5/10/05: Striker magazine needs your help

[Ronaldo's-Gap]

Hey everyone. This is Lang Whitaker, editor-in-chief of Striker, America's Ultimate Soccer Magazine. We're new on the scene, and if you haven't seen the magazine yet, check your local newsstand, or you can subscribe on our website (http://www.strikermag.com).

But enough about us. We're here because we need your help.

We love Big Soccer and I post here pretty regularly, and one thing I've always wanted to do with Striker is get the considerable brain power of Big Soccer involved. So, once per issue, we'll post a topic here and ask for your opinions. The best of the best will be published next month in Striker issue two.

So, the question: Since this is the tenth anniversary of MLS, do you think MLS is a success? Why or why not? What does MLS need to do, in your opinion, to be considered succesful? Sell out games? Develop players? What?

That's it. Simple but broad.

Now, do your posting thing.

[capitalist]

MLS is a smashing success.

1.) USMNT team is ranked in the top 10 worldwide, thanks to MLS.
2.) New soccer-specific stadiums
3.) Several young players moved on to Europe and made an impact (Howard, Beasley, Bocanegra, etc.) More will follow
4.) LA Galaxy

[wjarrettc]

Yes, MLS is a success and will be around for a long time to come. It will be an even greater success when the league can turn a tidy profit for its investors. That day will come. Garber is a real visionary and since taking over the league, has put it on the long-term trajectory that will make it into a major professional sports league in the US in the next couple of decades.

MLS got off to a rocky start. If you had asked me that same question before year 5 of MLS, I'm not sure I could say that it had been successful or that I would forecast the success that MLS has shown in recent years.

As a huge soccer fanatico, I must admit that there were years when I couldn't bear to watch an MLS game. But in the last 3-4 seasons the talent level in MLS has grown exponentially. Developing stars like DeMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, etc. for the world stage is proof that MLS is successful at developing homegrown talent. In addition, the rise of the US National team to prominence in the international game is concurrent with the rise in strength of the MLS talent pool...coincidence, I think not.

With new national TV contracts in the past few years with Fox Soccer Channel and HDNet, very strong regional network TV packages, an affordable pay-per-view package, and even free streaming internet broadcasts of their games, MLS is now delivering exciting, riveting soccer into households all around the US, not just in the locales that have teams.

I travelled to RFK stadium a few weeks ago to watch the home opener for DC United v. Chicago Fire. Every time Freddy Adu touched the ball, the whole stadium held their breath and moved to the edge of their seat in expectation. I had never seen that before in an American soccer venue. With marquee players like Adu and Donovan showcasing their talents on a weekly basis, MLS cannot help but draw in more casual fans to the game that we fanaticos love.

As more teams move to soccer-specific stadiums (SSS), both the economics and atmosphere of professional soccer will get a huge boost. When the majority of the league is playing in SSS and showcasing the best of homegrown and international soccer talent, MLS will be declared an unequivocal success. In the meantime, those of us that have grown to love MLS over the last 10 years (and specifically, the last 3-4 years) can look forward to a bright and shining future for professional soccer in the US.

[Qdog]

Yes, MLS is a success and will be around for a long time to come... ...In the meantime, those of us that have grown to love MLS over the last 10 years (and specifically, the last 3-4 years) can look forward to a bright and shining future for professional soccer in the US.

So you trying to get a gig as strikermag's new editorial writer? ;) Great post.

I think you hit it right on the head on the improvement in the last few years. I had access to watching the games the first couple years. The play seemed to be jerky to me. I've watched a few games this year. The league has improved considerably. The future is bright.

[dcuinvermont]

Just being around for 10 years in this country is a success for soccer. Plus we now have 4 Soccer specific stadium either built or in the process and these are very nice places to go and see games. New investors are positive.

Advertising has been ok. Attendance needs to improve by an average of 1000-2000, and progression is needed in the TV ratings. News markets are very positive, but the bottom line has to get better (or get less worse). Things have certainly improved, but it hasn't been as rapid and overwhelming as was predicted back in 96 (and it hasn't gone belly up either).

