2011 NASL Attendance Thread

Discussion in 'NASL' started by Maza1987, Apr 23, 2011.

  1. WhiteStar Warriors

    Mar 25, 2007
    St.Pete/Krakow
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Based on the assumption that the teams would be playing for promotion, the way it is now the best team wins NASL Cup and that's it.
     
  2. teucer

    teucer Member

    Dec 17, 2009
    Raleigh, NC, USA
    Club:
    Carolina Railhawks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And the best team in the Premiership isn't playing for promotion, while the best team in the Championship is. By your logic, the Championship should have better attendance.

    Look, there are arguments to be made for pro/rel. I'm not personally persuaded by any of them, but some people genuinely do prefer the flavor of late-season drama that surrounds promotion and relegation battles to the kind that we see when watching for who will land a spot in the playoffs, and their taste is not invalid just because it isn't my taste. That's a real reason. This... this ain't. You do your cause no favors by supporting it with fallacies.
     
  3. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Actually.. I can. If MLS implements pro/rel, it is most likely going to be more similar to K-League's implementation where the first division is split into two divisions with pro/rel between those divisions only. The existing leagues are pushed down a level and still not having an avenue into the higher divisions outside of expansion.
     
  4. speedcake

    speedcake Member

    Dec 2, 1999
    Tampa
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sigh. Pro/rel won't ever die. :D
     
  5. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    If pro/rel was implemented in the U.S. not only would the NASL not see a drastic rise in attendance, there would be no discernible change.
     
  6. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not this I do not agree with, I understand why pro/rel will not work, but Attendance is very likely to go up in NASL (top teams at least) if there was pro/rel that involved NASL.

    Then again pro/rel would destroy the single entity status of MLS LLC, so there would be no top league for NASL to be promoted to.

    I think a lot of fans of pro/rel do not understand this (like me a year ago) MLS is not a league like of multiple individual teams that play against each other.

    MLS is more like say if Barcelona started 20 acadamy teams that played against each other all over Spain.

    1 single owner (MLS LLC) with multiple investors, own and contols all the teams in MLS. Pro/rel would be a big problem for MLS LLC.
     
  7. eclipse02

    eclipse02 Member

    Sep 20, 2009
    Yea the only way it would work is if there is a strong demand for it. For that to work, NASL Teams would need to build strong fan bases and start winning US Open Cup almost every other year. What i would love to see is for the Champion of NASL play the last place MLS club a D2 vs D1.
     
  8. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    But even if there is demand I do not think is legally possible (I guess it would be with waivers)

    See here why I do not think it could work with the current MLS set up

    https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1356045&page=448

    Also if this was mandated by USSF this would mean pro/rel between NASL and USLPRO also, as a fact I see that more likely (and very small likelihood at that) of having pro/rel between USLPRO and NASL before I could see it with MLS and NASL.
     
  9. drSoFlaFan

    drSoFlaFan DEFEND THE FORT!

    Feb 25, 2008
    Plantation, FL
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's the way it would have to be done, at least at first, to get MLS owners on board with risking their spot in the top flight that they paid millions of dollars for. The 2 finalists from NASL and the bottom 2 from MLS play a little round robin group stage to see who goes up/down. You might also need to see the 2nd division owners all paying some kind of expansion fee equivalent to be a part of the "MLS System".

    It's a long shot that it ever happens here. I'd personally love to see it and yes, I do believe it would improve the support of the game, especially in the lower levels. It would be a unique element in the North American sporting landscape, and would create much more entertaining seasons in every league, whether you're looking at the bottom feeders in MLS or those striving for move up from NASL. And that's not just my opinion as a D2 fan who wants to see MLS come to my town. Even if the Fusion still existed I'd still like to see pro/rel implemented. I love the concept. If your team sucks then those games closing out the season mean more than a draft pick. They mean survival in the top flight.

    But all we can do is dream for now. I'm hoping for a stable D2 moving forward, and obviously hoping for some nice crowds in Fort Lauderdale in the next few weeks, accompanied by the lifting of a trophy at Lockhart Stadium, something that despite it's rich soccer history has never happened before(the Strikers won the 1989 ASL/WSL National Championship game in San Jose).
     
  10. The Irish Rover

    The Irish Rover Member+

    Aug 1, 2010
    Dublin
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    Because of which there were and are more (financially) viable teams than there were places in a normal league division. If there is to be pro/rel in the USA football has to become A LOT stronger as a sport, even if only to make it possible to explain why fans and sponsors should take a relegated team seriously.

    Even if football was to become that popular, America is far more likely to have something like MLB; two leagues, with the top teams in each competing for two league titles and the title winners competing for the undisputed champion accolade.
     
  11. Jossed

    Jossed Member+

    Apr 23, 2011
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    If FIFA waved a magic wand and forced pro/rel on MLS through the USSF, it would never even involve the NASL or USL. So fans should stop thinking about it. MLS would simply set up a MLS1 and MLS2 and have pro/rel between the two leagues. It would never effect the minor leagues. The NASL would still face an uphill battle to even survive. You would still have to pay a $40 to 100 mil expansion fee to join MLS as a franchise. And no MLS team would ever be relegated to a league that wasn't controlled by MLS.

