7/11/07: All Over The World

[GPK]

Articles are getting picked up all over the place about US Open Cup games and MLS - I'll stick to the US papers, but its fun to see English and French papers picking up US AP stuff.


Cancela-led Rapids net victory-Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/rapids/ci_6344394)
Veteran captain Mastroeni selected as an MLS all-star-Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/rapids/ci_6345190)
Offense awakens as Rapids make Open Cup quarterfinals-Rocky Mountain News (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/mls/article/0,2777,DRMN_23926_5624037,00.html)
Major League Soccer | All-Star Game: No Crew players on roster-Columbus Dispatch (http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/sports/stories/2007/07/11/mls_stars11.ART_ART_07-11-07_C3_JM78K8Q.html)
FC Dallas not desperate for Mexican stars-Dallas Morning News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/soccer/stories/071107dnspofcdlede.3416bee.html)
Preview U.S. Open Cup-Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071001698.html)
United Puts 'Break' in All-Star Break-Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071001697.html)
New MLS stadiums have been a boost for their communities-Kansas City Star (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/wizards/story/185170.html)
Mexico is back to soccer heights-LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-mexico11jul11,1,3555197.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-soccer)
Chivas is giving Cubans a shot-LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-chivas11jul11,1,4018543.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-soccer)
Corner Kicks-LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-corner11jul11,1,4603777.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-soccer)
Beckham to make Galaxy a focus-Carson Daily Breeze (http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/articles/8426502.html)
Chelsea supports Beckham's 'Big Moment'-AP (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOC_CHELSEA_BECKHAM?SITE=CAANR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)
Galaxy falls in U.S. Open Cup-AP (http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/sports/ci_6345359)
Less Focus on Seitz Has Helped the U.S. Team-NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/sports/soccer/11soccer.html)
Revs are all the rage in U.S. Open Cup-Boston Herald (http://sports.bostonherald.com/soccer/view.bg?articleid=1010676)
Ralston, Twellman star in Revolution late show-Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2007/07/11/ralston_twellman_star_in_revolution_late_show/)
Real's Pope named to all-star team-Deseret News (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,685192631,00.html)
Lower-division Battery eliminate Dynamo from U.S. Open Cup-Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/4958269.html)
Ching picked for Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game-Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/4957656.html)
New coach Osorio seeks to light Chicago Fire-USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/fire/2007-07-11-new-coach-chicago-fire_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip)
Toronto FC finally `training properly'-Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/234600)
First things first(Josmer Altidore Article)-National Post (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/sports/story.html?id=b7828bfe-7190-4702-b0a4-715d605826af&k=31834)
Beckham is just biggest of many additions to Galaxy-San Diego Union Tribune (http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/soccer/20070711-9999-1s11socpage.html)
The nemesis-San Diego Union Tribune (http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/soccer/20070711-9999-1s11socrail.html)
Hempfield hosts soccer showdown-Lancaster Newspapers (http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/206655)
Soccer Beat: Chelsea seeks more U.S. fans-Sacremento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/266733.html)
Ads on soccer jerseys a tacky trend the Rapids should avoid-Colorado Springs Gazette (http://www.gazette.com/sports/rapids_24659___article.html/soccer_players.html)
Adu's enjoyment level on the rise-Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/234599)
Rhinos teammates are Harrison fans-Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/SPORTS05/707110371/1007/SPORTS)
Gritty Rhinos can't finish off Revolution-Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/SPORTS05/707110370/1007/SPORTS)
Battery topples MLS power Houston in overtime-Charleston Post Courier (http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/11/battery_topples_houston/)
Kickers shine brightly-Richmond Times (http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-07-11-1500.html)

[GPK]

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FNVGEXM9L._AA240_.jpg

[Eric B]

Mexico is back to soccer heights-LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-mexico11jul11,1,3555197.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-soccer)

Oh God. I hope Jones cleaned up his keyboard after writing that. He's now officially Paul Gardner West.

Ads on soccer jerseys a tacky trend the Rapids should avoid-Colorado Springs Gazette (http://www.gazette.com/sports/rapids_24659___article.html/soccer_players.html)I guess having ads on the back of the jersey isn't very effective since this ninny didn't notice that some MLS teams have had them for 11-12 years now...