[cdin]

I don't think anyone could have realistically expected MLS to be in a much better position than they are now after 10 years of operation. With dedicated investors, shrinking deficits, and better talent, the league is the strongest it has ever been.

That being said, the only true measure of the leagues success is the financial performance of the league and it's clubs. From what I understand the league as a hole is still loosing money. This means that we are a heart attack or two away from the league dissolving; no matter how much better the league is now as opposed to five years ago.

The league will only be successful when it consistently produces positive financial figures. Others have pointed to the world ranking, SSS's, and the number of players going Europe. While MLS has had a hand in those things, other organizations like the USSF can also take credit for many of them.

I do think MLS is going in the right direction, and I am not sure how they could improve what they are doing. The SSS's are dramatically improving the financial picture of MLS and the new investors are making it less likely that a heart attack will destroy the league. However, MLS is not on solid ground yet.

[drew_VT_6]

MLS has had many successes, but they don't have any laurels to rest on yet.
In order to be successful, I believe MLS has to become a profitable business that produces a quality product year in and year out over the long haul.

If you look at MLS's successes, failures and "needs more work in the future" lists you'd see that its successes and open doors to do more future work in an area far out number the past failures of the league and of pro-soccer in this country. You'd see that MLS has created a great product that is steadily improving and you'd see that much of their "to do" list pertains to marketing and selling that product in a way that it becomes a profitable business for all parties involved in running it.

List of Successes:
-The league is here STILL in year 10.
-MLS players made up a large portion of the US team that made the quarterfinals of the 2002WC.
-The USSF can now roll out a C-team for a friendly and be confident it will be a competitive game.
-Corporate sponsors have made large deals with MLS.
-New owners have paid good sized fees to join MLS.
-Players have jumped to top notch international clubs and been successful and made millions of $$$ for the league.
-Top players have been returned to the league BEFORE the twilight of their careers.
-Most of the best young American players have signed with the league and gotten their feet wet in pro-soccer at an early age.
-Many young CONCACAF players have become successful because of the league.
-Soccer traditions have been started in many US cities because of the league.
-The league has used the internet in a way that no other pro-sport has in this country and carved out a niche for itself as a modern sport.
-New Soccer Stadiums have been and are being built in many different markets across the country.
-Teams with their own stadiums have become profitable.
-Reserve teams have been created to retain top young talent.
-1998 DC United won the CONCACAF crown.
-More US-centric soccer columnists, magazines and websites pop up everyday with many becoming household names.
-Soccer fans can argue over or complain about Bruce Arena's call-ups, line-ups and tactics now.

Failures:
-Spending millions on big name foreign stars that were flops.
-Tampa Bay, Miami
-Penalty Shootouts

Needs more work in the future:
-Marketing
-Turning the "large number of youth soccer players" into MLS fans
-Turning the "large number of Hispanic soccer fans" into MLS fans
-Creating more mainstream media appeal
-Game Attendance/Atmosphere
-No stadium in sight for the Metrostars, Wizards
-Build more stadiums specifically for MLS teams where MLS owners control all revenue streams.
-Cultivate the supporters groups that create game atmosphere


Over the first 10 years MLS has developed a quality product, now as the product continues to improve they need to vastly improve on the selling of that product to the general American public.

[Brownswan]

I think MLS is a success from the player point of view, both as developer of US talent, and as a showcase for talented players from Central America, the Caribbean, and "lesser" Britania (Canada, New Zealand, Australia).

Success with the fans of soccer living in this country is another matter. Both Metro and New England seem to have lost a considerable number of fans over the years -- and this in the most populous region of the country. MLS needs to become a success with the enormous fan-base for soccer, and a financial success for its investors.

Venues that bleed the league's resources must be vacated. That means Giants Stadium above all. If the Harrison project fails, the Metrostars should be moved to another location -- preferably in New Jersey, where it could identify itself more strongly by changing its name to FC Garden State. This might be a smart re-branding even if Harrison goes through. A fresh start in a new stadium, because as a Major League Sport in the New York area, the Metrostars have been a failure. They are regarded as minor league by the NY media, and are ignored by the massive number of soccer fans that live in the region, but remain faithful to teams abroad to the exclusion of MLS.

