The Consolation Game

A lot of people are looking back upon the World Cup swirl this week...

It's only natural when you consider the event has pulled every country together through the sport of soccer. I noticed Frank Deford on public television with Ray Suarez and the editor of Soccer America this afternoon. You could tell that Deford was in a dialogue that was pretty one-sided in favor of the popularity of soccer.

Deford's argument started with his point that despite the three decades of hype and millions of dollars invested in the sport, soccer is still a niche sport that has not pushed itself over the hump as one of the big six sports in America.

Deford believes the sport is still a niche sport and that soccer is a game that fails to entice the mainstream American sports fan. He also stated that middle America can't understand the emphasis on defense, low-scoring, and the on-field politics of the game...Much less the drama acts on the field...Although I feel soccer is vibrant in America, with this argument, I tend to find myself siding more with Deford on the views of soccer in America.

With that all said, I do find it interesting that after major world events like the Olympics or the World Cup that people would like to transfer the experience over to the mainstream sports of America such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, or the NCAA major revenue sports. An example was found on the Freakonomics blog that I read often. Check out the post from the wudnerkinds here...Damn, I love this blog.

Dubner suggested that the NFL or other major sports events such as the Final Four or the Super Bowl should have a consolation game. My reply is this...

"There is nothing like the sap feeling of watching a third place game while wondering ‘What the hell happened?’ in the semifinal.

Believe me, a consolation game is not a good thing…for the players, coaches, and more importantly the fans. It’s the ultimate fete of the famous ‘kissing your sister’ cliche."

So please...Do not start up the demand for a consolation game. I don't think we realize how much impact that economists, financiers, and MBA students are having upon sports right now. "Geek chic" is in with GMs, sportsmarketers, and owners. They'll create any experience or event for the loot. Jump on my view with this one...

We don't need to start a groundswell clamor for consolation games in sports. They're miserable for everyone in the long-run.

"All or Nothing",
IronDog