Maybe because we're, you know, Americans? Flip side, though, I don't like the folks that make everything British (terms etc.) or European. Though I'll bet that many English fans consider the League Cup to be an important trophy.
If you look at their Wikipedia page, they do make a point of both their Eastern and Western Conference championships under honors. The team itself has placed one of their conference championships on their "Red Beam" history--when they went to the Final--as one of their 13 "best moments in Red Bull history" And, from their history on their official MLS webpage: So, it's at least of some importance...
Nobody is denying it's importance. It's a playoff game to make a final. I've just never met a Red Bull fan who considers that a trophy. I've never met a fan outside of Columbus who would count such this as part of a trophy case. It's a losers mentality.
The American thing only goes so far. I still find it odd an Eastern Conference team wins the Western Conference spot for the Cup. That's just awful. It seems the league is tinkering with the system not realizing the system itself is the problem. The over the top Euro nonsense is irritating as well. It's also odd the league is stuck between those two mindsets. It's almost as if they don't believe in or know how to run a soccer league. League Cup was a joke until it became a ticket to Europe.
An odd part of soccer culture then--because in many of our other sports in the US (if not all of the major sports)--especially baseball and hockey, it is. But the fact remains that it is far more difficult to win a championship in a 24 team league than it was in a 12 team league. Apples and oranges. But, at the end of the day, MLS itself gives out a trophy for it. That makes it part of a trophy case. And it's not a "participation trophy" or a made up challenge cup like the Trillium Cup. You have to earn it. Sure it's not the trophy. But it's a trophy. Just like pennants are celebrated by baseball teams even if you don't win the World Series.
This is one reason I've been hesitant to use web scrapers (well, that and a general lack of technical knowledge).
Soon, Gigi will have managed the most matches in Crew history... with nothing to show for it! Hooray?
Agreed on all counts--and I'll note that it was odd that the Jackets were part of the NHL's Western Conference for years. Still, MLS did fix the issue in recent years. As I recall, didn't the NHL once have playoffs that crossed conferences?? My memory may be faulty on that.
The Mike Brown/Cincinnati Bengals mentality. WE HAD A WINNING RECORD! WE MADE THE PLAYOFFS! WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT FROM MARVIN?!
Are you kidding? I'd be happy if he made it to the semis! But, yeah, he will soon pass Bobby in games managed. What has he won? NOTHING. We were close to winning one season. Wonderful, but this ain't horseshoes or hand grenades. EDIT: You know what? This is crazy! THE CUP is my favorite competition. I would give Gigi a three-year extension if he won the damn thing. Sheesh.
There's a big difference in just making the playoffs to going to the Super Bowl. Which (not that I'm a Bengals fan) they have done--just not under Lewis. Apples and oranges--again. Of course the vast majority of European teams never sniff a trophy either--or even have a real chance to do so.
Funny thing was there were a couple of posts about Curtin doing just that--and being praised here for it. But.... Looks like a trophy to me--and NE seems to want to claim it.
Here's my mentality. I like when we win season games. It gives me a psychological pick-me-up. I love winning playoff matches. The Atlanta playoff game last year, for example. I don't know how many season game wins equal one playoff win. I don't know how many playoff wins equal one MLS Cup. Obviously it differs for everyone, but I have to admit that my support for Gregg remaining our coach is largely due to his ability to crank out 1.5 PPG seasons and go deep in the playoffs. We have played in every playoff season under him save one, and in two of them advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. That's enough for a lot of us. I imagine it'll get harder to maintain that belief as 2008 becomes more distant.
That's silly and intellectually dishonest. I've said repeatedly that the major trophies are Supporters Shield, MLS Cup, and US Open Cup. I've always counted the US Open Cup as a major trophy. I've repeatedly said how disappointed I am that we don't take it more seriously. I've expressed pride that it was the Crew's first major trophy. When Iooking back at my time as a Crew fan I've said numerous times how I've counted being in the stands for the 2002 Open Cup final as one of my happiest moments. And I've expressed often my disgust that Gregg treats a trophy named after the Crew's first owner with less seriousness and ambition than a midseason friendly against Sasprilla. My feelings about the Open Cup have never changed, and you are completely wrong in your statement.
I think Curtin is a poor coach. I also think he and the Philadelphia Union take the Open Cup seriously. If Jim Curtin and the Union defeat Houston he'll have one more major trophy than Berhalter. That's an indictment on Berhalter and his steadfast refusal to not take the Open Cup seriously.
What? The last time the Bengals went to the Super Bowl was the 1988 season. How does that...? I don't... HUH? But you're right. It is different. So how about Marvin winning one damn playoff game in seven tries? The vast majority of European teams aren't afraid of firing an under-performing coach.
I think the point is that Curtin isn't considered to be an "elite" coach like Gigi, yet here he is with another chance to win a trophy before we Berhalter does. And good for NE to be proud of almost winning MLS Cup five times. I really envy those guys.
My mentality is different from what the MLS is selling. For me it's Supporter's Shield>Open Cup> MLS playoffs. As far as Ggg, I think he has done a great job with what he has been given. He has PSV financial support (ha) and our beloved Crew gets zero favors from MLS. He has had some hits and misses recruiting but overall is a success. Considering the situation we are in right now, I'll take Ggg over PSV picking a replacement. If he is handed more money after the Crew is saved and still coming up short, I will want him replaced.
You've hit the only sticking point for me: we can't trust those PSV ********s to bring in a good coach.
Heck, I never said Marvin shouldn't be fired (though, being an Iggles fan, I really don't care either way). But 15 years is a lot of futility. GGG has at least won playoff games--and gotten to a final--in a third of the time. So it's not at all a fair comparison (which was more my point). As far as European teams firing a coach--sure that happens to them all (even Sir Alex, albeit at the beginning of his career). At some point it will happen to GGG too.
That was frustration speaking. And I quite agree with you about that night in 2002--though being in the airport that November night in 2008 with the Cup topped them all.
Some food for thought after another disappointing weekend. The three longest serving MLS coaches without a Major trophy are Gregg Berhalter, Carl Robinson, and Jim Curtin. All having come on board in 2014. As we look a little deeper we see that Carl Robinson won the Canada Cup. We could consider that a major trophy I guess since it's Canada's version of the US Open Cup. I don't know much about the tournament, but I do know it gives entry into CONCACAF Champions League. As previously stated, Jim Curtin is one win away from the US Open Cup. The final is to be played on September 26th. On the morning of September 27th Gregg Berhalter may be able to add to his resume that he holds sole possession of being the longest serving active MLS Coach without a major trophy. What a time to be alive.