This is why there are so few world class US heavyweights any more ......

[Ron Swanson]

The U.S media made a concerted effort to kill boxing in America because they viewed the sport as corrupt and brutal. This effort really started to gain steam after Mancini killed Kim on national television, with some extra push from the Holmes vs Tex Cobb best down/mismatch. It took a while to take hold, but eventually the big guys started looking to football and basketball as alternate choices..

American football is now the new focus of the media as a brutal sport and I imagine that as the NFL caves and changes to suit the narrative, it too will one day find less and less top athletes willing to participate.

I don't disagree about the media having a huge part in killing boxing in the States. But I don't think it was only because they "viewed the sport as corrupt and brutal." That may have had something to do with, although deaths in the ring have occurred throughout the history of boxing. I think another factor that must be included is simply the fact that the U.S. doesn't cater too much to sports they don't totally dominate anymore. It used to be that most boxing champions, especially in the glamour divisions of boxing like heavyweight, were from the U.S. It's easy to cover and hype up a sport when you're dominating it. Once you begin to lose traction to the rest of the world, the shine is off. Why do you think it's been slow for the U.S. to warm up to soccer?

Regarding the NFL, I doubt it will ever "cave". Sure, it will have to make concessions regarding the number of brain injuries being suffered and the corresponding effects on former players. But the NFL is a humongous business in the U.S. and it'll never die. It may turn off some fans (it already has) by changing some of its rules and equipment. But it will just find ways to reinvent itself and continue being the #1 sport in the U.S.

Because soccer is awful. The only reason it rules the world is you don’t need anything to play. Have you ever played soccer, dreadful, so everyone quits as soon as they are allowed to play football. Unless they are small, then soccer is still an option since they can’t play big people sports. Not because of media, because it’s fun to hit people. Americans that can play football or basketball will play football or basketball because they are far more fun to play than other sports. Those that can’t play football or basketball trickle to the rest. So the rest won’t ever, ever, get America’s best.

Soccer is the beautiful game and connects the world. American Football or basketball does not do the same. If it was simply a big person thing then Rugby would be bigger.

People that can play rugby do. Again, most of the world is fragile so fragile sports occupy most of the world. How big are you, what sport did you play? I bet money there is a correlation

NBA basketball bores me, but those guys are superheroes....compared to normal 6 foot tall clumsy humans

Does not matter about size but skill in soccer.

So you acknowledge I’m right by dodging the question. I appreciate your cooperation