Best way to advance soccer in the US

[pc4th]

The best way to advance soccer in the US is to put the best product on over the air station like Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, or even UPN or WB.

If basketball wants to improve its popularity in country X, it would try its best to put the best quality (NBA) on national TV in that country and not put it on some channel that only 10% of the population have access to.

My suggestion is that the USSF should use some of its $30 million surplus and get the rights to the best product and make a time-buy on say NBC during Saturday morning-noon (11 AM-1 PM for example) and have a game of the week.

Benefits:

-Expose the 20 millions or so soccer participants in this country to qualtity that many probably haven't seen.
-Increase the popularity of the sport.
-Provide models for youth soccer players to follow
-Retain some high school players that would otherwise switch to another sport after they turn 14-15.
-More people to support domestic soccer (MLS, USL) on the theory that "a rising tide lifts all boats."

Costs:

-If the rating is 1 million viewers, I believe USSF can break even, giving the fact that the rights will probably be cheaper since the 'seller' know that its game will be on NBC/ABC/CBS. Wouldn't Man U sell the right for cheap knowing that its game would reach a potential 100 millions instead of pay-per-view on Sentena?

If rating is poor, then USSF would lose some $. However, it's worth it to experiment for say 1 year.

p.s. the main/most important targeted audience is kids who play soccer (there are around 5 millions of them age 4-18). If 25,000 of them become soccer fans solely because of this that otherwise would not have, then it's a huge plus. Think of it, 25,000 life long fans who will attend soccer games (US MNT, MLS), buy products, even watch World Cup on TV, it would be a huge boost to USSF's future revenue. Without this, they would be baseball/basketball/football fans instead of a dedicated soccer fan.

[Ace1]

You live in a world in which we dream in. USSF are tightwads and will never splurge for NBC or Fox unless the US seriously started competing for the World Cup. I like the way you are thinking though. I agree, we need more good futbol on the tube besides on Fox Soccer Channel which no one outside real soccer fans get.

[kylesoccer]

agree completely. can we honestly get some more games on espn during the week. we can't outbid bowling and fishing to get some coverage.

[bigtimebuck4]

the answer isnt Fox or NBC. The answer is ESPN. ESPN allready carries the champions league both domesticly and abroad, so they could increase the airtime easilly without costing anything.

If ESPN were to broadcast 3 champions league games (two one Tuesday, one on wednesday) and rebroadcast the other games at say, 2AM, that would go a lot further than the USSF putting a la liga game on NBC (who wouldnt promote it, so ud only watch it if u knew it was on) at 7am.

the best of both worls would be for ESPN to buy the rights to Seria A or La Liga and put a game or two of those on Sat. or Sunday AM.

To be realistic, all of this is probably 10 years away at best. ESPN makes money on those releentless NFL films episodes we see every night between 12 and 5 AM, and asking them to sacrifice two hours on sunday morning of Red Necks squattin in the woods, wearing Bright orange and blowing into a whistle that sounds like a goose is, well, just asking too much.

[Stephen1164]

The Answer is Saturday Night Soccer on some station which most Americans can watch. Of course we need a John Madden type of annoucer who tells it like it is. Have the best matches played so the Sports Bars have the game turned on.

[nyrmetros]

And the game MUST have a great atmosphere...... I think this is even more important than a good game for the casual sports fan..... if he see a ton of people at the game and it's loud, then the casuals will be more likely to watch than a great game in an empty stadium..... verdad?

[Stephen1164]

And the game MUST have a great atmosphere...... I think this is even more important than a good game for the casual sports fan..... if he see a ton of people at the game and it's loud, then the casuals will be more likely to watch than a great game in an empty stadium..... verdad?

So your saying no games from Giants Stadium? The Comos have to be rolling in their graves or beds when they see the half field Giants Stadium.

[nyrmetros]

So your saying no games from Giants Stadium? The Comos have to be rolling in their graves or beds when they see the half field Giants Stadium.

The Cosmos are gone. Get over it. And yes, Giants Stadium is a atmospheric-death-trap for any crowd less than 30, 000.

[Stephen1164]

The Cosmos are gone. Get over it. And yes, Giants Stadium is a atmospheric-death-trap for any crowd less than 30, 000.

Your so right!!! And if the owner of the Comos name didn't want an arm and a leg the Metrostars would not exist. Hope to see the Metrostars become Majot League and get a stadium with or with out the Jets.

[nyrmetros]

Your so right!!!

Of course I am right... I am an atheist.

[Stephen1164]

Of course I am right... I am an atheist.


Bless You

[denver_mugwamp]

Of all the possible things that could happen to soccer in the US right this moment, the best thing would be for the Metros to get their own stadium. This would not just change things for the better in the NY/NJ area but it would have a strong positive effect on the league and soccer in general.

