For the non soccer fan, would having a professional team in your home town/city change your mind about the sport?

[Buzz Rules]

For the non soccer fan, would having a professional team in your home town/city change your mind about the sport? If you became a fan of the sport after a professional team came to your home town/city, what changed your mind?
If you are a fan of the sport, what would you say to a non fan to give the sport a chance? I thought this would be an interesting topic to discuss because many minor soccer leagues are talking about expansion. Thanks.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We have a professional soccer team here, but I can't get into it, even though I've tried. I find it boring. I may enjoy it more, if I grew up watching or playing. FWIW, I'm a big sports fan. Soccer just happens to be my least favorite team sport.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Football (what you Americans call "soccer" ) is huge in Ireland, both our own Irish version and the international version. In Ireland, support of the Irish international team mainly centres around how well they do in international tournaments such as the European Championships and The World Cup. During those times, the whole country goes football crazy, with fans travelling to the various international matches, houses decorated with bunting and flags and even support songs in the charts.

When the players are not doing the big international games, they are all in local clubs in Ireland or in the UK Premier League. Most Irish football fans support both their local club and one of the UK Premier League.

For the Irish football, it is very localized and very very competitive. The county teams are major league, but they are amateur's. Again the support is huge, especially late in the season, as the championships get closer to the end game, the All Ireland Final in September.

For me, I'm not really bothered. I have grown up with the high profile support of the Irish football team, the Irish football county teams and the UK Premier League. I live 15 minutes walk from my local club stadium and on match nights can hear the crowd. One of the high profile Irish international football players who has played in multiple UK Premier League teams and even on the LA Galaxy team is from my neighbourhood. Football has always been just something that I know about but have no real interest in. I have never been to a football match as a spectator and would not really watch the international matches on TV.

 

[Karin1984]

Your awareness might get higher, because it's more in your face. You might get more knowledge about the game or the team because of local news stations, or because there will be more people around you supporting this team. However, that doesn't necessarily might mean an increase in your love or dislike for the game.
It's possible it might happen, but not a guarantee.

 

[Jennasis]

Nope. I'm already involved in a sport most don't undersyand or enjoy and people find boring. No need to add another.

 

[gwynne]

We have a team. It's nice for soccer fans, but I don't follow them.

 

[_19disnA]

Nope me either. Apparently soccer is a HUGE sport outside of the USA. Enjoy various other sports, but find soccer boring and never watch it on TV. Having a local team wouldn't change my view of it.

 

[barkley]

i'm just not a sports fan so a professional team of any type locating in my nearest city wouldn't compel me to be a fan. i'll also add that anytime i hear of any professional sports team expressing interest in relocating to an area i live in i get nasty flashbacks to when i lived in a region where some cities initiated huge revenue garnering bonds to build large sports facilities and arenas as part of the enticement/agreement to get those teams-only to have those teams pick up and leave after a handful of seasons to 'greener pastures', leaving us tax payers still paying on those behemoth structures for decades to come (and the further downside-decimating businesses that were deemed essential for the sport of the area (food and liquor vendors, souvenir vendors, private parking staff, ticket takers...) they all lost their jobs along with those at the newly opened or greatly renovated eateries and post game watering holes (planned out in cahoots with the venue and in many cases co owned by some of the key payers and management to further line their pockets).

 

[quandrea]

Soccer is my least favourite sport. Absolutely hate it. We have a team in my city, but it doesn’t register with me as I find the sport utterly unwatchable. Much prefer hockey, basketball, tennis, baseball.

 

[sam_gordon]

We've had minor league "professional" sports ranging from hockey, to baseball (still current), to arena football, and (University of) Kentucky basketball, which might as well be considered "professional", in my town. Hockey was interesting, but we'd only go when I got free tickets from work.

I don't think having a local professional team would help make someone a fan of that sport if they didn't already have some interest in it.

Personally, I think soccer is a faster pace than baseball, golf (watching), and (American) football. I didn't used to believe that until my kids started playing. In a way, it's like hockey and basketball. You can have Team A have a scoring opportunity at one end, a fabulous defensive stop, and within 10 seconds, Team B has a scoring opportunity at the other end of the field.

We do have two professional soccer teams (one MLS and one USL) within 90 minutes of us, but haven't been to a game yet. On the other hand, we have driven 13 hours for tournaments for our kids.

 

[disneychrista]

I don’t get the hate for soccer. I don’t really watch a lot of sport and don’t follow soccer at all but I enjoy soccer more than some other sports. But I also enjoy curling during the Olympics.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We've had a professional soccer team here for a long time but they lulled in fanbase. It wasn't really until they moved to my side of the state line, changed their name, and built their own stadium that it really took off here. They have an excellent recruiting and tend to get good talent. The team is very well liked here. Our tagline these days is "the soccer capital of America". While I grew up going to a game or two under the old name it wasn't really until all the adjustments that I really enjoyed the games. I haven't been in a while unfortunately though.

 

[VandVsmama]

I don’t like soccer. I find it boring to watch. I’d rather watch paint dry.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I think we have a professional soccer team. I wouldn't want to go to a game.

 

[starvenger]

I feel that with soccer in the States you need to develop things at a grassroots level and hope that it grows enough in your area to merit a pro team. I simply don't think it'll work if that base isn't there. And even then it might not.

 

[TippyThomas]

I have no interest at all in soccer. It would make no difference to me.

 

[Mysterian]

What Tippy said.

 

[fla4fun]

I do not like sports, and I don’t like the crowds they bring. I would be happy to be in a sports free zone, regardless of whether it’s soccer, baseball, basketball, whatever.

 

[RamblingMad]

I prefer to watch La Liga and Premiere League. I don't need a local team to follow it. What I find is that the local Spanish stations provide more coverage of soccer than English speaking ones. It's gaining enough popularity that I can now more easily watch it. But it's a pain during the pandemic.

 

[mjkacmom]

I’m 15 minutes from the NY red bulls area (it’s in NJ), and MetLife stadium (where the NY giants and jets play). I prefer soccer since my kids played forever, and I understand the game after 20+ years. I still have no desire to go to a professional game. I’m also close to hockey and basketball, no need to go. Baseball bores me to tears (even when my sons played little league).