In the second half of the 20th century, professional sports in America was essentially a three-legged stool comprising baseball, football and basketball.
As a midpack baby boomer, I have been conditioned to believe this is the way it will always be, as if these three sports are somehow mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
My opinion changed on a sunny Saturday in July.
Our family of four was part of a throng of 56,000-plus fans in Nissan Stadium on July 29 gathered to watch a European-brand soccer match. It was the largest crowd ever to see a soccer match in Tennessee, and it occurred to me that we are reaching a tipping point in American fan interest in the world’s most popular sport.
Evidence is all around us.