Is Landon Donovan an American sports superstar?

• hoops23

  

  Ironman92;399433 wrote:I believe 99.378 % of the posts were negative towards some player named FIFA.

  
  LMAO!!! This is a classic post. Wow. Seriously, I almost spit out my Pepsi on this one.
• Footwedge

  Seriously? Soccer? Would much rather get stoned and watch my tomato plants bloom.
• Hb31187

  

  How can people seriously be voting that hes a superstar? If this was asked to random casual sports fans a year ago(aka not during the WC) id bet quite a few would say "Who?"
• hoops23

  

  Footwedge;399536 wrote:Seriously? Soccer? Would much rather get stoned and watch my tomato plants bloom.

  
  Because you're ignorant. Look, if you don't like it, fine, but nobody gives a damn.
  
  In fact, I can make the "stoned to death" portion of your sentiment come true if you'd like
• CinciX12

  

  I toyed with the idea of naming my son Landon for the hours of 1 pm to 10 pm tonight. I'd say yes.
• Life's a Pitch

  I love the game of soccer (playing for over 25 years of my life and coaching for the past 10) and I'm also an avid sports fan of all sports (and athletic competitions!) and it pains me to say BUT unfortunately I wouldn't consider Donovan an american sports superstar. He's definitely an american soccer superstar and quite possibly a global soccer superstar due to him being the face of US soccer all over the world for some time now (and rightfully so). When you get right down to it soccer and soccer athletes are still 2nd class citizens when it comes to popularity and exposure in the US sports market. When talking superstars you're still only talking about a very small group of athletes and unfortunately I don't feel any US soccer players are in that category quite yet...If the USMNT continues their current run though who knows!!!
• Fly4Fun

  

  I love the amount of people feigning ignorance on this thread just because they hate soccer.
  
  He might not be an American sports superstar... but there are quite a few posters who are lying to themselves about the popularity of him.
• Sonofanump

  Sonofanump;399284 wrote:He ranks somewhere between Melaine Oudin and Keith Tkachuk.

  
  I was serious about this post. He is elite in his sport where the vast majority of sports fans don't pay attention like Tkachuk would be.
  
  Who is more popular today Donovan or John Isner?
• lhslep134

  

  Laley23;399146 wrote:
  Donovan was the best player for Everton a few matches when he was there.

  
  
  Nah, Timmy H is
• WebFire

  GOONx19;399425 wrote:Why the hell would you ask the question if you were just going to assume he Googled it anyway? If you think you've gotta be a lacrosse fan to know about the top players it doesn't say much about the sport.

  
  To make the point that not knowing names of every sport makes you a "casual fan", as stated by Laley23. I think that was a dumb and ignorant statement. You don't have to know names of every sport to make you a sports fan. How many people do you think know Lacrosse names?
• Speedofsand

  

  [video=youtube;J19-ROSfwY8][/video]
• SportsAndLady

  

  Hb31187;399545 wrote:How can people seriously be voting that hes a superstar? If this was asked to random casual sports fans a year ago(aka not during the WC) id bet quite a few would say "Who?"

  
  This is stupid. Obviously he is more popular now, after scoring THE BIGGEST GOAL IN USA SOCCER HISTORY, than he was one year ago.
  
  That's like saying Obama isn't a global icon because if you asked people two years before the election who he was a lot would say they do not know.
• Laley23

  

  WebFire;399615 wrote:To make the point that not knowing names of every sport makes you a "casual fan", as stated by Laley23. I think that was a dumb and ignorant statement. You don't have to know names of every sport to make you a sports fan. How many people do you think know Lacrosse names?

  
  You are right it was a dumb statement. But you took it more literal than I meant. A sports fan would know the best player on their country's team in a HUGE international event. I GUARANTEE you I would know the top cricket player, rugby player, darts player if they were competing in a huge international event like the World Cup (say the Olympics). LAX is a college sport with no coverage. I meant how does a casual fan not know the best players in sporst that are covered quite a bit on almost all outlets of the media.
• lhslep134

  

  Laley23;399700 wrote:You are right it was a dumb statement. But you took it more literal than I meant. A sports fan would know the best player on their country's team in a HUGE international event. I GUARANTEE you I would know the top cricket player, rugby player, darts player if they were competing in a huge international event like the World Cup (say the Olympics). LAX is a college sport with no coverage. I meant how does a casual fan not know the best players in sporst that are covered quite a bit on almost all outlets of the media.

