"not just a white, suburban sport anymore"

Thanks to George for this article.

I've been watching soccer for many years - I only played a couple when I was kid - and I have always been interested in the fact that in America, soccer is a predominantly white, surburban, upper/middle class sport, whereas it is the sport of EVERYBODY on the rest of the planet.

I have a theory that it's about land use & access but it's a flawed theory, I know. In the States, the urban sport is basketball, the rural sports are football & baseball and the surburban sport is soccer. Basketball takes the least amount of space to play and for some reason, which I don't have a theory about, it became attractive, almost exclusively attractive to Blacks. Football gave the big farmboys something to do and soccer came to the US via Europe and my personal experience is that far fewer Blacks travel abroad than Whites. Therefore, Blacks weren't exposed to soccer for many years and have had no way of knowing that it is THE sport across the globe, including Africans and African descendents.

Then there is the xenophobia of all americans...I would dare say that soccer is seen as a foriegn sport and b/c of that we won't like it. I also think, as much as many Blacks claim/proclaim their African heritage the don't connect with other African descendents around the world. I would bet Pelé is seen as a foriegner more quickly than an Afro-Brazilian.

Just a thought.

Sanneh looking to bring more color to soccer

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