Ball ball ball, footie footie footie, ball ball ball, football!
December 5, 2008 4:14 PM Subscribe
The future of soccer in America is black, female and from the inner-city.
What do you mean this isn't an advertisement for the feel good movie of the Holiday season?
posted by Chan at 4:28 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Chan at 4:28 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
The future of soccer in America is black, female and from the inner-city.
WNBA level of popularity here we come!
posted by MikeMc at 4:35 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
WNBA level of popularity here we come!
posted by MikeMc at 4:35 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
Heh. That's because that's what the entire rest of the world calls it. You lot play "American Football".
The title is from the football song by Adam and Joe, in case anyones wondering.
posted by Artw at 4:36 PM on December 5, 2008
The title is from the football song by Adam and Joe, in case anyones wondering.
posted by Artw at 4:36 PM on December 5, 2008
It's a nice enough article, even if "inner city kids play a game that's associated with middle-class white kids and whip the white kids' asses" has become a total sports journalism cliche (I think the NYTimes did one about rugby a week or two ago), but I'm not convinced that those girls really are the future of American soccer. If I had to guess, I'd wager that the future of American soccer lies in first-generation kids whose parents immigrated from places where soccer is the dominant sport, although I could be wrong about that.
posted by craichead at 4:41 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by craichead at 4:41 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
What a great story—thanks for sharing it!
I am very confused by the fact that this article keeps talking about football, but is clearly referring to soccer.
No you're not, but thanks for trying to derail the thread with a stupid joke.
posted by languagehat at 4:42 PM on December 5, 2008 [3 favorites]
I am very confused by the fact that this article keeps talking about football, but is clearly referring to soccer.
No you're not, but thanks for trying to derail the thread with a stupid joke.
posted by languagehat at 4:42 PM on December 5, 2008 [3 favorites]
Huh. A single anomalous all-black women's soccer team has a good season, and he's going on about it like the future of American sports will be A) mostly black, B) mostly female, and C) mostly soccer. Okay.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:47 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by Sys Rq at 4:47 PM on December 5, 2008
This article over promises and under delivers. I am glad there's a successful soccer team in the inner city but still not quite sure how it's the most important thing in American sport.
posted by cell divide at 4:57 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by cell divide at 4:57 PM on December 5, 2008
If you'd like to make a donation to the Anderson Monarchs (and thus hasten the emergence of the US as a major soccer power - hear 50m English folk soil themselves in terror)...
Half of me gets all nationalistic (our right little, tight little island shall endure! we shall play them on the beaches, etc...) The other half thinks that it would be really, really funny if everyone in England pooed themselves simultaneously. That's my main thought having read this article. Probably not the author's intention, but there you go.
posted by marmaduke_yaverland at 4:58 PM on December 5, 2008
Half of me gets all nationalistic (our right little, tight little island shall endure! we shall play them on the beaches, etc...) The other half thinks that it would be really, really funny if everyone in England pooed themselves simultaneously. That's my main thought having read this article. Probably not the author's intention, but there you go.
posted by marmaduke_yaverland at 4:58 PM on December 5, 2008
I'd say really the appeal of the sport has more to do with who can make the most money from the marketing of it, than who is playing it.
With football, you have two 45 minute halves, with almost no interruptions, which give US broadcasters very little in the way to offer their advertisers much to work with. And when they do manage to air it, they somehow mess it up, blocking action with their onscreen ads, trying to cut to commercials, etc.
American Football and Baseball were practically MADE for selling ad revenue. Until broadcasters can make as much from 90+ minutes of football as they can from American Football, Baseball, or two one hour tv shows (which have around 20 minutes of ads revenue potential), it wont get the air time. Without the airtime, you can't grow the audience, and more importantly, you can't make the sport sexy.
posted by mrzarquon at 5:07 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
With football, you have two 45 minute halves, with almost no interruptions, which give US broadcasters very little in the way to offer their advertisers much to work with. And when they do manage to air it, they somehow mess it up, blocking action with their onscreen ads, trying to cut to commercials, etc.
American Football and Baseball were practically MADE for selling ad revenue. Until broadcasters can make as much from 90+ minutes of football as they can from American Football, Baseball, or two one hour tv shows (which have around 20 minutes of ads revenue potential), it wont get the air time. Without the airtime, you can't grow the audience, and more importantly, you can't make the sport sexy.
posted by mrzarquon at 5:07 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
With all due respect to Steven Wells and Michael Bamberger, the future of soccer in America is black, male and from New Jersey.
posted by stargell at 5:23 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by stargell at 5:23 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
So, uh, Beckham didn't work out then?
posted by klangklangston at 5:31 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by klangklangston at 5:31 PM on December 5, 2008
I'd think the future of American Football, is pretty much exactly where it's been for an awful long time, in America.
posted by oddman at 6:23 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by oddman at 6:23 PM on December 5, 2008
The few times I've spent watching the sport while drinking in a pub have been ridiculously fun.
