2. Culture of Soccer
Soccer has been used to
united divided countries
and people.
Has traversed political
and personal divides
On Christmas day
during first world war,
there are reports of
games being played
between English and
German troops.
A truce between German and English
troops on christmas day in 1915.
The unofficial truce took place on
December 24, 1914, in the trenches
around Ypres
3. South American Soccer
Culture
-Soccer is rooted in the culture of many
South American countries
-Clubs have been used by politicians to gain
support of the people and maintain control.
-Some soccer clubs have also developed
close relationships with local communities
through soccer.
-Ex: Revere FC
-Culture traditions make soccer more than
"just a game" to many immigrant families
4. Ghana and soccer
-Soccer in Ghana is a way of life
-was used as political tool to unite
and entertain the people.
Timeline of soccer in Ghana:
-Brought to Ghana by British
Colonialists.
-When people received
independence the people could not
work together due to tribal divisions.
-Kwame Nkrumah used
Soccer to unite his people.
Ghana's first president
Kwame Nkrumah
5. Ghana and soccer cont.
-Nkrumah created the "Black
Stars Team”
-Used it to unite the people of
Ghana against colonial powers
and tribal divisions.
-Black Stars Team won African
cup of Nations in 1963 and
1965.
-Nkrumah then used his teams
stardom as an ambassador to
other African Nations.
Ghana national football team members in
the 1960s pose with some of Ghana's
successive international football trophies
won.
-Ghana's example shows how the sport of soccer has become rooted in the
cultures and the importance that soccer means to the people of different nations.
6. POPULARITY WORLD WIDE V.S.
UNITED STATES
● Accessibility for soccer:
o a cheap ball is all that is
required.
● Accessibility for football:
o football requires multiple
padding, and helmet along
with a ball.
o football has limitations on its
field of play.
● Soccer is popular in poorer
countries due to these
accessibilities.
● No need to be massive like a
football player to play soccer.
7. IN OTHER COUNTRIES..
● International soccer fans have strong
passion,
o Where as football fans in the U.S. have passion, but
no where near the level of these international soccer
fans.
§ This is due to cultural background.
● Can play soccer just about anywhere.
o Football requires a much larger area to play in.
● Young soccer players grow up playing, &
watching soccer.
o follow a certain player who they idolize.
o as football is the same in the U.S. for young kids to
grow up and be that big masculine player.
8. American Football
● The origins of Football in the US can be
traced back to both rugby and soccer
● The driving forces in the popularity of the
Football in the United States are Power,
Masculanity and Money.
9. Football Defines Colleges
● The popularity complex
o Schools use their football programs to get higher
promotion and raise their status
§ Can be seen down to the HS level
o A team's conference also plays a large role in the
amount of prestige the school receives
§ The most prestigious athletically competitive
conferences are the SEC, the Big Ten and the
Pac 12
§ These conferences not only enjoy football
success, but have several members of high
academic prestige
● What about Nebraska?
10. $$$
Money is power in football and
we see this in many ways:
● Football players have on average
one of the highest annual salaries in
all US professions (
http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-salary-infographic-2012-6)
o The people with the power are
the ones that have the most
money
§ Owners, Executives
§ Quarterbacks
o These are the people that we
grow up wanting to become
o Are we exclusive with these
positions?
11. Being "The Man"
● Football is very much about being manly and tough.
While soccer is more about technique and
durability.This is why in the US soccer is viewed as
more a sport for weaker people
o But really its the demands of the sport
§ The average Defensive Back can deliver up to
1600 lbs of tackling force while the average
soccer player will run 4.3 miles per match
● Football players are viewed with the macho, jock
stereotype that they should all be these big bulky
creatures that can hit hard and provide for their families.
12. Players
The average NFL player makes $1.9 million annually vs. the average MLS soccer
player makes $100,000 annually: this is a large reason for NFL's popularity
Where does all this money come from?
13. Revenue
● From the $9.5 billion in revenue the NFL pulls in, the $4 billion of it they
pull in from TV deals is roughly equal to the total sales for the NBA and
more than the sales of the Premier League
● The average cost for a 30-second commercial in the U.S. during the last
Super Bowl was $3 million* vs The average cost for a 30-second
commercial in the U.S. during the last MLS Cup was $10,000
● From start to finish the total time of a football game averages 187
minutes, 11 minutes of which is actual game play vs the total time of a
soccer match averages 109 minutes, 68 minutes of which is actual
game play
o There are many more commercials during a football game than a
soccer match just purely based on the very little amount of time that
they are actually on the field
14. Other Forms of Revenue
● The NFL and its advertisers will frequently use sex and/or women, usually
cheerleaders, to exploit its products
● Advertisors will use NFL players when they want their product to carry a manly
image
● Owners also will use their positions of power within their teams to wield their
political views and/or to promote their other private ventures
15. INCREASE OF POPULARITY
Football
● Fan base in London has grown to the point of the
popular Wembley Stadium being sold out for the newly
traditional oversea American football games.
● This season, American football has two regular season
games at Wembley.
● According to the NFL, there is a fan base of 11 million in
the UK, which represents a 32% increase in the last two
years.
● The more games the NFL puts in London, the better
opportunity of success if they choose to put a franchise
in London.
16. SOCCER
● MLS began about 20 years ago.
● More European soccer games
televised in the U.S.
● Increase of American fan base
(International & MLS)
o Soccer is the 2nd most
favorited sport among
americans between the
ages 12-24.
● There is at least one soccer
player in 30% of American
households.
