I wonder if the whole anti-soccer bias is really just about the name. If we called American football “tackleball” and called soccer “football” or “futball” or whatever like the rest of the world, I don’t think it would inspire so much hatred.
I think we’d just kind of look at it, laugh at it a little for being weird and boring, and then change the channel. Kind of like when curling is on during the Olympics.
I think its a branding issue. Like Coke versus Pepsi. We see “real” football as ours and “soccer” as something stupid because its theirs.
And to make it even worse, we aren’t the best in the world (or even close) in soccer, so that irks our American pride.
So, basically, if you don’t hate soccer, you’re a commie pinko bastard who does not love his momma, Jesus or apple pie and you have a picture of Obama next to your bed that you kiss every night before you go nighty-night in your flannel footie PJs like a gol’durn candy-ass Nancy-boy.
LOL maybe we should start discussing rugby.....
I am a big football fan, but it is really a niche game unknown to most of the world. Every country has a national soccer team and competes for a true world championship.
Actually the rest of the world doesn’t call it football. Football is generally the name of the big rectangular field sport in the region. In a lot of places that soccer, in some places it’s rugby, even Ausie rules football. There’s actually a lot of the world that calls soccer soccer.
I think the big problem is has is so many people insist America not liking soccer is some deep character flaw in the country. Nothing makes a bunch of people hate something more than telling them they must be idiots for hating it. It’s an OK sport, it’s not great, it’s not awful, could do with some rule tweaks.