I’m not fully sure I understand all the soccer bashing appearing
here, but things should at least be put into context. Having
played for 23 years, there have been peaks and valleys. When
Pele, the most celebrated global athlete moved from Brazil to the New
York Cosmos, there were tons of even Americans who viewed. His
following would be the envy of even Jordan.
Not since has anyone in this country sparked such an interest in the
sport. His legacy has been the millions of kids having played the
sport, including myself.
Now, back to context. We should be aware that the ’06 viewing audience in the country was up substantially. Lest folks fall off the FACT wagon:
Preliminary ratings for the broadcast by Walt Disney
Co.-owned (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ABC of the opening weekend of the 2006 World
Cup soccer championship rose 65 percent over the 2002
tournament, ESPN, ABC’s sister station, said on Monday.
Spanish-language broadcaster Univision (UVN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) also
reported on Monday that its World Cup audience for the
tournament’s first eight games nearly tripled over the same
period in 2002.
I’m not sure how our soccer bashers miss the context here. An
increase of 65% and a tripling of audience isn’t a decline in
interest. Peripheral but of interest, the indoor soccer stadium
here in Asheville, privately funded, is doing great!
