espn coming around?

[clinevol98]

i've noticed that espn is actually paying quite a bit more attention to soccer lately. as usual, they aired the champions league final, but accompained it with a commercial that aired quite a bit daily in the 2 weeks or so leading up to the final. the final itself was actually talked about on sportscenter that night for a few minutes relatively early in the show, with "analysis" from tommy smyth and they even had a screen that showed all the basic stats from the game. highlights from the game were in the "top 10 plays" and in chris berman's top 10 plays of the week segment (#5). granted, about 4 different players' names were mispronounced, but at least they're trying. before the final they had a 5 minute report on ronaldinho, showing how he's far more popular on a global level than any american athlete in a popular american sport. last year or 2 years ago, i doubt this would have happened.

they're doing the same for the world cup. as all of you know they've got that ad with bono doing the voiceover, they've already had bruce arena on to talk about the world cup roster, and every night on sportscenter they have a "world cup profile" that discusses an individual player. in 2002 their coverage was nowhere even close to this. i know they are still largely ignoring the most popular sporting event in the world, but another good finish for the US this year would definitely attract more attention. thoughts?

[ISiddiqui]

Coming around? I know most people here think ESPN hates soccer, but they have been the biggest promoter of the sport in the US than any other big time network. Yeah, Fox has a FSC, but how many times do you think they speak about it on regular Fox Sports Net channels? ESPN has usually spoken about soccer, even if it was for a few seconds.

This year, they think they can get some more money out of it. The last WC gave them pretty good numbers. So they think this time around, with the times being better (Germany being 6 hours ahead), they can score some even higher ratings.

[Asprilla9]

the thing is: ESPN has sports properties/investments, and they promote everthing they have to a proportional degree (i.e. MLB gets appropriate promotion, STIHL logrolling gets its appropriated promotion). US and International Soccer/MLS has heretofore gotten disproportionate promotion. it looks like the pendulum is swinging a BIT in the right direction.

but in terms of ad spots, Sportscenter stories, overall buzz ... soccer is still disproportionately promoted on that network.

when ESPN wants to REALLY promote something, they overdo it, suffocatingly so ... from all angles. a some 8 second WC promos/ CL promos, and running CL highlights isn't a proportionate amount of buzz for the WORLD FRIGGIN CUP, especially when it's 3 weeks away.

[kenntomasch]

i've noticed that espn is actually paying quite a bit more attention to soccer lately.

I've noticed that they're going to pay MLS for the rights to televise the games starting next year. That says quite a bit to me.

[GersMan]

I've noticed that they're going to pay MLS for the rights to televise the games starting next year. That says quite a bit to me.

I haven't seen that. Do you have a link?

That would be a pretty significant step. I was going to post that it's not a surprise they are promoting the World Cup because of all the time they are giving it. Wasn't the whole point of the swap deal for ESPN to "tolerate" MLS programming in order to get the more coveted World Cup?

But if we are now moving beyond that stage, and the league is getting $ for TV rights, I'd say that is very promising.

[MasterShake29]

I haven't seen that. Do you have a link?

That would be a pretty significant step. I was going to post that it's not a surprise they are promoting the World Cup because of all the time they are giving it. Wasn't the whole point of the swap deal for ESPN to "tolerate" MLS programming in order to get the more coveted World Cup?

But if we are now moving beyond that stage, and the league is getting $ for TV rights, I'd say that is very promising.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber has stated this multiple times.

Of course, he also stated that MLS would play a reduced schedule during the World Cup as well, so take it however you wish.

[stingbee30]

I believe some of you guys seem to bash ESPN all the time. For a fact, after this World Cup, ESPN/ABC have paid upfront money to the next two world cup. On 2002, and 2006, SUM bought the rights from FIFA for the English-speaking TV rights in the US. However, going forward, ESPN/ABC will have a vested interest in the global game on the international level and on a domestic level as well. ESPN/ABC will have great numbers for this World Cup. The media is paying more attention to this event, and a better time zone. In 2002, due to the World Cup, ESPN recorded its best summer ratings across the board, and was able to set higher ad fees.

[kenntomasch]

I haven't seen that. Do you have a link?

