I have a doubt.

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 5:57 AM PDT

I am Spanish, and yesterday for curiosity I was looking at hearings of tv in USA. I was surprised when I saw that the finals of the NBA did not have great hearing. About it I want to ask you What is the ranking sport in USA. In Spain is:
1-soccer 70 %
2-bascketball 15 %
3-Tennis, cycling ... rest

Ah, and other question: Did you like the yesterday game? (Spain-Slovenia).

Thanks!! and the next season Blazers champions!!

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Viva Vivaunicaja!

American Football is, without doubt, most popular here. Go figure!

I heard Claver played well yesterday, which is happy news. I wish the Spanish squad luck through the rest of the tournament

"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy

by Honka Playboy on Aug 21, 2009 6:11 AM PDT reply actions

I would say...

The most popular sports in America are:

Football ( not Futbol )
Baseball
Basketball
Hockey
Golf

Sternocleidomastoid is by far the coolest muscle name.
That and Gracilis.

by GoBlaze22 on Aug 21, 2009 6:15 AM PDT reply actions

ok, thanks to GoBlaze22 and Honka Playboy. I thought that was the most popular baseball.

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 6:19 AM PDT reply actions

In the past it was

But American football (both Professional and College) exceeded Baseball quite a while back

"I'm tired" -Me

by 92wastheyear on Aug 22, 2009 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions

I think the rankings are

Football
Basketball
Baseball
NASCAR
Golf
Hockey
Poker
Bowling (PBA)
Billiards
Darts
Fast Walking
Soccer

by bad karma on Aug 21, 2009 6:44 AM PDT reply actions

Hey now

Your selling Soccer short it’s at least above fast walking.

Of course you forgot to put Track & Field, curling, and competitive ballroom dancing on your list. That would knock soccer down a few more notches.

by boppitywop on Aug 21, 2009 7:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Let's don't forget competitive eating....

ESPN has the dude eating hotdogs. And heaven knows, if you walk into a Walmart, you will realize this is a nation of CHAMPION competitive eaters…..

"I'm a man, but I can change.....if I have to......I guess." - Red Green

by antediluvian on Aug 21, 2009 8:32 AM PDT up reply actions

There's also Magic:The Gathering

One of the greatest laughs I’ve had in my life came while watching television about 10 years ago. I was flipping channels and landed on ESPN2 and their coverage of a tournament for the Magic:The Gathering card game. I had never played the game nor knew anyone who did, so I watched about 3 minutes of the coverage. One of the contestants was interviewed and said that he appreciated the coverage by ESPN2 so that “everyone can see what amazing athletes compete in our sport”. I nearly gave myself a hernia from laughter when I heard that……

by Storyteller on Aug 21, 2009 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions

No more humorous

Than professional poker. I mean, Jesus, at least choose a ‘sport’ that involves some movement, ESPN!

by DonkeyShins on Aug 21, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Magic and Poker and Chess are all mental sports

The Soviet Union gave Sportsman of the Year to chess players more frequently then to any other sport. (They were a bunch of commies, admittedly.) But even I won’t call these games “athletic competitions”. Just like Golf and Darts and NASCAR aren’t athletic competitions.

Other sports above soccer:
Boxing
Mixed Martial Arts
Winter Sports
Diving
Swimming
and Dog Shows

Are horse races, riding competitions, and dressage up there with soccer in the US? It’s gotta be close.

What I don’t get is why Sumo isn’t up there. Sumo is a great sport.

by LaoTzu on Aug 22, 2009 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions

The Big Three are in order: football, baseball, basketball

amazingly baseball is probably still #2 despite everyone knowing 75% of the players are cheaters

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Aug 21, 2009 7:18 AM PDT reply actions

cheaters?

Why are they cheaters? i´m interested

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 7:21 AM PDT up reply actions

performance enhancing drugs (PEDs)

Steroids, HGH, testosterone, etc.

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Aug 21, 2009 7:35 AM PDT up reply actions

ah, ok. I never thought that they needed dopping.

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 7:44 AM PDT up reply actions

They compete every day, and it has wrecked the statistics for power hitting

PEDs also help pitchers on recovery time and extending their vile careers.

by LaoTzu on Aug 22, 2009 8:49 AM PDT up reply actions

Soccer blows.

Why this sport is so widely touted around the globe is beyond me.

It also bothers me that baseball seems to be more popular than basketball, but I can live with that.

In my heart its:

Football (American)
Basketball
Baseball
All other sports except Aoccer
Picking daisies
Giving a sponge bath to an octogenarian
Soccer

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Aug 21, 2009 7:38 AM PDT reply actions

by Aoccer i mean Soccer.

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Aug 21, 2009 7:38 AM PDT up reply actions

I think that in Europe “your” baseball and football is like “our” soccer in USA. For we, football and baseball is boring.

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 7:53 AM PDT up reply actions

baseball is boring for a lot of people here.

But American Football? I don’t see how you can find soccer exciting and football boring. It defies logic.

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Aug 21, 2009 8:27 AM PDT up reply actions

Soccer is very tactical and tecnical. Is important undertand the game and to love a team. I imagine that the football is simillar, but for more that i watch it, i dont understant

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions

i agree, Like soccer, football is much better when you have a deeper understaning of the game

i was just an average football fan until i started playing it. to learn all the details of the game and tecnicalities of the game made me appreciate so much more.

bayless leaves over my dead body
andre miller>hedo

by thomasikehara on Aug 21, 2009 8:44 AM PDT up reply actions

yeah.

I wanted to say exactly.

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions

Soccer is all flow while football is all set plays

It might come down to personality.

Baseball is set plays, too. Maybe Americans have to be told when to get excited.

by LaoTzu on Aug 22, 2009 8:52 AM PDT up reply actions

I have always preferred American Football and Basketball

because of the format. Smaller goals built into the game (1st downs and field goals). Soccer (and by extension, hockey) is just 2-3 goals total and lot of running (or skating) around.

"I'm tired" -Me

by 92wastheyear on Aug 22, 2009 9:35 AM PDT up reply actions

baseball and cricket are civilized

you can have a sip of beer (or tea) while waiting for the pitcher (bowler). – Elgin

Without you out there, we're nowhere here

by 22baylor on Aug 25, 2009 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions

American Football games last three hours or more and most of the time the ball isn't even in play

Soccer matches last under two hours and the ball is always in play. Soccer, when played at the highest level, is far less boring than American Football, at least for me.

I also enjoy college football much more than the NFL.

by jksnake99 on Aug 21, 2009 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions

Some very good points there...

You could compress an entire NFL football game into about 8 minutes of real action I think. I don’t remember the last full NFL game I’ve sat and watched. Of course I’m a Rams fan (yeah… I know) so that could explain some of that. The electricity and pagentry of NCAA football makes it far more exciting to watch.

by Ilikeemall on Aug 21, 2009 12:16 PM PDT up reply actions

You could compress the action in a soccer game into about 1 minute.

Oh I slipped and fell. I think I will lay here and roll around on the ground for 5 minutes until I get some attention.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 21, 2009 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions

If all you're looking at is scoring plays...

…then you are right… but there is alot more to soccer for a real fan than scoring. Do you watch football for only the scoring plays?

I’m not saying I am a “real” soccer fan because I am not. It’s a cultural thing for other countries. They’ve always watched Soccer and watch it through different eyes than we do.

by Ilikeemall on Aug 21, 2009 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm just comparing the "real action" in football to the "real action" in soccer.

I understand there is a lot going on in both besides scoring. I think the bad acting on fake injuries is what annoys me the most about soccer. I don’t understand why soccer fans put up with that.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 21, 2009 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions

So BFS1970

What’s your opinion about flopping in the NBA?

;-)

by DonkeyShins on Aug 21, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not happy about flopping in the NBA either.

But in the NBA the player doesn’t lay there and roll around on the floor until they bring out a stretcher to carry him off, and then half way to the sideline hop off the stretcher and run back into the play.

OK, different games, different customs. I do get it. I watched most of the US Men’s and Women’s soccer games in the last Olympics. But I did fall asleep during one game. :)

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 21, 2009 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions

And given a choice, I'd rather watch Women's soccer than Women's basketball.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 21, 2009 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions

go Pilots!

Without you out there, we're nowhere here

by 22baylor on Aug 25, 2009 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Soccer is starting to do a better job on fake acting penalties

I saw a guy given a yellow card (equivalent to a technical or flagrant 1 foul)

by LaoTzu on Aug 22, 2009 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions

I used to watch football and root for whoever was on defense

But I was a D lineman.

by LaoTzu on Aug 22, 2009 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions

here is what I think America is at

NFL
College football
NBA
MLB
Nascar (I dont know why)
College basketball
NHL
Little League World Series
Soccer

For me:
NFL
NBA
College football
MLB
College basketball

bayless leaves over my dead body
andre miller>hedo

by thomasikehara on Aug 21, 2009 8:13 AM PDT reply actions

forgot about golf

bayless leaves over my dead body
andre miller>hedo

by thomasikehara on Aug 21, 2009 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions

Soccer

Would be more popular if ESPN showed a EPL match of the week in primetime of some sort. People in the US will never like soccer when their first experience is the MLS. Even the World Cup while there is a ton riding on it, is not as good as Club soccer because they don’t play with the national teams nearly as much.

