HL!!! Did you see this???

[USAF]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/sideline/ne...among-children

Still want to see the federation & MLS push the sport in the INNER CITY, & eager to see the MLS salaries in the next 2 - 3 years.........$35,000 for an adult player is ridiculous. That's OK for youth signees like Michael Seaton, because they're also paying for their education, but to give that to an adult is unacceptable.

[Paul Marin]

Baseball is certainly losing its appeal with kids. Where I train my youths, you have to fight to get a soccer field, yet the baseball diamonds lie empty...so guess wha? That's where the football spills over to. Few kids playing baseball compared to soccer, but that might be because I live in South Florida.

[Assasin]

It is not just South Florida. Baseball cost more, requires longer nights and more politics as the better positions on the field normally goes to the coaches sons.

Soccer is much bigger in Georgia too. The biggest problem with soccer in the south is that the colleges don't really pay as much attention to soccer in D1. Too many big colleges don't really have a decent team and football is king in rivalry. In the Big East and Midwest soccer is given more attention at the college level.

Hopefully Atlanta can get an MLS team as well and along with Miami and Orlando it will get some more exposure and rivalry.

[Zeppo]

Another demographic area where baseball is losing out is among black kids. The numbers are declining rapidly and the MLB is seriously concerned.

Forbes
Baseball's Lack Of Black Players Reflects Flawed U.S. Youth Development System

Sports Illustrated
Baseball continues to diminish in popularity among black youths

[HL]

Some how I am not surprised USAF. BaseBall is quite popular in my area--but so too is soccer. And with time, soccer will surpass baseball.

BTW: Look like you bwoy Altidore is making me eat my words....

He was not even on the bench for the Capital One Cup. He played ok against Croatia. Altidore appears to be losing his confidence. Saw some poor first touches from him. BUT...I am confident he will get his mojo back!

[Peter R]

Crustal said he would , didn't she! Min' you mek dis gyal goat mout' ebryting!

[Paul Marin]

Another demographic area where baseball is losing out is among black kids. The numbers are declining rapidly and the MLB is seriously concerned.

Forbes
Baseball's Lack Of Black Players Reflects Flawed U.S. Youth Development System

Sports Illustrated
Baseball continues to diminish in popularity among black youths

You could say the same thing about soccer and black youth in America. The development system for soccer is seriously flawed...it costs too much for the inner city (black, white, whatever) kids to ever play. Ridiculous.

[Paul Marin]

Some how I am not surprised USAF. BaseBall is quite popular in my area--but so too is soccer. And with time, soccer will surpass baseball.

BTW: Look like you bwoy Altidore is making me eat my words....

He was not even on the bench for the Capital One Cup. He played ok against Croatia. Altidore appears to be losing his confidence. Saw some poor first touches from him. BUT...I am confident he will get his mojo back!

KMT - Eat your words? Altidore is only one of your dinner specials. Wait till May. We will see if you belly full by then. LOL!!! By the way - Altidore ain't got it, if he ever did, and if he did, he done gone and lost it. Di bwoy fi guh play fi New England and done.

[Zeppo]

You could say the same thing about soccer and black youth in America.

So soccer used to have many more of black youths participating, and now the numbers are diminishing?

[Paul Marin]

So soccer used to have many more of black youths participating, and now the numbers are diminishing?

The way it is set up, soccer was never there with inner city kids, and won't ever be unless something changes. Baseball is a traditional American sport, it used to be America's number 1 sport, but its decline started precisely on January 15, 1967. It is now in serious trouble in part because it moved away from its inner city roots to the big money savannahs of suburbia.

[Zeppo]

The way it is set up, soccer was never there with inner city kids, and won't ever be unless something changes. Baseball is a traditional American sport, it used to be America's number 1 sport, but its decline started precisely on January 15, 1967. It is now in serious trouble in part because it moved away from its inner city roots to the big money savannahs of suburbia.

Sure, but that's another issue. The point I'm making is that, while baseball in the USA is losing black youths, their numbers are growing in soccer.

You can take up issue with how fast it's happening and how flawed the development system is (both legitimate gripes), but it's still a fact.

[Paul Marin]

Sure, but that's another issue. The point I'm making is that, while baseball in the USA is losing black youths, their numbers are growing in soccer.

You can take up issue with how fast it's happening and how flawed the development system is (both legitimate gripes), but it's still a fact.

Anything will grow if you are starting from zero, so that argument is specious.

[Zeppo]

Anything will grow if you are starting from zero

Which is better than going backwards.

[Paul Marin]

Which is better than going backwards.

The comparison is apples and oranges Zep; in both cases (baseball and soccer) inner city youth are being by passed and have few growth prospects of any measure if the systems are not changed. I'm sure you don't disagree with that.