[Anthony W]

Another way to help advance the sport is to call it "boot" instead of "footy"

I know this sounds strange, but my buds told me that when I say "footy" they get the image of upper middle class people with really nice sweaters drinking evian.

Yeah, it sounds crazy to me as well.

[Brownswan]

-Expose the 20 millions or so soccer participants in this country to qualtity that many probably haven't seen.
-Increase the popularity of the sport.
-Provide models for youth soccer players to follow
-Retain some high school players that would otherwise switch to another sport after they turn 14-15.
-More people to support domestic soccer (MLS, USL) on the theory that "a rising tide lifts all boats."


I believe these claims were made for ChampionsWorld -- or SummerSoccerCircus, as I choose to call it.

We already have and EPL-slanted FSC, which I take should be moved to NBC or at least have NBC show the EPL.

If we are going to spend money, I'd rather see a Beckham-like draw on each MLS team: a world class player in his mid-20s. Get the Eurosnobs out to MLS matches and our attendance increases by 7-10% on average for the season -- maybe more than that. Since our level of play is so painful to watch (it is not to me, I enjoy it), give them a reason to at least be curious. They might stick around just to see an RvN with the Revs, or a kid like Rooney on Metro, or -- you name them, right across the league.

[bigtimebuck4]

If we are going to spend money, I'd rather see a Beckham-like draw on each MLS team: a world class player in his mid-20s.

thats A LONG way away, and each would have to come on a free transfer. the league couldnt afford the $360 million in transfer fees that would require, and most likely the players themselves wouldnt be interested in taking less money, to play in a lesser league with little/nothing on the line for 90% of the season.

If were going to get anything close to that, its going to be Beckham comming over when hes 32ish and past his prime. Addidas would be more than willing to support it and could compensate him for the lost income he would get in MLS.

My question is this, if a David Beckham Personality came into MLS what would eb the effect????

-would he increase attention the league recieves, get it a national television deal? lead to more vetern players comming over? get MLS into Copa Libertadores???? lead the league away from single entity?

or

-would he simply increase initial interest, only to see it dim as the season progressed and many of his games were played in half empty football stadiums?

[guest]

Cheerleaders. lots of em. (i'm not kidding)

[The Lion Keeper]

Cheerleaders. lots of em. (i'm not kidding)
I disagree whole heartedly. The last thing MLS, or US Soccer in general, needs to do is try and copy what is already established here. I think MLS needs to keep doing what they are doing plus more agressive marketing.
They need to sell the world game, not a warped American version. They need to expose the greatness of the game to those who have not discovered it and have their pre-conceived ideas of what Soccer is. The Nike commercial is a good start to this and that needs to keep going aggressively.
MLS has to continue to increase their quality of players. I think this will happen with the American talent that seems to be coming up from the youth ranks plus bringing in international talent.
Another opinion I have is, MLS needs to change the playoff structure. Regular season games need to matter much more. Fans need to feel the stress of a loss and the relief of a win. Right now, games really don't matter that much. Top 4 teams should be the only teams to advance to a home and away series semifinal, and then to a final championship game.
As far as the cheerleaders go, I think good looking girls attending the games
all dolled up will do more to attract the crowds. Its got to be the place to be seen at. The girls will attract the boys.

[VAsoccermom]

Cheerleaders. lots of em. (i'm not kidding)

The Rapids already have em'...... did anyone else notice them????? I appsolutley could not believe it..... cheerleaders in soccer...... whats the world coming too???? :eek: :rolleyes: :D

Maybe thats why our playing was soooo lousy...... DCU was to busy checking out the half clad ladies on the side lines............... :mad:

[CBusCrew12]

if we show the best product, it would be soccer from around the world, not MLS. There are problems with that concerning this county. One of them would be the superiority complex of the average American, or "it's not good unless it's American". 1. Soccer isn't an American sport 2. The leagues wouldn't be stationed in the US 3. 99.9% of the players wouldn't be American. Right there, that could put interest way down. Then you throw in the fact that if it does catch on, MLS is dead. Who's going to watch MLS soccer when they can see players like Ronaldinho take on Beckham and Ronaldo, or see games like Arsenal vs Manchester United, or Inter Milan vs AC Milan?

[okiebear]

The time-buying on a widely-available channel is an interesting idea. Does anyone know if, after buying the time slot for a game, USSF could sell the ads and keep the ad revenue? I don't know the biz, but coming close or even running a profit might open some eyes at networks.

It ought to be a MLS game, and someone was right to mention that it would need atmosphere. Those boneheads filling the screen and having fun at Washington and Chicago are terrific; great sales people. Those polite Kansans sitting still in that giant bowl watching the Lizards are not persuasive.