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You are comparing one soccer game to a single Yankees game? You do know that the Yankees play a gazillion games a year, right? In average, MLB blows every european soccer league out of the water when it come to attendance! As a baseball/soccer fan I find it offensive that snub soccer fans like you trash baseball to give soccer credibility. Well, the MLB is popular for the same reason Soccer is popular in the world, because it is rooted in tradition and history! Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Cubs, etc., are part of the fabric of the cities they play in! So have some respect for the game in the US that most resemble soccer in terms of history and sport heroes.
I thought attendance was down for baseball games? I don't think anyone meant to really bash baseball.
I also do not think that MLB blows the EPL out of the water. Sorry, mate. For one, the UEFA Champions League tournament makes the ELB and the World Series look like a little league game.
In average, MLB blows every european soccer league out of the water when it come to attendance!.
Actually, allow me to correct very wrong information.
Both the Bundesliga and the Premier League (EPL) have considerably higher average attendance than the MLB.
The latest numbers are:
Bundesliga: 43.173 - 1% up
EPL: 36.589 - 2% up
MLB: 30.449 - 0.18% up
It's OK with you like Baseball even in a soccer fan thread, but you don't want argue against the worldwide popularity of soccer.
Baseball has an estimated 500 million fans in the world. Manchester United alone has an estimated 350 million. Add the estimated 270 million of Barcelona to the equation and Basebbal is already losing. Let alone the others... Real Madrid, Liverpool, Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea...
You saved me the work so im just gonna quote you lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by Indyking
Actually, allow me to correct very wrong information.
Both the Bundesliga and the Premier League (EPL) have considerably higher average attendance than the MLB.
The latest numbers are:
Bundesliga: 43.173 - 1% up
EPL: 36.589 - 2% up
MLB: 30.449 - 0.18% up
It's OK with you like Baseball even in a soccer fan thread, but you don't want argue against the worldwide popularity of soccer.
Baseball has an estimated 500 million fans in the world. Manchester United alone has an estimated 350 million. Add the estimated 270 million of Barcelona to the equation and Basebbal is already losing. Let alone the others... Real Madrid, Liverpool, Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea...
Actually, allow me to correct very wrong information.
Both the Bundesliga and the Premier League (EPL) have considerably higher average attendance than the MLB.
The latest numbers are:
Bundesliga: 43.173 - 1% up
EPL: 36.589 - 2% up
MLB: 30.449 - 0.18% up
It's OK with you like Baseball even in a soccer fan thread, but you don't want argue against the worldwide popularity of soccer.
Baseball has an estimated 500 million fans in the world. Manchester United alone has an estimated 350 million. Add the estimated 270 million of Barcelona to the equation and Basebbal is already losing. Let alone the others... Real Madrid, Liverpool, Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea...
This. Two clubs alone have more fans than Baseball in the entire world... that says something lol!
The MLS may not be a joke anymore but personally I can't get into it. I've really tried. But the whole single entity, half the league in playoffs to decide champions, no free agency,salary caps, allocations, drafts, trades BS just puts me off. I must not be the only one because the TV ratings are still very poor.
It would be interesting to see some actual data on what the American soccer fan wants from a domestic league. Maybe my opinion is in the minority (i seriously doubt it though). I just get the feeling that MLS purposely ignores the rest of the world and continues to model the league after the NFL because of pure stubbornness. They want a very Americanized league when the sport of soccer is global. It's not baseball or American football.
This league would be much more popular if it modeled itself after the rest of the soccer world instead of American football (which is a completely different sport).
The MLS may not be a joke anymore but personally I can't get into it. I've really tried. But the whole single entity, half the league in playoffs to decide champions, no free agency,salary caps, allocations, drafts, trades BS just puts me off. I must not be the only one because the TV ratings are still very poor.
It would be interesting to see some actual data on what the American soccer fan wants from a domestic league. Maybe my opinion is in the minority (i seriously doubt it though). I just get the feeling that MLS purposely ignores the rest of the world and continues to model the league after the NFL because of pure stubbornness. They want a very Americanized league when the sport of soccer is global. It's not baseball or American football.
This league would be much more popular if it modeled itself after the rest of the soccer world instead of American football (which is a completely different sport).
I hate the play-off idea.. IMO the final positions in a league speak for themselves.. a play-off is just pointless
The MLS may not be a joke anymore but personally I can't get into it. I've really tried. But the whole single entity, half the league in playoffs to decide champions, no free agency,salary caps, allocations, drafts, trades BS just puts me off. I must not be the only one because the TV ratings are still very poor.
It would be interesting to see some actual data on what the American soccer fan wants from a domestic league. Maybe my opinion is in the minority (i seriously doubt it though). I just get the feeling that MLS purposely ignores the rest of the world and continues to model the league after the NFL because of pure stubbornness. They want a very Americanized league when the sport of soccer is global. It's not baseball or American football.
This league would be much more popular if it modeled itself after the rest of the soccer world instead of American football (which is a completely different sport).
I agree with you on some of these points, but I continue to watch MLS because I enjoy league play. I think that there is a strong possibility that the US can move towards an English style system whereby the NASL and USL-Pro become 2nd and 3rd tier leagues to the MLS. It would have to involve USSF and MLS coming together, which might be difficult given that they are separate entities.
The idea of relegation/promotion, however, is problematic in that owners of US franchises are used to being in the big leagues always. No other US sport has relegation to a lower division; it would make those franchises less valuable. And $$$ drives sports more than anything else.
The MLS may not be a joke anymore but personally I can't get into it. I've really tried. But the whole single entity, half the league in playoffs to decide champions, no free agency,salary caps, allocations, drafts, trades BS just puts me off. I must not be the only one because the TV ratings are still very poor.
It would be interesting to see some actual data on what the American soccer fan wants from a domestic league. Maybe my opinion is in the minority (i seriously doubt it though). I just get the feeling that MLS purposely ignores the rest of the world and continues to model the league after the NFL because of pure stubbornness. They want a very Americanized league when the sport of soccer is global. It's not baseball or American football.
This league would be much more popular if it modeled itself after the rest of the soccer world instead of American football (which is a completely different sport).
Agreed. That's the only reason I'm still really trying to get into MLS. It's just way too Americanized for my taste. The execs just don't know any better. They're probably older baby boomers from the east coast that chomp cigars and think that they can just copy the NFL and slap a soccer label on it.
I hate the play-off idea.. IMO the final positions in a league speak for themselves.. a play-off is just pointless
Playoff systems work very well and is a strong part of American sports culture. The MLS is still growing and expanding teams. I'm watching an MLS game as we speak, lol. Regardless of what sport it is, American sports fans love to see their teams in the post-season. Soccer is no exception. I think what a lot of people don't understand is that American sports culture is different from the rest of the world. Aside from soccer fans who have allegiances to other countries when it comes to sports(usually recent immigrants) the majority of Americans don't care about other countries sports teams or how they play them.
I hate the play-off idea.. IMO the final positions in a league speak for themselves.. a play-off is just pointless
Would an European league system be better for MLS though? I'm skeptical. Americans have the playoff culture. It did no good to Brazil a while ago when they went European league style. There was a drop mainly in stadium attendance and TV audience suffered a little too.
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