No Respect
People throughout my life have told me, “Soccer sucks, it’s for wimps, try playing a real sport, it’s boring, nobody likes soccer.” I’ve managed to keep my cool for 21 years, but today has really thrown me over the edge. Soccer may be the most popular sport in the world, but for the United States it gets no respect, at least during the three consecutive years that the World Cup is not televised. There are those who bash this fantastic sport and never give it a chance, mainly because they either do not understand the game, or they were never athletic enough in the first place to even set foot onto the field. This is exactly what is wrong with the United States. Most of you may feel like it’s a “boring sport”, but I truly believe that if the game had more attention from sports media, then Americans would become more excited and more involved. They would understand the game better. The tradition and purity of this great game could be understood by everyone.
But, we live in America. Where we love hard-hitting, contact sports that give athletes concussions and broken bones. America, where home runs, slam dunks, body checks, and touchdowns are the only things that matter. Forget everything else in between, that’s just the “boring” stuff.
If you’re someone that can’t stand soccer, then I suggest you watch the World Cup, or maybe even just one game. You will see that those men represent their country. They put their heart and soul into every single minute, and they are the most in-shape athletes in the world. You may see a wide receiver in football sprint down the field and jump over a cornerback to catch a ball, but that’s one play, and then they stop and get right back into the huddle. Soccer players play two full 45-minute halves without substitution, and without stoppage. They play without stepping out of the box to re-adjust their cup, or jockstrap.
I can’t stand how some people call soccer a boring sport. Baseball is actually the most slow-paced, boring sport out there, yet somehow it’s far more popular than soccer. Again, I blame the media. They don’t bring the hype. They don’t set that spark for people to even care. Soccer is actually the most-played sport in the entire world, and is the most-played even in the U.S. So why isn’t MLS popular? Why are the only players we know for USA: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard? People just tend to forget when it’s not regularly televised or broadcasted on a Monday night. People are more worried about who will win American Idol, or which scrub celebrity will win Dancing with the Stars.
All I’m saying is give this sport a chance. Learn a little something from these athletes because they truly are the most athletic men on the planet. I promise they won’t drool on themselves after a big play, if that helps at all….
