How fun has this ride been, America? If you really consider yourself to be a sports fan, and you struggle to stay awake for the nightly four hour baseball game, you've found just the answer to your summer sports itch these past two weeks. Hell, if you love anything that remotely resembles patriotism or mobs of people decked out in red, white, and blue screaming and throwing Bud Light all over each other, you're in heaven.
We weren't supposed to be here. Not after drawing the dreaded "Group of Death." But here we are, and the country is loving every moment. The ESPN ratings have even topped the highly anticipated Johnny Football vs. Alabama rematch from 2013.
So it's again time for the question you hear every four years. We've heard of this revolution catching on before, but is
Our great American pastime is falling, fast. Ratings continue to decline, and in the age of instant gratification, the younger generation struggles to sit through four hours of a game that should take two without the filler.
Look, I don't mind baseball, but I would sit in a dark room and listen to Miley Cyrus for two hours before I sat through an entire regular season game that doesn't involve my favorite team, the Diamondbacks.
I will admit that just the decline of baseball might not be enough, though. A major factor holding back soccer in the U.S. is most of the big time talent will always be in Europe. Sure, we get the occasional washed up David Beckham, Thierry Henry, David Villa, etc, but to really thrive and compete with football it will probably need bigger star power than that. But all that could change with a couple big wigs with deep pockets. I mean come on, the freaking NBA laughingstock Los Angeles Clippers just sold for TWO BILLION DOLLARS. Donald Sterling paid 12.5 million for that team. No these are not typos. You can't tell me there aren't a couple billionaires, who with the right pitch might be interested in taking a shot on a couple MLS teams.
It also can't be denied that the English Premiere League has seen very solid ratings since moving to NBC, NBC Sports Network, and Fox Sports 1. Not to mention the already rabid MLS fan-bases in Portland, Seattle, Kansas City, and to a lesser extent, Los Angeles.
Maybe the barriers will be too hard to overcome, and soccer will always be fifth fiddle in the states, or maybe concussions collapse the NFL and soccer will reign supreme in 2050. But one thing is for certain, the country is all in on the USMNT in 2014. Belgian waffles are officially Freedom waffles until further notice, and we all can't wait to call in sick on Tuesday and throw Bud Light's all over crowds of thousands letting freedom ring.
Welcome to the party, America.
