Not surprising for anybody who has kids. Soccer is growing exponentially in popularity. While MLB has been flat or losing popularity since the 1994 strike.

 

 

For the first time in the 20-year history of the ESPN Sports Poll, Major League Soccer has caught up with Major League Baseball in one significant marker of popularity.

 

In the survey, both leagues can claim 18 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds as avid fans of their sport, the poll said.

 

 

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/174052...ll?cc=5901

 

It also echos a poll published in 2012 which showed soccer trailing only football as the most popular sport in the US amongst people ages 12-24.

 

http://sportspath.typepad.com/files/socc...-climb.pdf

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Baseball as a national sport has been dying a slow death the last 20 years. Locally, the game is a success but across the country it is nowhere near what it used to be. Meanwhile soccer (MLS and otherwise) is hugely popular among kids and young adults. Older adults hate to hear that though.

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This confirms what I, and many others have believed since the beginning.

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I like baseball and I do follow it and follow box scores ect.. But I lost a lot of respect for the game following the doping and HGH scandals.. Such a shame..

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I put 100% blame on Bud Selig for the sinking of MLB Baseball..

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i feel bad for everyone who loves baseball... but i grew up playing soccer so its pretty cool to see the popularity of the sport in this country rise... its a game that has alot of history... what sucks is that i generally find american football fans dislike soccer and soccer fans seem to dislike football, most of which have never watched the other sport with any sort of intent to learn it, but non the less, it seems to be the general consensus.

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Baseball as a national sport has been dying a slow death the last 20 years. Locally, the game is a success but across the country it is nowhere near what it used to be. Meanwhile soccer (MLS and otherwise) is hugely popular among kids and young adults. Older adults hate to hear that though.

 

Uh, except that isn't true.

 

Attendance and revenues for MLB are higher than they've ever been.

 

Of course soccer is popular among kids. Has been for quite a long time - primarily because so many kids have been exposed to soccer in school, as it's inexpensive for the school and easy to learn and play as a kid. The problem is, or has been, that the soccer love tends to wane after kids leave school. Perhaps MLS will be a vehicle to hold their interest.

 

Who says you can't like both?

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

I like baseball and I do follow it and follow box scores ect.. But I lost a lot of respect for the game following the doping and HGH scandals.. Such a shame..

 

"Lost a lot of respect"? You have to "respect" a game?

 

Do you follow the NFL? Do you respect it, even though steroid use was rampant in the '70s (and probably still exists to a lesser or greater degree), and there still isn't HGH testing?

 

I try and separate the game from some of the less than perfect people who play or run the leagues and organizations.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

"Lost a lot of respect"? You have to "respect" a game?


Do you follow the NFL? Do you respect it, even though steroid use was rampant in the '70s (and probably still exists to a lesser or greater degree), and there still isn't HGH testing?


I try and separate the game from some of the less than perfect people who play or run the leagues and organizations.

I've been a Boston Redsox fan for damn near 40 years.. Yes, you have to respect the game in order to "hang in there".. Whether you choose to believe that or not, its true.

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"Lost a lot of respect"? You have to "respect" a game?


Do you follow the NFL? Do you respect it, even though steroid use was rampant in the '70s (and probably still exists to a lesser or greater degree), and there still isn't HGH testing?


I try and separate the game from some of the less than perfect people who play or run the leagues and organizations.

Do you follow anything besides the NFL? I can't stand Goodell, but if Selig was as proactive against doping as Goodell is, there never would have been as big of problem as there was..

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I've been a Boston Redsox fan for damn near 40 years.. Yes, you have to respect the game in order to "hang in there".. Whether you choose to believe that or not, its true.

 

No offense, but it's sort of amusing that a fan of the Red Sox will get holier than thou. Tom Yawkey was a racist and jerk, yet people seem to have no problem overlooking that and enjoying Boston baseball.

 

The same can be done re Selig and enjoying major and minor league ball.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

So what is the new Commish expected to do that hasn't been initiated by Selig?


I'm no Selig fan, but I don't think there is some saint out there who will lead MLB into some promised land.


Contrary to popular belief, major league baseball is doing very well and will continue to thrive for the foreseeable future.


For some reason many people like to rag on MLB, as many people like to rag on soccer. Don't know how that helps whatever case they are trying to make for their sport.

Initiated??? It took him from 1998 to 2005 and his [BLEEP] hauled in before congress to "initiate" a more strict doping policy when the damage was already done..

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So don't give me that Selig did nothing wrong arguement..

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Initiated??? It took him from 1998 to 2005 and his [BLEEP] hauled in before congress to "initiate" a more strict doping policy when the damage was already done..

 

The same can be said about the NFL. And many are now saying that very thing about the NFL and concussions.

 

Why are you holding Selig to a standard you don't seem to hold others to?

 

I guess if you love a sport enough you can look the other way (as many of us have done re the NFL and concussions, the Redskins, PEDs, gambling, etc.)

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

The same can be said about the NFL. And many are now saying that very thing about the NFL and concussions.


Why are you holding Selig to a standard you don't seem to hold others to?


I guess if you love a sport enough you can look the other way (as many of us have done re the NFL and concussions, the Redskins, PEDs, gambling, etc.)

Because Selig is still the commissioner when he shouldn't be.. That's why..

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MLB Baseball would have never taken such a hit if it wasn't for Selig's lackadasical performance..

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Because Selig is still the commissioner when he shouldn't be.. That's why..

 

Well, Sarah Palin could be commissioner and I'll still watch, occasionally attend, and enjoy baseball. Selig didn't kill it, it's much stronger than that.

 

The self-righteous can pontificate if it makes them feel better. Doesn't bother me. Many also pontificate about what Goodell is "doing to the game" and yet I still enjoy the NFL.

 

And I'll watch some of the World Cup. So there.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

Well, Sarah Palin could be commissioner and I'll still watch, occasionally attend, and enjoy baseball. Selig didn't kill it, it's much stronger than that.


The self-righteous can pontificate if it makes them feel better. Doesn't bother me. Many also pontificate about what Goodell is "doing to the game" and yet I still enjoy the NFL.


And I'll watch some of the World Cup. So there.

MLB Baseball will never die.. It was just severely tarnished. Which wouldn't have happened with a competent commissioner in place..

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MLB Baseball would have never taken such a hit if it wasn't for Selig's lackadasical performance..

 

To the contrary - he looked the other way to continue the exceptional popularity baseball was experiencing.

 

And what "hit" are you referencing? You may think that somehow now MLB is beneath you, but MLB is doing just fine, in revenues and popularity.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

To the contrary - he looked the other way to continue the exceptional popularity baseball was experiencing.


And what "hit" are you referencing? You may think that somehow now MLB is beneath you, but MLB is doing just fine, in revenues and popularity.

Of course he looked the other way.. Which was the cause of all the doping scandals in the first place..

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