If We Can’t Watch, How Can We See?

In any other country, Sunday’s World Cup qualifying match, in which the United States earned a precious point against Mexico by playing brilliant defense for two-thirds of the match after having one player sent off, would have been the sports story of the day. But few Americans will have seen their national team taking a step closer to the World Cup finals next year in France because the game was not even on national TV. (It was shown on Spanish-language Univision.)

You ask why soccer won’t make it in America? The main reason is an entrenched and prejudiced media that think they know what is best for the American public. And I don’t mean only television, but your own august organ that regularly includes gratuitous put-downs of a sport that is played by more Americans than any other except basketball.

Let the rest of the world thrill to what Pele called the “beautiful sport”--we’re glad to have it. Americans, meanwhile, are welcome to sit and watch endless TV ads interrupted by brief moments of action in sports that arrogantly proclaim their league champions as champions of the world.

STEVE JAMES, Los Angeles