Now available …

Why can’t the U.S. men win it all? Or at least more consistently?

Because we’re way behind. And we’re behind because we’ve long been devoted to “American” things. And we can’t agree on anything, and then we sue each other. (We surely lead the world in soccer lawyers by now.)

And until we face up to those realities, we’ll never make progress. We certainly won’t have any fun.

Listen to the intro. See the video. Read an excerpt. Read more about it.

Then order:

+ Rowman and Littlefield
+ Amazon
+ Barnes and Noble
+ Books A Million

clients

The Guardian • FourFourTwo • ESPN • Soccer America

Bleacher Report • SoccerWire • OZY • USA TODAY

Fox Soccer • Huffington Post • Popdose • Bloody Elbow

topics

general soccer • women’s soccer • youth soccer

Olympics • MMA • entertainment / social issues

books

lrg

Long-Range Goals

spirit

Enduring Spirit

sds

Single-Digit Soccer

history

B.A.: Duke (philosophy, music) • The Chronicle

M.A.: Duke (liberal studies) • thesis

Work: USA TODAY • KRT • News & Record • Star-News

resume • work history • portfolio

contact

duresport at gmail

Ranting Soccer Dad blog and podcast

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  • Revisiting ‘Enduring Spirit’
    Enduring Spirit failed. Not just because not many people read it and I lost money on it. I had another book, Single-Digit Soccer, that didn’t sell a lot, but I didn’t incur any real expenses — the cover photo was my kid’s untied shoe with the laces draped over a ball — and I had … Continue reading Revisiting ‘Enduring Spirit’
  • Will the U.S. women’s back pay demands hurt future women’s soccer players?
    I’ve been covering women’s sports for about three decades now. Not as 100% of my job — through most of my employment, I’ve had a lot of editing and online responsibilities as well as reporting — but I’ve amassed a considerable amount of women’s soccer stories (and a book) and a lot of women’s coverage … Continue reading Will the U.S. women’s back pay demands hurt future women’s soccer players?
  • AGM wrap: U.S. Soccer board obstructs and women’s soccer moves forward … but this one guy …
    The U.S. Soccer Annual General Meeting provided expected drama at some points, unexpected non-drama at others, and unexpected drama at others. I’ll get to the bit about the guy who called out the women’s national team for its sportsmanship. Going bit by bit … The Powers That Be may once again find themselves at war … Continue reading AGM wrap: U.S. Soccer board obstructs and women’s soccer moves forward … but this one guy …
  • Harvard analysis shows deeply embedded misinformation on women’s soccer pay
    It’s not their faults. Harvard Business Publishing has made available — for a fee — a pair of articles designed to serve as a basis for classroom discussion. They’re thoroughly researched by four people (“Professors Christine Exley and John Beshears and Research Associates Manuela Collis and Davis Heniford prepared this case”) with roughly 100 citations. … Continue reading Harvard analysis shows deeply embedded misinformation on women’s soccer pay
  • United Soccer Coaches convention preview: Tough choices for women’s soccer fans and media
    The world’s largest gathering of tracksuits will be in Baltimore this year, starting Jan. 15. The bad news for casual fans is that there’s no MLS draft to let people shout slogans at each other this year. The other bad news is that United Soccer Coaches still doesn’t have a cool acronym, with “USC” taken … Continue reading United Soccer Coaches convention preview: Tough choices for women’s soccer fans and media
  • An even deeper dive into U.S. Soccer finances
    I went into a rabbit hole and kept digging. On Dec. 4, The Guardian published my piece on U.S. Soccer and where the money is going. It was essentially a preview of a board meeting that had the potential to shed light on the federation’s five-year plan to spend its assets down to $50m but … Continue reading An even deeper dive into U.S. Soccer finances
  • Podcast: The introduction to “Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup: A Historical and Cultural Reality Check”
    The podcast returns after a long absence with a brief autobiography to explain how I became a grumpy old man, I mean, how I arrived at the perspective I have. Then, 15 minutes into the podcast, I give a dramatic reading of the introductory chapter to the new book. Buy the book from your favorite … Continue reading Podcast: The introduction to “Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup: A Historical and Cultural Reality Check”
  • Women’s soccer: How about equal spending in general, not just equal pay?
    Harvard Business Review had a piece on lessons to learn from the U.S. women’s soccer team’s “equal pay” push, which may be premature given that the lawsuit hasn’t proceeded yet (and, based solely on what’s going to end up presented in court, may not go well for the women). Here’s how I responded: I’ve covered … Continue reading Women’s soccer: How about equal spending in general, not just equal pay?
  • English pay and what it means for U.S. men’s soccer
    In yesterday’s Soccer America piece, I tried to give some perspective on the U.S. men’s soccer team’s collective bargaining negotiations (remember: they’re still playing under an expired deal) by taking a look at national team pay in other countries and other sports. I looked at several examples — English rugby (a considerable amount of money), … Continue reading English pay and what it means for U.S. men’s soccer