I also think people are misinterpreting people expressing their dislike of soccer as being 'threatened'. I don't think US sports fans are threatened by soccer at all. I think it's funny to even suggest that. 
I disagree. I know many people that feel threatened by it, in the sense that they don't want it to become more popular because they don't know anything about it (further than the basic rules) and will be lost if other people start talking about it. I've also seen similar situations where people fear hockey. Dislike can be a by product of fear in some instances, but certainly not most or all.
