With the relationship between the NBA owners and Players Association looking more and more like a rap feud between Soulja Boy and Ice-T, the likelihood of an NBA season this year is dwindling by the day. And while football will sustain the standard American sports fan until February, something will have to fill the void between the Super Bowl and MLB opening day for the average ESPN junkie to continue functioning. Granted, the hard core college sports fans among us can probably make do with college basketball, lacrosse and baseball. But it is slim pickings for us professional sports buffs.
Hockey's scanty national TV exposure during the regular season and lack of ubiquitous appeal across the country will prevent it from rising above its fringe-major sport status. Golf's first major occurs during April and is sure to be won by someone not named Tiger. And fewer people watch the Australian Open of tennis than watch reruns of "That '70s Show."
The last remaining bulwark against an underwhelming sports spring in America, then, lies in the growing popularity of a game historically repellant of any semblance of an American fanbase. But there is significant evidence that European club soccer is on the verge of climbing the American sports hierarchy.
During the last several years, as the MLS has unsuccessfully attempted to ram the equivalent of double-A soccer down our collective throat, the European club variety of the world's most popular game has exploded domestically. The last two enthralling World Cups have piqued sports fans' interest in soccer. Hungry for more from the best players in the world, fans naturally turned to leagues such as England's Barclays Premier League and Spain's La Liga to quench their newfound thirst for high-quality soccer.
The fact that fans can actually watch the games now also helps. ESPN began showing weekly Premier League games in 2009, and those with a satellite dish or a digital cable box can gorge themselves on Fox Soccer's around-the-clock coverage of the best teams and players. Viewers can also choose the Spanish equivalent GOL TV for the always satisfying Spanish commentary on goals.
Perhaps the most effective conduit for European football in America has been the FIFA video game series - bane of productivity in college dorm rooms everywhere. Following a sport becomes much easier when you know the intricacies of the best from hours of toying around with one of the world's most popular video game franchises.
Finally, it makes sense that soccer is rising in popularity given that playing soccer has seemingly become a rite of passage among every middle-schooler in the nation.
Clearly, European club soccer is on the rise. The vital question, however, is whether Americans will accept it as a worthy replacement for the NBA - or even as a legitimate major sport in America. In this respect, the major European leagues feature many qualities that would attract the average American sports fan. League games are held from August to May on weekend afternoons with exciting Champions League tilts between Europe's strongest squads interspersed throughout the year. This means a fan can stay abreast of happenings in club soccer without the time sacrifice of diehard baseball or basketball fans. Additionally, the competitive balance - or lack thereof - of the European leagues will enable American fans to immerse themselves in the game more easily. Club soccer mirrors the MLB in that it is currently dominated by 8 to 10 super-teams with Yankee-esque payrolls - a nightmare scenario for fans of smaller regional teams but an ideal one for unlettered American fans who can immediately latch on to clubs such as Manchester United or FC Barcelona.
The most important force in club soccer's potential ascendancy in America, however, is its star-power. Although we often extol the virtues of team play in our society, we value individual greatness above all else on the playing field. People watched Bulls games in the '90s to see if Jordan would do something that had never been seen before, just as they have stopped watching golf in droves without the promise of a transcendent Tiger Woods performance.
Fortunately for soccer, this era is blessed with several extremely talented young superstars with the capability of singlehandedly compelling fans to watch the game. Headed by the sublime Lionel Messi, this cadre of budding legends could decisively transform soccer from a novelty to a mainstay in America, a sport with highlights that lead off SportsCenter instead of just making "Top 10 Plays" every now and then. And because most American soccer fans belong to younger generations, club soccer could absolutely erupt as the country's youth grows up and starts to dictate the ebb and flow of culture.
Obviously, there are hindrances to club soccer morphing into a major sport in America, all compounded by the inconvenient truth that an ocean lies between us and the action. Admittedly, too, the NBA players could cave to the owners' aggressive financial demands and play an abbreviated season, which could delay club soccer's emergence into national relevance.
Nevertheless, European club soccer will continue to trend upwards, NBA season or not, in America as sports fans realize that they want to watch the best players in the world play the world's most popular game. With no sport other than football enjoying universal support in the country, club soccer could even contend for attention with the MLB and the NBA.
Personally, although I will miss Chris Paul's genius, Dwight Howard's power and Dirk Nowitzki's hair most dearly this year, I know I can now turn to European club soccer to cure my perennial post-football depression.
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