wcblack34 Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, swede700 said: You can continue to try to say that, but I'll believe it when I see it. I look here in KC, which is one of the most popular teams in the sport, and the Royals still get lead discussion...and often HS sports gets more play time than Sporting KC does. It doesn't move the needle. Then that should be an issue taken up with local news. Because Sporting KC outdrew the Royals on a per-game basis in 2019 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede700 Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 (edited) 25 minutes ago, wcblack34 said: Then that should be an issue taken up with local news. Because Sporting KC outdrew the Royals on a per-game basis in 2019 too. I posted that part before my thought was finished (you can look back at the previous page for the full thought), but I believe as I indicated, that is due more to baseball's failures than increase on popularity of soccer...baseball used to draw more capacity that it does now because it's inability to keep up with the times. It still draws in far more casual fans than soccer does or probably ever will. Soccer just has a more devoted following than baseball does, so it's attendance is going to be far more consistent. Edited June 1, 2021 by swede700 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede700 Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 28 minutes ago, wcblack34 said: Then that should be an issue taken up with local news. Because Sporting KC outdrew the Royals on a per-game basis in 2019 too. I should also note that where I work, we've only had 1 person that was ever a Sporting KC fan. People talk far more about the Royals (and certainly more about the Chiefs) than have ever talked about Sporting KC, which helps support my thoughts (and probably even those of the local news stations). It just doesn't move the needle among most people. And KFAN pretty much supports that notion as well...there's Eric Nordquist...and that's pretty much it. While I'm not one to bash him for talking it when he's hosting a show (like many people do), I'm pretty sure I'm not alone when just skipping right past it on the podcast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cearbhall Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 Soccer was nothing to me as a child, as a teenager, as a college kid, and for most of my professional career. I was a huge baseball fan through most of those years. I was huge into baseball with a passion for stats that I fed by collecting cards and looking at the backs of cards to memorize stats. However, I am far more likely right now to watch a soccer game now than I am a baseball game. In fact, I have attended a MLS soccer game more recently than I attended a baseball game. I don't know that I'll ever go to another MLS soccer game, but I am pretty sure that I'll never go to another major league baseball game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimdallr Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 9 hours ago, swede700 said: And KFAN pretty much supports that notion as well...there's Eric Nordquist...and that's pretty much it. While I'm not one to bash him for talking it when he's hosting a show (like many people do), I'm pretty sure I'm not alone when just skipping right past it on the podcast. They purposefully do that because their rival (1500) got the game broadcast rights instead of them. Also their target demographic is old/rural/conservative white guys, which is not where soccer is growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimdallr Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 10 hours ago, swede700 said: You can continue to try to say that, but I'll believe it when I see it. I look here in KC, which is one of the most popular teams in the sport, and the Royals still get lead discussion...and often HS sports gets more play time than Sporting KC does. It doesn't move the needle. Sporting KC has been a good team over the last decade in terms of performance, but far from a popular one. The midwest is definitely going to be the slowest growing area of the country for soccer. The explosive growth is in the big cities, and the younger generations. 10 hours ago, swede700 said: It has the potential to be a significant player in the sports world when soccer players names will roll off people's tongues like Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James does. Right now, as an even less than casual fan of the sport, I can't tell you a single player that plays in the MLS...and I can't tell you I've ever seen a single MLS player in a commercial for anything. It may not be the best way to gauge popularity of a sport, but its one of the easiest ways to do so. Watch in 2-3 years when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are both in MLS. 😅 David Beckham isn't playing anymore, but he owns a team. There isn't a bigger name in the world than that. Right now, there are probably 5 global superstars in the league, who are all more famous globally than Patrick Mahomes. I think the real turning point is going to be the 2026 World Cup. USA is hosting, it'll be hyped up for a year leading into it, and as nothing catastrophic happens, we will actually be a very, very good team that will be able to play with the elite countries. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENINCH Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 45 minutes ago, Heimdallr said: Sporting KC has been a good team over the last decade in terms of performance, but far from a popular one. The midwest is definitely going to be the slowest growing area of the country for soccer. The explosive growth is in the big cities, and the younger generations. Watch in 2-3 years when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are both in MLS. 