posted by dhammond at 6:42 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by dhammond at 6:42 PM on December 5, 2008
Philadelphia is a lovely city, safe, sorta block to block but... not at all the city described here. Football, on the other hand... now that's scary.
posted by Phantast at 7:20 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by Phantast at 7:20 PM on December 5, 2008
With football, you have two 45 minute halves, with almost no interruptions, which give US broadcasters very little in the way to offer their advertisers much to work with. And when they do manage to air it, they somehow mess it up, blocking action with their onscreen ads, trying to cut to commercials, etc.
nah... they've done away with most of the absolutely infuriating attempts like cutaways, side-by-sides, etc.... but eventually owners and the league will make money from advertising just like they do in england and on the continent: jersey sponsors and video adboards, with occaisional tie-ins, like VW did for MLS Cup. They don't need to be as lucrative as helmetball or baseball, just make some money and grow slowly year after year.
posted by acid freaking on the kitty at 7:20 PM on December 5, 2008
nah... they've done away with most of the absolutely infuriating attempts like cutaways, side-by-sides, etc.... but eventually owners and the league will make money from advertising just like they do in england and on the continent: jersey sponsors and video adboards, with occaisional tie-ins, like VW did for MLS Cup. They don't need to be as lucrative as helmetball or baseball, just make some money and grow slowly year after year.
posted by acid freaking on the kitty at 7:20 PM on December 5, 2008
If you are really into soccer you can go to Melbourne, Australia, right now, for the Homeless World Cup and see Corny Bracy.
posted by Xurando at 7:22 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by Xurando at 7:22 PM on December 5, 2008
I know that block in the photo really well, that's where one of my former client's neighbor's kids got mauled by a crack dealer's pitbull, I've mentioned it on here before. I spent almost all day, every day in that neighborhood for about a year straight for work, it's heroin central and also notoriously heavy with drug addict streetwalker prostitutes.
posted by The Straightener at 7:27 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by The Straightener at 7:27 PM on December 5, 2008 [1 favorite]
Actually, just a little down the road you can find the future of soccer in Philly.
posted by stargell at 8:13 PM on December 5, 2008
posted by stargell at 8:13 PM on December 5, 2008
Americans play American football.
Britons play soccer. (originally a British nickname: association football --> "assoc" --> soccer)
Canadians play Canadian football. Let's just say we like a little unlimited backfield movement, if you know what I mean.
The American and Canadian games are both variants of rugby football, a thug's game played by gentlemen (and also by Australians).
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 11:16 PM on December 5, 2008
Britons play soccer. (originally a British nickname: association football --> "assoc" --> soccer)
Canadians play Canadian football. Let's just say we like a little unlimited backfield movement, if you know what I mean.
The American and Canadian games are both variants of rugby football, a thug's game played by gentlemen (and also by Australians).
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 11:16 PM on December 5, 2008
Boys play football, girls play soccer, and geeks and gays code and design.
posted by deusdiabolus at 1:54 AM on December 6, 2008
posted by deusdiabolus at 1:54 AM on December 6, 2008
Arguments over what gets to be called football are daft. They're all different codes of football, and the dominant code where you are is Football. In NSW and Queensland Rugby League is football. In most of the rest of Australia it's Aussie Rules. There are probably parts of Australia where it's Rugby Union. In most places in the world soccer is Football. Claiming unique ownership of the name when they're all different codes of football is crazy.
I tell you what's also crazy. Kicking a ball, chasing after it and then kicking it again. Seriously, just pick it up. Silly sods.
posted by vbfg at 2:30 AM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
I tell you what's also crazy. Kicking a ball, chasing after it and then kicking it again. Seriously, just pick it up. Silly sods.
posted by vbfg at 2:30 AM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
Did you see that ludicrous display last night ?
(Sorry I couldn't resist.)
posted by Webbster at 7:25 AM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
(Sorry I couldn't resist.)
posted by Webbster at 7:25 AM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
Did you see that ludicrous display last night ?
What was Wenger thinking sending Walcott on so early?
:-)
posted by gyc at 5:54 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
What was Wenger thinking sending Walcott on so early?
:-)
posted by gyc at 5:54 PM on December 6, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ludicrous is naming a game football in which the ball is held in your hands or cradled in your arms 99% of the time.
posted by oddman at 7:23 PM on December 6, 2008
posted by oddman at 7:23 PM on December 6, 2008
One given football etymology comes from games played on foot, usually by commons or peasants, as opposed to games played on horseback by aristocrats. There are even games called “football” where kicking the ball is not allowed.
Also, to The Straightener, Oh. My bad.
posted by Phantast at 1:38 PM on December 7, 2008
Also, to The Straightener, Oh. My bad.
posted by Phantast at 1:38 PM on December 7, 2008
Australian rules football, as you would expect, is a fightening affair played by maniacs.
posted by Artw at 2:13 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by Artw at 2:13 PM on December 7, 2008
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