Oceania & New Zeland they were calling Rugby football Football right up to the early 1990s. And in these regions they called Association Football, it's British Slang term, Soccer. Today most of the world calls Rugby Football Rugby, and calls Association Football Football, and in North America, Southern Africa & Oceania they call it Soccer because that is what they always were use to calling it. What did they call the Stadium where the final was played? Soccer City Stadium, not Football City Stadium, Soccer City Stadium, and yes in South Africa Cricket & Rugby are much more successful commercially than Football. In fact, In the Cricket & rugby World Cups which are 2rd & 3rd most popular sporting events in the world respectively (the Olympics comes a whooping 4th) South Africa is usually a semi-Finalist.
Thanks for the repetition and the "Useless Facts" collection!
I know the term came from England! I also know that the English are notorious for claiming that they invented the rules and grounds of the sport. There's much speculation to that, though. However, it doesn't matter where the term "soccer" came from. Of course it's gonna come from the English language by virtue of the fact that our language is English. Certainly it's derivation is from an English prefix. Moreover, they don't use it under any cotidian circumstance in ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, OCEANIA, IRELAND or any other major ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY. We are the only ones, with maybe very few exceptions. I don't know of any. Research it!
I know this for a fact because I've traveled to all those countries and have friends from there. Not a single one refers to Football as "Soccer." Not a single one. By far the most popular sport in the world in FOOTBALL (THE REAL ONE); not Rugby or "tackleball" or tennis, or even basketball. Research it. It's a fact. Nothing creates more revenue than EUROPEAN FOOTBALL.
Dummie Please Learn to Read!
"Moreover, they don't use it under any cotidian circumstance in ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, OCEANIA, IRELAND or any other major ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY. "-- You idiot, I just explained to you that in the Southern Common Wealth Countries Association Football is called "Soccer". What was the name of the Staduim were the Final was played? "Soccer City", in South Africa they call it soccer. What is the nickname of the Australian National Team? the "Socceroos"-- Soccer + Kangaroo. In Canada it's called Soccer too. Yes I know Association Football (Football to you & I, but Soccer to North Americans & Oceanians) is the most popular sport in the World. But that doesn't change the fact that Baseball, North American Football, Basketball & Hockey are commerically more successful in North America than Association Football. It also doesn't change the fact that in New Zealand, Australia & South Africa cricket & Rugby are more successful than Association Football.
so much HATE!!
Why so much hate? who cares what other americans like or dislike? let Soccer run its course and if it becomes popular in the US great ! , and if it does not then who cares?!?! the rest of the world love soccer so let them be. Americans have "football" and couple other sports that are very popular and the rest of the world does not complain so stop having the shits when somebody else ate the laxatives.
RANDOM
We love you from Romania! Get on the air youuuuu....! Come on TOM !!! There are a lot of pussies out here! This country needs you! GET ON LIVEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
FIFA World Cup 2010
Your correct about the statistics. It mostly was because they began early in the morning and people don't have time to tune in because they have to get ready for work. Maybe if they were set at a later time in the afternoon, the reting would possibly go up. Football "Soccer" is still the best most popular sport in the world. P.S. the word soccer came from a British football club owner. It wasn't Americans who adopted it.
Sadly you are right
"And 2.1 million on Univision? WOW! Considering there are over 46.9 million Hispanics in the US"
This number does not include the internet viewers on univision.com (unless you have a TV at work or you work night shift that was the only way how you would have been able to watch a game)
"that the metric system is better because the rest of the world loves it"
emotional attachment to metrics leads to underperformance, whereas continuous reinvention leads to better competitiveness. if this resonates with you then you will also recognize the evidence easily :-)
"We like physical aggression"
The rest of the world likes sharing mutual pride, partying, carnival, peaceful drinking and sex on the beach. Your girls got that perfectly in South Africa and boy did they fit in! However, many of your guys I saw appeared to have their emotional maturity trailing their physical age by at least 10 years.
"We don't and we never will"
We won't miss you anytime soon -- finally something we can enjoy without having to constantly bow to the moral superiority of your Boomer generation leaders. Not unsurprisingly the Americans were the only ones crying about injustice. That's just part of it !! Soccer is not supposed to produce fairy tales, we expect it to mirror real life -- full of injustice, outrage, tragic martyrdom and stolen glory. And don't lie by saying you don't have that in your place. You just don't stomach facing it -- hence the need for aggression.
"Yet they keep showing us live shots of morons carrying orange pigs and faces painted like the flags of countries most Americans couldn't even locate on a map."
Please do not try to locate them. We would be very worried once you knew how to find them. We feel much more comfortable as long as you keep your need for aggression at home.
"Why don't they show any faces painted like swastikas? Waka waka? How about Heil Hitler"
Probably there were none to be seen. I have actually only seen Russian football supporters do that (which is quite ironic given history). In case Russia ever qualifies for a future world cup I am sure they will be excited when you join them. With a joint display of that unique global symbol of hate Russians and Americans could maybe agree on something together finally! It would be a relief for the rest of the world and we would happily leave you both alone to consummate your intellectual intimacy.
Numbers still low don't you realize!
