Soccer as a Savior for American Sports Fans

Cam Newton of Auburn University

There's been a littany of problems in so many American sports lately.  College football has an annual crisis of players, coaches and boosters scheming the system, Ohio State University being the latest.  College basketball has its own share of problems as witnessed earlier in the year when the University of Connecticut got busted for recruiting violations only to bounce back and win the national championship a month later.

College football and basketball ethics are out of control and have been for years.  There are too many programs willing to do whatever's necessary to play for the 'big time.'  Its all greed and excess, from coaches trading jobs and violations, to players who never had any intention of studying for a degree. 

Whether its Bruce Pearl or Jim Tressel's doings or Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo or Cam Newton's takings (just to name a few), the sad stories of hypocrisy and entitlement need a major adjustment.  Integrity must become more commonplace.  

As for pro football and pro basketball, both seem headed to be in lockouts at the same time.  And the NFL is suffering from a reputation of concussions, giving parents more thought on whether its worth it to let their son even play the game. 
  
Also, there's the retirement of one of pro basketball's greatest stars, Shaquille O'Neal.  In many ways, Shaq was bigger than life.  His image as a court jester will be missed and his effervescence can never be replaced.  He brought more than just basketball to the hardwood. 

Fans may be tiring of the same old football and basketball games, the bloated salaries, the manipulation tactics and the feeding of it all from mainstream sports media.  There's no loyalty in any of it.  Nobody can be trusted.  The adulation for these athletes is sickening at all levels.

Baseball has its own sad tale to tell.  Corruption, yes.  Drugs, yes.  The steroid era tainted baseball and inflated its numbers so much so, owners built stadiums too big.  Empty looking stadiums are a daily scene in baseball highlights. 

Fans need an alternative to the cheating, unethical, repetitive, greedy nature of college bb, fb, pro baseball, basket and fb.  Of course, all these things happen in world Soccer, but MLS has a good record so far.  Sure, these things may take place in the future, but for now, MLS is able to distinguish itself from its sports counterparts.

Soccer has come to the rescue and arrived just in time for U.S. sports fans.  A revolution is in the making.  Soccer skills and talent will eventually win out (If Soccer doesn't break through and doesn't become as big as these other sports, constant dialogue and discussion is needed to examine issues further).