[Nick Prussakov]

Anyone feeling that yet, especially in LA? The expectation of him is crazy high right now, but if I were getting that sort of money, I wouldn't mind the pressure.

[Brent E.]

Hi Nick,

I think I can speak for most people in Boston..Nobody really cares. This has gotten a quarter of the buzz that Yao or Dice-K got when they came over to the States to play a professional sport. Soccer is really an insignificant sport in the eyes of most Americans. Even Hockey is bigger than soccer, from a fan base standpoint. The MLS has a long long way to go before they are any kind of draw in the U.S., and it is going to take more than just David Beckham to make it happen.

[Nick Prussakov]

I guess, you're right, Brent. Although Pele did manage to gather huge crowds (as Beckham mentioned himself before coming over to the US), nothing changed afterwards. Victoria will definitely make more impact than her husband. Unfortunately, it will not be seen in the MLS... But what is needed to change football/soccer? Is it possible to make it a top sport at all? What does everyone think?

[Vinny O'Hare]

Soccer will never catch on in the US - First thing that bothers me is that you never know when the game is over, whats with this injury add on time. People need to know when the game is gonna end.

The should give the goalie a paint gun and let him shoot the players as the approach the net, that would make it watchable.

When Pele retired the whole league went bankrupt. Most people that watched pele are dead so those fans need to be replaced.

[nakedgamer]

My kids play soccer, but nobody around here cares about either of them. Guess we are all tired of celebrities.

[cbsturg]

Originally Posted by nakedgamer

My kids play soccer, but nobody around here cares about either of them.

Who, your kids?

Originally Posted by nakedgamer

Guess we are all tired of celebrities.

Ah...Beckham and company...

FWIW, there's not much that can be done to make soccer popular. The World Cup has drawn a bigger audience the last couple of go arounds, but in the end, people aren't going to be real huge into MLS. I personally think that's pretty sad, but then again, I don't watch MLS games on TV, either. Though I do watch a good Mexican game from time to time when my wife is out (she isn't too into watching soccer on TV, much less in a language she can't follow...).

These recent threads about MLS remind me of that Simpson episode when everyone went to a soccer match and a riot started out because of boredom. Man, that one's a classic!

[simcat]

If US EVER makes a dent in WorldCup, things will start to change, but not a lot...

The should give the goalie a paint gun and let him shoot the players as the approach the net, that would make it watchable

Excellent!

[Brent E.]

That really is a great question. I think the reason is because we have the best basketball, baseball and football leagues in the world and a subpar soccer league. There is only so much time in a day, would I rather spend it watching my beloved Red Sox, or the New England Revolution(redsox). Who wants to watch the guys that can't make it in Europe because they are not good enough. I personally LOVE watching the world cup because the level of play is top-notch. But when you have the New England Revolution playing the Chicago Fire, ehh not so exciting. I played soccer my entire life growing up, and can not get involved in watching the US version of the sport. I would best compare the level of play to that of the XFL, the players were capable, they just weren't the best. We all know what happend to the XFL, got the big pink slip.

[Paul_Ward]

Originally Posted by cbsturg

FWIW, there's not much that can be done to make soccer popular.

The old American insularity! "Soccer" the rest of the world calls it "Football" or a variation on this - is the game of the world - just not in the USA.