  
  This
• WebFire

  Laley23;399700 wrote:You are right it was a dumb statement. But you took it more literal than I meant. A sports fan would know the best player on their country's team in a HUGE international event. I GUARANTEE you I would know the top cricket player, rugby player, darts player if they were competing in a huge international event like the World Cup (say the Olympics). LAX is a college sport with no coverage. I meant how does a casual fan not know the best players in sporst that are covered quite a bit on almost all outlets of the media.

  
  It doesn't matter. If someone doesn't like or watch a sport, why would they know the names? I can't name 1 single World Cup soccer player. Well, now I can because of this thread.
• j_crazy

  

  i can't name any soccer players, but i know donovan and howard, so they're both superstars in my book.
• WebFire

  And to further my point, neither could most people. They become "casual" soccer fans when World Cup is on AND The U.S. does well. They learn the players as they watch.
  
  That doesn't mean that a soccer fan doesn't know outside of World Cup. I just think the whole World Cup soccer event is a live-in-the-now type event, much like the Olympics. People will tune in while it's on, maybe enjoy it, and then forget it when it's all done. It happens every World Cup.
• Con_Alma

  That's very true Webfire.
• ytownfootball

  

  US soccer has a long way to go before it's considered mainstream in the states, be realistic. If your mom loaded your ass in the mini-van and took you to soccer practice for ten years, I understand your allegiance to the sport, the rest of us don't care. It's relevant every four years like the Olympics in this country, fair or not. I remember Eddie the Eagle, Mark Spitz, Olga Korbut etc., but I won't remember Landon Donovan. That's not just me, that's America.
• Speedofsand

  

  With that goal, soccer will be more popular in the USA. But think if the goal had not been, and the team came home after having 2 goals/wins taken away by the referees ? Everyone would say how bad soccer sucks and the World Cup is political bullshit.
• I Wear Pants

  Mooney44Cards;399122 wrote:Soccer has not snuck into the American consciousness yet. So no. They will need a miracle run to catapult anyone to superstar status. You need him to be on the Today Show, The View, Regis and Kelly, the late night talk shows, stories on the nightly news. He's closer than any American soccer player has been, but he's not there yet.

  He's been on Letterman and Kimmel before and many other shows too.
• I Wear Pants

  ytownfootball;399796 wrote:US soccer has a long way to go before it's considered mainstream in the states, be realistic. If your mom loaded your ass in the mini-van and took you to soccer practice for ten years, I understand your allegiance to the sport, the rest of us don't care. It's relevant every four years like the Olympics in this country, fair or not. I remember Eddie the Eagle, Mark Spitz, Olga Korbut etc., but I won't remember Landon Donovan. That's not just me, that's America.

  America has room for more sports.
  
  It always amazes me how defensive people get when someone suggests that soccer might be getting more popular in the country (which it is).
  
  Go to a college soccer game sometime (of a team that is somewhat decent) there are people there. Wasn't always like that.
  
  But I can understand if your mom loaded your ass in her SUV and took you to flag football practice for ten years you might feel an allegiance to the sport.
• gorocks99

  

  Let me ask this, too - do you think his personality hinders his potential star status? He's not a very eccentric guy, fairly soft-spoken, not a fairly memorable physique or anything. If he was a bit more eccentric, do you think he'd be more of a star?
• Con_Alma

  Characters are always more memorable than the simple guy next door.
• WebFire

  I Wear Pants;399900 wrote:America has room for more sports.
  
  It always amazes me how defensive people get when someone suggests that soccer might be getting more popular in the country (which it is).
  
  Go to a college soccer game sometime (of a team that is somewhat decent) there are people there. Wasn't always like that.
  
  But I can understand if your mom loaded your ass in her SUV and took you to flag football practice for ten years you might feel an allegiance to the sport.

  
  I don't care if soccer is popular or not. I don't like the NBA either, but it's popular. Who cares?
  
  However, this discussion happens every World Cup it seems. And it never popularizes as much as some want it to. Much the same with hockey in the U.S.
  
  I just wonder why people who like soccer can't just watch it and enjoy it, and those that don't watch something else. But it seems these pissing matches always have to take place, and it accomplishes nothing.