Understand the Cultural Differences!!

If you know nothing else of sports marketing in the USA, know this:

     "Offense sells tickets, and defense wins championships."

The reason for this is simple.  So much of the American audience is casual in

their viewing choice.  They'll watch just about anything, so long as it entertains

them, and the bottom line is that offense is much more entertaining than defense.

When considering the "casual" American sports fan, there are some cultural differences

which need to be understood before one can appreciate why changes need to be made.

If there is a single word which typifies the cultural differences here, it's "UNLUCKY." 

In American sports, this word is reserved for one situation:  when a golfer hits a perfect

drive off the tee and then finds the ball 295 yards down the fairway resting in a divot. 

The word has no other place in the lexicon of American Sportscasters.  When a player

is earning $1,000,000 or more per year, we Americans expect skill -- not luck -- to

account for success.  So much so in fact, that I would expect any great American

player to get upset if an announcer were to write off a bad effort as "unlucky."  It

would be nothing less than a slap in the face.

I'm not saying that it's international overuse isn't accurate, as anyone who has

watched more than 3 games of soccer knows that lots of luck must be involved

for a soccer ball to find its way in the goal.

Source:  Associated Press/Dallas Morning News, July 14, 2003, P.11C.  Worthy of note is the sum total of the shots and corner kicks:  39

In the ultimate recognition of the advantage enjoyed by the defense, today's

soccer announcers reserve "UNLUCKY" to describe failures of the OFFENSE. 

That's right, the announcers know that the 'fickle finger of fate' accounts for the

lion's share of soccer scoring success, and the soccer announcer's overuse of

"UNLUCKY" is evidence that luck for the offense these days has been in very

short supply.

Before moving on, here's another word which says so much about where soccer

is today...RESPONSIBILITY.

This word has no usage in the sports world outside of soccer and wrestling. 

And why should it, when it's traditionally used to justify such actions as getting

current with your child support payments or mowing the lawn.

In soccer, the word RESPONSIBILITY is also used in the most unusual way...

to explain why a team would choose to play offensive oriented soccer.  Here's

an example from FIFA's site, where the writer explains what happened in the

match Brazil v. England in World Cup '02, once England fell behind 2-1:

     "England, with the responsibility of attacking on their shoulders, never

        looked quite up to the task as they went tumbling out of the finals."

And this was while Brazil was fielding only 10 players for the last 35 minutes

of the match, after the officials extracted revenge against Ronaldinho for his

brilliant and tragically game altering side line dive earlier in the tournament.

The quote from Germany's Michael Ballack at right is perfect for revealing the

mindset in soccer today.  It's the FIFA World Cup semi-final between host

Germany and Italy.  The match remained at 0-0 until the very last

minutes of overtime, when Italy scored, and then scored within a minute

of placing the 'responsibility' to score on Germany's shoulders.

To the average American sports fan, when Ballack said:

"Scoring one minute from the end of the game doesn't give you the time to respond."

Image Credit:  World Soccer Magazine, August 2006 issue, page 20

Reading this, the typical American sports fan would likely come back with:

"Michael, I got news for you, if you hadn't scored in 118 minutes, you missed your chance."

Yet this simple reply doesn't recognize the fact that in league soccer neither team

has to score at all for both teams to collect league standing points, so playing for

the draw is very much the winning soccer strategy, as evidenced by the following

MLS final regular season standings for 2006:

 

Eastern GP W L T PTS GF GA Streak y-D.C. United 32 15 7 10 55 52 38 Lost 3 x-New England Revolution 32 12 8 12 48 39 35 Won 3 x-Chicago Fire 32 13 11 8 47 43 41 Won 1 x-Red Bull New York 32 9 11 12 39 41 41 Won 1 Kansas City Wizards 32 10 14 8 38 43 45 Lost 1 Columbus Crew 32 8 15 9 33 30 42 Lost 1 Western GP W L T PTS GF GA Streak y-FC Dallas 32 16 12 4 52 48 44 Lost 1 x-Houston Dynamo 32 11 8 13 46 44 40 Tied 2 x-CD Chivas USA 32 10 9 13 43 45 42 Tied 1 x-Colorado Rapids 32 11 13 8 41 36 49 Tied 2 Los Angeles Galaxy 32 11 15 6 39 37 37 Won 1 Real Salt Lake 32 10 13 9 39 45 49 Tied 3 3 = points for win 1 = point for tie y = clinched division title x = clinched playoff berth As of October 16, 2006 The LA Daily News and The Sports Network

So, now it should be clearer that Ballack was really saying:

"Italy scored a minute from the end of the match. Once we finally had

the responsibility to score on our shoulders, time ran out."