😅 David Beckham isn't playing anymore, but he owns a team. There isn't a bigger name in the world than that. Right now, there are probably 5 global superstars in the league, who are all more famous globally than Patrick Mahomes. I think the real turning point is going to be the 2026 World Cup. USA is hosting, it'll be hyped up for a year leading into it, and as nothing catastrophic happens, we will actually be a very, very good team that will be able to play with the elite countries. The World Cup was always an amazing competition. I watched it for the first time in 92. Alexis Lalas was a big hero in those days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimdallr Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 52 minutes ago, TENINCH said: The World Cup was always an amazing competition. I watched it for the first time in 92. Alexis Lalas was a big hero in those days. Except for 2022 🤮 But yes, there is nothing else in sports like the World Cup. The Olympics are the pinnacle of solo sports, and the World Cup is the ultimate team competition. Really nothing else in the world brings countries (and the whole world) together for that month. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimdallr Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 Also, if anyone in the cities wants to follow a fun local team (other than the Vixen, of course), Minneapolis City SC is just an awesome team. 1st place in the NPSL (4th tier of the American soccer pyramid) for the last 2 seasons, they have gotten a couple players drafted into MLS, and they have absolutely the best jerseys and merch of any sports franchise, anywhere, ever. They are a 501c organization that is run and owned by the fans. If your biggest hangup with soccer is that there aren't enough goals, definitely check out lower league soccer. At the elite level the teams are so well coached, and so disciplined that it is very hard to create changes, but at the lower levels you can see individual talent shine a little bit more. This year's jersey: [They also just announced a sponsorship with Utepils (best brewery in the cities)] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede700 Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 He's actually younger than I thought, considering I had already thought he had turned 80. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikeManDan Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 Lou Nanne had a great point on the Parise situation on KFAN last night. Cliff notes below from memory. He said it sounds like Bill Guerin (Wild GM) wants him back in a reduced role. Nanne thinks Parise could be more productive with less ice time while getting power-play minutes. Thinks Parise should waive his No-Movement-Clause (NMC) for the Seattle expansion draft. This does 2 things. 1. Allows the Wild to protect a different forward. 2. If, and that sounds like a big if, Seattle selects him he's off the Wild's books and gets a greater role on the ice in Seattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENINCH Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 15 hours ago, Heimdallr said: Except for 2022 🤮 But yes, there is nothing else in sports like the World Cup. The Olympics are the pinnacle of solo sports, and the World Cup is the ultimate team competition. Really nothing else in the world brings countries (and the whole world) together for that month. My bad it was 1994. I was 14 yrs old with nowhere to go but the couch in front of the TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede700 Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 The Olympics bring the world together...the World Cup, I'd argue does for every country except the US. If the US National Team is still in the competition, as it is generally for the women, we might pay attention, but once the men's team loses out (which often happens early), the US tunes out as well...even if it is on US soil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cearbhall Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 3 hours ago, swede700 said: The Olympics bring the world together...the World Cup, I'd argue does for every country except the US. If the US National Team is still in the competition, as it is generally for the women, we might pay attention, but once the men's team loses out (which often happens early), the US tunes out as well...even if it is on US soil. Being honest, did you know without looking it up that the US ever had a men's team make it into the World Cup soccer tournament? I certainly didn't. I had heard about the women's team being there. One of the ladies used to either be dating or married to a football player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sad People Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 7 minutes ago, Cearbhall said: Being honest, did you know without looking it up that the US ever had a men's team make it into the World Cup soccer tournament? I certainly didn't. I had heard about the women's team being there. One of the ladies used to either be dating or married to a football player. Pretty sure back in 2015 or 2016 (cant remember the exact year) the mens team made a decent run but eventually lost, And when I say decent run I mean a decent run in terms of expectations that we have. You dont remember the chant "I believe that we will win I believe that we will win" I think that started then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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