Gareth Bale

[not my fault!]

You are completely underestimating American interest in English football.

I was talking to a Yank over there yesterday & he had seen the add by NBC. He was amazed they had gone with Spuds & Bale, he said although the PL is big over there that not many will be aware who Bale is & know very very little about Spuds as a club.

theyre not called spuds by yanks...fries. ;)

He must of been a WUM then.... ;0)

 

[FrancoisToure]

If you asked anyone walking past though who is it how many would actually know?

Probably wouldn't know what team it was either!

You are completely underestimating American interest in English football.

I was talking to a Yank over there yesterday & he had seen the add by NBC. He was amazed they had gone with Spuds & Bale, he said although the PL is big over there that not many will be aware who Bale is & know very very little about Spuds as a club.

They didn't go with the Spurs IMO....they went with Bale (who just happens to play for Spurs at the moment). I can't think of a better player to put up there if I was them. Yes Rooney probably is the most recognized player in the Premier league in the States but he is widely despised by most non United fans. Bale on the other hand is respected pretty much by most fans regardless of club (even probably Arsenal fans in the States).

Bale's profile is rising very rapidly over here. Last season he started skyrocketing.

 

[pudge]

You are completely underestimating American interest in English football.

I was talking to a Yank over there yesterday & he had seen the add by NBC. He was amazed they had gone with Spuds & Bale, he said although the PL is big over there that not many will be aware who Bale is & know very very little about Spuds as a club.

They didn't go with the Spurs IMO....they went with Bale (who just happens to play for Spurs at the moment). I can't think of a better player to put up there if I was them. Yes Rooney probably is the most recognized player in the Premier league in the States but he is widely despised by most non United fans. Bale on the other hand is respected pretty much by most fans regardless of club (even probably Arsenal fans in the States).

Bale's profile is rising very rapidly over here. Last season he started skyrocketing.

Is he fuck, I highly doubt that. Or at the very least, question their support.

Is it the constant diving they respect?

 

[FrancoisToure]

I was talking to a Yank over there yesterday & he had seen the add by NBC. He was amazed they had gone with Spuds & Bale, he said although the PL is big over there that not many will be aware who Bale is & know very very little about Spuds as a club.

They didn't go with the Spurs IMO....they went with Bale (who just happens to play for Spurs at the moment). I can't think of a better player to put up there if I was them. Yes Rooney probably is the most recognized player in the Premier league in the States but he is widely despised by most non United fans. Bale on the other hand is respected pretty much by most fans regardless of club (even probably Arsenal fans in the States).

Bale's profile is rising very rapidly over here. Last season he started skyrocketing.

Is he fuck, I highly doubt that. Or at the very least, question their support.

Is it the constant diving they respect?

Do you live in the States?

 

[pudge]

They didn't go with the Spurs IMO....they went with Bale (who just happens to play for Spurs at the moment). I can't think of a better player to put up there if I was them. Yes Rooney probably is the most recognized player in the Premier league in the States but he is widely despised by most non United fans. Bale on the other hand is respected pretty much by most fans regardless of club (even probably Arsenal fans in the States).

Bale's profile is rising very rapidly over here. Last season he started skyrocketing.

Is he fuck, I highly doubt that. Or at the very least, question their support.

Is it the constant diving they respect?

Do you live in the States?

 

[alky313]

Gareth Bale is highly touted by Americans... How do I know? I'm married to one. They love him. He's not viewed in the same light as Beckham or Ronaldo (he's an ugly fucker) but they love him.

Americans love wingers. Especially goal scoring wingers.

 

[Dzekolol]

They didn't go with the Spurs IMO....they went with Bale (who just happens to play for Spurs at the moment). I can't think of a better player to put up there if I was them. Yes Rooney probably is the most recognized player in the Premier league in the States but he is widely despised by most non United fans. Bale on the other hand is respected pretty much by most fans regardless of club (even probably Arsenal fans in the States).

Bale's profile is rising very rapidly over here. Last season he started skyrocketing.

Is he fuck, I highly doubt that. Or at the very least, question their support.

Is it the constant diving they respect?

Do you live in the States?

I live in Manhattan and you're talking crap!

No one knows who the fuck is Bale, Rooney or Aguero would have been better choice.

