No one is watching MLS. Here's how to reform it. (EPL, leagues)
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MLS as a league is totally uninteresting. I'll tune in to watch individual games just to watch a soccer match. But as far as following the narrative of the league? There is none. They've totally botched it by going with this stupid playoff system.
Last weekend I was watching the game of the week on NBCSN and the announcers actually said "We all know what happens in the beginning of the season has very little bearing on the end of the season" Okay..why am I watching then? You would never hear any other commentator from any league in Europe or South America say that. In those leagues every game matters. Either for a title push, tournament qualifying or relegation. That's MLS's problem. They are ignoring what works EVERYWHERE ELSE ON THE FRICKIN PLANET.
I'm tired of people saying "MLS has playoffs because that's how North American sports are". STOP. Stop your stupidity. Just because other American sports have playoffs doesn't mean soccer has to. So just stop this idiocy. Stop f****cking watching soccer. Go watch the NBA where the whole season is this stupid kabuki dance to see what the playoff matchups will be. That's what this stupid MLS has become. It's just the NBA but with a soccer ball. And no one watches because American soccer fans aren't stupid.
That's why the NFL has been (for the last decade plus) and continues to be the hands down most popular sport in the United States. Every game matters. Teams cannot afford to go on 3 and 4 game losing streaks and have a solid chance of making the playoffs when you're only playing a 16 game schedule.
Promotion/relegation will simply not work in this country. Fans will not turn out to see a team playing in the second and third divisions like they do in England, Spain, etc.
The MLS needs their playoffs because there isn't an FA Cup or Champions League competition that draws even a fraction of the interest it does for European clubs.
That's why the NFL has been (for the last decade plus) and continues to be the hands down most popular sport in the United States. Every game matters. Teams cannot afford to go on 3 and 4 game losing streaks and have a solid chance of making the playoffs when you're only playing a 16 game schedule.
Promotion/relegation will simply not work in this country. Fans will not turn out to see a team playing in the second and third divisions like they do in England, Spain, etc.
The MLS needs their playoffs because there isn't an FA Cup or Champions League competition that draws even a fraction of the interest it does for European clubs.
NONSENSE
Our 2nd division is averaging close to 5k. Indy Eleven just got 11k at their home opener. And that's without the possibility for promotion. You had promotion into the mix and the attendance would go up considerably. This is common sense.
You just don't know what you're talking about. The 2nd divisions in Spain and Italy are similar. Italy's Serie B averaged 5,190 this year.
Also, we have the Open Cup and Champions League in this country. You have to market them properly, add enough prize money, and schedule them properly. MLS/USSF don't. And the reason is MLS wants their stupid playoffs which no one cares about. And they don't want these other tournaments to overshadow their stupid playoffs.
I'm tired of people saying "MLS has playoffs because that's how North American sports are". STOP. Stop your stupidity. Just because other American sports have playoffs doesn't mean soccer has to. So just stop this idiocy. Stop f****cking watching soccer. Go watch the NBA where the whole season is this stupid kabuki dance to see what the playoff matchups will be. That's what this stupid MLS has become. It's just the NBA but with a soccer ball. And no one watches because American soccer fans aren't stupid.
News flash!! The majority of American sports fans don't care about rules of other sports leagues outside of North America. History has shown that American sports culture is different from the rest of the world. The average American couldn't give a crap about foreign soccer leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular soccer players in the world and yet he would be almost a "nobody" if he lived in the United States. Most American sports fans have never even heard of him. Do you think that is just by coincidence?? The reason most American sports fans have never heard of him is because the overwhelming majority of American sports fans don't care about foreign sports leagues. I have already explained my reasons in my previous posts about how the MLS can improve. If you hate the MLS so much then why don't you just watch the EPL? Have fun watching teams thousands of miles away with no historical relevance to the US sports culture, while I'll can easily cross the bridge to Chester, PA to watch my Philadelphia Union play.
