Not sure if you’re aware, but there was some kind of big soccer tournament in Europe for the past, what seems like 6 months. I guess it is a pretty big deal.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a soccer fan. It stems from being dragged to my brother’s soccer games all over Massachusetts as a kid. I was forced to sit in all kinds of weather and watch while my brother had fun and I suffered. Soccer successfully ruined a great number of weekends for me for years.
My dislike of the sport may be a result of these terrible days of tourture perpetrated by my parents, but my feelings are shared by the majority of Americans.
Meanwhile, there is this niche group of Americans that thrive on watching soccer. They’re up at all hours of the day watching games in England, Paraguay and Italy. Not only that, but the majority of the world is on the same bandwagon.
Listen, I understand that not everyone likes the same things. I’m sure there is something I like, that the soccer bros don’t. It’s all well and good. What really bothers me is the snobbishness of these die hard soccer fans. They talk about the game and how much they love it, and if someone happens to say it’s boring, they go on the attack.
These folks are incredibly defensive and insecure about the game. When they tell non-soccer fans that they are “uncultured” and “developmentally disabled” for not liking the sport.
I saw people all over Twitter commenting on the Euro Championship. I make one comment on how boring the games are, and all of these fans come after me. Things devolved into me offering a few simple changes to improve the sport and a few of them offering childish insults after I did so.
The soccer hooligans always say, “Well, football (soccer) is the most popular sport in the world, how can it be bad?” Well, that is just a matter of perspective. I’ll give an example that I’ve given a few times that is totally equivalent. Taylor Swift is probably the most popular musical act in the world today. Does that make her the best musical act? No. It does not. These same soccer bros are the ones who will tell you that if a song is popular or a big hit, it isn’t as good as the deep cut on some indie groups’ album.
It all comes down to what people like and don’t like. I don’t like soccer and some people do. I know there is somebody out there that thinks American football (real football) is boring. I disagree with you, but I am not going to call you sophomoric names for not liking what I like. It just reeks of sensitivity and insecurity.
We’ve heard forever that soccer is going to take off in the US. It never has, and probably never will. It is simply a cultural thing. Soccer just doesn’t click with most Americans and that’s ok. There will always be that niche crowd that loves the game and watches it religiously. I respect the passion of these fans.
Here’s a bit of advice for you, acting like a raging douche when someone says the game is boring isn’t a great way to get more people to like your sport full of flopping superstars and mysterious “injury time.”
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