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One Third Of Americans Have No Idea What the World Cup Is

by Spencer Hall • Jun 3, 2010 2:45 PM EDT

I remain convinced that all that separates us as Americans as a nation from total anarchy is ten minutes without electricity and the cancellation of Two and a Half Men. I have twenty semiautomatic rifles, 500 gallons of fresh water, and a year’s worth of food in the basement for the day when this happens. You should have the same.

Doubt my preparation, and then read this.

A new Rasmussen Reports nationwide telephone survey finds that 66% of Adults correctly identify soccer, or football as it’s known outside the United States, as the sport played in the World Cup competition. However, three percent (3%) say it’s all about baseball, and one percent (1%) each think the international teams will be playing tennis, hockey or golf. Twenty-eight percent (28%) are not sure what sport will be played.

A third of Americans have no idea what sport is played in the World Cup. When you wonder why signs reading “DO NOT EAT” are placed on bins full of broken glass at recycling centers, remember this, because 33 percent of Americans mistake it for hard candy.

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Comments

uh, actually...

Soccer isn’t the only sport with a World Cup competition. Hockey just finished theirs.

by MikeBrady on Jun 3, 2010 3:00 PM EDT reply actions

The questions for the survey asked about next week's competition specifically.

They are listed here.

by Spencer Hall on Jun 3, 2010 3:18 PM EDT reply actions

and 99% of the 66% that did know what the World Cup is...

don’t give a s*** about it

by grittopher on Jun 3, 2010 3:24 PM EDT reply actions

Wait

Is this about football? I’m confused.

by Tanner B on Jun 3, 2010 3:33 PM EDT reply actions

Experiment

Go to a sports bar at about 2:30 EST on June 12th.

by Unsilent on Jun 3, 2010 3:33 PM EDT reply actions

Go Early!

or you won’t get in. Seriously, the line to Busby’s starts at about 11

"Voetbal is pas totaal als je wint"- quote that my youth coach used to throw around, it's been co-opted by Nike, translated roughly it means "Football cannot be total without the win"

by Londonjoe on Jun 4, 2010 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

The survey was adults and not sports fans right?

Because if so, I’m shocked its that high. A lot of people (straight women, gay men, scientologists, prahns) don’t give a shit about sports. I’m proud to say I’ve heard of soccer and it can blow me.

by Mark Mandingo on Jun 3, 2010 3:41 PM EDT reply actions

Ahhh yes

Its the fortnight of my favorite internet event…when every four years Americans who don’t care about soccer start trolling threads about soccer to tell us how they don’t care about soccer.

by Flatlander on Jun 3, 2010 3:47 PM EDT reply actions

For the record:

I cared enough to troll. A happy fortnight to you and your kith good sir.

by Mark Mandingo on Jun 3, 2010 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions

But on the plus side....

At least he didn’t say it is not a “real sport”, like NASCAR.

by DissidentAggressor on Jun 3, 2010 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

well, world cup is popular.

security mailboxes

by cathy75 on Jun 4, 2010 6:46 AM EDT reply actions

So 33% of Americans flopped?

That’s still better than the Italian squad.

by Grib on Jun 4, 2010 11:49 AM EDT reply actions

It always struck me...

…that Americans are baffled as to why the rest of the world mocks what they call “The World Series”. It turns out, there are actually people outside the continental US, Hawaii, and Sarah Palin’s Russian monitoring post. And they have lives and interests and the sense to enjoy a game that requires an attention span beyond that of a meth’d up squirrel.

by CKGator on Jun 4, 2010 6:52 PM EDT reply actions

Football (soccer) is boring, racist, nationalist, violent

Hey I’m posting from Athens, Greece, and I’ve never visited a stadium to see a match, all these years. I don’t care if Manchester United is playing a friendly—no way am I going into a European stadium to see such a boring, racist, nationalist and violent game (outside of American football, hockey, boxing or AU rugby, football is violent IMO).

Who else agrees? Let’s face it: soccer is fun to play (while in elementary school) but boring to watch. I rather watch two grandmasters play chess myself.

by Ray L on Jun 5, 2010 2:43 PM EDT reply actions

Was this meant to be funny?

When you wonder why signs reading "DO NOT EAT" are placed on bins full of broken glass at recycling centers, remember this, because 33 percent of Americans mistake it for hard candy.

Because I can tell you sir; accidental glass eating is a tragedy and impacts the lives of hundreds of NASCAR fans.

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by Charlie77 on Jun 6, 2010 9:28 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs

Rec'd

I laughed so hard at this.

by totheights on Jun 7, 2010 2:16 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm more interested in the 3%

that weren’t sure how closely they have been following the coverage.

by EmptyOne on Jun 7, 2010 2:09 AM EDT reply actions

Hey, I probably would fall into that 3%

Sure, I attended a World Cup qualifying game in Costa Rica last year (that was terrifying display of ineptitude by the US side), I watched (on Tivo) the world cup draw show, and I can name what I think will be our starting line up on Saturday, so relative to how closely most Americans follow the World Cup, I should answer question #2 as “very closely.” But relative to how closely I follow some other sports and how much of an expert I consider myself on soccer, maybe I should only answer “somewhat closely.” Case in point: I’m not out trolling soccer blogs, especially in the off season, or following other teams other than my own like I am certain other sports.

by DiamondM on Jun 8, 2010 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions