what happened to the NASL?

Discussion in 'Soccer in the USA' started by loden, Sep 23, 2005.

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  1. nicamex1935

    nicamex1935 Member+

    Jul 10, 2007
    Club:
    Club América
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Trust me man I don't follow you. You just post stuff all over the place so run into you. There you go again... you have no clue how old I am! First you say I'm 13 now 15. How am I a member of that Church you're talkin about?:rolleyes: If you read my last post, you would see how I feel about Beckham and the MLS. Not very healthy for you to be hating so much on someone you've never met (Beckham) or arguing with a 15yr old is it?(I'm not BTW):p I bet people here would agree with what I had to say in my previous post than what you have to say. I've been pos repped here even though I'm Mexican cuz I say smart things and back em up.
     
  2. Gino Franconni

    Gino Franconni Red Card

    Sep 1, 2007
    Solvang

    Again flavo well put. This mere kid here chance's are wasn't even born when the NASL was still in business so it's like talking to a wall with him. I put he, she, shim or it on ignore a long time ago so the angry little mex is talking to himself, it'self, herself, whatever. Thr ignore member feature is rather handy in times' like this. Just goe's to show you can't reason with an idiot!:rolleyes:
     
  3. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    The majority of the NASL bashers probably never even saw a match. I was there in San Jose before Pele arrived back in 1974 and the league was getting healthy. His signing put the league on the world map but it hurt in other ways as everyone including the NASL Quakes tried to compete. The Quakes led the NASL in attendance in either 74 or 75 I believe and had a healthy 17k a match. This was before Pele ever stepped foot in NY. His signing however, still put the league on the worldwide map. Even today Sir Alex in talking about Becks move to the US says how that even Franz, Pele and Best couldn't change soccer on in America. He never mentions anything about the MLS he just mentions the big names that came to his mind and says the thing failed. I still say the league wasn't a failure but rather more of a foundation which started in the 70's and that is bearing its fruits today.

    Everyone talks about how great or how much better the American players are today. However, I can't help but think what would have happened had the NASL been allowed to continue? Its true the Americans are better today but they have also been given an opportunity to play and shine in an American league that gives them a chance to play.

    You see Fabio Grosso & Luca Toni winning the World Cup with Italy while just the 2 years before were both militating in the Serie B with Palermo and almost being castoffs as soccer players. Then out of the blue coming out of nowhere to win the World Cup at the ages of 28 & 29, respectively.

    In 1984 when the league folded, I remember American born players like Steve Moyers, Jeff Durgan, Rick Davis & Angelo DiBernardo not to mention Mark Peterson, Mike Hunter and Gary Etherington and many other great young goalkeepers were all between the ages of 24 -28. When the league folded they all played indoors which is sa different game. You can't play indoor soccer then start a Worlds Cup qualifier with two weeks training. You wonder what the NASL boys could have done had the league continued?
     
  4. Gino Franconni

    Gino Franconni Red Card

    Sep 1, 2007
    Solvang
    Yes I remember the old NASL as well. I was in Los Angeles at the time when Cryuff was with them. I also remember going to Cosmos games' both here on the West Coast & also the East Coast & I remember being in Giant's Stadium with crowds' over 70 thousand. Of course you will have MLS fans' now jump up & down about how that never happened & chance's are were not even born when the NASL was alive & kicking but what do I know! What I do know is the quality of play was so much better in the NASL because the quality of players' both imported & American was so much better.


    Of course when Pele came to the NASL he was brought over as a marketing tool & to raise the face of the game. However, unlike the European outcast who's no talent wife pushed him to come out here as she want's & is demanding a movie & tv career Pele was considered for well over a decade the world's greatest player. Pele yes of course at the time when he came over was past his prime but still a million times' better than the Spice Boy was at his peak.