 

[rick773]

Bale looks and acts like everything the "normal" american stereotypes about "soccer"

75% of the americans that walked past that billboard probably thought "whys that faggot up there"

another 20% probably thought it was a planet of the apes/zoolander 2 billboard of course.

Pretty sure I read the last derby was the highest viewed prem game in the states and it was just over a million viewers. so his skyrocketing profile is relative. It did seem last time I was there spurs were pretty trendy with faux euro fans ,seems everyone under a certain age either supported them or they were their "2nd team".

 

[FrancoisToure]

Is he fuck, I highly doubt that. Or at the very least, question their support.

Is it the constant diving they respect?

Do you live in the States?

I live in Manhattan and you're talking crap!

No one knows who the fuck is Bale, Rooney or Aguero would have been better choice.

You have your opinion; NBC and I have our opinion. We don't have to agree.

 

[andrewmswift]

Bale looks and acts like everything the "normal" american stereotypes about "soccer"

75% of the americans that walked past that billboard probably thought "whys that faggot up there"

another 20% probably thought it was a planet of the apes/zoolander 2 billboard of course.

Pretty sure I read the last derby was the highest viewed prem game in the states and it was just over a million viewers. so his skyrocketing profile is relative. It did seem last time I was there spurs were pretty trendy with faux euro fans ,seems everyone under a certain age either supported them or they were their "2nd team".

good lord, you talk about americans stereotyping "soccer" and then stereotype the hell out of americans.

you're a fool if you think americans aren't into football/soccer.<br /><br />-- Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:20 pm --<br /><br />

Do you live in the States?

I live in Manhattan and you're talking crap!

No one knows who the fuck is Bale, Rooney or Aguero would have been better choice.

You have your opinion; NBC and I have our opinion. We don't have to agree.

i think it's stunning that someone who lives in manhattan thinks americans don't know who gareth bale is. sure, some don't. but it's a country of 300+ million people. a fucking hell of a lot do.

 

[rick773]

Bale looks and acts like everything the "normal" american stereotypes about "soccer"

75% of the americans that walked past that billboard probably thought "whys that faggot up there"

another 20% probably thought it was a planet of the apes/zoolander 2 billboard of course.

Pretty sure I read the last derby was the highest viewed prem game in the states and it was just over a million viewers. so his skyrocketing profile is relative. It did seem last time I was there spurs were pretty trendy with faux euro fans ,seems everyone under a certain age either supported them or they were their "2nd team".

good lord, you talk about americans stereotyping "soccer" and then stereotype the hell out of americans.

you're a fool if you think americans aren't into football/soccer.

-- Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:20 pm --

I live in Manhattan and you're talking crap!

No one knows who the fuck is Bale, Rooney or Aguero would have been better choice.

You have your opinion; NBC and I have our opinion. We don't have to agree.

i think it's stunning that someone who lives in manhattan thinks americans don't know who gareth bale is. sure, some don't. but it's a country of 300+ million people. a fucking hell of a lot do.

Considering I'm American(hint:those 3 numbers in my username are my former area code) and up until recently still spent 4/5 months a year there ill stereotype as I please. The fact that the most watched prem game ever had something like 1.3 million viewers , and lost in the ratings to a spongebob rerun among other things or that the most watched champs league game ever lost in the ratings to a cable news business show shows it's not a giant thing , it's obviously growing and I'm glad it is , and obviously NBC wants it to . It still has a long way to go before the average American is going to be excited to see Gareth bale on a billboard.

 

[alky313]

YOU ARE ALL MISSING THE POINT.

Its not about "the average American". Its about those who watch the sport in America and what would capture their attention.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Is he fuck, I highly doubt that. Or at the very least, question their support.

Is it the constant diving they respect?

Do you live in the States?

I live in Manhattan and you're talking crap!

No one knows who the fuck is Bale, Rooney or Aguero would have been better choice.

You can't go with Rooney in the States anymore because he looks increasingly like George Costanza. No doubt too many Manhattanites would confuse the ad with one for Seinfeld re-runs.

It's an aggressive photograph of arguably the league's biggest name whether people know him or not. PL is still very much in it's infancy here, but gradually more and more of my non-footy buddies are starting to get into it.

Don't think the ad is designed to build anticipation nor a new fan base yet. Mostly its just an announcement of where you can find PL in 2013-14. I can see how casual fans would be confused since it was on three different (other) channels last season.

