Why football is not as popular in the USA as it in the rest of the world?

Question

The one that is called "soccer" in America?

It is the most popular sport in the world, but it's not very loved in the USA.

Just curious, why?

Answer 1

bcuz there are a lot of variaties (sp?) of sports in the US, so one sport doesnt get all the fans.

Answer 2

I reckon it hasn't caught on for a number of reason including:

- American's don't like draws (or 'ties') as they call them whereas the rest of us accept them as and when they happen.

- I don't think Americans like sports where they aren't in contention for being among the best at it.

- They wouldn't be able to call the winners of their National championship 'World Champions'.

Answer 3

Part of the sporting culture-  It all has  to do with the fact going all the way back to Nov 6 1869 WHEN Princeton played Rutgers  ( 2 Universities located in the state of New Jersey) Decided to play a game of Soccer Football using modified rules from the London Football Association rules. It was more like Mob Football not anything at all  like modern American Football teams of 25 vs 25 ball could only be advanced by kicking or batting it with feet and hands (different then SOCCER) HEADS OR SIDES WHILE TRYING TO SCORE GOALS.

http://www.usafootball.com/pages/collegi...

Over this time period Rugby took off as a popular sport at Northern American Universities along the East Coast.

1876- Walter Camp " Father of American Football" would develop written rules making it unique from Rugby. After that game really caught on like wildfire among American Universities.

http://www.usafootball.com/pages/collegi...



1892- Birth of Pro American Football when the Pittsburgh Athletic Club paid a player $500 USD. Pro American Football would take a little longer then College to become the new national sport like it is today.

  As you can see both Pro and College (Amateurs) is ingrained in American sporting landscape based on a long tradition of the sport. Soccer never caught on in the early landscape other then being the game of immigrants. Baseball also caught on as a sport in the late 19th century as well. and throw in the fact Basketball would come into being in the 1900's there was really no place for Soccer.

It is also a matter of preference as Americans even those that played the sport as a youth don't enjoy it as a spectator. In fact as mentioned the sporting landscape is crowded.

I would also like to point out Soccer in Canada isn't that big either Ice Hockey is the #1 sport and they have their own version of Canadian Football.

http://www.footballcanada.com/history.as...

Australia prefers Rugby, Cricket and Aussie Rules Football (AFL)

http://football.about.com/gi/dynamic/off...



New Zealand has "The All Blacks" and they prefer Rugby.

Lastly Baseball is #1 in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico , Venezuela , Japan and Taiwan.

UPDATE: AMERICAN FOOTBALL can end in a tie during the regualr season it's rare, but is allowed.