Afraid of Soccer?
By: jen | October 14th, 2008
An interesting article about Ruud Gullit’s perspective on American soccer. He says that Americans, on the whole, are afraid of soccer growing — that American culture doesn’t want to give up the supremacy of football, baseball, and basketball in this country. I’m not sure I agree, but it’s an intriguing perspective from a European outsider.
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I love a conspiracy theory! I’m off to find Dave Zirin’s web-site…
Posted from
United States
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I read this also. I couldn’t figure out if there was anything to what he says, or if he was just trying to cover his butt and point fingers for his failure.
Posted from
United States -
This article makes him sound like a total douchebag. Well, I for one, am glad he’s gone. What a jerk.
I wish Cobi Jones would come back tho.
Posted from
United States -
Melissa, Cobi’s still on the bench as a coach unless
you meant as a player.I don’t think Ruud has much of a point here. If
anything, it shows how he doesn’t understand how MLS is forced to work or, if you want to be generous, how he was sold a bill of goods on how the league did work.In it’s first decade the challenge MLS had to face
was limit growth so it didn’t price itself right out of existence. In this decade the challenge is going to be how not to become so set in their ways as to inhibit growth potential and die from that.Posted from
United States -
I am pretty new to the league (again) and am not well versed on its odd rules and bureaucracy, but I have to say from the little league that I watched in 1996, it has come a long way. Prior to this season, I had not attended a game since 2000, when I witnessed the Crew play KC, in which I found the skill painfully poor.
But having watched much this year, I see a lot of growth and potential for the future. Ruud is somehow right and wrong all in one. Soccer will not top the American charts for many, many years. I wonder when and if it will even get to the level it was in 1977-80? Will it take a serious World Cup run to acheive? I don’t know. Baseball, American Football and Basketball have a tremendous history in America that Soccer will never be able to unseat, but the fact that it doesn’t even reach the level of say a Nascar, Ultimate Fighting, or dare I say it, “Wrestling” is really disappointing.
SportsCenter doesn’t cover the MLS. Not consistently. That would be a huge help if the league could be covered in the regular rotation, but alas, it’s not. I see more UEFA Highlights, than MLS.
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United States -
I’m not sure what Gullit’s point is, since everyone in US soccer, both national team and MLS, have admitted openly that they are not looking to be the #1 sport in the US, at least not now. Garber has said that he sees the MLS in the near- to mid-future as a #4 sport, behind baseball, football, and basketball, but ahead of hockey (which is pretty reasonable).
Bleier7, I agree that the level has certainly improved since 1996, and it will only continue to grow. And I’m not sure why ESPN won’t play MLS and US soccer highlights more, considering that they have a broadcast deal with MLS and US Soccer, and it only makes sense to advertise your product. But I digress…
I can only imagine that Gullit is still shell-shocked from being fired from such a “backwards” and “disappointing” team, and that he’s not the great soccer coach or team savior he thought he was.
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United States -
I just read that Beckham may be on his way to AC Milan. That would be great. The Galaxy could get back to winning matches. Thay could stop paying big money to one player while making it impossible to bring in a batch of good players.
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United States -
Dave, we saw this last year, too. Europe still can’t get over the fact that we have someone they want. I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve read that say that Beckham is fed up and is leaving the Galaxy. Ultimately, Beckham has such a lucrative contract with AEG and MLS that he can’t really just up and leave. Sure, he might go train with Arsenal over the winter, but I doubt if I would see him leave.
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United States -
I know this is a Galaxy Blog, but this does pertain to one of your former employees……………………
Did you catch the soccer tennis promo from the Chivas USA website?
http://web.mlsnet.com/t120/chivas_de_corazon/2008/asto/
I found it interesting that Mr. Alexi “I hate everything about the Chivas USA organization, from the FO, to the players, to the Chivas Girls” Lalas will be participating.
Wow, the economy must be really bad…
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United States -
I don’t care what Ruud thinks, he turned out to be nothing more than a bully who could get the best from the team he had. He wasn’t here long enough to know what he’s talking about, the NBA was nothing here a few years ago with finals games games shown recorded late at night. Baseball used to reign over the NFL and now that’s changed.
Ultimatly the public will get what the public wants.
This season is a total loss so let’s foget it and think about next year. I for one would rather have a Galaxy with Beckham than without him.
Dave’s comments are off base because only $400k of Beckham’s salary comes from the Galaxy’s salary cap money.
Finally, does anyone know of another Galaxy blog, this one is as bad as Ruud was.
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United States -
Limey, don’t take it out on the blog. The others will come around when we start winning next season.
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United States -
I some ways he is correct. In 1990 it was predicted that the USA would be a soccer powerhouse by the year 2000?
What happended?
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United States -
I’m following Lee… In it’s first decade the challenge MLS had to face
was limit growth so it didn’t price itself right out of existence. In this decade the challenge is going to be how not to become so set in their ways as to inhibit growth potential and die from that.That’s how I see it. I’m a huge fan of the Ruud and I still think it was a bad break that he tanked here and left. I still say it was Big Timmy who screwed everyone six ways from sideways but hey, it’s over now.
I loved what the Dynamo’s Dominic Kinnear had to say about MLS and futbol in the USA… I dream of every city with a major stadium and a major club with reserves youth academies, women’s divisions. In socal, football is beating the crap outta throwball and baseball equally. So, “soccer” supremacy may not be as far off… maybe for now it’s a regional thing. I know more kids and adults who play footer than anything else. Either that or it’s the company I keep… I dunno. But it’s a hell-of-a long way form the bad ole days of NASL and “commie ball” I had to put up with in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
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United States -
I agree with Ruud Gullit. American men should be ashamed of themselves because they have not won the FIFA World Cup yet. USA cannot claim to be the greatest sports nation yet because she hasn’t won the greatest cup in sports yet.
Posted from
Malaysia
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