 

[Thenumber1blue]

Bale looks and acts like everything the "normal" american stereotypes about "soccer"

75% of the americans that walked past that billboard probably thought "whys that faggot up there"

another 20% probably thought it was a planet of the apes/zoolander 2 billboard of course.

Pretty sure I read the last derby was the highest viewed prem game in the states and it was just over a million viewers. so his skyrocketing profile is relative. It did seem last time I was there spurs were pretty trendy with faux euro fans ,seems everyone under a certain age either supported them or they were their "2nd team".

good lord, you talk about americans stereotyping "soccer" and then stereotype the hell out of americans.

you're a fool if you think americans aren't into football/soccer.

-- Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:20 pm --

You have your opinion; NBC and I have our opinion. We don't have to agree.

i think it's stunning that someone who lives in manhattan thinks americans don't know who gareth bale is. sure, some don't. but it's a country of 300+ million people. a fucking hell of a lot do.

Considering I'm American(hint:those 3 numbers in my username are my former area code) and up until recently still spent 4/5 months a year there ill stereotype as I please. The fact that the most watched prem game ever had something like 1.3 million viewers , and lost in the ratings to a spongebob rerun among other things or that the most watched champs league game ever lost in the ratings to a cable news business show shows it's not a giant thing , it's obviously growing and I'm glad it is , and obviously NBC wants it to . It still has a long way to go before the average American is going to be excited to see Gareth bale on a billboard.

Spongebob is good though !

 

[Hart of the Matter]

I still do not buy that he has the world wide exposure that a £50m + fee would require ( to help recoup costs etc) his lack of exposure in European Championships on a regular basis must impact on this. I think he is a great player and would love him at City but cannot see him in same bracket as Neymar et al for marketability and therefore fee.

 

[mancboy123]

Given the multicultural nature of america in general especially new york, i would say he is not the premier leagues biggest name or even close to it, tbh and as much as it pains me to say it hernandez from the rags would probably be better known purely because he plays for mexico or dempsey from spurs as he plays regularly for the US national team.

 

[Hart of the Matter]

I guess we could count on shirt sales in Wales going up!

 

[NQCitizen]

Friedel and Dempsey, it makes sense Americans have a greater affinity to Spurs.

 

[FrancoisToure]

Bale looks and acts like everything the "normal" american stereotypes about "soccer"

75% of the americans that walked past that billboard probably thought "whys that faggot up there"

another 20% probably thought it was a planet of the apes/zoolander 2 billboard of course.

Pretty sure I read the last derby was the highest viewed prem game in the states and it was just over a million viewers. so his skyrocketing profile is relative. It did seem last time I was there spurs were pretty trendy with faux euro fans ,seems everyone under a certain age either supported them or they were their "2nd team".

good lord, you talk about americans stereotyping "soccer" and then stereotype the hell out of americans.

you're a fool if you think americans aren't into football/soccer.

-- Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:20 pm --

You have your opinion; NBC and I have our opinion. We don't have to agree.

i think it's stunning that someone who lives in manhattan thinks americans don't know who gareth bale is. sure, some don't. but it's a country of 300+ million people. a fucking hell of a lot do.

Considering I'm American(hint:those 3 numbers in my username are my former area code) and up until recently still spent 4/5 months a year there ill stereotype as I please. The fact that the most watched prem game ever had something like 1.3 million viewers , and lost in the ratings to a spongebob rerun among other things or that the most watched champs league game ever lost in the ratings to a cable news business show shows it's not a giant thing , it's obviously growing and I'm glad it is , and obviously NBC wants it to . It still has a long way to go before the average American is going to be excited to see Gareth bale on a billboard.

1.3 million is a pretty big number considering it was aired at 2 in the afternoon on a Monday when kids were at school and adults were at work.

-- Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:33 am --

Given the multicultural nature of america in general especially new york, i would say he is not the premier leagues biggest name or even close to it, tbh and as much as it pains me to say it hernandez from the rags would probably be better known purely because he plays for mexico or dempsey from spurs as he plays regularly for the US national team.

NY sure but we are talking about the entire country. The rest of the country isn't really that multicultural.

 

[alky313]

Times Square is not New York. It's a tourist trap made up of 90% of people who couldn't find Brooklyn on a map