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Soccer is a popular sport around the world. In fact, it is played and watched by billions of people since it attracts an almost religious following across the globe. Unfortunately, in the United States, soccer is not a major sport. DISCUSS.

 

Research Proposal Assignment

Introduction

Soccer is a popular sport around the world. In fact, it is played and watched by billions of people since it attracts an almost religious following across the globe. Unfortunately, in the United States, soccer is not a major sport. In its place are baseball, basketball, football and hockey. Actually, the Major League Soccer or MLS, the body in charge of soccer is not as lucrative as the other organizations of the four major sports listed above. Consequently, a low level of attendance is witnessed in most soccer stadiums across the country and there is a similar reduction of publicity for the sport. As an international student, I come from a country that is fixated with the sport. For example, it is common for seasonal match tickets to be completely sold out a few weeks before the start of the league’s calendar. Most of the players from my home country are well paid and the league is profitable. Hence, in order for soccer to become a mainstream sport in the US, the salaries of players need to be dramatically increased. This is because such a raise would attract superstar players from other countries to the US thereby generating interest and passion from Americans. Shortly thereafter, corporate sponsors would beckon and the ensuing marketing blitz would make the sport popular across the nation.

Overview and Study Areas

It is true that salary increments can lure international soccer players to the MLS. However, such actions may also prove counterproductive as more Americans may be edged out of the clubs to give room for these foreign stars and that would lead to national resentment. Nevertheless, this paper needs to address the notion that soccer is not part of the American sports culture (Beck and Bosshart 5). Thus, the question of the perception of soccer as a European sport needs to be analyzed. In addition, an examination of the generally accepted argument among Americans that soccer is boring due to the lack of scoring has to be scrutinized. In particular, a comparison has to be made between soccer and one of the major sports showing different field statistics against the respective salary packages.

Research

The article by Humphreys and Ruseski offers an excellent insight into the history of the MLS and its current policy changes (113). Furthermore, it provides a detailed analysis of the career of three professional players and shows the impact salary increments had on their careers. Additionally, it provides an assessment of the general shift in the MLS on the use of its resources to advance the game in America. Similarly, Southall and Nagel’s piece on the viability of the MLS in the current marketplace is very helpful since it includes different statistics of salaries and remuneration packages of several players (58). Likewise, it gives projections of the expected growth in the league as well as the success of such a strategy by some of the teams.

 

Questions/Concerns

It would be difficult for me to arrive at accurate details since intimate details of contracts for most players usually remain confidential. Hence, I would like you to give me feedback on the desired scope of the research.

 

 

 

Works Cited:

Beck, Daniel and Louis Bosshart. Sports and Media. Communication Research Trends, 22.4, (2004): 3-42. Print.

Humphreys, Brad and Jane Ruseski. Estimates of the Dimensions of the Sports Market in the US. International Journal of sport Finance, 4.2, (2009): 75-151. Print.

Southall, Richard and Mark Nagel. Marketing Professional Soccer in the United States: Lessons in Exchange Theory and Cause related Marketing. The Smart Journal, 3.2, (2007):54-69. Print.

 

 

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