I don't have a link to the breakfast I had with one of MLS' guys who would know, no.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber has stated this multiple times.

Of course, he also stated that MLS would play a reduced schedule during the World Cup as well, so take it however you wish.

Garber Lied, People Died....again.

15 MLS players will be gone for the World Cup. Or about 4% of the league.

And the last World Cup game on any given day should be finished by 5pm ET or so.

[JayRockers!]

Soccer will have a significantly reduced presence across the ABC networks starting, say July 11th.

It would be nice if MLS and the Champions League got the same level of promotion that soccer is currently getting, throughout the season. But face it, it's never gonna happen when our SSS are playing to half-capacity.

But seeing sponsors like Gatorade running US Soccer commercials on Sunday night Fox television is a start.

Thx,

Jay!

[Kryptonite]

But seeing sponsors like Gatorade running US Soccer commercials on Sunday night Fox television is a start.

And not only once or twice, but several times.

[MasterShake29]

15 MLS players will be gone for the World Cup. Or about 4% of the league.

That's nice, but then he shouldn't have said it and instead said what you wrote above.

[kenntomasch]

That's nice, but then he shouldn't have said it and instead said what you wrote above.

And I'm sure you won't let him forget about it.

[OldFanatic]

15 MLS players will be gone for the World Cup. Or about 4% of the league.

Yeah, but in terms of productivity and any entertainment value, it's more like 70% of the league.

[kenntomasch]

Yeah, but in terms of productivity and any entertainment value, it's more like 70% of the league.

This year's top scorers:
Brian Ching (7) - Gone
Ante Razov (5) - Not gone
Carlos Ruiz (5) - Not gone
Kenny Cooper (4) - Not gone
Jeff Cunningham (4) - Not gone
Alecko Eskandarian (4) - Not gone
Jovan Kirovski (4) - Not gone
Jean Philippe Peguero (4) - Not gone

Last year's Best XI:
GK Pat Onstad (S.J.) - not gone
D Jimmy Conrad (K.C.) - gone
D Danny Califf (S.J.) - not gone
D Chris Albright (L.A.) - gone
M Dwayne De Rosario (S.J.) - not gone
M Shalrie Joseph (N.E.) - not gone
M Christian Gomez (D.C.) - not gone
M Clint Dempsey (N.E.) - gone
M Ronnie O'Brien (FCD) - not gone
F Jaime Moreno (D.C.) - not gone
F Taylor Twellman (N.E.) - not gone

None of the MVP finalists, rookie of the year finalists or goalkeeper of the year finalists from last year are gone. One of the three defender of the year candidates is gone.

Donovan's gone, but people here spend so much time bashing him, I didn't think it made a difference. Considering how Donovan just loafs around until playoff time.

Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy) - USA
Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo) - USA
Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards) - USA
Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution) - USA
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy) - USA
Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards) - USA
Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) - USA
John O'Brien (Chivas USA) - USA
Ben Olsen (DC United) - USA
Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake) - USA
Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards) - USA
Avery John (New England Revolution) - Trinidad & Tobago
Cornell Glen (Los Angeles Galaxy) - Trinidad & Tobago
Douglas Sequeira (Real Salt Lake) - Costa Rica
Claudio Suarez (Chivas USA) - Mexico

I'll grant you Donovan, Dempsey, Johnson and Wolff.

[Beau Dure]

Donovan's gone, but people here spend so much time bashing him, I didn't think it made a difference. Considering how Donovan just loafs around until playoff time.

Have you seen the Galaxy lately? Or the Revs this weekend?