With the addition of Chivas USA, the promise of Toronto, and the potential for increased foreign investment in MLS from Mexico and Europe, it might be worth thinking outside the box. Consider putting an international team in New York City -- New York Internationals? -- that is free of SI restrictions, and allowed an increased salary cap to lure top level international talent to the team -- and to lure the region's fans as well. The idea would be to challenge the rest of the league with a very high level of play, and, frankly, to entice tens of thousands of fans who currently ignore the league.

This risks creating another NASL Cosmos-style Frankenstein, but if a way can be found to do it without breaking the bank, it should be considered for the good of the league. But even a New York Internationals team must find some place else to call home instead of Giants Stadium -- or a West Side Stadium built for the NFL, for that matter.

[irishapple21]

I love Striker. I bought the first issue and I've been reading it over and over. Too bad that Donovan didn't give you the scoop on his return to MLS though.
MLS has greatly improved over the past ten years. I was watching my copy of MLS 1999 the other day and most of the "best goals of the year" would never make it past the defense these days. When I look back at MLS in 1996, it's amazing how far we've come. We've gone from being a really cheesy league with minor league performances and tacky venues and uniforms to a truly professional looking organization.
Of course, everything is not perfect just yet. Metrostars are in a sad state of affairs as are Earthquakes, Revs and Kansas City, but things are looking up for the league as a whole. There are still many people who dismiss soccer in America -- on the Best Damned Sports Show Period the hosts didn't even realize that the USMNT was composed of American citizens -- but the number of fans is increasing.
MLS is becoming more respected in the world of American sports and it's future really looks bright to me.

[apmgtv]

MLS is an unqualified success. Regardless of attendance or quality of soccer played, the US needed a top-flight pro soccer league and MLS has provided that and more.

The rewards have been many, including:
1) Better player development for the USMNT
2) Public exposure and development of young talent (e.g., Adu, Beasley, Donovan)
3) A chance for the public to see pro soccer on TV on a regular basis
4) The beginnings of rivalries that will interest casual fans (LA Derby, DC/Metrostars)
5) Soccer-specific stadia, which make the game far more enjoyable for fans

There's room for improvment in MLS, but overall it has been a great success. I am deeply grateful to the visionary owners and sponsors who have been so determined to keep MLS going these past 10 years. Here's to their commitment continuing to pay off at every level!

[russ99]

I think that after 10 years that MLS has a success, other than a few bumps on the road, but the next 10 years are going to be the true test of the league's viability.

The league has grown at a slow pace, and the development of soccer-only stadiums is key to further growth, but the following needs to happen for MLS to tap into the massive amount of people in this country who either play or have played soccer and bring the MLS into light as a true major league on par with the MLB, NBA and NFL:

1. Find seperate owners for each team. The league cannot grow if one person owns half the league. As welcome as the additional input by Mexican clubs into the American market, we need single-owner American-based ownership for all MLS teams, and not a structure to allow for satellite clubs. What happens if a Chivas or Club America falls on hard times and/or a low fan base. How willing would Mexico-based ownership be on sticking things out?

2. Open up the draconian player movement rules. I'm sure many European and other international players would love to play in America for a few years, and not only players at the end of their careers. The low pay scale, nonexistent endorsement opportunities and SI allocations prevent this. The more name players in the league, the higher attendence, more profits instead of losses and the more possiblities for commercial and national acceptance. Since the quality of play and competition would be much higher, American players would be less likely to bolt to European leagues.

3. TV coverage MUST improve. Given that soccer is the #1 participatory sport in this country, MLS, International and European soccer must be given better coverage. We need a free-TV MLS game of the week along with better coverage of the World Cup, Euro championships and Champions League. A weekly soccer wrap-show on ESPN would be nice. More exposure on TV leads to higher ad dollars and attendence.

4. The U.S. national team needs much higher national exposure, expecially during non-World Cup years. More exposure into the mainstream of US sports culture the US team can only help the MLS, since most players on the National team play in MLS.

