With COPA America and Euro 2024 underway, I got my grubby mitts on the Men In Blazers/YouGov “From Sea To Shining FC” deep dive into America's growing affinity for the beautiful game.
I read A LOT of research and this one is chock full of dynamic insights. But if there was a Canton or Springfield for research reports, this report would be behind glass, given MiB founder Roger Bennett’s unique POV about the sport he loves. Consider this my love letter to the author and his observations:
⚽ On Messi: “The world’s greatest men’s soccer player, Lionel Messi, now wears jorts and has become the world’s most photographed Florida Man.”
⚽⚽ On the Origins of American Fandom: "I know a family of West Ham fans who watched that cinematic masterpiece, “Green Street Hooligans,” and because of that one slightly dodgy Elijah Wood film, they are headed to Florida to watch their team train this summer.”
⚽⚽⚽ On soccer’s demographics in the US: “Much like following TikTok trends and using the word “rizz” in conversation, American soccer fandom tends to skew younger.”
⚽⚽⚽⚽ On the etymology and volume of team fandom: “Although supporting multiple teams could (JE: I think it "is" and the author is being kind) be an unspeakable offense in England, it’s not uncommon among American sports fans….If you are an English soccer fan, the club you support is often predetermined at birth, like your eye color or your dairy allergy. [For fans in America,] it's like burgers at In-N-Out, there’s always room for one more: clubs can still tell their stories and attract American supporters.”
⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽ On the surprising fandom of (checks notes) Fulham by Americans: “That quarter-century of welcoming players who don’t spell ‘color’ or ‘neighbor’ with that superfluous English ‘u,’ has propelled Fulham’s popularity among American fans, which is surprisingly high for a club of its size and performance.”
Soccer has been the Sport of The Future in the US for some time given 26.5% of American kids play the game (per the Aspen Institute), the growth of World Cup viewership, increased accessibility of Premier and Championship League games and growth in MLS. If this research report is any indication, evidently Men In Blazers is our new obsession's Narrator of the Future. I literally want all my research reports coming from Roger.
https://lnkd.in/gCSam7Bv