[bigtoga]

i've noticed that espn is actually paying quite a bit more attention to soccer lately... i know they are still largely ignoring the most popular sporting event in the world, but another good finish for the US this year would definitely attract more attention. thoughts?Well, since ABC owns ESPN and they are showing 64 games in HD this Summer, they have a vested interest in generating interest (hence the increase in soccer adverts). If the US tanks, I wonder what will happen though. I remember 98 and how I thought that the US' finish could signal huge trouble for MLS but, arguably, it didn't. The league was very young then but you'd think that a young league would have a tougher time absorbing that sort of negative "energy" than a decade-old league. Today we have highly visible players playing in MLS but also a healthy dose of YAs. It will be interesting no matter what happens, eh? I'm anxious to see how it all unfolds but hoping for a Top 8 finish :)

[joebloe888]

Well, since ABC owns ESPN and they are showing 64 games in HD this Summer, they have a vested interest in generating interest (hence the increase in soccer adverts). If the US tanks, I wonder what will happen though. I remember 98 and how I thought that the US' finish could signal huge trouble for MLS but, arguably, it didn't. The league was very young then but you'd think that a young league would have a tougher time absorbing that sort of negative "energy" than a decade-old league. Today we have highly visible players playing in MLS but also a healthy dose of YAs. It will be interesting no matter what happens, eh? I'm anxious to see how it all unfolds but hoping for a Top 8 finish :)

The period between 1999 and 2002 was arguably MLS's darkest:

1. Media attention shifted to the US Women's National Team, which won the 1999 WWC and launched a women's league in 2001.

2. Potential sponsors left MLS, either out of US domestic soccer altogether, or was siphoned off by women's soccer. MLS was considered by many as 2nd rate, while the women's league sold itself as "world class"

3. Took some cheap shots from the women's league "founders", notably Foudy and Chastain, who claimed that the women's league was the ONLY world class soccer league in the US.

4. Contracted 2 franchises in Miami and Tampa after the 2001 season

5. Lost its TV rights fee contract with ESPN. MLS had to form SUM and had to buy the US English-language TV rights to the World Cups in order to bundle the World Cups with MLS to get MLS TV time.

MLS didn't emerge from the dark period until the USMNT made the quarterfinals at World Cup 2002.

By that time, the women's league was running on fumes, having already lost on the order of $80-100 million in two seasons and 2 of the original investors in Comcast and Time Warner wanted out.

The women's league actually tried to sell its Philadelphia franchise, which was essentially abandoned by Comcast, to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) for relocation to Los Angeles (3 of the Philly team members actually toured the Home Depot Center while it was under construction, and two of the 3 later ended up doing TV work for MLS/SUM as sideline reporters.) AEG didn't bite and the women's league died a year later.

The deep pockets of AEG basically held MLS together through the rough times.

[geordienation]

The period between 1999 and 2002 was arguably MLS's darkest:

1. Media attention shifted to the US Women's National Team, which won the 1999 WWC and launched a women's league in 2001.

2. Potential sponsors left MLS, either out of US domestic soccer altogether, or was siphoned off by women's soccer. MLS was considered by many as 2nd rate, while the women's league sold itself as "world class"

3. Took some cheap shots from the women's league "founders", notably Foudy and Chastain, who claimed that the women's league was the ONLY world class soccer league in the US.

4. Contracted 2 franchises in Miami and Tampa after the 2001 season

5. Lost its TV rights fee contract with ESPN. MLS had to form SUM and had to buy the US English-language TV rights to the World Cups in order to bundle the World Cups with MLS to get MLS TV time.

MLS didn't emerge from the dark period until the USMNT made the quarterfinals at World Cup 2002.

By that time, the women's league was running on fumes, having already lost on the order of $80-100 million in two seasons and 2 of the original investors in Comcast and Time Warner wanted out.

The women's league actually tried to sell its Philadelphia franchise, which was essentially abandoned by Comcast, to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) for relocation to Los Angeles (3 of the Philly team members actually toured the Home Depot Center while it was under construction, and two of the 3 later ended up doing TV work for MLS/SUM as sideline reporters.) AEG didn't bite and the women's league died a year later.

The deep pockets of AEG basically held MLS together through the rough times.




Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. "Founders" bashing.

It's like putting on your favorite coat, isn't it Ollie?

[MikeLastort2]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. "Founders" bashing.

It's like putting on your favorite coat, isn't it Ollie?

All we need is a TF post saying how Title IX has destroyed the USMNT for this thread to be complete.

[DAGSports]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. "Founders" bashing.

It's like putting on your favorite coat, isn't it Ollie?
Ehh, let's be honest. The WUSA people did screw up royally. They made it easy for the Fed and AEG to rebuild after 1998.