    It's kind of sad how in this country they like to erase actual history. Delete the parts' from the past they don't care for. This league now, the MLS I just hope it won't end up like the NASL. In the begining with the NASL they had the best intentions' I think. They really wanted it to grow. With this league the MLS it just seems to me it's the same formula being used again. This make some money quick facade they are doing with Beckham won't last as it has no substance.

    back in the days' of the NASL there were some very good American players'. However they knew why players' of Pele's stock were brought over & were ok with it as they too wanted to see the game grow here in America & in the end the vast majority of these American players' became very good players' actually! This group of American players' in the MLS, the vast majority of the American players' are not buying into the Beckham processed myth. They see though it & they resent it. Even some of his own Los Angeles teammates have spoken up about how he's overrated & all over the league other players' have spoken up as well about the absurd amount of money he stand's to make & for what? He's never been a world champion. Spent the good part of the last four years' as a bit player in Europe & he's never been the world's greatest player.

    I do hope this league make's it as there are some good players' in it. Good American players'. Some of those American players' are even better than the Spice Boy actually. Only time will tell as to what will happen with the MLS.
     
  5. nicamex1935

    nicamex1935 Member+

    Jul 10, 2007
    Club:
    Club América
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    I never bashed the NASL... the fact guys like Pele and Beckenbauer played automatically makes that league more legendary than the MLS. Please point out whenever I've bashed that league...:confused:
     
  6. Gino Franconni

    Gino Franconni Red Card

    Sep 1, 2007
    Solvang

    As far as I'm concerned the NASL is he foundation of what we see in Fooball/Soccer in America. This league now the MLS has a chance to grow the right way if they choose to move it in the right direction but thus far it's not going that way sad to say. I agree with you flavo the old American guard would have, chance's are done well had the NASL kept going. The same problem with American soccer is the same old problem it's always been. At the youth level it's very healthy. Chance's are more kids' play the game here than in any other country in the world. I know this as I run my own academy with some friends' of mine from my playing days' in Europe. There just seem's to be a void between the ages' of 12 & 18 here which are the most important years' a player has to develope if they have the potential to maybe play at the professional level.


    If I'm correct the NASL had a policy where each team had to have 3 Americans' in the lineup for each game. I think that's what it was? Now it's done a 180 with the MLS which in a way is good but bringing in somebody that stand's to make 250 million over 5 years' kind of rubs' people the wrong way when you have decent, quality American players' playing in the MLS for years' who make not even a mere fraction of what this person stand's to make. Nothing wrong with bringing in imported talent. They should just pay the top American players' what they are worth as well. As it stand's in my opinion there are a fair number of American players' that are better all around players' than the 250 million dollar player that is more concerned with his image than actually playing Football/Soccer. Again it's my opinion & some will say I'm hating which I'm not. I just see this situation for what it really is. It's just a quick money making venture that's all. These people that run the MLS could care less if the league grows' or if it fail's in the long run.
     
  7. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I actually wasn't specifically saying that you bashed the NASL or not. I mostly was speaking in general terms about NASL bashers but wasn't really necessarily inferring that you did.
     
  8. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Yes this is true. This is one of the biggest mistakes the league made. I think one of the big killers of the league were the higher salaries or big stars but there were many other reasons on why the league died. Of course having more American lineup will save the owners money but not completely. I believe there were actually 2 Americans obligated to start for the longest time then it changed to 3 I believe. The plan changed in 1984 to 4 and then they were supposed to switch to 5 starting Americans in 1985 but the league folded.
     
  9. jimmyodonnell

    jimmyodonnell Member

    May 1, 2003
    I think you have good intentions here, but to claim the league's owners and operators are in it for "quick money" and don't care about the longevity is really, really misinformed. I was a fan of the NASL and I'm a fan of MLS. I don't think you're a hater, but some info needs to be added here . . .

    The Hunt family, the Kraft family, and Anshutz have been with this league since the start, and it hasn't really been spinning money to make them rich. The NASL investors who jumped ship after losing money caused that league's collapse, so how can you claim that these guys are trying to cash in when they've been investing now for 12 years? How quick is the "quick money making venture" you mention in your post? If these guys wanted out, I don't think they'd prop up the league for 10 years just to now bail out when they finally can show a profitable year.

