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Hugo Guevara Professor Grant English 1102 January 28, 2014 Soccer in Pop Culture When I was younger, about the time I was in middle school, I was really... well... lets say I was very fluffy. I didnt really like going outside and I wasnt athletic at all unlike my older brother who was always very active and liked to play sports. But oOne day I decided I would go with him and watch him play his favorite sport, which was soccer, since I was bored and didnt really have anything to do. As I was watching though, I saw how my brother and his friends did all of these incredible tricks and moves with the ball moving so fast, and I thought, "Thats awesome! I want to do that." And from that point on I started playing soccer almost everyday. I loved the feeling I got from doing new tricks, getting past defenders and scoring goals. I also lost weight, which was a plus. Well I practically immersed myself in the world of soccer after that and like all fans of any sport I had my favorite players and teams but I noticed that they were all from different places except from the United States. I didn't even know any players (and still don't know many) from the U.S. except for Landon Donavon. I then realized that soccer isn't as popular in the U.S. as compared to AmercianAmerican football. and I asked myself why is that? I mean around the world soccer is the number one#1 sport. So why isn't it the same here? I mean it is somewhat popular but not as much as football. Why is tackling someone else into a concussion and just catching a ball so much more appealing in the U.S.? One of the main reasons why American football is so much more popular is because, just like the name implies, it's American. It originated here so of course it would have more influence

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Comment [EG1]: Haha.

Comment [EG2]: Page numbers go in the bottom right of the page. Font and size need to match the body text.

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in the U.S. . Why pay more attention to another sport that originated someone else rather than here?. It Football has become part of the American pop culture. in which eEven if you're not that into it, you still know a little bit about it. and ItFootball will continue to be passed on to future generations to come. Its like soccer, which is part of my family's culture which makes it the most popular sport for us. The next reason football is more popular would isbe that entertainment in the U.S. is designed around television coverage. ; American football fits perfectly into a television schedule, allowing for breaks not only before and after each quarter, but during play (for example when a team wins possession and changes defense for offence). Soccer though, is played over two halves of 45 minutes each with uninterrupted coverage of each half giving time for only one break during half time. So essentially there is less time to show commercials in a soccer game which doesnt make as much money as in a football game aired on T.V. The fast-paced plays of American football also make it more intriguing to Americans, just like basketball and baseball. Soccer sometimes can be at times a bit slow-movingslow moving and it takes a while to score, which doesnt appeal to most Americans. They want to watch something where there is action or scoring constantly. Soccer involves a lot of techniques, skills, and on-the-spot plays to achieve goals, which makes it fun to watch but also makes it hard to score. While in American football you have set plays and multiple ways to score points making scoring easy and fast. Doing things quickly is what American football is all about and its perfect for its fans. In all, soccer just isn't that well rooted in the U.S. making it not as popular as other sports. Nevertheless it has grown in popularity and is also becoming part of American pop culture little
Comment [EG7]: Give examples. Tell about some complicated situations that can occur while players are trying to make it into scoring positions. Comment [EG8]: Only fun to watch for people who know enough about soccer. Football is easier to pick up. Comment [EG9]: I think youve proven that this isnt the only reason why its not as popular. Its not just roots, its a lack of media coverage and a more complicated game structure thats hard to understand for Americans who are used to baseball, basketball and football. Include these ideas in your conclusion. Comment [EG6]: Haha. So true. Comment [EG5]: Awesome point! Theres no way they could make as much from a world cup game as they do from, say, the Super Bowl. Not enough commercial breaks. Comment [EG3]: Elaborate. What culture is that? Is soccer the number one sport for everyone from that country/culture? I think you have enough material for a few paragraphs here. Talk about how our culture at home affects our pop culture tastes.

Comment [EG4]: Great point.

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by little. Especially through the World Cup and the Olympic games, which makes even those who dont watch soccer cheer their team on. Though soccer may not become the top sport in America, it will always be here, just like it is all around the world. and iIt will continue to grow more and more.

Comment [EG10]: Thanks to the increasing Latino population, in large part. Talk about that some more. Comment [EG11]: So true. But we just love to cheer for the flag in those situations, we dont care as much about what sport it is. Well cheer for skiing, for heavens sakes :)

Hugo, Very nice job on this essay! You present some excellent points about soccer in pop culture. You need more content, though. I think you can follow your good ideas to get that content and reach the 3-page limit. Elaborate on the cultural influences you have which make you like soccer best of all. Talk more about the intricate or complicated nature of soccer, which makes it hard for fans of simpler games (football, basketball) to enjoy. I think you can add about three paragraphs to this paper easily.

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