Frank Deford is passive aggressive

by Josh

10 comments

1 Mark { 07.27.06 at 9:57 am }

Proud to be part of a niche sport.

2 Josh { 07.27.06 at 10:00 am }

heh.

3 Jeremy { 07.27.06 at 11:25 am }

Despite his general curmudgeonhood, I thought Deford had a good point that new World Cup fans aren’t necessarily new soccer fans. Because of the international setup, it does seem like the Olympics in that people can get excited about it without caring about the sport in general after it’s over.

I’m sure things could be done with the tournament to make it less Olympic-like and more likely to turn out new soccer fans, but I don’t think it’s there now, and I don’t know what those things would be.

From an American standpoint, I think part of the problem (for me, at least) is that a particular country’s players play professionally all over the world, so it’s hard for a new fan to get to know the players right away. With international basketball, all the American players play professionally in our homeland’s own league (as well as most of the best players from other national teams). I think fans typically get interested in the storylines of the players and teams of a particular sport before they actually get into the play of the sport itself. When the World Cup is the big event that draws in new soccer fans, I think those new fans are left at the end of the tournament saying, “So, wait… now who do I follow?” There isn’t enough time to get them really into the play of soccer, so their interest is stuck with the World Cup itself.

4 Josh { 07.27.06 at 11:44 am }

Jeremy:

To your last paragraph: I suppose that is part of the reason that basketball hasn’t caught fire on a global scale; All the best Italians, Serbs, Chinese, etc. play in America.

I reckon that as the world gets flatter (see Thomas Friedman), soccer will have a more captive audience here and basketball will have a more captive audience there.

Yea? Nay?

5 Jeremy { 07.27.06 at 12:25 pm }

I suppose that is part of the reason that basketball hasn’t caught fire on a global scale; All the best Italians, Serbs, Chinese, etc. play in America.

Good point!

I reckon that as the world gets flatter (see Thomas Friedman), soccer will have a more captive audience here and basketball will have a more captive audience there.

I’m not as sure. Americans still wouldn’t be able to go to many games with USMNT players.

What if the USMNT said they would only take MLS players? Would that just tick everybody off, or would it be just crazy enough to work (and maybe eventually build better MLS teams)?

6 Josh { 07.27.06 at 12:36 pm }

What if the USMNT said they would only take MLS players? Would that just tick everybody off, or would it be just crazy enough to work (and maybe eventually build better MLS teams)?

Let’s make the following two assumptions:

1) Money makes the world go ’round
2) Better players get paid more.

As long as the money in European soccer remains significantly higher than here, taking a team of only MLS players would result in a sub par side.

7 Jeremy { 07.27.06 at 12:57 pm }

As long as the money in European soccer remains significantly higher than here, taking a team of only MLS players would result in a sub par side.

Makes sense.

So, basically, if American soccer teams could get more money, they could get better players (including USMNT players). And if they had better players, they could generate more money.

8 Beasley Lover { 07.27.06 at 1:14 pm }

Futbol in the US has definitely grown over the past 40 years.

Frank Deford obviously hasn’t travelled around the country, especailly the mid-west to see that. When my “rural” hometown in Iowa builds a 20-feild complex to build a stronger futbol generation, it is clear to me that the so-called “niche” sport is really taking charge. No rural town in Iowa is gong to spend so much money on a niche sport.

If Frank actually looked at the fact that in the US most children play at least 4 sports growing up not to mention other hobbies such as dance or music, and as they grow older resources keep them from continuing on with certain activities (i.e. no futbol fields = no futbol teams).

Or Frank could realize that in Europe as well as other parts of the world no one grows up playing basketball or baseball because the resources are not available. They grow up playing the sport that is around them–futbol.

He could also do a little research in the number of adult leagues compared to 40 years ago. I guarantee you the number has grown.

Frank should also realize the point that Josh made. Money is a huge factor. The US spreads its resources with basketball, baseball, football and hockey. By the time sponsers and donors get around to futbol the isn’t enough left to keep good players from going to Europe.

So maybe next time when Frank wants to sit down and discuss US soccer, he should stop trying to sound intelligent with his outrageous generalizations and begin to talk about the facts.

9 kj { 07.27.06 at 1:51 pm }

And from a strictly spectator aspect, things are definitely different now. Was anyone building stadiums specifically for NASL teams? No. There’s a lot of money being spent on these new SSSs, and the wrangling over them is starting to look a bit like the wrangling over venues for the “big boys” (see: RSL).

I watched that (well, mostly listened), and having to hear Deford nay-say everything was like nails scraping down a neverending chalkboard.

10 Josh { 07.27.06 at 2:03 pm }

So, basically, if American soccer teams could get more money, they could get better players (including USMNT players). And if they had better players, they could generate more money.

You said a mouthful.

Of truth.