    The "fast money" guys have already come and gone. When the league's investors were bailing out in 99, Anschutz stepped up his investment so the league had the CHANCE to succeed in the long haul. When OSU kicked the Crew out of the football stadium, the Hunts built Crew Stadium with their own money, to keep the team in Columbus rather than relocate to another city. Anything suggesting Lamar Hunt was in this for a fast buck is completely untrue, it shows a lack of understanding for what his family has done for the sport in this country. Sure they're in business for the money, but these guys aren't in it for fast bucks.
     
  10. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    AEG is in the entertainment business and their plan is to somehow eventually make money from this thing. I can not speak for others but I know for a fact that in San Jose anyway, they wanted someone else to build them their stadium while they reaped the rewards. I'm sure considering they spent so much money on one player in Beckham that they could have definitely come up with a little more to buy and build their own place in San Jose but they didn't do that. When they couldn't get their way, they moved the club to Houston thinking that city would give them what they wanted or what they want in the future.
     
  11. Gino Franconni

    Gino Franconni Red Card

    Sep 1, 2007
    Solvang

    You have some good, valid points' I was not refering to the people you have just mentioned. I was refering to Alexi Lalas & the Galaxy & this entire Beckham mania they are attempting to keep floating above water & that won't happen. Reason I say this is you & I & flavo all know Beckham is not the best player in the world. Never has been, never will be. That being said he's chance's are one of the best known players' in the world due to his high profile off the pitch lifestyle. That being said with the money he stand's to make over this five year deal it's opened the flood gates' for other high profile imported players' to want to come here to play. You might say well what's wrong with that? Any top level player that's playing in Europe at the moment at their peak will want the same if not more than Beckham will get with his deal & you can't blame him as most of these players' are better than he is & this is the problem.


    Say for instance a player like Messi, Gerrard, Joe Cole, Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo, or Ronnie from Barca or Henry are looking to play here. Do you think any of the above players' that are much better than Beckham will play for anything less than what he get's? Not in your or my life they won't! Let's face it. The MLS as it stand's has a good American player ratio per team & that's how it should be. I don't think any team in the league beside's the Galaxy can splash the amount of cash around as they did to lure Beckham over here. My point is it will be difficult for other teams' to compete with the Galaxy for landing a high profile player just as it was difficult for the other teams' inj the NASL to compete with the New York Cosmos' with Pele & co. As well as Los Angeles Aztecs' with Cryuff & co. This is what's happening now.


    This is why I keep using the term ... History repeat's it'self. I keep getting pounded by people that chance's are were not even alive or very small children when the NASL was still in business. They don't understand what's going on now has all been done before with much better players' & like flavo already said it didn't work. I get pounded by these kind of people here with all kind's of nonsense even nasty personal messages' for what I've said about Beckham. Your right I'm no hater, I don't hate Beckham as I don't even know him, never met him. That being said in my opinion he's no world class player. Short tern he's doing his job. He's getting more people in the seats'. Increased ticket sales & the lot but sad to say it won't last. The vast majority of people flocking to games' now to see Beckham are what I call lookie loos'. They are not there to see a Football/Soccer game. They are there for a show, an event. Next year most of them will be off chasing something else. The next hyped up show or event.


    Nobody can blame Beckham for taking the deal. It's easy money & a fraction of the work compared to toughing it out in the big leagues of Europe. You seem to know what your talking about & I respect that. Maybe we can agree that we won't always' agree. Such is human nature. I just think in the big picture of this Beckham deal here in the MLS a particular circle of people that created all this Beckham hype are in it for the short term, high gains', take the money & run route. I hope, I really hope I'm wrong about all this as if I'm right the losers' in all this will be the American soccer fans'. It just seems' to me everything of old is new again. It's the same old song & dance just wearing a different mask. Only time will tell ...:rolleyes:
     