Put an Arsenal vs. Man U game on at 6PM and see how peoples perceptions will change.

by RoyFTW on Aug 21, 2009 8:38 AM PDT reply actions

i agree.

But… why Man U or Arsenal?jeje, Spanish league is better than English ;).

by vivaunicaja2006 on Aug 21, 2009 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions

They are starting that

Every Saturday they are going to show an EPL game on ESPN2, starting with Wigan v. ManU tomorrow and I believe they are going to show La Liga matches on Tuesday.

The Champions League makes it onto ESPN and ESPN2 consistently.

Soccer is much more popular in the US than people have suggested above. When big clubs like ManU, Real Madrid, Inter, AC Milan, etc. play exhibition matches in the States, they sell out easily. Certainly, the American pro soccer league, MLS falls well behind the NFL (American Football), MLB, NBA and NASCAR but I think international soccer (ie World Cup, Champions League, etc.) is not far behind the NHL.

However, there’s no doubt that the top 4 sports in the US are American football, baseball, NASCAR (ugh I hate this sport) and basketball.

Personally, I love top level soccer and prefer it to all sports other than basketball.

by jksnake99 on Aug 21, 2009 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions

Champions League

Except for the final, most of the games are on at 11:30 where only the people who are already soccer fans are going to watch. One other considerations i think will come into play is that a lot more younger people (currently under 30) watch soccer than older people. May be generalizing but i think (using a KP word) soccer will organically grow in the us over time.

by RoyFTW on Aug 21, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm afraid a Heads Up poker tournament would beat soccer in the ratings.

When did Poker become a sport? When ESPN replaced arm wrestling with poker?

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 21, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions

When Rounders beat the box office returns of Over the Top.

Backcourt game - 24/7

by pxilpooshr on Aug 21, 2009 12:12 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

No No No

In Order:
Football (Life, Liberty, Football)
College Football (Go Ducks)
NBA/ MLB Tied (Baseball used to be above untill the PED’s came along)
Nascar (Red States got to love them)
Tiger Woods (no one cares about the rest of golf)
MLA/ NHL (I think are tied)
WWE
Boxing
Poker
Horse Racing
Little League Baseball World Series
Spelling Bee Challenge
Soccer

Draft Cole Aldrich 2010

by jlarose78 on Aug 21, 2009 12:06 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Opps Typo - MMA not MLA

Draft Cole Aldrich 2010

by jlarose78 on Aug 21, 2009 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions

I would rather watch competitive eating than most of those "sports"

Soccer for top 5

by Norsktroll on Aug 21, 2009 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions

My list...

Blazer Basketball
Beaver Football
Nascar
Other College Football
Other NBA games
College Basketball
NFL

And yeah I watch Poker, Golf, Billiards etc…

You notice MLB is missing from the list. The Little League WS is great to watch. Those kids are so jacked up to be out there and it never fails to create real human drama. Pro baseball on the other hand is absolutely boring to watch. I’d rather watch Soccer.

by Ilikeemall on Aug 21, 2009 12:25 PM PDT reply actions

My opinion, but...

Soccer is far less exciting than american football or basketball. When I hear fans say that soccer is the best sport in the world, the only reason why I ever hear is the fact that it’s the most popular sport in the world. While true, this is no proof of how good or exciting a sport is. Soccer is played all around the world and by children as soon as they can walk. If you grow up playing and watching anything like people do with soccer, then of course you’re going to like it more that a sport you have never been around. This is why soccer continues to be so popular. And popularity like that is close to impossible to break.

I just am not able to believe that to an unbiased person, soccer would be the most entertaining sport of all. It’s mostly just a bunch of people running and kicking a ball around. Yes, and once in a long while they it into a net and score a point. Please tell me how that compares in entertainment value to either basketball or american football. If you love soccer, it’s probably because you grew up playing it.

by Coastie07 on Aug 21, 2009 1:24 PM PDT reply actions

I saw in Sports Illustrated recently

That basketball is the most PLAYED team sport in America. Football is by far the most viewed, but more people play basketball

I dislike soccer because I find most of the action doesn’t really affect the final score. And I agree that NFL games are boring if you don’t record them via Tivo or something similar. My family records them, and we watch an NFL game in an hour or 90 minutes at most – much more exciting.

You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.

by austinpwnz on Aug 21, 2009 4:04 PM PDT reply actions