Sports Daily: The Rise of Soccer in America Edition

[RaychelSnr]

The NFL Draft still has us on a football high, the NBA and NHL playoffs are heating up, Major League Baseball is creeping towards the dog days of summer -- so lets talk about soccer.

"Soccer?! What an un-American thing to say!" But according to recent trends, that may not be as true as once thought. The World's sport isn't going to supplant any of our favorites like football, baseball or basketball; but it is earning its way into our conversations.

Television viewership is starting to creep up among Americans as soccer becomes a part of their sports-viewing buffet. And behind basketball, soccer is tops among American youth in terms of participation in organized athletics.

Sound Off: Where does soccer rank among your favorite sports right now?

Sports Headlines for May 12, 2014

• Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch has signed as a rookie free agent with the Bears -- as a running back.
• David Luiz set to transfer from Chelsea to Barcelona for £32 Million.
• High cost, corruption claims mar Brazil World Cup.
• Unbelievable paper airplane flight at a baseball game. [YouTube]
• Check out Kevin Durant's shot chart covering his entire NBA career. [Image]

[ps3veron]

Soccer has always been popular for me and I don't see it declining in our society any time soon. In fact, if you look at this whole generation of kids all growing up playing the game, I see it in the top 4 soon enough (if its not already there).

All the kids these days are part of soccer camp and melting pots like NY are only adding fuel to the fire. Out in the city, we got "Premier League Pubs", there's a Liverpool one that I go to and if you're not there by 7 AM, you're not getting in, its packed! I already feel that its replaced the NHL in certain parts of the country.

You have to understand that everyone in the world plays soccer. Its harder to afford say baseball/football equipment but if you get out to even the worst of the 3rd world (and I do work out there), you got kids and adults kicking a ball. Now everyone from all over comes to America and they're bringing soccer

Now after that very powerful post (if I do say so myself), lets just pray we get out of the group phase in Brazil because if we do, Soccer is getting even comfier on that lazy boy with a cold one.

[OSGuy321]

Soccer has come so far in a short time.

[statum71]

For me its moved up to 4th. Behind football, baseball, and basketball. Years ago it wasn't even on my radar.

I like hockey, Nascar, golf, tennis, boxing, and UFC. But I'd rather watch an EPL game instead. I credit alot of that to playing FIFA. That's when I became interested in soccer.

[asu666]

Over the past few years, football (let's face it, calling soccer football makes more sense) went from being a curiosity I knew little about to by far my favorite sport. I enjoy the global aspects of the game, playoffs/cup battles during the regular season, the club/national team splits that shuffle the deck for different competitions, and the quality of MLS rising, including the best streaming app on Apple tv.

MLS produces shows that help viewers really get to know the player, which is very important for the league and there's no annoying hip hop beat during commercials, the MLS app actually runs KICK tv and other mini shows during the commercial breaks. Plus, the thing I love most about football, I know the match is only going to run about 90 minutes and the coverage isn't stopping every two minutes for another commerical break.

[Turbojugend]

Never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but soccer is probably my #1 sport right now. Caught the bug playing FIFA 08 and haven't looked back since. This coming from someone who couldn't have cared less a decade ago.

I support our local MLS team, LA Galaxy, but my real passion is the English leagues. Not just the Prem but everything below it as well, there's so much drama and excitement. My team is Nottingham Forest and I hope they make the jump next year (what an epic collapse this season).

P.S. If you don't have an MLS team in your area, check out NASL. Plenty of good teams there as well.

[telstarranger]

Nothing like connecting to a sport that reflects a local to global passion. Everything in our wider culture, great and terrible, is reflected in the global culture of world football/soccer. My teams are Paris SG, Philadelphia Union. The decades-long patience that was required to see Paris finally win something (albeit with Qatari investment the likes of which skews the sport in ways I'm concerned about) informs my being a Founding Member of the Union and, long with my family, a SofB. Its all good, all fun, all passion and all connected to everything local and everything worldwide. Nothing like it.

[OSGuy321]

I really love the World Cup. There is nothing that comes even remotely close to it in all of Sports.