5. Bring back the women's league as a joint venture between the MLS and the US soccer federation. A WNBA-like structure using the current MLS clubs can only add to overall soccer exposure and boost the MLS men's teams even more.

6. Take the Chicago Fire's lead and create Junior teams, but expand it even down to the U6 level. If MLS branding and participation are brought into childen's soccer leagues, MLS will take off even further when those children become MLS players or fans.

[bigredmachine]

MLS has succeeded in persevering for 10 years. That alone makes it a success. Ten years ago, young American soccer players could only dream of playing overseas. Now they have a domestic league, on TV, in the papers, even if sparingly, that they can aspire to. Ten years ago, a handful of Americans were playing in Europe. Today, that number is well over 100. By comparison to baseball, football, basketball, and even hockey, MLS cannot be considered a big success, but those leagues have been around for many decades. MLS goes on. New investors, and, finally, new stadia continue to sprout up. Growth may be slow, but it is steady. By appealing to the growing number of youth soccer players and their families, the wave of recent immigrants who bring a love of the game with them, and the older entrenched immigrants who are sometimes referred to as soccer snobs, MLS will continue to develop a core following, which, in time, will grow to surpass a number of the sports mentioned earlier.

[Shibb]

MLS is a qualified success. The success is mainly in the areas of survival and player development. The on field product is getting better, but attendance is still spotty. It's nice to have two choices to watch the games, ESPN2 and FSC, but it's pathetic that games get bumped for marginal events like the 3rd round of the NFL draft. It's terrible that the closest MLS games to me are about 1000 miles away, even though I live in Florida, the fourth (and soon to be third) most populous state in the Union, which has shown before in NASL that soccer can be supported here. So I check that up to too rapid expansion and poor management. I don't understand why NE schedules spring games at night, when the weather can be nasty.

But perhaps more importantly, MLS is invisible to most of the United States. I don't have any desire to watch NASCAR, but at least I know it exists. I'd guess the average sports fan has NO OPINION, which may be worse than a negative opinion, on MLS. Even many soccer fans here don't know much or anything about MLS. MLS needs to do a much better job of marketing their product and their players. Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey and even Landon returning are all great stories. DMB's successful transition to Champion's League is something to be proud of. Goals are being scored, and some beauties, but how often do you see them on ESPN? How about major networks?

Even though the league has survived it should probably be at 12, not 10 teams right now. Eventually they need to get to at least 16-20 teams to do a better job of covering the best markets, but the talent is still a bit thin to do that. They need to educate the press on how to appreciate the game, and not just the "soccer guys".

Not to be all negative, there are some good signs out there. LA attendance is great. Chivas has potential, although that club has a lot of pressure to be successful quickly. Wealthy owners interested in acquiring clubs is a good sign. A strong showing by the USMNT in Germany in '06 wouldn't hurt, as it would help to focus attention on the sport again, but that's certainly not a guarantee.

[btmountainmail]

I'd have to say it's a mixed bag.

I don't think you can call it a success when it’s still not financially sound. No matter how much the owners love soccer, no one likes to lose money for 10-straight years. There will be a point where the league has to become a viable business if it wants to continue.

I still think the league as a whole needs to figure out who it’s marketing the games to. The hardcore soccer fans and families with little kids don’t always go well together.

MLS has been great for player development, and I realize the fan base is growing. I do think it’s a matter of when, not if things turn around – but American soccer is not out of the woods, yet.

[TOTC]

GOOD:
National team success
Junior national team success
Reserve league
Foreign investment
Supporters
SSS

BAD:
Only a dozen teams, max
The shootout
The coutdown clock
The uniforms that first season
Cornball plastic horns
Being second-fiddle to other sports teams

FUTURE:
Soccer moms understanding the rights of supporters to stand
Invitation to Copa Libertadores
Instill the idea of getting Canada to start its own first division instead of them having to join our "A" League
The WMLS
Nomar and Mia's first-born son

[dapip]

Wow, there is not much left to say.