[Len]

I guess having ads on the back of the jersey isn't very effective since this ninny didn't notice that some MLS teams have had them for 11-12 years now...
Actually, I agree with him. Unfortunately, it's unrealistic to expect MLS to ignore that potential for income.

[DoctorD]

Oh God. I hope Jones cleaned up his keyboard after writing that. He's now officially Paul Gardner West.

Anyone who writes crap like that below deserves heaps of ridicule.

Bradley should have worked with European club coaches to get three or four other experienced players released, even at the cost of not calling upon them for some of the World Cup qualifiers next year.

[LeftBackYank]

Response to David Ramsey's article regarding Rapids shirt sponsorship sent via e-mail:

Mr. Ramsey,

Thoughtful article today, and while I understand that commercialism has taken over sports and that it's mostly not a good thing, the primary difference between soccer and other sports is that soccer simply does not lend itself to the type of advertising that other leagues are able to sell.

During American football, basketball, baseball and hockey games, which ridiculously run anywhere from 3 to 4 hours, there are endless stoppages in play which allow opportunities to sell commercials. In soccer, a game that lasts nearly exactly 2 hours on TV, there are exactly 3 - THREE - opportunities to sell commercials: pre-game, halftime, and post-game. That's it. There are no stoppages during the run of play to help pay the bills.

TV has always been the motivation to sell commercials and stadium signage in the US, and it is the same in Europe. But, again, the primary difference was the means and the evolution of the medium available, and in Europe, without the opportunities for commercials, the players' shirts became that medium.

Those facts don't change with the game in the States. Teams still have to generate revenue to stay competitive, and shirt sponsorship is the way to do it. That is why you will have a hard time finding players, administrators or fans of the game agreeing with you on this point. Almost universally, soccer supporters view MLS shirt sponsorships as a positive.

All of that said, I agree that this is not something that should cross over into other sports in the US, for one basic reason: it is unnecessary. They have plenty of ad and commercial space already. If any team in the NHL, NFL, NBA or in MLB were to go this route, it would be seen for what it is, a money-grab. Not the case with the beautiful game.

[Beakmon FC]

Oh God. I hope Jones cleaned up his keyboard after writing that. He's now officially Paul Gardner West.

I guess having ads on the back of the jersey isn't very effective since this ninny didn't notice that some MLS teams have had them for 11-12 years now...

The argument against jersey advertising is all emotional, while the argument in favor is almost entirely rational. It's pretty tough to resolve a dispute like that. It's ironic that a newspaper reporter, whose salary is almost entirely dependent upon the advertising space sold by the paper, would complain about that...

[equus]

The argument against jersey advertising is all emotional, while the argument in favor is almost entirely rational. It's pretty tough to resolve a dispute like that. It's ironic that a newspaper reporter, whose salary is almost entirely dependent upon the advertising space sold by the paper, would complain about that...

It's such a given these days globally that seeing shirts without sponsors on them looks weird.

[duckstrap]

Oh God. I hope Jones cleaned up his keyboard after writing that. He's now officially Paul Gardner West.

That's a ridiculous article.

[Geneva]

Oh God. I hope Jones cleaned up his keyboard after writing that. He's now officially Paul Gardner West.
Yeah, the article has several factual errors & ridiculous assumptions. And would it KILL him to actually do some journalism, like ASK Bradley or Lalas or MLS or US Soccer why Donovan & some other MLS stars & even European stars didn't go? It's all been speculation up to now and no one seems to want to do the legwork to actually find out anything. Jones should be well-connected enough to get something, if he tried.

[peteo]

FYT :D

I thought the story was quite good, revealing a bit more about them, and because it's different than the usual tabloid fodder.

The Beckhams: American Idols (http://www.style.com/w/feat_story/071107/full_page.html)

http://www.style.com/images/w/feat_story/071107/img15.jpg

[Shopping Cart Man]

“A lot of that falls to the internal mysteries of MLS, which often translates to: 'We make it up as we go along,' ” says Robert Foose, executive director of the players union. “Because it's single-entity and the league office technically signs the players, it's really all fiction. There's no such thing as a real salary cap.

Why can't the San Diego Tribune make it through a single MLS article without taking a stab at the league?

[Dummeldinger]

It's such a given these days globally that seeing shirts without sponsors on them looks weird.

a lot of the times you can identify teams by thier sponsors, it looks stupid when they don't have a logo though

[David Who?]

David Who?