The United States is moving on to the knockout round of the 2022 World Cup after a thrilling 1-0 win over Iran after Christian Pulisic’s goal. 610 Sports Radio host Carrington Harrison asked listeners whether USA soccer players were more popular than USA gymnasts or figure skaters, and he and producer Rob Brenton believe TV coverage plays a role in the popularity.
“This is why I’m gonna answer gymnastics,” Harrington said. “I think America loves certain gymnasts. I don’t know that there’s a certain soccer player the country loves. I don’t think the country loves Landon Donovan, for example. I don’t think they love Clint Dempsey. We’ll see how Christian Pulisic turns, but I don’t know that there’s an American soccer player the country loves. I think America loves Michael Phelps, I think America loves Katie Strug, or Mary Lou Retton, or Simone Biles. They’re true celebrities in that sense.
“One of the reasons why I think there’s a larger love affair with those Olympic athletes — and I don’t disagree with you — is that the Olympics has time to do narrative-driven backstories,” Brenton said.
“100 percent,” Harrison said. “100 percent. 1000 percent.”
“Not that you don’t hear backstories during the NCAA Tournament or in football, but team sports don’t have that backdrop like Simone Biles or Mary Lou Retton is born out of you see them do a floor routine and then for eight minutes you get a story from NBC’s Tom Rinaldi and you see the hard times they had growing up and you feel a connection to them,” Brenton added. “In soccer — like other team sports — it’s like ‘Oh, they made this play’ and then play goes on. Most Olympians have more love affair just in general.”
