Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
M2 you make some great points. But I think the bottom line is how many people - especially kids and teens - are going to watch soccer in person and on TV? I've read you guys' posts about English soccer and how exciting it is compared to soccer in other countries. Problem is, this isn't England. You still have a game where you have guys passing the ball back and forth and seemingly nothing happens. Then from outside the penalty box someone gets a shot on goal and it's usually a floater the keeper can corral without a problem. I just don't think kids and adults are going to sit around and watch something with so little action no matter how many stars you import. Especially when, as you said, there are so many other choices.
When I was a kid we didn't have cable TV. I loved sports so when any sporting activity was on I'd watch it. Basketball, football, baseball, of course, hockey, wrestling - both pro and college and, yes, even soccer. I remember when Pele and Beckenbauer and Chinaglia came to the Cosmos and played in Giants Stadium. I have a vague recollection of a soccer game at the Orange Bowl in Miami where they played on the artificial turf of the football field and kept the football markings on it. Kind of weird seeing soccer played on a football field. I also remember watching soccer on public TV from England, I believe. I didn't know who the teams were and I didn't care as long as it was sports, I watched it. But I couldn't go to England and watch it. I didn't know who the players were and it made it tough to develop a rooting interest. I can still remember the announcer's name: Toby Charles, but I couldn't remember any players' names. And the stars from the Cosmos soon retired and after that, TV coverage was about nil, as Mr. Charles would put it. No TV coverage, no league and no soccer to watch for little old me.
The TV coverage is key. Sure, you can stick MLS on the Ocho and draw maybe a little better than the WNBA but advertisers aren't going to shell out big bucks to TV networks if people aren't watching the product. And even if it's July and Beckham and the Galaxy are on ESPN or ABC people are going to watch the Yankees and the Red Sox on Fox. I imagine it's going to keep chugging along. There's enough channels out there to put it on and keep people who really enjoy it watching. But I don't believe it's ever going to be big time no matter who is playing because it's just not the kind of sport that is going to keep the kids riveted in front of their TVs.
Chip, I think your points are valid, but I also think they represent that old school way of thinking that one has to cater to the suburban TV-watching public in order for a sport to gain traction nationally. People note low ratings for MLS games, but they don't take into account the games being watched on Univision or other Spanish language channels. You have that revenue stream in addition to what you have on ESPN and ABC. If MLS teams are able to start competing in the international tournaments on a regular basis, I think you'll see that interest grow. I will give the MLS credit as well, that adding Beckham does raise its profile internationally. Now the MLS might see more of their games carried outside of the country. It's more than just marketing to soccer moms and their soccer playing kids.
As far as your typical American sports fan, I think they need to work to get more people out to the games. It's hard for someone who has little exposure to soccer to get a feel for the ebb and flow of the game merely from watching it on TV. It's way better as an "in person" sport than it is as a TV sport, at least if you have the right kind of fans. I went to a Chicago Fire game back in 2000 or 2001 and it was really pretty crazy how the supporters section had cheers and songs going for the full 90 minutes of the game. I thought it was pretty awesome even at Soldier Field, which was half-empty at the time. I can only imagine what it would be like in one of those 20,000 seat soccer-only stadiums. It wasn't quite to the level of the Austria Salzburg fans, but it was still pretty intense.
In any case, the MLS just has to keep building a base of strong supporters. Once they get a sufficient level of people who strongly support the sport, the casual fans will come along to find out what all the hubbub is about.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
One idea I've always liked is some sort of cross-pollination between the MFL and MLS. There would be no better way to galvanize interest in the American league then by establishing some sort of cup or challenge competition against the Morelias, Pumas, and Americas of the world.
Perhaps an 8-team Mexican-American Cup or the like. And if we could get at least a qualifying chance at Libertadores, that would be colossal as well.
(And yes, I'm aware of the CONCACAF Champions League but it's frankly a sideshow and neither the US or Mexican teams seem to ever field full strength squads)
They've been talking about soccer catching on in this country for twenty years.
Yawn.
The NFL has the best product going, I think it would be tough to see football go by the wayside in favor of soccer.
The money is insane. We have been laughing about all the hype over here. Great right foot though. It will be strange for him to be able to be the main set peice taker now he hasn't got all the the real superstars to fight with.
Also speaking about Freddy Adu, did you know Man Utd rejected him after a recent trial in Manchester .
Man U (or the EPL as a whole) is the last place Freddy should be going.
I pray he ends up in the Primera at a mid-level club where he can best develop into the #10 the USA needs so desperately.
There was some talk a while back of Ronaldo playing for the Metrostars. Could see the likelihood of that occurring ratcheting up considerably after the Becks move.
Actually it's been 30 years.
This thread alone has over 500 views and 50 replies, it's coming whether you like it or not, because 30 years ago it was a blip on the screen compared to now. Plus no one said Soccer has to only take on the NFL.
I guess you better wake up from that deep
I thin Beckham will find that people care about 1000 times less here than they did in Europe. We haven't had an US-equivalent athlete as far as exposure goes compared to Beckham. He might find that refreshing, but he might wind up begging to go back to Europe. Either way, I'm glad to see a big name player coming to the MLS while he's still got something left, even if it's not that much.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
Chip, I figure soccer will steadily get more popular over time. I doubt it's going to have a singular breakout moment. Like I said before, the English and Mexican leagues will probably remain more popular in the U.S. than MLS. I certainly expect soccer will be more popular than hockey at some point. I think it could become as popular as basketball in a few decades.
But I do expect the typical American sports fan is going to change from today's standard model and any change probably won't benefit football.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
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