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Originally Posted by gordon30307
Jeff,
By far there are more kids (boys and girls) playing soccer in youth leagues than football. It's only a matter of time before soccer becomes a major sport. When it is determined the long term effects concussions have you can be certain the Mom's won't let thier kids play. That's just what Mom's do.
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They told us back in 1994 that Soccer would take over when the World Cup would come to the US. We are over 15 years since then and they cannot fill soccer stadiums for the MLS. And you keep talking about what moms do not want their kids to play, but football has way more participants at the high school level. It is not even close when it comes to numbers or even schools that play. Most schools in our state for example do not even have soccer teams at all. Soccer teams are mostly in the Chicago/Northern in Illinois and are very sparse in the rural areas that probably will never have soccer just because they do not have enough kids to even field a team if they wanted to in HS. Soccer is primarily in middle class areas or areas that have high numbers of Hispanic or ethnic kids that come from countries or parents come from countries that are where soccer is apart of the culture.
I also looked up some numbers in our state 434 playing soccer and 574 playing football in the State of Illinois as both play in the same time of year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon30307
I've become disenchanted with football both with the corruption and exploiting of the athletes at the collegiate level and the length of the pro game. Even Notre Dame who I really never liked but always respected has sold its soul to the devil. You remember back in the day the early games were done by 3:00 and the late games by 6:00. It's almost become unwatchable. Now they're done by 3:20 and the last one finishes by 6:30 or so.
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College football has some of the biggest ratings in all of sports and about 20 different channels run college football games somewhere. There is a daily show on ESPN dedicated to college football. You think that if it was unwatchable that ESPN would dedicate so much programming to an unwatchable sport? Not only that, if ESPN did not show MLS games, the sport would hardly be able to watch a single game on TV. And do you think the kids and families care what you or I are disenchanted with? If they get a scholarship to play football or basketball, the parents will not have to pay for their college at all. If the kids get into soccer, field hockey or baseball scholarships might not even be possible. And that does not even include the pro potential in those sports that parents seem to also push in this day and age. I see nothing that is changing that feeling towards the major sports and certainly not soccer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon30307
I don't gamble. Gambling dominates that sport be it fantasy football, parlay cards, bookies etc. I still watch football and I am a Bears Fan and try to watch the game but if I can't I really don't miss it.
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Well you are almost alone there. Most Bears fans constantly talk about the games and cannot miss the game. I even know many Bears fans that are women and they live and die with every play. I do know many that play fantasy football, but many do not. And if your argument is that gambling and fantasy are the only reason people watch football, how is soccer every going to compete? Fantasy football has a set system to gain points and judge who had a better game, soccer does not have yard stats or anything to make people judge how well a player did unless you really understand the sport. Basketball, football and baseball all have stat lines you can look at the end of the game and see what that player did. Soccer only has goals or maybe saves and I doubt people will start following a sport just for that reason.
And the part you have still not addressed is why are at the high school level all these kids are not playing that sport at a higher rate? If concussions are the reason, then it has yet to translate. I just do not see kids playing soccer over football anytime soon.
Peace