4 ms·

I'm not so sure about that. I think they would watch more basketball and baseball first. It's part national pride, part familiarity. Basketball, baseball, and f

I'm not so sure about that. I think they would watch more basketball and baseball first. It's part national pride, part familiarity. Basketball, baseball, and football are all "American" sports. Baseball and football evolved from cricket and soccer, and basketball was created in the US. There are professional soccer and hockey leagues in the US, but neither sport has really taken off. I'm not so sure that would change in the unlikely event that the NFL folds.

ghaff 15y ago
Professional soccer, true. But professional hockey is pretty big in a lot of northern cities. Not at the same level as football or baseball, but big enough. It's limited in cities where kids don't actually play the sport in any numbers though.
- huggyface 15y ago
  To add to your point, of the original six NHL teams, four were American. Hockey is a very American game, at least for the upper half of the country (it is a big country).
- ImprovedSilence 15y ago
  Definitely. I'm from the Northeast, hockey has become HUGE in every city from DC to Philly to NYC to Boston, as well as Pittsburgh. The Pens have been selling out every game for years, Flyers fans are rabid, Caps fans are new to the hockey scene, but still sell out games. Try getting a Wizards or Nationals game to ever sell out...
philwelch 15y ago
American football actually evolved from rugby, which was always more or less separate from soccer. Though basketball was probably more influenced by soccer. MLS is growing fast in most of the metropolitan areas that have it, average attendances for MLS exceed those of the NBA, and TV ratings for the UEFA Champions League final last year almost doubled over the year before.
- marknutter 15y ago
  There are a lot more NBA games in season than in MLS.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    Not quite as many more this season.
radarsat1 15y ago
> and basketball was created in the US by a Canadian :)

ghaff 15y ago

Professional soccer, true. But professional hockey is pretty big in a lot of northern cities. Not at the same level as football or baseball, but big enough. It's limited in cities where kids don't actually play the sport in any numbers though.

huggyface 15y ago
To add to your point, of the original six NHL teams, four were American. Hockey is a very American game, at least for the upper half of the country (it is a big country).
ImprovedSilence 15y ago
Definitely. I'm from the Northeast, hockey has become HUGE in every city from DC to Philly to NYC to Boston, as well as Pittsburgh. The Pens have been selling out every game for years, Flyers fans are rabid, Caps fans are new to the hockey scene, but still sell out games. Try getting a Wizards or Nationals game to ever sell out...

philwelch 15y ago

American football actually evolved from rugby, which was always more or less separate from soccer. Though basketball was probably more influenced by soccer. MLS is growing fast in most of the metropolitan areas that have it, average attendances for MLS exceed those of the NBA, and TV ratings for the UEFA Champions League final last year almost doubled over the year before.

marknutter 15y ago
There are a lot more NBA games in season than in MLS.
- philwelch 15y ago
  Not quite as many more this season.

radarsat1 15y ago

> and basketball was created in the US by a Canadian :)