MY WORD VS. YOURS Sports Staffer Michael Campbell debates baseball vs. soccer with Sports Editor Wyatt Meyer.

Baseball. It’s one of the country’s most beloved sports and has millions of fans worldwide, who dubbed it “America’s game.”

Now consider soccer, the pretentious sport with billions of pretentious fans talking about whatever the latest is in yacht design and equity investments. Baseball is the sport of the people, which makes it far better than soccer will ever be.

With every pitch, a baseball fan anticipates that the ball will be put into play. Even though that’s not always the case, there’s still an excitement in the crowd that makes the game unmissable.

BY MICHAEL CAMPBELL Sports Staffer

That belief is almost tangible in the stadium – nothing beats the fan atmosphere at a ballgame. The smell of popcorn, the taste of a hotdog and the sounds of people cheering while watching the baseball game is unmatched.

Baseball also requires a lot of skill to play. Unlike soccer, where anyone can just kick a ball into a goal, baseball relies on hand-eye coordination. Hitting a ball at speeds from 85 to 95 miles an hour is a skill that even top professionals can’t regularly do.

Soccer. It’s one of the world’s most diverse sports with billions of fans worldwide, dubbed “the beautiful game” by its followers.

Now consider baseball, the dying sport with hundreds of dying fans talking about the good ole’ days, dubbed “the too-long game” by… me.

Baseball is also unique in that every person has a chance to make a difference. In soccer, many players simply sit at the back while one or two players score goals – baseball allows everyone to be a determining factor in the result of the game.

Lastly, baseball is far more inclusive. According to The Soccer Handbook, the average outfield player runs as much as seven miles per game, meaning players have to be in top shape to play. Baseball is far more inclusive, as people can play regardless of physical state.

Although baseball isn’t all action, the atmosphere and inclusivity of the game makes it far more fun than any snotty soccer game.

two feet to keep up,”Meyer wrote.Illustration byAntonio Starks

BY WYATT MEYER Sports Editor

To the enlightened mind, soccer is the clear choice. But for the unfortunate souls inside Clarke Central High School who’ve been misinformed on this matter, allow me to set the record straight – soccer is the better sport.

Let’s start with history, something soccer has in abundance. Established in 1863 on the fields of England, soccer evolved and expanded, touching the hearts and minds of those everywhere it went. This international community then combined in 1930 to create the World Cup, the planet’s biggest competition.

In the here and now, soccer is still bigger – a September 2022 Telemundo Deportes report called soccer the fastest growing sport in America, a country which didn’t truly take to soccer until the World Cup came to the United States in 1998. For people who haven’t played, the debate shifts to soccer’s watchability. Although people often complain about the “lack of action,” anyone must concede that at the bare minimum, soccer is a continuous, 90-minute game with almost no downtime.

Contrast that to baseball, which even after recent rule changes is primarily composed of inaction. The Wall Street Journal reported that out of an average game time of about 3 hours, a baseball is only actually in play for 18 minutes –that’s a lot of glazed eyes.

Finally, let’s talk about accessibility. Baseball requires a special field, bases, gloves, bats and more. Meanwhile, soccer – the beautiful game – requires only a ball, an imagination and two feet to keep up.