Explain how a speculation could be wrong? Were the AFC & NFC wrong? NBA & CBA? National and American?
How is it good? Because it has happened before with other leagues. Can't compare the US to Europe because of different mindsets. It could be cannibalism or hybridization and it has happened before. We have the biggest most lucrative sports leagues. Even our NCAA leagues are fortunate on mergers. Compare our league systems to Brazil's ...no competition in organization and marketing.
Look at what many said a decade ago about MLS. MLS with all its struggles and challenges still grows and if MLS didn't prosper I don't think NASL would of tried to revive itself, with same name teams from 30 years ago, if the MLS grow as it is today.
MLS seems happy to merge, its called $40+ million expansion fees. But all those examples are 40+ years in the past.
Yes they are but it was made possible. A risk was taken and it became fruitful and they are all still expanding. Look ay the CWC that has been growing. Gold Cup to possibly unite with Copa America. You can't force growth it will happen naturally if there is a demand. Mergers are common in business just look at big corps on how they started off.
Maybe the zombie apocalypse is upon us, because these types of folks won't die and certainly keep multiplying.
I don't see why MLS would have an incentive to merge though? Right now the lowest attended MLS club is still way ahead of the highest NASL club and in reality, this year's Chivas number isn't a typical low. Plus why would they go for a blanket merger when their policy of "promoting" the teams who perform well (and have the finances and stadiums) in the lower divisions has gone so well? Right now the only team near the level of moving up is Orlando and they're not even NASL!
The AFC came about because of a merger between two organizations that ( a ) were involved in a war that was costing both sides tons of money ( b ) had become, roughly, equals ( c ) almost 50 years ago ( d ) in an incredibly popular sport ( e ) that had been, to that point, under serving the market There was no NBA/CBA merger, the CBA was a minor league that went out of business a dozen years ago. If you are talking about the NBA and original ABA, that was between two organizations that ( a ) were involved in a war that was costing both sides tons of money ( b ) where one side had assets the other wanted ( c ) almost 40 years ago ( d ) in a popular sport ( e ) that had been, to that point, under serving the market The National and American League were rivals IN 1901. Nineteen. Oh. One. The NASL is not in a position to challenge MLS for market supremacy. MLS has about a fifteen year and $3 billion investment head start, anything the NASL has that MLS wants (players, markets) it can just have, MLS has almost all the stadiums and sponsorship contracts and TV contracts and the D1 sanctioning. There is no reason the NASL can't become a very successful and better-run and relevant D2 league. But mounting a challenge to MLS that wouldn't be a complete joke and waste of time would require an expenditure of resources they do not currently have nor appear to be close to acquiring.
Okay. I'm not trying to run down the NASL, and I do hope it succeeds. But what you're doing right now is something like a parent seeing a baby smearing its food and saying "She's going to be a great artist!" I suppose anything's possible. But one thing's for sure: before the NASL should be thinking about challenging MLS for American and global supremacy, it needs to become a stable, viable division two league. That's what its owners should be working towards, and that's what its fans should be hoping for. It's not there yet. It's shown some positive signs, but it's also seen many of the same problems that lower level American soccer leagues have always had. The league has played three seasons and has lost four teams (Montreal and Vancouver to MLS, St. Louis and Puerto Rico to financial failure), with two more (Atlanta and the Cosmos) having to skip some playing time, and another (Minnesota) operated by the league. That's actually not a terrible record for second-tier soccer, and there's hope that, as long as the Cosmos actually show up in August and return next year, the NASL may do something next year that the USISL/A-League/USL almost never did: play two season in a row without losing a team in the offseason. That'd be a big step forward. Three years in a row would be a very, very good sign. If it can do that; if it can put together three or four seasons of stability, if next year's expansion teams are solid additions and not just thrown together to meet the USSF deadline of ten teams by 2014; if it can keep Edmonton's attendance in four figures and grow attendance in some other markets... If it can do all that, then we can start talking about whether it should or shouldn't be aiming to topple or merge with MLS. Right now, it's a non-starter.
Good point, forgot them. And Rochester...for a while. Like I said, though, in the first year or two of the league some startup churn is understandable. The real test will be in the next three or four offseasons. The USSF deadline was 10 teams by 2014, and the NASL is adding three teams next year to meet that deadline. If they can keep all three of those teams running for the next few years, without losing any existing teams (Edmonton seems most likely to fall by the wayside), that will be a huge sign, to my mind, that the NASL is on the right track.
All I mentioned are possibilities and multiple examples of mergers. I didn't declare anything on what should be done.
The possibilities of Nasl are limitless and yes it will be challenging but they have the coat tails of MLS to ride on especially the globalization of soccer. Who knew about Man U 40 years ago in the USA? Now they are a household name because of marketing. I don't think for 1 moment NASL wants to be a future feeder or bush league . Mergers are always a possibility in a corporate world you see it in sports, technology and corporate business. NASL is focused right now on being alive on being an accredited league. MLS took a long time to be where they are and many still do laugh but I respect it for being better than some leagues that are 100 years old still using a sane format and no growth. When you get a sponsor like EMIRATES to sponsor a new team in a new league you know they are thinking for a prosperous future that will benefit NASL. As of right now that isn't communicated but you know they plan big and don't settle for 2nd best. It will be perilous but I hope NASL prospers to more than a stagnant league.
