Comments on: Have You Heard of ‘Em?

By: Samyr Laine

Samyr Laine — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:27:05 +0000

Yup, it’s going to be the relaunch of the Women’s United Soccer Association: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=422934&cc=5901

By: Chris Lesley

Chris Lesley — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 06:42:07 +0000

I heard that they are starting a new professional women’s league in the US- Any truth to this?

By: Samyr Laine

Samyr Laine — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:48:00 +0000

I agree with you 100%; grassroots soccer is alive and well in the U.S. But to say that they’re hoping it’s a catalyst for ANOTHER surge doesn’t preclude the fact that they’re currently making money off of the 1.54 million registered girls playing soccer right? As Gordon Gekko said, “greed is good” and I have no doubt that Nike would relish the fact that the team’s success this year and next year resulted in an increase from 1.54 million to 2 million girls or even more since they’re always after more sales and more people using their products. That’s just what businesses are after. So to say that Nike isn’t hoping for another women’s soccer push from these two huge soccer events (the World Cup and the Olympics) simply because there are a good number of people playing now would be to assume that they’re not after growth in their sales and revenue numbers…and we know that’s not the case.

By: rkc

rkc — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:37:28 +0000

I do agree with the statement that the Women’s World Cup this year has not received as much attention as it has in the past. There are many reasons for that, such as the fact that the United States is not the host country (which we were in 1999). Also, since the games are played in China, they are aired in the U.S. in the mornings, when most potential viewers are either at work or school. I do agree with the Nike commercial statement that the U.S. women’s soccer team is, “the best team you’ve never heard of,” because this team is new and most of the players are different than the famed 1999 Women’s World Cup team. That team was extremely popular, and drew an audience of about 90,000 (I being one of them) to watch them play in the finals against China. Their popularity seemed to stem from the fact that big-name stars like Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers were on the team, and that the U.S. was the host for the tournament that year. However, I feel that it is unfair to say that Nike hopes that this Cup and next year’s Beijing Olympics will be a “catalyst for another women’s soccer popularity surge,” because I do not feel that girl’s interest in soccer has waned since 1999. Today, there are more than 1.54 million registered girls playing soccer at various levels in the United States. That is more than the next fourteen countries combined. So to say that Nike and the U.S. needs this women’s team to win the Cup for soccer to become more popular, I think is a falsehood. The sport seems to be doing just fine, and a win would not hurt. In fact, it definitely would lead to more excitement in the future. However, if they did not win, the future popularity of women’s soccer in the United States would not wane.