How to Americanize the MLS

[QueensNick]

Myself and Paul started a good convo in another thread so I started this as it was Off Topic there and does not relate to expansion so I threw it in this thread!

How can you tweak the MLS to make it american?

Personally I think there is a good mix right now - I dont want to see them with the rules and I dont think they will do that again!

Ties - Thats up for debate - some like them some think they can be done away with - I personally am in favor - and being the NHL use them -- its not foreign to US Sports

Playoffs - This to me is the AMERICAN twist on our League and I love em and I love the MLS CUP - A BIG GAME - like the Super Bowl


Another discussion for this - do you care what the world thinks of this league? Seriously

I mean I do because I think if we are taken seriously then more talent will come into our league improving the game, attendances and the money involved and many other things!

Thoughts?

[Metrogo]

I am not a fan of the present playoff structure. I think an MLS Cup between the western conference and eastern conference champs is a good thing, but I think it was ridiculous when, in a 10 team league, 8 teams made the playoffs. It was an insult to the season ticket holders. I love the idea of an apertura and clausura and then a big championship game.

We definitely should care about what the rest of the world thinks. If our league is respected, clubs overseas would be willing to pay more for our talent and we would become a more attractive destination for quality foreign players. Overseas respect would also generate more revenue in the form of television rights (don't laugh, MLS games are shown in the middle of the night in england) and kit sales.

Finally, soccer is a world culture. I am not on the "american exceptionalism" side of the equation. I want our nation to play a role in the cultural life of the beautiful game.

[goalhound]

One idea I've been kicking around is putting a "the" in front of each players name. I think it would make the league sound more professional and spice up the rather average commentating. For example; "The Dane Richards beats The Beckham to the ball and races towards the end line...he whips in a blistering cross to The Angel who misses the ball completely.....no, it was a brilliant dummy for...The Magee crushes the volley! The Galaxy keeper The Saunders is frozen to the turf! GoooooooooooooooooooAAAAAAAAAL!

:D

[southpaw817]

Well I def think we should keep the rules intact.With that said I just dont like the idea of ties in any sport. I feel it may take the edge of the competition. If the players know it is 3 points or zero,W/L it may add to the competition.

As far as respect I feel that many will not respect our league under any circumstances b/c they dont like our country for their own reasons. They vent this anger by degrading our sports just like ignorant Americans do with soccer You know what I mean? Ignorant American:"Soccer is for p*ssies!"Ignorant European:"Football is played by fat guys and watched by rednecks!"....lol u know? If it is to help the level of play over here and bring in revenue then the respect is something I agree with but if by respect we mean just doing what makes others happy then I say F em.

[KingsCountyFC]

you have to keep ties....if we change the structure...we lose crediblity and our talent pool will suffer if no one takes us seriously.

[southpaw817]

you have to keep ties....if we change the structure...we lose crediblity and our talent pool will suffer if no one takes us seriously.

Like I said if I had my druthers I would get rid of the tie throughout the world not just here.

Without question we should go by the rules that the world plays by but we have to add our own twist. This doesnt have to be in the rules or gameplay but maybe in the fans.

[KingsCountyFC]

well....honestly..i think MLS is Americanized enough already...
we don't have a single table...which i'm fine with,
I'm not sure what else we should really do.
I think it's fine like it is.
Honestly...
we have to care about what people think about our league...
it's the only way our league can get better...
if we remain too insular about how we run things, the sport
will be hated by Americans who already hate soccer and the
fans who are already obsessed with European format soccer.
We have to meet in the middle, and I think MLS has done a good job
accomplishing that.

[southpaw817]

well....honestly..i think MLS is Americanized enough already...
we don't have a single table...which i'm fine with,
I'm not sure what else we should really do.
I think it's fine like it is.
Honestly...
we have to care about what people think about our league...
it's the only way our league can get better...
if we remain too insular about how we run things, the sport
will be hated by Americans who already hate soccer and the
fans who are already obsessed with European format soccer.
We have to meet in the middle, and I think MLS has done a good job
accomplishing that.

I agree,let the league grow organically. But I think some people try to hard to make it something its not. Which actually takes away from its credibility as well.Its not England its not Spain. Let it be what it is and be proud of that.

[KingsCountyFC]

but i think that's the great part about it...
some people are trying to make it English, some people are trying
to make it south american, others Spanish, Italian....
it's the mix of all that, that offers a great amalgamation of different supporting styles you won't get any where else....
i like seeing English style supporters next to barra brava style south american, it's a perfect metaphor for our country....
our country is great for it's diversity, and it's diversity it what makes us strong.

[NYC_COSMOS]

The rules aren't broken so there is NO NEED to fix them. Just even having this discussion is a total lack of respect for the game. Which leads me to something that I have always tried to follow:

When in Rome do like the Romans.

