Soccer

Fútbol V.S. Football

By August Frank, Eli Ikard, Sam Zimmer

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

$$$ 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?

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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.