Some people say that women and sports don't mix. Denise Dawson totally disagrees with that statement. Dawson grew up in a small town in Southern California, and she remembers the excitement she felt every weekend when she was either watching sports or playing sports. Her passion for sports comes from both of her parents. As an adult, she loves discussing the politics of sports. She also knows she can contribute to any sport's discussion because of the knowledge she has for just about any sport. She loves them all. This week I was reminded yet again that most American sports radio talk show hosts hate soccer.
The other day I heard a local radio host here in Los Angeles go on a verbal tirade about how ridiculous the $250 million deal was that David Beckham made with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The ironic thing about this tirade is that this very same host, to the best of knowledge, has never criticized any of the other overpaid professional athletes, as long as it's American Football or Baseball it's ok with him.
During his rant, he even went as far as to say that their was no reason to pay Beckham this much money because there are only five people in the entire United States that even care about Soccer.
While I admit soccer will probably never be as popular here in the U.S. as it is in Europe, you have to acknowledge the fact that over the past 5 to 10 years it has grown in popularity. For anyone who disagrees with that statement, just go to any regional park in any given city and you will see those soccer cones up, with men, women, and children playing. Soccer is a sport that everyone is capable of playing, unlike some of the other sports that are mainly played by overgrown giants.
What I would like to understand is why these local hosts in L.A. are so adamant about their hatred for this sport? For the most part, these hosts are very knowledgeable about sports. However, when it comes to soccer, they sound like ignorant fools.
Another thing that I just don't understand is why there is no middle ground. For example, some of them are ok with ice hockey. Maybe not passionate about it, but ok with it. Yet, when it comes to soccer, they seem to knock it because "they can."
Most soccer fans don't give these clueless people the time of day, let alone call their radio shows to discuss the reasons why they haven't woken up and conceded that people actually enjoy this game.
One last question for every one who dislikes this sport so much -- do you really think that this sport is going to go away?
Wake up and join the rest of the world. This is an up-and-coming sport in America that has all of the elements that make up any great competition. The sooner you accept it, the better.