American Celebrities and European Soccer Fandom

When I meet people from other countries, they are often surprised to find out that I quite like and know a fair amount about soccer. They take the stereotype that Americans don’t like soccer literally and assume that absolutely no Americans like the sport. I revel in breaking this stereotype.

But I’m not the only American interested in soccer and as interest in the sport grows in this country, it is perhaps not surprising that celebrities are being turned on to the world’s game. Their interest ranges from passing and merely attention-seeking to genuine. Some have even played the sport and know it firsthand.

Below I provide snippets of some of the most high-profile American celebrity fans. The list is not intended to cover all celebrities interested in soccer; it is simply a peek at some of those who are and the various reasons their interest has been piqued.

When Sylvester Stallone showed up to watch Everton play Wigan recently, it reeked of opportunism. Was it the release of his new movie Rocky Balboa or a sudden infatuation with the Toffees that prompted the actor to parade himself Wigan’s JJB Stadium with an Everton scarf? You be the judge.

Diddy is a well-known record producer and clothing designer. He is also clearly either has no self-respect or a healthy degree of irony. In 2006, he claimed to be an Arsenal fan and said “I’m a loyal guy. There’s a couple of other football teams tried to recruit me but I’m staying true to Arsenal.” That came several months after he met with Manchester United, “spent around half an hour with the team and chatted with old pals Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand.” He’s also not averse to holding up Everton jerseys. A loyal guy, indeed.

Spike Lee is known in this country for being quite the sports fan. His frequent appearances in the front row of Madison Square Garden to watch the New York Knicks are often punctuated by outbursts against the referees and taunts of opposing players. The bespectacled director has been credited at different points with an interest in Arsenal and Inter Milan (he also says he was given season tickets for AC Milan while in Italy on business). Speaking to Adam Spangler of This is American Soccer, Lee said the following:

I’m a fan … I don’t know it like football, baseball, and basketball, but I can see the beauty of the game. Soccer is a great game, man. Hopefully it will grow here in the States. I follow it as much as I think I can. I got the satellite.

Lee may not be a soccer expert, but he tells Spangler that he coaches his son’s team, called Arsenal. Spike Lee, the soccer dad. Who knew?

Photo courtesy of This is American Soccer

Two celebrity soccer fans who have also been known to play are the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash (I know he’s Canadian, but I’m including him anyway) and The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart.

Nash grew up playing soccer along with basketball and his brother Martin played in England for Chester City and Macclesfield Town. During a pre-season tour of Europe with the Suns, Nash introduced some of his teammates to soccer and had a kick-around with Francesco Totti. Nash also claims to support Tottenham.

Those who watch Fox Soccer Channel regularly have seen Jon Stewart’s promo: “I’m Jon Stewart and you’re watching Fox Soccer Channel. [switch to high-pitched voice] Goooooooooooaaaaalllllll .” In addition to being one of the funniest men in America, Stewart is also a former soccer player, having played college ball at his alma mater, William and Mary, where he was a winger in the early 1980s back when “one goal was worth five of today’s goals” (and when his name was Jon Lebowitz).

When in Rome do as the Romans do is a saying that many celebrities have taken to heart. They go native on their trips to Europe by attending a soccer game, though calling them a fan is probably a bit generous.

Michael Moore attended a 2002 North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. According to poppolitics.com, “[Moore] complained about the low scores, stressing that American teams score more because they are, well, American.”

Some celebrities maintain an “interest” in soccer that can only make you shake you head and wonder. Perhaps interest it too strong a word and it may simply be that they found a shirt they liked and put it on, not realizing it was a soccer jersey.

Mike Tyson fits this mold as he looks fabulous (as always) in an Argentina shirt.

Before threatening to “kick David Beckham’s ass” rapper The Game was merely a fan of Blackburn Rovers. Or at least he wore their jersey (complete with gold chains), which perhaps has more to do with the fact that Rovers’ uniform maker Lonsdale sponsored his European tour. Or maybe he just likes Robbie Savage.

Other rappers to take an interest in soccer include Jay-Z, who says that Thierry Henry is “cool and soccer’s social scene is blinging.”

And Snoop Dogg clearly sides with the Catholic half of Glasgow. That or he thought he was getting the new Boston Celtics warm-up.

But for sheer craziness, look no further than Michael Jackson (yes, I know it’s a surprise that he is involved with craziness). The king of pop was briefly on the board of Exeter City Football Club. No, the king of pop wasn’t “scouting the youth team” but instead was put into that position by friend, the spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller (his websites claims it “could change your life for the better”). When Jackson visited Exeter City FC in 2002 he said, “For the children and Exeter City Supporters, I love you, I’m here for you, I will always be here for you.” Or at least until the club nearly went bankrupt and Jackson hightailed it back to Neverland. Fantastic pictures remain of Jackson being “bowled over by exuberant fans“:

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 3rd, 2007 at 8:43 pm and is filed under Europe, North America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.