    There is a reason why many pro/rel zealots have abandoned championing the NASL and USL as places where MLS teams would be promoted and relegated to. They have given up on the lower divisions in this country. They realize the NASL, if it even survives or is replaced by some other D2 league, might never be stable. They see the low attendance, money problems, stadium problems, lack of ownership/sponsorship, etc. They know the minor leagues are a lost cause for pro/rel. So they don't even bring up the lower divisions now and want MLS to establish pro/rel between existing MLS teams. They know that is their only chance. A MLS1 and MLS2 that could be as large as 30-40 teams in the future.

    Can never work here for the thousands of reasons that have been gone over a million times.

    At this point we should know better. MLS1 and MLS2? That is another story.
     
  12. CFL-fan

    CFL-fan Member

    May 1, 2006
    Maryland
    OK, I won't tell you.

    But, there would not be a drastic rise in attendance.
     
  13. GalaxyKoa

    GalaxyKoa Member+

    Jul 18, 2007
    North County
    Club:
    Los Angeles
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not an advocate of instituting promotion and relegation, but none of us really know what exactly the attendances would be like if a team was playing for the right to get into MLS. It's 100% speculation, so all you saying that there would be no change are speculating as much as those saying it will go up, so acting as if it's verifiable fact is arrogant and pigheaded. There isn't a precedent for it in US pro sports, so we just don't know.

    For all we know, the American public would take to it like a duck to water and get on the train of helping their local team into the big leagues. Realistic? Maybe not, but it doesn't mean it's not possible.

    On the other hand, one thing that I remember reading from a Rochester supporter was that once MLS cooled off of expanding to Rochester, the buzz around town died down and attendance dropped off. That's 100% hearsay and really is anecdotal at best, so I take it with a pinch of salt, but it is what it is.

    It doesn't mean there aren't other issues such as even if a team got more fans initially, what would happen when it was relegated or constantly stood no change of promotion etc.

    At any rate, it's not something anyone can know with any certainty.
     
  14. Prosoccercdn

    Prosoccercdn Member+

    Aug 6, 2011
    Club:
    FC Edmonton
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    Anyone have the attendance number from the game in Puerto Rico last Saturday vs the Strikers?
     
  15. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Personally, the reason why I'm saying there won't be any increase in attendance in NASL if pro/rel is implemented is because NASL most likely would not be involved in any pro/rel that leads to MLS.
     
  16. GalaxyKoa

    GalaxyKoa Member+

    Jul 18, 2007
    North County
    Club:
    Los Angeles
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed, an open structure would be highly unlikely.
     
  17. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Don't know the exact amount, but on the IMS NASL podcast this week Kartik said it was over 5,000.
     
  18. Jossed

    Jossed Member+

    Apr 23, 2011
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Unless they are really good at hiding people, I can't see how over 5,000 people were there. That crowd looked in the 2,500 range at best.
     
  19. brentgoulet

    brentgoulet Member+

    Oct 12, 2005
    PuertoPlata, DomRep
    This is also my opinion
     
  20. CHHSfan

    CHHSfan Member

    Oct 30, 2010
    Chapel Hill
    Club:
    Carolina Railhawks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    4002 in Cary tonight.
     
  21. drSoFlaFan

    drSoFlaFan DEFEND THE FORT!

    Feb 25, 2008
    Plantation, FL
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    4,233 in Fort Lauderdale to see the boys advance to the finals. Decent, especially considering 30,000 people 15 minutes up the road at the inaugural game for FAU's new stadium in Boca and a sell out of 18,000+ at the Florida Panthers home opener just west in Sunrise. One of the few nights were there is direct local sports competition that close to Lockhart.

    Hope to see us break 10K for the 2nd leg of the Championship. No reason we shouldn't be able to pull that off. This is an event town that loves a winner and there are 2 weeks to promote it.

    Hopefully the media really latches on. It's a tough sports scene down here right now. Dolphins and CFB teams are sucking, Marlins finished last and are changing to laughing stock colors/logos/uniforms, Heat are locked out and the Panthers still have a long way to go to get any serious attention.

    The Strikers are a bright spot among tough times for sports fans. GO STRIKERS!!
     
  22. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Certainly outdrawing the RailHawks is a victory in and of itself. 4,002 is disappointing for them, especially with the numbers they drew in their season finale.
     
  23. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Maybe some of the fans figured the season was over and they were the champions, nobody told them about playoffs :D
     
  24. CHHSfan

    CHHSfan Member

    Oct 30, 2010
    Chapel Hill
    Club:
    Carolina Railhawks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'd blame the state fair. Not only did it draw people away for opening weekend, Wakemed was used as a parking lot for the shuttle, which caused some really bad traffic.
     
  25. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    4,002 is disappointing only if you haven't been paying attention the last five years.
     

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