Politico:

Sports are a reflection of national character and aspirations, and it is no coincidence, I think, that soccer has had a hard time catching on in the United States. Simply put, soccer—call it “football” if you must—is a tragic game, and thus it cuts deeply against the grain of the American ethos.

Americans are an optimistic people. We like scoring too much to enjoy a game that is more about preventing success than achieving it.

We go through this conversation every four years.