Tiger Gives a Boost to American Soccer

The real story is MLS is only a small part of the sport’s massive popularity in the U.S. Turn your gaze away from the big stadiums or the major TV networks – and you’ll see soccer flourishing in every aspect of American life: in high school; in college; in the backyards of immigrant communities; and on the manicured lawns of the suburbs. In fact, the sport is so big that so-called “Soccer Moms” have become a pivotal voting group in American elections.

Soccer developed a strong foundation in the U.S. precisely because it’s unlike the nation’s other popular sports. Case in point: it’s significantly more wholesome. Parents don’t have to worry that the soccer heroes their kids are idolizing will be exposed as philandering husbands, drug abusers,dog fighting enthusiasts or worse. In part, that’s because most American soccer players – except for David Beckham – aren’t being paid enough to get into trouble. And because they don’t receive much media exposure, any skeletons they do have can be safely stowed out of sight.

Tiger Woods, the former face of Disney who inspired untold numbers of American families to take up golf, is now a professional sports cliché – a serial horn dog hidden beneath the upstanding, fresh-faced image that his agents, marketers and personal assistants crafted for him. And now that Tiger has been exposed for the flawed mortal that he really is, more and more American families will no doubt turn their children away from the fairway and nudge them a little closer to the football pitch. Maybe the MLS should make Tiger their new pitchman? We bet they could now hire him at a discounted rate!

Eye of the Tiger turns to soccer

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