  12. Gino Franconni

    Gino Franconni Red Card

    Sep 1, 2007
    Solvang

    Like I said. I really do hope your right & I'm wrong about all this. I just don't want to see the MLS putter out like the NASL did way back when. I played in the aftermath of what was the NASL out here on the West Coast. After seeing so many great NASL games' with so may good players' playing in it, American & imported players' alike.It was a let down for me anyways' to be playing in that so called professional league that was susposed to fill the gap left by the NASL. Most players' in that league, at least the ones' my age at the time, late 20's all had real jobs' or professions to tend to Monday thru Friday. The so called pay back then was your expenses were covered for travel & maybe a little left over went into your pocket if you were one of the lucky one's. It was the only so called professional league in town so to say. I had played in Europe when I was in my late teens' thru my mid 20's & that was a good experience. I'm just glad in between all that I went to university & set myself up for other things' outside of the game.


    I'm married now, have my own business, have a Football/Soccer academy & nothing to complain about. I'm above ground & not below it, no complaints' here!:) Since I'm from Europe as my wife I'm back there or should I say we are back there around 4 time a year. Sometimes more so I'm able to go to games' in England, Spain, Italy, & sometimes Germany & France. If anything believe it or not I would really like to see the MLS develope & grow to the point where the teams' can compete & beat the big teams' of Europe & South America. It can be done, but only if it's done right. Flavo brought up a good point. The insane high wage's being paid to imported stars' playing in the NASL are what put that league under. He, <flavo> hit the nail right on the head with that comment. I just hope that with this Beckham deal that this league doesn't follow the same formula. Rather than all these American investers' buying up clubs' in Europe spending billions' there they should invest here, spread that money around to all the clubs' & then it might be able to grow in the right direction & become a big league like the ones' in Europe. Some might say it's a pipe dream what I'm going on about but I've been there, done that, experienced it from both sides' of the pond & I guess it's just my opinion.:)
     
  13. Steve Holroyd

    Steve Holroyd New Member

    Apr 19, 2003
    New Jersey
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Angelo and Gary were not American born, FWIW.
     
  14. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    No , you are right they were both naturalized citizens and came to this country at 15 & 16 respectively, but they both went to high school or college here. Angelo DiBernardo I believe played in an NCAA final at Indiana and both he and Etherington played with the USMNT.
     
  15. jimmyodonnell

    jimmyodonnell Member

    May 1, 2003
    AEG is in the entertainment business (that's what the E is for), and they have decided to contract Beckham as one of the world's biggest entertainers because they think it will be profitable. They could have spent upwards of $100m to build a stadium in San Jose, but they seem to have decided that making a deal with Beckham was a better investment. Let's look at why . . .

    The amount AEG pays for Becks' yearly salary is a fraction of what it would cost them to build a stadium. Their upfront cash outlay is reportedly in the range of $5m per year, and the rest of Becks' compensation is tied to the revenues collected from ticket sales, merch sales, sponsorships, and broadcast fees.

    Having Becks play for the Galaxy boosts ticket sales in LA and leaguewide, but having a new ground in SJ doesn't. It can be argued that a new ground in SJ increases ticket sales in SJ, but that same team is now selling tickets in Houston so the difference there is relatively minimal.

    Having Becks play for the Galaxy increases revenue from jersey sales, tv broadcast rights, and sponsors such as adidas or Coke who now pony up more with him on screen . . . having a new ground in SJ doesn't really improve any of those existing revenue streams, nor is it likely to create new ones that don't already exist.

    When the check comes in from Coke or Budweiser or McDonalds, Becks gets some and MLS keeps some. That's pretty easy, and it satisfies the league, AEG, Beckham and the sponsors. Stadium deals are not easy, especially in an area lke San Jose where building is so expensive, and there are so many forces outside of your control (political forces, natural forces, quality control and deadlines, etc) that the investment looks much riskier than the Beckham deal. Just make all the paperwork clean to satisfy all sides, then heal his ankle and you're making money.
     
