Footbag going backwards

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 24 Jul 2007 04:29

http://www.google.com/trends?q=footbag

So over the last year, footbag has declined in popularity dramatically on google searches. In fact it's at it's lowest point ever at the moment...

Why has the last year been so bad for footbag? What can be done to change that?

notsohairlessape · Post by **notsohairlessape** » 24 Jul 2007 04:39

Is footbag ever translated into other languages as some other word(s)? That might affect the data.
Maybe Disneyworlds will help. I'll bet the 2007 stats show a bigger than usual summer spike.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 24 Jul 2007 06:44

Did you see the top languages? English isn't there.

Google trends works by giving you the percentage of total searches, not the frequency of searches by the way (so there are probably far more English searches for footbag, but they probably make up a much smaller percentage of all English searches).

http://www.google.com/trends?q=footbag% ... all&sort=0

At the moment Footbag is as popular a sport as Cup Stacking...

BenRea · Post by **BenRea** » 24 Jul 2007 06:45

Jeremy wrote: At the moment Footbag is as popular a sport as Cup Stacking...

its actually pretty true.

notsohairlessape · Post by **notsohairlessape** » 24 Jul 2007 08:12

Next they'll be broadcasting cup stacking on ESPN (or maybe they already are).

BenRea · Post by **BenRea** » 24 Jul 2007 09:06

already are.

bdams19 · Post by **bdams19** » 24 Jul 2007 10:49

I think part of the reason is that no one even realizes that it is called footbag.

mtoolan · Post by **mtoolan** » 24 Jul 2007 11:01

cupstacking is pretty popular. my gradeschool gym teacher spent a few weeks teaching it to us. my little brother got pretty good.

i actually think it would be beneficial to get mr sandbags in elementary gym classes. how we'd do that i don't know.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 24 Jul 2007 12:38

It is also possible that people may not be getting their info on footbag by looking up footbag on google. When people show interest in footbag, I often tell them to YouTube "footbag," or write down the link for footbag.org. In either of those cases, people may still be interested in footbag, but their interest wouldn't be caught by google data. Still, an interesting find in any case.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 24 Jul 2007 14:14

Sorry to sound like an dick here, but who cares? There are more footbag players this year (and every year) then there was last year. That's good enough for me.

james · Post by **james** » 24 Jul 2007 14:29

I don't see how some dinky graph from google is speaking for the sport of footbag.
Gimme a break.

this sport has done nothing but increase steadily in membership and breadth since it started and i don't want to see anymore damn graphs that say otherwise.

just play and be happy

i also don't give a hoot if the masses know or care about footbag, they are nubs in every possible way, fuck em.

david · Post by **david** » 24 Jul 2007 15:00

habitat wrote:Sorry to sound like an dick here, but who cares? There are more footbag players this year (and every year) then there was last year. That's good enough for me.

Prove this.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 24 Jul 2007 15:14

Well, every tournament I go to, there is a new set of noobs eager to play some footbag. ALWAYS! And last year's intermediates are always better than me

All the tourneys I attend annually (SJFF, MFJ) have gotten bigger each year with higher attendances, spectator and (new)player wise. Can I prove this with a fancy sheet of paper? No, but I hope you can believe my word when I say this, it's fact.

Also along the lines of this thread, compared to when I first started (3+ years ago) there has been a rise in footbag promotional events, people getting PAID! to play footbag. I read about them all the time on modified. Maybe they are lying, I don't know for sure. That would indicate to me that footbag is not going backwards.

Then again, I'm talking about real life. Jeremy is asking why is it losing popularity on google searches. I have no answer to Jeremy's question.

david · Post by **david** » 24 Jul 2007 15:22

May I counter?

Tournaments that used to flourish now no longer exist (CSS) or are much much smaller (spike and shred).

The places I used to go to kick (Philly and Sommerville) used to have at least 10 serious kickers in each. From those members, about 4 exist total.

There has not been a new footbag dvd in how long?

East Coasts this year had 9 freestyle players. Net probably tripled us.

No one bid for worlds until a month after.

The level of knowledge I encounter in my life about footbag is exactly the same as when I started.