When you want respect from others (i.e. Americans being liked, people not talking bad about us etc etc etc), you need to learn to respect others. Before we get all 'merican and go about talking about changing rules and so on, let's partake in the game a little bit with our international brethren. Then and only then after we have been on the scene a little bit should we raise our hands and say "hey guys. I have an idea!"

Until that day, lets look, listen and observe WAY more than we speak!

[austinwetherby]

getting rid of ties will kill mls. i would 100 percent stop watching it. Playoffs is not just amnerican, but the mexicans do it, other leagues do it. and i know some europeanm leagues have a playoff to see who will go to the uefa champions league

[thethinwhiteduke]

The rules aren't broken so there is NO NEED to fix them. Just even having this discussion is a total lack of respect for the game. Which leads me to something that I have always tried to follow:

When in Rome do like the Romans.

When you want respect from others (i.e. Americans being liked, people not talking bad about us etc etc etc), you need to learn to respect others. Before we get all 'merican and go about talking about changing rules and so on, let's partake in the game a little bit with our international brethren. Then and only then after we have been on the scene a little bit should we raise our hands and say "hey guys. I have an idea!"

Until that day, lets look, listen and observe WAY more than we speak!


you raise a good point, 'when in rome do like the romans'. but i think that begs the question, are we in rome or are we in italy? (okay, my analogy fell apart there). basically, im saying do we want to make the MLS popular in the US and pretty much make our 'rome' (in your example) the USA or do we want to boost the MLS standing in international football (that would be rome here). i think thats the decision that has to be made.

im in favor of strengthening the MLS and its reputation among the international football community. after that, they can let the support take care of itself in the US. but, when there is talk about 'americanizing' the sport, people are trying to do like the romans in rome, its just that rome is the US sports scene.

i think the league needs to figure out its target market and its goals and then work toward them. i think getting rid of ties is a bad idea and makes the league the mockery of others and i think that having ties makes perfect sense. the playoff system certainly could be revised but how much of that would be the league cutting off a necessary revenue stream just to placate some supporters?

[QueensNick]

As for as the rules of the game - they need to be on par with FIFA - im sorry - we want our league to be taken seriously by FIFA - so we must abide by their rules - granted we will have our own twists - No single Table - Playoffs but the actually rules ON THE PITCH - need to remain - No SHot Clock - Ties - etc!


I just hear we need to Americanze the MLS - but I dont understand what people want!! I want our league to have its own feel for sure but at the same time - I want our league to be on the MAP and compete in a World Club Championschips and the only way that will happen is if we follow the rest of the world!

Having that mentality that forget what the rest of the world thinks - I think we are spoiled in a way because in other sports we have the best league in the world. Baseball players dream of playing in MLB - Even HOckey - which is a very global game - players dream of the NHL! Soccer is the only sport we lack in (And personally I feel a lot of people who just want to be the best at everything turn off to the game because of it) but that is the one game we have to actually look elsewhere - ya know!

Hopefully one day we will be one of hte better leagues but right now we have to accept we are not - and while we can americanize our league - which i think it is - we have to hope the rest of the world takes us seriously - and not just to be the best but for our league and our game and our national team

[Painkillerz]

1 goal = 1000 points

allow elbowing,drop kicking you opponent.

[Metrogo]

Well by "americanize" do we mean cheerleaders (which already exist in SA) or music over the loudspeakers during the game. I'm not so into that either.

[KingsCountyFC]

the only music on the loudspeaker i want to hear before the game is...
Simon and Garfunkel.... respect it b*tches! :D

[Metrogo]

the only music on the loudspeaker i want to hear before the game is...
Simon and Garfunkel.... respect it b*tches! :D

exactly.

[QueensNick]

No need for cheerleaders - they are for commercial breaks which the beauty of football - there are none until half!

As much as I love American Sports - nothing annoys me more than watching a football game - a team scores - COMMERCIAL - then you come back and they kick off - then BACK TO COMMERCIAL - then back for the next drive - its annoying!

[el Rafaa]

I just hear we need to Americanze the MLS - but I dont understand what people want!! I want our league to have its own feel for sure but at the same time - I want our league to be on the MAP and compete in a World Club Championschips and the only way that will happen is if we follow the rest of the world!
Hopefully one day we will be one of hte better leagues but right now we have to accept we are not - and while we can americanize our league - which i think it is - we have to hope the rest of the world takes us seriously - and not just to be the best but for our league and our game and our national team

I think the MLS is doing a good job, personally I am shocked that the sport made itself a home with the other sports like baseball, football and basketball (I think soccer is above Hockey in the USA). I took an interest to this topic because improving domestic "leagues" is a topic that every country both north and south america is always striving to do, but failing miserably. I hope the MLS doesn't "americanize" - and it's rules changed , soccer being an international sport you just can't do that. MLS is starting to build a history, it is a difficult task.

[southpaw817]

NOTE:Just to avoid confusion,I dont mean get rid of ties in the MLS. I would get rid of it in every league around the world. Thats just my thing if I were the prez of FIFA. We should def go by FIFA rules.