  16. jimmyodonnell

    jimmyodonnell Member

    May 1, 2003
    The concerns are valid, nobody wants to see MLS make the mistakes that caused the collapse of the NASL. I'm not sure critics of the Beckham deal are looking closely enough at how it's gone down. Much of his compensation is tied to revenue performance in all the league's income streams, such as ticket sales, merch sales, tv rights, sponsorships, etc. As those revenues increase, the league pockets some, AEG pockets some, and Becks pockets some. That model makes for a prety good deal, it's worked for years in show biz. Music artists and certain film performers have a base compensation for their participation, then the rest of their compensation (most of it) comes from the returns on the film, the album, the tour, the dvd, etc.

    Tevez or Rooney or Messi can't really claim they want Beckham's deal until they prove they are worth it . . . if Messi's arrival boosts the amount that Radio Shack or Sierra Mist will pay to be an official sponsor, then he's worth it. If it doesn't, then he probably doesn't qualify for a Beckham deal. Messi qualifies on the quality of his play, but not on his current marketing value in the US.

    Still, there's this terrible skepticism from some fans that AEG is out to screw the fan and run. If they hadn't invested so much to this point, there wouldn't even be a league for fans to follow. The amount they've committed to bringing Beckham here is big by MLS standards, but I bet AEG cuts far bigger checks in a typical week, whether for commercial land development or bidding for a promotions contract on a major band's tour. The Beckham deal could be very profitable for them, but it won't kill them if it's not. They simply haven't laid out enough upfront cash for the deal to pose a major risk to them.

    The folks who have a real right to be skeptical are Galaxy fans and ticket holders. With the increased demand on tickets, our season packages have gone up almost 50%, plus increases in parking and other costs make the gameday experience out of reach for a lot of loyal fans. This has happened all over the world, so I think it's just part of the league's growing pains.
     
  17. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Actually, the estimated cost to build a new SSS in San Jose is around $80 million. Either way, that is neither here nor there, as AEG moved the club. It was a sad day but Lew Wolff hopefully, can get this new franchise in San Jose done.
    Personally however, instead of signing Beckham , I would rather take a quote out of commissioner Don Garber's book when he said, "I'd rather invest on bricks and mortar instead of spending millions on one player". In this sense, I believe he was 100% right. As opposed to the NASL I do think the MLS is doing some things right by investing in these stadia as even if the league were to fold, the stadiums will still be here intact and someone league pro or semi pro sooner or later will have to play in them.
     
  18. jimmyodonnell

    jimmyodonnell Member

    May 1, 2003
    Yes, the stadia would be there for the future, and that's important to the game's long-term health and culture. But AEG has already made that very investment -- at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. Beckham's arrival is just the next step of the multi-year plan to make THAT investment sound. So it's hard to blame their decision to move out of the Bay rather than build ANOTHER stadium while the paint was barely dry on the LA stadium.

    Also, we're skipping an important point -- they tried to sell the team locally before deciding to move it. If they couldn't make money operating under the current conditions in San Jose, their options included selling the team (they tried), spending $80m on a stadium that would take years to recoup, or move the team and operate less expensively in Houston.
     
  19. Gino Franconni

    Gino Franconni Red Card

    Sep 1, 2007
    Solvang
    Hello Guys' ...


    Again, both of you bring up good points'. Nice to see people that can actually think before they post as most here at the forum just rant. Flavo is right on one point. Better to spread the money around on things' tied into the big long term picture than throw all one's egg's in one basket. Your right though Jim about Galaxy fans' in the long run being ripped off as without people in the seats' there's not much point to having a team. Where I don't agree with you, or should I say the industry is this marketing value issue. Call me a Football/Soccer purist or whatever but to me what make's Football/Soccer so special is what's done on the field.


    Manchester United for instance have top notch marketing & again it's not my favorite part of the sport but it's reality. Back to Man United. What really matters' though is the results' they get on the field in games. That's the most important part. Getting back to marketing, ah! That evil word! Anyways if you think players' like Man United's Rooney & Ronaldo or Barca's Ronnie & henry are not more marketable than Beckham, your mistaken. These players' are huge! The world over & would be much easier for an American soccer industry to market based on their skills' alone. Ronnie from Barca doesn't have the Hollywood look's of say Beckham but in the Football/Soccer world he's far better known, loved, & respected.