Look, don't be dismissive on the statistics think somehow Hispanics in the US love watching soccer because they don't. Univision averaged viewership of 2.1 million during the first 58 matches. And on July 12th Univision admitted they had 34 million people whom accessed the matches either on the Internet or on their mobile phone! Sweetheart, 34 million divided by 64 games equals 531,250 per match. And let's say if we decide to include the final 6 matches of the world cup which usually have rating that are way higher, it bumps the average to 3 million viewers per match (a very optimistic estimation), and you add this 531,250 and you will 3.5 million viewers per game at best! This means of the 49 million hispanics, 45.5 million to 46 million where not watching. Where as 170 million people watched the 2010 super bowl. More than 6 times as many people watched the Super Bowl than they did the World Cup Final.
More reasons why succer sux0rz
The way the announcers don't talk during the match; there's no play-by-play! The color guy talks about matches from 8 yrs ago on a local team in some country THEY ARE NOT PLAYING FOR!!! "Oh Sorentson isn't matching his performance in the 2002 World Cup when his career at Butfuck, Egypt was rising." What??!!? He's playing for Kenya today - why am I supposed to understand why that is important???
Then 5 minutes of silence as the ball gets passed around. Then a comment like, "Oh, he let himself down there..." He did?!? How? Why? Who fucking did? They're still in the middle of the field like the last time I looked up...
So frustrating.
Don't get me started on the referees
--
Paul
.
Soccer really blows.
The reason most of these countries play soccer is because all they need is a ball. Thats all most of them can afford. Hey lets try to build an ice arena in south america, have all the kids get $500 of hockey gear and teach em how to play a game that involves more than yer feet, head and a ball.
Wings Fan
count your blessings man
the fact that there is poberty out there and you mock it with that "hollier than thou" attitude makes me pitty people like you, perhaps with an I.Q. so low that all you know is racism an hate, you have baffled some of us with that comment, count your blessings, so what? you like hockey? knock yourself out, i don't, but why would i lash out at fucks like you that do? if you can afford shit, congratulations, have a ball... or two, since you can afford it! ;-)
soccer mania
If you dont like, dont watch. there are plenty of channels to watch other sports, especially that most people have either cable or satellite.
the world cup is the most watched single event in the world. who cares if the americans dont want to watch it. If there are sponsors, then there will be programs scheduled on tv. simple as that.
much ado about nothing really !!
The world Doesn't want the USA
In reality the world won't want the USA taking over their sport. We'll adapt to our tastes and that'll piss the rest of them of.
We'll never like it because we only like team sports that use hands and we already got the big 4 Baseball football basketball and hockey. No room for anything else i guess.
Frankly why is everyone pushing this game on us? If you like it soo much go to england spain or wherever and play it there.
To Hell with Soccer Mel Gibson is the new "OJ"
Sorry for getting off topic Tom. But after listening to Mel's recorded conversation with the mother of his child,I'm sure Mel will soon go off the deep end.
You think this guy would have learned after shelling out a reported $900M to his ex.
And then pregnates this women.I'm wondering what your take is on this..
Soccer blows.
I TOTALLY AGREE -- I LOVE SOCCER BUT ...
Around where I live only little kids do it. But at the same time it brought the world together. And that's good Tom. Thank you for reading this far. Just want to say SEATTLE REALLY MISSES YOU! And I miss you. ..... Susan
ps. I'm your next wife, I've been to the future and back ........
American Media
That's the problem with soccer. Media continues to be unapologetic about copying English words for the sport. Much like Argentines/Mexicans/Spanish, or Brazilians and Portuguese etc use different terms to describe the same thing American broadcasters should learn to distance themselves from that part of the culture- Trying to seem "outsider" is stupid it only alienates people getting into the sport more. Don't call it pitch to sound brit, call it a field. Don't 2-0 games, 2-nil, call them 2-nothing. I would disagree about some of the games. The only part where I disagree, is the ratings part, its totally different. A 2mil-rating for 1 world cup game game for a random nation, is comparable to a regular season NBA Thunder or Mavericks game broadcasted worldwide, but summing every game after that is a a day's worth equivalent of 1 NBA or MLB game.. 2x2 would be 4milllion or 3 games would be 6 million. Now, much like a Final's match in the NBA can garner 20mil rating in the US alone, being deduced from the concentrated fanbase for the sport, is like dividing soccer at the world wide level 20mil/170 some odd countries gets you 2mil. Bearing in mind a 10mil rating for an NBA 2nd round game is much like a 2mil rating for QTR Finals match for a world cup match, I think a fraction of the same audience is rational to the type of event. Now I don't think that the American team being ousted helped, but it's nice to make the right comparison as opposed to showing the obvious. Im showing what is actually a decent upgrade in rating from world cups past- it's still getting 4th best sport type ratings.
Just another comment for people to talk...
Just another controversial misinformed blog, but you achieved your goal (not like one scored at a match of the most popular sport in the planet) , I think you can do waay better.
Nothing ill-informed about it.
This is how most Americans feel about soccer and the ratings prove it.
Ill-informed = someone who disagrees with YOU,
Show me YOUR facts and figures.