I'm not bitching, I'm just saying I agree with Jeremy. The sport is not bigger. Maybe in europe it is, but not here. At least not on the east coast. Most of the best players have stopped being active in the scene, tournaments have low attendance, and the overall level of skill has fallen. I don't think assuming everything is hunky dory is doing much for us. This isn't me attacking you James, I'm just saying even though your things are true footbag seems pretty low right now.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 24 Jul 2007 15:58

I know your not attacking me Davey.

Well, maybe it's just the east coast then that's shrinking? I don't know about the east coast scene so much, so I'm not going to make a judgment on that. The west coast is definitely growing, player-wise and skill-wise, I can guarantee that.

The worlds bid thing does seem a little sad. But then again, worlds is a huge responsibility. Maybe no one was ready to take on that challenge.

Well, for every tourney that discontinues, there is one to replace it. The US Open and ShrEdmonton and maybe even MFJ are fairly new touneys that have potential to be huge! Especially the US Open, Portland has many many new players.

As for a footbag dvds, Zeb and I were supposed to collaborate on one for MFJ/Boise Jam, but he bitched out by not bringing his camera. It would have been sick. The dvd producers of the past seem to have just moved on to bigger and better things or just don't have the time anymore, which sucks, but it's all good. A new class will step up, I'm sure of it. And if they don't, I will.

Maybe I just have a different opinion on growth. I don't claim to know everything. Shit, I barely play myself nowadays. But I see growth in player numbers, not popularity with non-players/spectators. Personally, I like footbag the way it is, small and relatively unknown. I know how cliche that is to say, but it's how I feel. Maybe it's a little unfair to people of your level who could easily represent footbag as a serious and recognized sport worldwide and promote on a higher level, but can't because no one knows wtf footbag even is.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 24 Jul 2007 18:48

When you look at the involvement freestyle footbaggers have with the IFPA, there is now almost no involvement at all.

There is also a far smaller web presence for footbag now, than their used to be.

Shreditas.com is down, Australia and NZ don't really have footbag sites anymore, vicfootbag (Canada) is down. Flipsider is not supported by a large community, footbag.org is not supported by a large community.

Also Youtube is owned by google, and I think YouTube searches are included in the data.

I think footbag has a much smaller web presence now than it used to, it's much more isolated, and there is very little support for the governing bodies. It doesn't surprise me at all that things are going downhill.

edit; Another indication - when is the last time a footbag video here went to 5 pages of comments? Christmas perhaps, and that was like 30 videos...

Jorden · Post by **Jorden** » 24 Jul 2007 20:08

I say wait till after Worlds. So far in 2007, things have been pretty quiet with the exception of Euros. US Open as well, but footbag is already very well-known in Portland. Both those things just happened. Give time for the ripple effect.

Just think of it -- WORLDS: Disney, random families on vacation stumbling across footbag, crazy videos to follow (YouTube!), news coverage(?), players unveiling new footbag projects, etc.

No worries, it's just been a slow year thus far.

Oh, and I will be making a new footbag DVD when I get a new camera.

JM

BenRea · Post by **BenRea** » 24 Jul 2007 20:39

i just think there is a fresh batch of players getting ready to be the best in the east cost and probobly many other places too. everything has to cycle around and not every year will always be great. all sports have slumps.

look at NASCAR its finally starting to boom and it took how many years?

brinard · Post by **brinard** » 24 Jul 2007 20:45

i know dave and i have pushed footbag towards the yoyo crowd.

i play in a public place everytime i shred.

everyone i know considers me the footbag guy.

i think jordens right, atleast about the upcoming boom.

i dont really know what else to do except create litter by passing out flyers or giving away free footbags. and i know i wont do either of those things.

ive considered doing a demo in the mall, but im too busy to even find shred time. a demo is pretty out of the question.

im trying to break boundrys in footbag/yoyo hybrid, so i guess thats a start.

but i think considering the sport as falling in population, or less appeal, or anyting negative is pointless. there will always be hills and valleys. slumps happen. ruts get deep. then you get out. footbag will too.

im not whirried. who cares what gets googled? just google.

idk. it would be nice to have more peeps to shred with, but im not that worried, because i can always shred with myself and holly.

Grade Zero · Post by **Grade Zero** » 24 Jul 2007 20:52

Jorden wrote:
Oh, and I will be making a new footbag DVD when I get a new camera.

JM

OMG! I need to start saving up...where's my piggy bank!?!?!

i actually think it would be beneficial to get mr sandbags in elementary gym classes. how we'd do that i don't know.

I agree, good idea.