    The issue of say Messi is a toss up. You have me there as he's still young & getting to be known & also with Tevez but I think West Coast within the MLS should be signing more high profile Latin players' as the vast majority of true soccer fans' on the West Coast are from Latin America. They don't care about Beckham, they think it's a joke for the most part. If they are given somebody, a player they can relate to then the league would start to see a huge surge of support from soccer fans' from Central & South America.


    Again guys' these are just my opinions & thoughts' on all the topics we have been talking about. Both of you have a nice day.
     
  20. jimmyodonnell

    jimmyodonnell Member

    May 1, 2003
    Gino -- I too want the results on the field to provide the growth of the game . . . but the point that Henry or Rooney or Ronaldinho would be as marketable as Beckham in the US is just not accurate, in my opinion.

    We know these guys are all better players than Becks and they are all MAJOR stars throughout the world. But none is even close to the name-and-face recognition that Becks has in America, where the mission is to serve the soccer audience AND to appeal to the non-soccer mainstream. You can disagree, but I bet the guys making the spending decisions at these sponsors would all agree that it's not even close.

    If you put him in a photo lineup with Rooney, Henry, Messi and Ronaldinho, the only one most Americans have a CHANCE of identifying is Beckham. Try it out, take their pictures out -- not at your academy, but at your Starbucks. They're all big stars globally, but in the States folks don't know them.
    That's why the Beckham deal is the Beckham deal.
     
  21. Gino Franconni

    Gino Franconni Red Card

    Sep 1, 2007
    Solvang
    Hello again guys' ...


    You know I have to thank you for at least reading into my post before responding. You both see the state of the game here in America from all angles so I respect you both for that. Like I said I guess in more ways' than one I'm more of a Football/Soccer purist. I know marketing is for all intended purposes an evil that's needed in the sport in order for it to grow here in the states'. I just hope in the long run it's going to be done right, that's all. Getting back to Beck's, image, marketing, the Galaxy & the lot it will be interesting to see what happens' with the Galaxy next year. They won last night. 3 good goals'. I watched the game & they were able to do it without Beck's & Landon so it's a good thing for them as they needed a win as it's been a rather rough ride for them so far this season.


    There has been talk with Klinsmann's name being tossed about in American soccer circles'. The word has it he might be taking over as the manager for the Galaxy which I find most interesting. If this actually happens' well all I can say is unlike Yallop Klinsmann won't be a puppet manager. He won't have Lalas or AEG standing over his sholder telling him what to do or what not to do or who will start & not start ect ... With Klinsmann it would be his way, or no way. He wouldn't play favorite's at all. From Beck's all the way down to the newest Galaxy team player all would be treated the same. Those who work hard in training & produce & get good results' on the pitch will play. Those who don't will ride the pine so to say. This is why I will be very surprised if he end's up with the position.


    This is why Klinsmann turned down the position to run the US national mens' team program. He already knew the USSF are far too heavy handed with their national team managers'. I'm interested to hear what you guys' have to say about these topics so fire away!
     
  22. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Your information on what transpired with the San Jose /AEG situation is not entirely correct as some of us have some better inside knowledge about what happened with that scenario. AEG didn't try to sell the team at all, otherwise they would have sold it to Lew and didn't!

    I guess becuase this is a thread explaining on what happened to the NASL, we can let it go.........
     
  23. jimmyodonnell

    jimmyodonnell Member

    May 1, 2003

    OK, fair enough, if you have inside info I won't claim that I know better. One way or another, they decided that moving the team to Houston at that time was better than contunuing to operate in San Jose, with or without a stadium. I know it sucks when a team moves, it happened with my NASL team and my NFL team. I know there's enough money on the line that guys are going to make those moves when it suits their business interest to do so.

