We aren't subjected to watching a rapper so dope his names have included the words "Puff" and "Diddy". When we get told DC and Chivas are on TV at 4:00, the game doesn't start past 4:05. Thanks to the MLS people for not turning every game into a concert.
It's funny, this ties in to what I've heard a lot of people say about soccer in general during and after the World Cup. A lot of my friends who never watched a game before, got hooked by the constant play, the lack of commercial breaks, and the fact that you really knew when it would start and end.
If they are going to get singers to sing in MLS atleast get really big names with more than one hit single. Maybe a rock band?
Another dumb post by this idiot...Thats why no one follows MLS because they don't try to attract the casual fan! The only reason NFL invest in bringing music artist is to attract new fans who would other wise not watch football. The concert is a way to bring in the casual fan and get better ratings. Thats why MLS does a .2 rating because the atmosphere at games is boring. You have to make it an event that is glamorous and fun. Bring in Hip hop and Rock Roll and have a party.
Let me get this straight. The thread starter is criticizing NFL marketing, and some of you people are agreeing with him? Is that what I'm reading here?
NFL Marketing's main challenge is not tripping over themselves. Their job pretty much boils down to "look, football!" Same thing with big-time college programs. MLS is about the only sporting league that doesn't let its marketing wing (in most sports, this seems to be a group of people wanting to make commercials for Coca-Cola and Nike) try to ruin the product it's surrounding.
MLS would be lucky to have 1//100th the marketing savvy of the NFL. It's the most successful sports league in the world. I'd love to see MLS "ruin" the product the way the NLF "ruined" football. Also, getting back to your first post. The kickoff for tonight's game was scheduled at 8:30. It occurred around 8:35. You're the perfect example of why so many sportswriters make fun of soccer fans.
Marketing strategy has little to do with the NFL's success. The league's rule changes and the gifted athletes have the most to do with it. It also helps that the NFL is about 80 years old and each individual game matters so much more than in other sports (this goes for all football games). The telecast for the game started at 8:00. That's when a sane person would start a game instead of throwing a 35-minute concert out there. NASCAR does the same thing with their 30-minutes of blah blah blah before the actual event.
It's not older than baseball, but it's more popular. NFL marketing is the most successful sports marketing enterprise on all of planet earth. Perhaps a sane person would've actually looked at a tv schedule and noticed that kickoff was scheduled for 8:30 PM. BTW, did you happen to notice any of the pre game blah blah blah before the World Cup kickoff between Germany and Costa Rica on June 9th? If you think NFL marketing doesn't know how to sell their product, you are simply delusional
Why, because you'll neg rep me again? You're another perfect example of why sportswriters make fun of soccer fans. Pathetic.
Even many NFL fans are tired of some of the overkill; the opening-day hype (such as the party at the National Mall) is one example. The NFL is hugely successful, but they've pretty much got every sports fan in the country, forget every football fan. Now they have to find a way to attract people who don't really care about football, or even sports in general, to pay attention to an 'event.' If you think MLS has to be just as big as the NFL in order to be successful, then I guess it is pointless to argue with you. But the NFL is running the same risk NASCAR is running--trying too hard to appeal to everyone, and therefore losing what made it appealing to its fan base in the first place. IMHO.
Got anything to back that up? I'm an NFL fan and I love all the hype. They don't need to attract people who don't really care about football. Please show me where I said that I think that. IMHO using NASCAR as an example of a sports marketing failure doesn't exactly bolster your argument.
And you have to try hard to be worse than MLB marketing: "Major League Baseball: We're all going broke, the players are all cheating, and your team has no shot of winning, ever. See you at the ballpark." Never in my life have I seen a company so intent on slagging its own product so it can win wars against labor. Fortunately they've stopped doing it since the last agreement and, gee wiz, all-time attendance records. I think it's important to note that: Football :: NFL is not the same as Soccer :: MLS There's no reason to expect under such a scenario to get NFL results with the NFL's plan.
Actually, I pretty much agree with you. However, I still think the thread starter is nuts to criticize the success of the NFL.
On one of the local sports talk radio stations today, they had at least 10 callers (along with both hosts and some producers) that said they were tired of these pre-game concerts. They wanted to watch the football game for the game. On a related note, I can't tell you the last time the University of Georgia had to put on a concert to draw fans in to either attend or watch a game on TV. There's the traditional pre-game band performance (which is almost never longer than 15 minutes and coupled with introducing the team), the bands at halftime, and the first and second halves of the game. They sell out 92,000 seats and could probably get another 10,000 to buy season tickets.
I'm an NFL fan and hate it. It's so over the top and contrived that it makes things cheesier than in past years. I just heard one commercial on my way in where Peyton in a real serious voice says "ya know, you never want to lose to your younger brother". All the yucking it up on pre game shows. All the sound effects at the games. When you surround the game with all this schick it detracts from the sport. This really doesnt have much to do with the thread, but somehow I felt compelled anyhow.
So what? Tonight's game at Heinz Field is sold out too. Every game at Heinz Field is sold out. So is every game at FedEx Field. BTW, check out how much the NFL is getting paid for broadcast rigths for games http://www.forbes.com/markets/commodities/2006/09/07/nfl-directv-0907markets12.html
I'd be willing to bet that you're in the minority of NFL fans. I'm planning to watch the game Sunday night mostly because I want to see Eli and Peyton go head to head. It's pretty smart for the NFL to broadcast commercials to remind people of the fact that they're playing against each other.
Holy ********ing shit this is the funniest thing I have read on this site in ages. Are you serious? Have you seen MLS idea of "marketing" Painting their players in face paint and saying things like Embrace the Colors, is great marketing? Wha?!!
Alot of people want to see Eli and Peyton, yes. But do most football fans like cheesy acting to promote it? I, literally, just had a conversation with 6 of the dudes that sit aorund me at work. Not one thinks the league is better with all this sh!t. I had JETS season tickets and many fans complain of the music played inbetween possessions totally drowns out the atmosphere. The NFL is a popular league though. We are all emotionally tied to it and it would take alot of to make us stop watching. We are hooked. They can do whatever they want and most of us will just live it as an annoyance. Soccer, on the other hand, is not in this position. If the football was just starting now and they were trying to sell this current NFL product to the public, they would have a very tough time of it. 3+ hour, commercial filled games surrounded by cheesy sound effects and random schtick would make it a much tougher sell.
