It would be nice to know how many Americans spent this past Sunday watching afternoon baseball rather than watching the USA women’s soccer team defeat Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup.
For those who did watch the game, they can say how incredible it was seeing Abby Wambach’s 122nd minute header get past the Brazilian goalkeeper.
I am not saying that every American should have been watching the World Cup game. All I am saying is that there are 162 games in the MLB season and that the women’s World Cup only comes around once every four years.
So, I had no doubt in my mind what channel my television would be set to. Afterall, I can watch my Braves on just about any other day of the week.
The immediate media attention given to the US women’s team was far more than usual. It was deservedly so, of course. But I just wonder what it would have been like if America had simply won that game in regular time, without the outstanding last-minute goal and the drama of penalty kicks.
My guess is that the media coverage would still be the same.
The reports of the game would make middle of the pages in the newspapers. They probably wouldn’t scratch the top five headlines that circulate on the slideshow of your preferred on-line news outlet. And the highlights would most likely come in the last segment of SportsCenter — right before the top 10 plays.
As an avid soccer fan — and not an every four-year American soccer fan — I wish that “the beautiful game” would get more coverage here in the US.
Should it really take an incredible last-minute goal and a penalty kick shootout for the women to get the coverage they deserve?
Why should I settle for one aired MLS game per week?
Why is bowling and billiards aired over soccer?
The United States of America is home to the No. 1-ranked women’s soccer team in the world, but how many Americans are really aware of that fact? How many American’s realize that the US women’s team are defending Olympic gold medalists?
I just wish that soccer got more coverage and credibility here in America.
I understand that it’s not as popular as football, basketball or baseball and it never will be. But I can assure you that more and more Americans are falling in love with soccer every year.
Americans are becoming more familiar with the sport and are starting to move away from the “cockroach” label that has stuck with us over the years.
People are simply excited. Two straight years now a USA soccer team scored a goal in added time to move on in the next round of the World Cup.
The American men’s and women’s national teams are on the map in international soccer, and are gaining more and more support. It would just be nice to see more soccer highlights on television.
I would like to thank and give credit to ESPN though, they have shown every World Cup game and are giving the American people the opportunity to show support for their country, kudos.
But after this Sunday, America will go back to its normal state. Soccer will once again fall off the map and we will be back on our baseball fix and watching analysts discuss the two lockouts in both the NFL and the NBA, joy.
With a slight possibility of a soccer game or two.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to trollason@yahoo.com.