Basically I agree with most of previous posts in that you can see most of the success of the MLS in the external consequences of it, meaning the growing popularity of the game in youth categories, the success of the US National Team, and the development of local youngsters. Furthermore by eliminating the dependency on fading foreign stars like Stoikov or Valderrama and encouraging a more modern fast paced game. However the actual success of the league should be measured in ratings and financial stability, and I think that the MLS is still far from both but taking steps in the correct direction, like adding Chivas USA and holding to its young stars. Those two elements will allow the development of a brand name for marketing. I consider that the ingredient missing in the mix is the local fan base, given the heavy competition of other professional leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB) and the lack of a true fan base. As soccer makes his way into American tradition this two problems, the last and the more difficult to solve, it is very likely that the league will achieve the success that previous U.S. soccer adventures did not reach.

[Scarecrow]

I commend MLS on the success' that they have had, and the ones yet to come.

I also think that a big thank you should go out to the fans who have been there from day one.

Lastly, give a big Thank you to the Peter Wilts in the league. Peter and those like him realize that the fans are the key to success. I think you should take a look at the Peter Wilt situation. Start by going to Section8chicago.com and speak to the folks there.

Yes I am biased about this.

[Lobezno1]

It's cool to know that the editor-in-chief of Striker magazine frequents Big Soccer. I loved the first issue, and look forward to Striker providing us with the high quality that we've grown accustomed to in SLAM.

Ok - enough ass kissing - lol.

"So, the question: Since this is the tenth anniversary of MLS, do you think MLS is a success?"
Answer = I can not say that the MLS is a success.

"Why or why not?"
Answer = MLS like any of the other sports leagues in the USA is a BUSINESS first and foremost and this "business" has lost money for the past 10 years. They have failed in marketing their product, the amount of media attention that the MLS has received in it's intial 10 years of operation has been dismal at best. The high point as far as media attention is concerned came last year with all the "buzz" surrounding Freddy Adu, did anyone notice how few media types have been following DC United around so far this year? How can the league be considered a success when only 1 person owns half of the teams in the league? These are just some of the reasons why I can't call the MLS a success...yet.

"What does MLS need to do, in your opinion, to be considered succesful? Sell out games? Develop players? What?"
Answer = The league needs to get different owners for all of the teams, that way if the guy who owns half the teams now decides to take his ball and go home it won't mean the league has to fold. MLS has to sell out games is easy to say, but hard to make happen. The MLS and the Media in this country BOTH have to do their part in order to get the MLS games sold out. Getting to the point where the games are consistently sold out will go a long way toward making the league profitable. The league's part has to be to get a mix of high quality home grown players and international players to come to the league. When I say that I don't mean only European stars who are in their twilight years, but young South American players. Yes, it's true that there is a large population of Mexican fans in this country, but they now have Chivas USA to cheer on in the MLS. A way for the league to spark the interest of all the other "Hispanic" fans in this country would be to bring players from South America...look to BRAZIL, Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay, I could go on and on. The media will come when these young, exciting, talented, and lets face it fun-to-watch players come to the league. The more media hype ala Freddy Adu the more excitement around the league, and more people will want to see what all the excitement is about.
Another thing that will make the league successfull will be (hopefully, eventually) all the teams in the MLS having their own Soccer Specific Stadiums. All the other teams in all the other leagues in this country have their own teams stadiums, why should Professional Soccer Teams have to use NFL stadiums? That totally kills the atmosphere of the games, 15,000-20,000 seat stadiums would be more than enough. It would make every game that much more exciting. A stadium like the Home Depot Center in Cali. is what every MLS team should aspire to, especially when you see the stat that the L.A. Galaxy is going to be the only MLS team to make a profit in the history of the MLS.

Get a team in Philadelphia ASAP!
Peace

[gherter]

So you trying to get a gig as strikermag's new editorial writer? ;) Great post.

I knew it was good writtin' when I saw the phrase "coincidence, I think not." used correctly. :)

I'll second the great post comment, too.

[brainer97]

Yeah, It's still kicking after 10 years, ain't it? People said it wouldn't make it four let alone ten.