There's a huge difference!

Also, I'm not sure that America's current generation of sports news announcers

is equipped with the tools required for commentating on soccer matches.  In it's

present state, professional soccer is very much a "Blame Game", in that -- when a

goal is scored -- more time is spent placing blame for the defensive failure than is

spent on awarding credit for the goal and assist.

Our sports news readers are simply not experienced at the seriousness which

accompanies commentary which typically include negatives like "lapses", "breakdowns",

"mistakes", "failures",  which are so much the gamespeak of today's soccer.  Such

commentary is best delivered with the somber tone which would be used to report the

defection of the home team's key player to an arch rival.  It certainly doesn't fit with

the "happy" delivery so typical of today's American sports TV newscasters.  On the

flip side, sports talk radio would be the place where hard core soccer fans could go

to discuss the "lapses, breakdowns, mistakes, and failures" of the defenders, but only

after the game have become more marketable.  In the mean time, if you're really into

masochism I suggest that you try calling into American sports talk radio programs and

ask why they don't spend more time discussing soccer.  Abused, you will be!

Another significant cultural factor which is totally lost on folks in mono-sport societies

is the disgust with which the casual American sports fan regards 'insignificant' matches.

Concacaf Gold Cup Site

To pay good money (well in advance) for tickets to a pro soccer match...

          Source:  Associated Press/Dallas Morning News, July 14, 2003, P.11C

...only to find out the day before the big game...

          Source:  Associated Press/Dallas Morning News, July 14, 2003, P.11C

...that the best player or players are away supporting one of the countless national

teams is bogus at best, as the game has become 'insignificant' from an entertainment

point of view.

Source:  Associated Press/Dallas Morning News, July 28, 2003, P. 7c

But let's assume that there's a small sense of satisfaction because the missing player is one

of our own who will help the USA National Team battle the Brazilians the following night. 

So the fan sets his or her clock for the 3:00 am broadcast, only to find that this game is also

insignificant due to the fact that...

          Source:  Associated Press/Dallas Morning News, July 14, 2003, P.11C

...while the USA Team is at full strength, Rivaldo and/or Ronaldo were

not released by their European club teams to play in such an unimportant

match.  So, the USA triumphs, but it's a trivial victory.  To those who

don't know much about soccer, the best analogy I can offer is that it's

like watching NFL Pre-season games 365 days a year.  But that isn't

really accurate, because NFL Pre-season games usually feature the

superstars for all of the first quarter, and then bring on the substitutes

and developing talent for the remainder of the game.  Unfortunately, in

International soccer, if the big name players don't start, you ain't going

to see them at all that day.

While the rest of the world seems delighted to watch matches such as these, the casual

American sports fan is flabbergasted by the very concept of being fed a constant diet

of matches with "excused" outcomes! 

Source:  World Soccer Magazine, October 2003, p.13.  From an article by Brian Glanville...my, my, so maybe there are others out there who object to matches which have been reduced to virtual insignificance from an entertainment point of view.  But I do understand why devalued is a more correct term from a Brit's or a purist's point of view.

But then that's why the World Cup is go great...because it's the one time when all players

are 'present and accounted for.'

Here's an important concept which explains so much:

In America, when it's all over, no one asks how, only how many!

No truer words have ever been spoken.

Another concept integral to the understanding of the American sports reality is

that the ultimate aim of an athlete is not to be the greatest ever, but only to simply

"Transcend Sports."  These athletes are the darlings of the American sports press,

because of their power to attract the interest of the casual American sports fan,

thereby filling the stands and drawing huge TV audiences.

