World Cup Fever....... Well in Those Other Countries.

With the FIFA World Cup underway soccer fans around the world tune in to watch all the "action" while North American fans watch baseball and the next UFC PPV. Analysts have tried (and failed) for years to understand why soccer just can't break the North American sports barrier. It has in places (Seattle just after the Sonics left for example), but overall it is somewhere below the PGA and the NHL on most American radars. The thing is, it isn't the sport. Sure it is slow, but ever watch an NFL game? Sure it can be boring, but ever watch two UFC fighters roll on the ground for 15 minutes or watch two National league teams in a pitching battle? The truth is that soccer, or indeed European sports culture, just doesn't mix with the North American sports culture. To make soccer work in North American markets, you can't have Euro sports fever.

The best team doesn't always (or even often) win

Lawyerball-

Round robins. Two teams have tied. In a US market it is a playoff game, in soccer it is on aggregate. Sure, you both have a 2-2 record, but team A scored more goals in an away setting while team B allowed more goals at home to team A than team A did to team B so by an aggregate setting Team A won. Lawyerball.

Shootouts-

I hate these in the NHL, but at least they keep them to the regular season. Teams have won World Cups in shootouts. Shootouts don't make you the best at that sport, they make you the best at one small artificial aspect of that sport. Imagine if the World Series was decided in a home run derby? UFC fighters go three rounds without a winner so they each punch a punching bag, hardest punch wins? Shootouts have the same problem as the round robin, it stinks of winning without really winning.

Diving-

here we see the best player in the world falling down

to get a free kick. He will not be penalized for this.

When diving became a problem in the NBA they introduced several new rules to curb it. Although not 100% successful it has been largely so. It is because flopping (as the NBA calls diving) was considered to be harming the credibility of the game and giving unfair advantage to inferior players and teams..... and they were right. In soccer it is a part of the game. While Europeans seem to be okay with this, it becomes a source of humour for sports fans on the other side of the pond. I am not saying that North American sports don't have cheaters (Hi Alex Rodriguez), but unlike FIFA, MLB actually do something about it (bye Alex Rodriguez).

Accusations of bribery and cheating seen reasonable-

Qatar got the 2022 cup because their Sultan paid FIFA a shit ton of cash, plain and simple. 

I am not saying that referees deliberately make bad calls, but with no instant replay and very few consequences for bad officiating, the accusation carries weight it never would in the NHL or MLB. When a Japanese official hands the six time champions and host nation a victory, one wonders how much of a contribution to his retirement fund the Yakuza made. Again, the best teams don't always win, though oddly enough the ones that generate the most revenue do........

Fags!

North American sports culture is, to be polite, masculine. Smashing someone in to plexi-glass, diving at the head first, and hitting them with a 90 mph fastball are all part of the game. While there are some genuine concerns that this sports culture has created a bunch of angry, unfeeling men, it is what it is.

a 7 Time UFC Champion

I have argued that rugby could break the NA market just fine, but there just isn't a big enough market for it (being filled by the NFL/CFL and NHL) but there is a real intolerance towards certain types of men in NA. Men who aren't "real men" (NOT be be mistaken for an intolerance for homosexuals, who are cool... you know.... as long as they aren't fags... you know... anyway, game on). For example, in 2006, seven members of the Italian national team were modelling in the off season. Try telling the average US sports fan that a bunch of injury faking models beat them on aggregate and see how long it takes for people to flip to the Yankees game. I am in no way endorsing this outright, but I have to admit that winning by diving in to aggregate does seem a bit, well, beta male to me.

only an asshole has a problem with this guy

This guy can't leave his house

Now you can call that aspect of NA sports culture barbaric, and many people do, but it isn't going anywhere. UFC is the fastest growing sport in NA by a wide margin. Despite criticisms, the rules are fair and competitors chosen based on skill and size. While judges do make bad calls (as in any sport) there is a real drive to be fair. And yeah, two guys beat the crap out of each other, awesome. You can't dive your way to a UFC championship, and fans know it. Just remember, in NA 

this guy is a golfer

Soccer Doesn't Actually Suck-

It doesn't. Really. Honest. MLS has done a great job of adapting soccer to the NA market. They still must use certain rules set out by FIFA that will keep it in the 2-3% of the market range, but lets be honest, that percentage is worth more than the entire market of most European countries. They actually do punish diving (not enough but they do), they have playoffs, they don't have aggregate scoring and winning. It has a base among immigrant communities and expats but it is growing. The sport itself isn't a bad one, in fact without all the bs is can be quite exciting. Attempts to import European sports culture with the game is what kills it. One only need look to Australia to see soccer adapted for a more masculine society successfully. While it will never compete with Australian Rules Football or National Rugby League, it has a solid base and enjoys the sort of position that the NBA enjoys in America. Not sure MLS can ever be that, but it also isn't going anywhere. 

NA sports = mens men and fair play. Without these things your sports doesn't stand a chance.

Most NA sports fans can get exited about this guy

Not so sure about this guy.

KOTESOL Conference

Saturday was the national KOTESOL conference in Daegu, where I went to hear Charles Brown from Japan speak on EFL words and vocabulary. It actually gave me some great ideas for a thesis next year. He was an interesting guy. There were a few other speakers, one from Abu Dhabi who was great and one who seemed a leftover from the 1960's (English is American imperialism man). Anyway, it was mostly interesting.

It was also held at Kyungpook University, which is a cool place in its own right. On a beautiful day I did cut out to take a few pics of the campus, though by 3pm it was 36 degrees and the university had aircon so I didn't go out much after that. Anyway, a few pics:

South entrance to KNU

The Campus

KNU "Central Park"

Campus

Old building

Statue, dunno of what exactly

After the dinner I went out with Jon, his wife and their friends to Wolgwang Lake park for dinner and drinks. It was great and I look forward to doing it again soon.