It is also within the realm of possibility that I could have a three way with <insert hot female movie star here> and <insert another hot female movie star here>, but that doesn't mean I'm running around on forums posting about it and arguing with people that point out how wrong I am. Seriously, though, the odds of NASL actually getting competitive with MLS and forcing a merger is so extremely low that it isn't even worth mentioning and every time it is mentioned, a kitty dies. Don't be a kitty murderer.
Business mergers happen because both sides have something that the other desires. In this case the NASL has nothing that the MLS can't already get. If the MLS were to go to any of the NASL franchises and ask them to become the 21st team they would jump ship at the snap of a finger. The NASL is a good second tier division and it will always be secondary to the MLS. Manchester United was also in a relegation fight 40 years ago and then relegated in 74. Besides that side note, the first cable television station was broadcast in 1976. Of course Americans hadn't realized who Manchester United were because there wasn't even an option to watch them. Sure EMIRATES is sponsoring a team, the owners undoubtedly have business ties with them. Oh wow that's a shocker, friends in business do business together. Yes NASL plans on being 2nd best because there's no telling if the USSF is going to demote them to the 3rd tier if they lose teams. Take a business class and then go back over your statements and it might make a little more sense
No, actually, they aren't. They have not tapped out their potential yet, I will grant you that. But they are not - without a ridiculous investment that would not be prudent and which you'd be highly unlikely to find a half-dozen people willing to front - going to reach equality with or supplant MLS.
As long as that team is in New York, you mean. I haven't seen Emirates step up to this point and put their logo on Ft. Lauderdale's shirt, have you? In fact, how much shirt advertising IS there in this league with a prosperous future?
Re: The prospect of NASL attempting to compete with MLS: Why are the letters I, H, and L coming to my mind?
Keep in mind they have not actually said they intend to do this, only that they intend to do their own thing and be as successful as possible in their markets, which is probably the way to go. It's a certain subsection of people who seem to think competition is their manifest destiny or something. (As for the IHL, some of their teams still exist, and the incursion into NHL markets, while seen as a shot across the bow in 1994, instead looks like a pretty savvy strategy as an alternative, at least as far as the Chicago Wolves go. And the Wolves have an owner who spends money and exploited a niche.)
By the way, for those wondering, the IHL teams still extant are: Still AAA (AHL): Chicago Wolves Grand Rapids Griffins Milwaukee Admirals Houston Aeros played their last season this year. Cleveland has played all but one of the AHL seasons post-IHL dissolution, but with two different franchises (the Lumberjacks were league-owned at the end and thus went under with the IHL). AA (ECHL): Cincinnati Cyclones Utah Grizzlies (played in AHL before dropping down) Fort Wayne Komets (left IHL before final season) Kalamazoo Wings (left IHL before final season) The Orlando Solar Bears now playing are a new team that formed this past season. A (SPHL): Peoria Rivermen (left IHL before final season, later joined AHL, bought SPHL franchise after AHL franchise moved following the current season)
What were the odds of MLS lasting in 96? What were the odds of the AFC winning a super bowl in 69? How did the JLeague survive? What made the CWC last this long? Odds are always there and if your anti NASL of being more prestigious I respect it. I just see a different possibility like Gates and Microsoft vs Apple. How much shirt advertising is going to be prosperous? If Emirates are putting it on a 2nd tier team in a infant league its because they are looking for revenue. Cosmos is a start that can be a chain effect on other teams that can attract big sponsor. You think NASL is going to survive without big sponsors? If they do they will be just another MLS. It will all take time to build. There will always be a counter affect. NASL isn't going to be a better league than the MLS, not yet. Let NASL grow, lets see how they want to compete or participate in national and international competitions. Americans didn't know who Man U was but they knew Santos, Pele and Brazil right? AFL was created because NFL refused them so they created their own league. The rest you know. Let NASL start and find its niche in what MLS created successfully.
Have my statements caught your attention? Did they they offend you? Am I enforcing my agenda on you? Ofcourse NASL plans to be 2nd best because that's their intention at the moment! Read Plato's cave and see if associate yourself with a yoke.
You want to know why all of those things survived? Billionaires, or the equivalent of them. MLS survived because Anschutz, Hunt, and Kraft were willing to pump money into the league until it became viable. AFL survived because they outspent the NFL and started acquiring a significant portion of the top football recruits and started a salary war with the NFL where both leagues realized that they were on a path of mutual destruction unless they merged. J-League has survived because their owners have been willing to absorb millions of dollars worth of losses per year. Etc. etc...
The IHL never seriously tried to compete with the NHL. They were no WHA. Back on topic, the NASL wants to be the best in the markets they're in, not challenge MLS for D1.