Why indoor never became mainstream?

[olckicker]

It's been ages since I've seen an indoor match but if I remember correctly indoor had the elements that appealed to american sports fans (more goals, faster game, shorter field). What happened?

[CISL]

Very simple...the egos of the owners and the managment keep getting in the way. Until they peceive this as a business, the game will continue to suffer. The CISL was well on it's way to being extremely successful until the owners of a few teams wanted to own & run their own league. Sad but true...Perhaps the CISL will return one day and have rules in place whereby team owners can't screw their partners down the road.

[empennage]

Most soccer fans realize that outdoor is a superior game.

[NSL2004]

CISL, can you e-mail me through the "Contact Us" link at nationalsoccerleague.net?

[BenchRobSmith]

There aren't any multi-billionaires like Phil Anschutz who want to bankroll an indoor league.

Simple as that.

If is wasn't for Anschutz, MLS would either not exist or would be vastly different.

It's not that indoor isn't appealing - it's that nobody outside Cleveland, Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, San Diego, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or Milwaukee can follow the league or even see a game. It's not on TV, the web page has historically been terrible or non-existant, and good luck finding newspaper coverage outside MISL cities. (and in some cases, in MISL cities.)

[Khansingh]

Yeah, but I work right down the street from the MISL front office.

[rymannryan]

It would be pretty cool if people followed indoor soccer. I like soccer in all forms. Although, can't say that I have much knowledge on Futsal.

[ax319]

Becasue lets face it Indoor Soccer isnt real soccer, sure its fun to watch but so is the WWE, that dosnt make it a sport.
Just like Arena Football will never be as big as the NFL or looked at as a real Sport to be taken seriously, even with the good attendenece and NBC deal.

[Matt in the Hat]

Do you all remember in the middle of the MISL's golden years (around 1986-87), the St Louis Steamers would pack the house for every game. Then they just kinda went away

[empennage]

Originally posted by Matt in the Hat
Do you all remember in the middle of the MISL's golden years (around 1986-87), the St Louis Steamers would pack the house for every game. Then they just kinda went away

I don't remember that team, but then again I wasn't really an indoor fan until 1990 or so. But I do remember the SD Sockers packing the Sports Arena with 10,000 plus. It was awesome, but then was pre-World Cup 94, when this country truly discovered pro outdoor soccer.

[DavidP]

Originally posted by empennage


I don't remember that team, but then again I wasn't really an indoor fan until 1990 or so. But I do remember the SD Sockers packing the Sports Arena with 10,000 plus. It was awesome, but then was pre-World Cup 94, when this country truly discovered pro outdoor soccer.

I wonder if that might be it, although I had truly discovered outdoor soccer back in the 70's. Seeing outdoor on an international scale after a ten year absence of the NASL may have sparked a renewed interest, although the MISL had collapsed two years previous, and the CISL was in its second season. I think one of the problems is the tinkering around of the rules that the now-MISL has done over the years, making it less and less like soccer.

There is, also, the idea that the soccer purist doesn't see indoor as real soccer, and therefore won't support it, while the non-soccer fan "does" see it as real soccer, and won't support it either.
That has been bandied around here several times.

[BenchRobSmith]

Originally posted by Khansingh
Yeah, but I work right down the street from the MISL front office.

:)

I was born about a mile from the AISA's first front office. (As you all no doubt know, the AISA became the NPSL, which became MISL II.)

Although the league wasn't founded until I was eight years old. By which time I was old enough to become a paying customer.

So it all worked out quite nicely.

[rocketeer22]

The Baltimore Blast posted over 8,000 for their home-opener. I remember growing up outside of Baltimore during the 70s and 80s and never heard about the Washington Diplomats.

Now, I primarily watch DC United (MLS) until winter comes. I fortunately live near both cities.

[joseph pakovits]

So, it seems like people are kinda agreed that if a stable nationwide indoor soccer league can keep from self-destructing due to poor business management or clashing egos and last for more than ten years, we might be onto something here. Is that what I'm reading in this thread?

[empennage]

Originally posted by joseph pakovits
if a stable nationwide indoor soccer league can keep from self-destructing due to poor business management or clashing egos and last for more than ten years

But then it wouldn't be called indoor soccer. ;)

[Canadian_Supporter]

I have only seen one indoor game in my life, a few years ago on CNNSI. However, I must say that I enjoy futsal much more then the indoor game. If my city had an indoor team, I would probably go and watch it because it is soccer (in a different form).

[L127]

if you can get lucky and catch a futsal game by south americans or portugal or spain, you will come to love it. the speed of play is almost as fast as hockey. the skill level is unreal. i don't think espn will be broadcasting it anytime soon. so, it will never catch on. but continue to enjoy playing it.

[kenntomasch]

Originally posted by CISL
The CISL was well on it's way to being extremely successful until the owners of a few teams wanted to own & run their own league. Sad but true...Perhaps the CISL will return one day and have rules in place whereby team owners can't screw their partners down the road.

Is that you, Ron? ;)

The way I remember it, the owners of a few teams wanted someone else to be able to make money off the deal besides just you, it wasn't about screwing partners anywhere. The CISL wasn't well on its way to anything but major problems, what with the WNBA coming in in 1997 and taking dates and MLS coming in and taking players. Not to mention the fact that people weren't exactly lining up to pony up and run franchises.

I loved the CISL, but it's revisionist history to say that it was Camelot.

[OsFan]

CISL, can you e-mail me through the "Contact Us" link at nationalsoccerleague.net?

Syd was blabbing about a league this long ago???