News flash!! The majority of American sports fans don't care about rules of other sports leagues outside of North America. History has shown that American sports culture is different from the rest of the world. The average American couldn't give a crap about foreign soccer leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular soccer players in the world and yet he would be almost a "nobody" if he lived in the United States. Most American sports fans have never even heard of him. Do you think that is just by coincidence?? The reason most American sports fans have never heard of him is because the overwhelming majority of American sports fans don't care about foreign sports leagues. I have already explained my reasons in my previous posts about how the MLS can improve. If you hate the MLS so much then why don't you just watch the EPL? Have fun watching teams thousands of miles away with no historical relevance to the US sports culture, while I'll can easily cross the bridge to Chester, PA to watch my Philadelphia Union play.
So you are the voice of hundreds of millions of people are you?
News flash!! The majority of American sports fans don't care about rules of other sports leagues outside of North America. History has shown that American sports culture is different from the rest of the world. The average American couldn't give a crap about foreign soccer leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular soccer players in the world and yet he would be almost a "nobody" if he lived in the United States. Most American sports fans have never even heard of him. Do you think that is just by coincidence?? The reason most American sports fans have never heard of him is because the overwhelming majority of American sports fans don't care about foreign sports leagues. I have already explained my reasons in my previous posts about how the MLS can improve. If you hate the MLS so much then why don't you just watch the EPL? Have fun watching teams thousands of miles away with no historical relevance to the US sports culture, while I'll can easily cross the bridge to Chester, PA to watch my Philadelphia Union play.
More Americans care about La Liga and the Premiere League than they do about the MLS. Ronaldo is not some unknown person. You take Ronaldo and walk him down a main street in Boston, New York, LA, Chicago, etc. and he would have plenty of people asking for photos/autographs and saying hi. Take Landon Donovan and do the same and the reaction would be far less, imo.
Promotion/relegation will simply not work for the MLS. It will be a touch sell getting new owners to buy into the league knowing their team could drop down and lessen their revenue.
Best case is you create a minor league system for the top level MLS clubs each have a minor league affiliate to grow their talent.
More Americans care about La Liga and the Premiere League than they do about the MLS. Ronaldo is not some unknown person. You take Ronaldo and walk him down a main street in Boston, New York, LA, Chicago, etc. and he would have plenty of people asking for photos/autographs and saying hi. Take Landon Donovan and do the same and the reaction would be far less, imo.
If you are a hardcore soccer fan than probably but the average American has no idea who he is. Just start up a poll on any American sub-forum on this site and you will come to the reality that he is not as popular in the US as you think he is. Please stop drinking the kool-aid. For people to even notice him in cities like Boston, New York, and LA he would have to be wearing his jersey or some sort of name tag on his shirt for people to even notice him.
Quote:
Best case is you create a minor league system for the top level MLS clubs each have a minor league affiliate to grow their talent.
That's something I can actually agree with you on. It may not be the best case scenario but it would be a start in the right direction.
News flash!! The majority of American sports fans don't care about rules of other sports leagues outside of North America. History has shown that American sports culture is different from the rest of the world. The average American couldn't give a crap about foreign soccer leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular soccer players in the world and yet he would be almost a "nobody" if he lived in the United States. Most American sports fans have never even heard of him. Do you think that is just by coincidence?? The reason most American sports fans have never heard of him is because the overwhelming majority of American sports fans don't care about foreign sports leagues. I have already explained my reasons in my previous posts about how the MLS can improve. If you hate the MLS so much then why don't you just watch the EPL? Have fun watching teams thousands of miles away with no historical relevance to the US sports culture, while I'll can easily cross the bridge to Chester, PA to watch my Philadelphia Union play.
You're not making an argument. I'm not even sure what you're trying to say. Are you? The majority of American sports fans don't want a soccer league in America that is like the rest of the world? Okay..show your work. Show the data that backs this up. Because honestly, this is a very ignorant opinion.
American soccer fans don't care about foreign sports leagues? Look at the EPL ratings..look the Champions League.
That'a a really dumb comment you made.
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