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"Here's to you, raise your glass...Here's to you,
you're a horses..."
by Viking64@home.com
A soccer fan in the United States must have some basic
characteristics that could best be described as distasteful, at least to people "on
the outside." I declare that fans of soccer, in the United States, are actually
different than the fans of other American sports. By "the other sports," I mean
the big six. Even if a soccer fan likes one of the big six, if they like soccer, they are
still different than the mainstream fans of the big six that don't like soccer, or don't
care about it. And I want to thank all of you soccer fans for your dogged determination to
stick out of the crowd.
You see, I like soccer fans, because in my experience they genuinely like the sport, and
whether they've played it or not, they get very passionate about soccer. Today when
cynicism and distance are the signs of faux-sophistication, they get very passionate about
the sport, and the cultural aspects of the sport. Although some soccer support can
degenerate into gross provincialism, that depth of feeling and the affinity supporters
feel for their clubs is something I savor.
Genuine soccer fans in the United States have a healthy measure of individualism,
appreciate foreign athletes and their accomplishments, tend to be cosmopolitan in their
outlook, and they can deal with ambiguity. I enjoy these characteristics, even if others
do not find these traits charming.
If you are a fan of professional soccer living in the United States, you probably are not
big on conformity. Since the mainstream culture and media apply unreal amounts of pressure
to conform to "the American way," a soccer fan who braves the scorn of
anti-soccer fans and general ambivalence is a rather brave soul. How many fans of the big
six would stay loyal to their sport if pressure was applied to them to conform? Soccer
fans survive despite the adversity, like when your average sports editorialist writes that
he hopes your league folds. Soccer fans endure when the talking head on the local sports
broadcast plainly admits he couldn't care less about the sport, and then takes a perverse
joy in making mistakes about it.
By comparison, look at the numerous fans in the big six. When their team is not the
"in team," they have long since left the bandwagon for greener pastures. Teams
come and go, and so does their revenue from merchandise. A lot of people like the Olympics
because it's international competition. I assert that a lot of Americans like the Olympics
because the United States wins a lot. If the United States did not win all the time, I
seriously doubt the Olympics would be so interesting to the average American sports fan.
Supporting a team or an athlete that loses is "un-American." Unless of course,
you have a group you can conform to in the process.
The ability to take interest and pride in the sporting accomplishments of people from
another country is also unique to soccer fans. The European soccer scene is very big with
American pro soccer fans. And even as MLS grows and gains stature, European and Latin
American soccer will not decline in popularity here. American pro soccer fans take pride
in supporting Santos, Colo Colo, Chivas, Boca Junior, Rangers, Celtic, Bayern Munich,
Arsenal, Lazio, Real Barcelona and Real Madrid, and a host of other teams to which they
have little or no direct connection (i.e. they can't go to games). The World Cup is very
popular here in the United States, yet the United States has finished no better than the
final sixteen for over 30 years. The concept that "something a foreign sports team
does is important," is unique to soccer fans. Imagine a World Cup of basketball in
the United States. Now imagine the U.S. lost in the second round. Would the remaining
games sell out to crowds in the tens of thousands? Not. And before you mention tennis and
golf, the Davis Cup is hardly a headline maker, and the Ryder Cup was peacefully ensconced
in the golf world until Colin Montgomery made an idiot of himself and ruined the Ryder Cup
in the process. But I digress, tennis and golf are not the big six.
It follows that a pro soccer fan in the United States is also likely to be cosmopolitan.
Webster's defines that as "having world-wide rather than limited provincial scope or
bearing." In an American context, that's at least a nation-wide and international
perspective. Your average pro soccer fan probably owns a computer linked to the Internet,
flies on a plane occasionally, travels nationally if not internationally, and has, at
minimum, a passing interest people from other countries. I wager they don't make up much
of the population that lives and dies within 25 miles of their birth place. Millions of
U.S. residents have lived abroad, where soccer began to pique their interest. Those who
have lived abroad bring a nice world view to the circle of soccer fans, enriching the
communication. I've been privy to soccer talk that went into tangent exchanges on French
literature, poetry, music, art, politics, mass media, and on several occasions, sex.
Finally, soccer fans don't have a problem with ambiguity. A tie is a tie, and an
acceptable result in a sporting match. The fact that 10 out of 11 soccer players on the
field don't have fixed roles is complimented as the most beautiful style in the world.
Soccer fans crave the unexpected, the unplanned beauty, the creative, and the surreal in
their sport. Jazz and chaos are frequent metaphors used to describe the game. A team
that's got "the flow" is a visceral description of the indescribable. Defining a
style of play is akin to describing a fine wine or work of art. It's the most simple game,
but the most complex to view, interpret, and dissect, because it's improvisation with a
dash of structure. Two fans can watch the same game, and diametrically rate a player's
performance, or a team's performance. You can't find another sport more ambiguous than
that. I find it agreeable to spend time with people who can appreciate ambiguity and
complexity in the world. They usually like soccer.
Of course, all of the above is speculation. I speculate because no one does research on
soccer fans, yet. I have nothing else to go on but personal experience. And it's been an
incredibly rich experience at that. If you want to spend the money to do genuine market
research to refute me, by all means, do it. In the meantime, I want to spend my time with
soccer fans, even if it's over the Internet and at the games. The world is full of
ambiguities, and soccer is a pretty good indicator of your ability to deal with them. So,
my fellow soccer fans, revel in your spirit. I do.
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