While statistics suggest, soccer is one of the fastest-rising sports on US soil with almost 54% popularity among people aged below 45, for the old-school ones it still doesn’t cut it as a proper sport.
Since the World Cup in 1994 and the start of the MLS in 1996, the game has grown significantly in stature, attracting the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham.
But for Kid Rock, that ain’t cutting it.
In a viral video posted on social media, the rockstar is seen declaring war on the masses following soccer. Kid Rock made himself crystal clear about how soccer is perceived by true Americans.
During a concert, the 53-year-old was heard dropping bombs against the game. Here are the lyrics:
‘You can play soccer, eat tofu, or drive a Ford car someday. Oh, motherf**ker, Imma stick to baseball, apple pie, Chevrolet!!!’
Yes, that’s what he said. Kid Rock has a well-documented history of stirring controversies with his outspoken attitude and this just furthered the long list. T
he footage understandably did not sit well with the rising fans of the game and they made themselves heard on X.
While some straight out called out Kid Rock for thinking apple pie and baseball to be a more manly combination, others blamed the USMNT‘s shambolic outings in the 2024 Copa America.
The star-spangled men crashed out of the group stage after winning only one game out of three.
Gregg Berhalter did himself no favours to win over the USA crowd and many blamed him for Kid Rock detaching himself from the game completely.
One fan even pointed out that according to Kid Rock, driving a Ford was un-American but the fact of the matter is Ford is actually a USA-based automobile manufacturer.
Others also pointed out how apple pie is actually an English cuisine, so yeah, Kid Rock kinda messed up here. But now football fans… sorry, soccer fans did not let him off the hook so easily.
Some fans even posted snippets of how the atmosphere in a soccer game in MLS looks like.
The European tradition of lighting up flares, wide banners, partizan crowds, everything is now making its way into the American soccer culture and the picture was just one of the many examples of it.
Kid Rock has been a vocal critic of Capitalism and the common view of pumping money for success in European football also makes it an eyesore for Americans thinking on the same wavelength.
But that can be disputed when it comes to core American sports like baseball, NFL and NBA where a salary cap system is dominant and drafts are a common theme to promote youth to the professional level.
Hence, a massive cultural difference is in play for many people like-minded to Kid Rock.
Apart from the demographic indications, the logistical facets of soccer puts it in a disadvantageous situation.
For instance, traditional American sports are played over a divided time frame of smaller quarters, which makes it fast-paced and gripping to the audience.
For soccer, two whole durations of 45 minutes and on top of it, the extra time format in knockouts and the possibility of a draw make it less appealing to the traditional crowd.
The number mentioned earlier in the article where the popularity is dominant among the younger audience is an indicating proof of it.
But the rise in popularity cannot be denied. According to a survey earlier this year, Lionel Messi has displaced Tom Brady as the most famous sports personality in the USA.
Messi has also left LeBron James, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods behind in the process. If the trend continues and the inevitable boom in soccer materialises then Kid Rock just might have to settle for tofu and Ford someday.