Those who "Transcend Sports" include Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Babe Ruth,

Michael Jordon, Pele, Dennis Rodman, and Joe Montana.  These athletes know

that -- even in their loosing efforts -- production is everything.

We Americans enjoy watching our sports heroes PRODUCE, and

we expect that production to be reflected on the scoreboard.

Those who market sports in America (like the NCAA, NFL, MLB) realize this.  

In American sports, more is usually preferred over less.  I feel that marketing

has a great deal to do with this, as it's easier to sell more than it is to sell less.  

Then, when we realize that we Americans have been spoiled with all the sports

variety that we've been brought up on, each sport reaching out to convince fans

that they have more to offer than the other sports, it's easy to see why we are

the way we are.  And I feel that I'm an average example of American sports fan.  

Don't give me a constant diet of low scoring (2-1) games, although I will admit

that the occasional "defensive struggle" can be very interesting.  I despise draws, as

my 'Roman' mind set demands a winner and a loser.  One need only consider the

'02 MLB All-Star Game to realize that I am not overstating the average American's

hatred of draws.  Even if the score is 7-7, it's just like the article says, we expect "closure."

For a prime example of what I'm talking about, and possibly the ultimate example,

there was a stretch during the summer leading up to the Women's World Cup '99

when a totally healthy Mia Hamm was held scoreless for 8 consecutive games...

at a time when she was recognized as the world's greatest female soccer player.

This isn't a knock on Mia, but the casual American sports fan could no more imagine

this 8 game scoreless streak than he could an 8 game streak when a young and healthy

Michael Jordan was held to only 20 points per game.  We want our heros to produce,

and for that production to be reflected in the final score.

So shutout after shutout is not a positive thing, particularly if almost 50% of a particular

sport's games end in shutouts, as it is in pro soccer.

For another "casual American sports fan's" thoughts on soccer as a spectator sport,

please check out "Richard Garikov's Soccer Page".  While we don't agree on all

points, it's good to hear from someone who is much less connected to soccer.

Boxing is a sport which highlights the negative aspects of the American nature. 

In most of the world, boxing fans respect the lighter weight classes almost as much

as the beefier weight classes.  Not many American boxing fans can name even a

single World Flyweight Boxing Champion who has ever worn a belt.  No doubt

a majority of Americans would call heavyweight Mohammed Ali "The Greatest",

despite the fact that Ali spent more time clinching his opponents in any single

competitive match than a typical flyweight boxer would in an entire career.

This phenomena is so strong that boxing in America today is hurting big time

simply because there isn't a dominant heavyweight to draw attention to the sport.

I'm not saying that this American reality is better.  I really do envy the soccer fans

the world over who can come away from consecutive 0-0 scoreless draws and

genuinely feel that soccer just couldn't get any better than that.  I'm just certain that

American fans will never embrace soccer when this is a reality.  I don't think that

a casual American sports fan could even imagine two consecutive Monday Night

Football matches ending in 0-0 scoreless draws.  Thankfully, you can bet that if it

did happen, the NFL owners would take action to change the rules to insure that it

absolutely did not ever happen again.  They know that it's the SHOW which is the

most important consideration in spectator sports, not the rules.

Happily, the new and improved reality of soccer with an average score of 5-3 would

reduce the "Blame Game" reporting and emphasize the offensive successes of the match. 

It'll come when the Pro soccer coaches see attacking soccer as a full time responsibility,

not something to be reluctantly used when down a goal or two.  We will then see the

casual American sports fan embrace pro soccer, and the money will begin flowing into

the MLS and WUSA in a fashion only dreamed of today by America's pro soccer executives. 

And like "mulligan" and "you da man"..."UNLUCKY" will be a term reserved for golf.

Mike 'Beautician to The Beautiful Game' Kimbro

To return, hit your BACK ARROW Button, or       Visualize High Scoring Outdoor Soccer  

Yes indeed, we Americans love come from behind victories.  Check these 2 examples:

Credit:  The Dallas Morning News, January 6, 2002, page 8B

And the college game has it's comebacks as well:

Source:  Springfield (MO) News-Leader, September 23, 2002, Page 6D