    I'm thinking it wasn't in AEG's interest to build a NoCal stadium, but it is in their interest to sign Beckham. A stadium deal requires heavy cash & credit, lots of politicking and major major heavy lifting, handholding, quality control and operating expense. The Beckham deal requires a private jet, a dozen meetings, a bunch of paperwork and a tiered sharing of future revenues. I don't think one deal is at the expense of the other, by the way. But I'd make the deal to bring Beckham because I think it will be profitable AND it will elevate the league's profile to a level that a San Jose stadium will not
     
  24. sj_oldtimer

    sj_oldtimer Member

    Nov 18, 2005
    Clovis CA
    I thought I would jump in with my perspective on the San Jose/AEG/MLS/NASL situation.

    San Jose was a key component of the NASL popularity in the mid-70s. While the Cosmos quickly overshadowed the Earthquakes, the relatively popular success of the Quakes was really sort of a catalyst for the NASL owners. There had never been a NASL team as popular as the Earthquakes were in 1974 and 1975.....even Sports Illustrated featured the team in a 1974 article, calling it a "phenomenon" at that time. It was just a preview of things to come, especially for the Cosmos. However, it must be noted that the huge success of the Cosmos was not immediate....it took a couple of seasons, plus the signing of international stars other than Pele, before the team really established it's reputation.

    Unfortunately for the NASL, there was a frenzy among the owners to establish their own "Cosmos like" teams.....and they all really failed in that regard. Many seem to think that the Beckham deal is similar to the Pele situation. I would beg to differ.

    Keep in mind that the NASL was not a strong "league" in terms of it's operation. In fact, the NASL was nothing more than a loose association of team owners, with no spending controls. It barely acknowledged American players. Owners, many of whom had absolutely no knowledge of the game, wasted tens of $thousands on players well past their ability to play. Even the Earthquakes, one of the teams that did not really get into the spending frenzy, tried to put Alfie Conn on the field, even though he was legally disabled (in his home country) at the time. By the late 70s, the NASL was already on the ropes financially. Teams were disbanded, moved and renamed in numbers during the late 70s. For a team to survive, it had to have ownership willing to throw money down a bottomless hole. There was no way that the situation could ever recover, and by the mid 80s, the league was gone.

    MLS is a completely different idea. The league owns the controlling interest in each team. The emphasis is on American players. The league instituted a strict salary cap. The players sign contracts with the league, not the team. That has given MLS some stability. Well and good, but somehow, MLS finds itself needing to take a step upwards. It's best American players leave for Europe, for money and for higher standards of competition. How is that addressed? I am not sure anyone has the definitive answer, but the Beckham situation is with us, hopefully to bring some of that higher competition to MLS. Giving the league a higher profile to both players and fans is also part of the strategy. Is is going to work? I don't know.

    What I do know is that the league is not operating like the NASL operated. Team "independent operators" are not allowed to spend any amount of money they wish for a team. They are allowed some extra spending for limited numbers of individual players. The first order of business for MLS seems to be to stay in business, which is how it should be. With the building of soccer specific stadiums, which allow owners to create extra income, there is a far more likely chance for teams to not only survive, but even prosper in future years.

    One thing that helped, then hindered MLS (in my opinion) was the league's deal with AEG. Yes, it is arguable that the deal helped the league survive. But, it also gave AEG too much power. AEG is about entertainment. They ended up as owners of the San Jose Earthquakes. They were never able to get control of the local stadium (owned by San Jose State University) and there is little evidence that they ever really made an effort to construct their own facility. The last couple of years before the team moved to Houston, the team office had a skeleton staff. No promotion of any kind and apparently no intent of selling to local owners. It is not an accident that the very day after the team moved to Houston, Lew Wolff stepped forward publicly. I doubt that anyone would believe that Wolff became interested in MLS during that 24 hour period. The franchise could have been sold, had AEG had any real interest in doing so...just my opinion.
     
  25. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I remember Alfie Conn. He played something like maybe 4-5 games for the Quakes in 1980 then I never herd from him again. Shortly after he played the Quakes signed George Best. I think owner Milan Mandaric didn't and still doesn't really believe in overspending for players as he feels becuase he is involved with high tech engineers he never should have to pay soccer players should more than they did for playing a game.
     

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