USA is the only country that hates football like that
Plenty Americans are ignorant about football, but not as much as people think and it is changing fast. Imagine 3 of the 5 nominees for play of the year on the ESPY's were football (soccer)...including an EPL & an MLS play...The eventual winner being Abby Wambach...that was a voter driven category so that says alot!! During the World Cup, here in NYC bars were packed during working hours with Americans (not immigrants) running away from their offices to watch the matches... On the Saturday of the CL final same thing...I know NYC is not the best reflection of America, but take a look at the average MLS crowd during the season - at one point it was about 30K per game (average eh!!!)...it's probably more now....In Seattle the Sounders are reportedly the most widely followed sporting franchise in the city (not sure how they measure that)... Take a look at Seattle home games when the sounders play...It's insane!...more atmosphere than alot of EPL games I watch
The America hates football mentality is as much cliche as it is reality. The largest amount of tix bought for the WC in South Africa were bought by people based in the ....USA (not a perfect stat of course but still has some meaning)....I think WC 2006 stats were close/similar.... It's the only country in the world that has so many competing sports with a market share larger than football, so naturally there will be obstacles to the sport's growth and there will always be the old boys club, particularly in middle America who has been born and bred on football, basketball and baseball.....but all in all, America loves football more than most give them credit for.