http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=460502&cc=5901 I love this gem... 'The best American players go to Europe very early, like BRAD FRIEDEL (at Blackburn), (BRIAN) McBRIDE and (Clint) Dempsey at Fulham. So that situation doesn't help the American game.' Fergie, the MLS players you mentioned all played in MLS, some for years, before going to the Prem. Another English mouth who has not a clue about the game in the US.
SAF is spot-on. He echoes the same sentiments many of us have, yet they continue to fall on deaf ears. The distance between cities, even on the West Coast is too much to sustain major rivalries. Basically what he is saying is that we should be happy with what we have here in American soccer and not expect more.
With an attitude like that, you can feel free to continue supporting Man. U. We will be fine with or without you.
Bah! We should be reasonably dissatisfied with what we have, and absolutely expect more. Those same distances apply to all our sports, and major rivalries exist in them all. And, no, these major rivalries are not conjured up by close proximity, for if they were we would all be keen on that perfervid Mets-Yankees, White Sox-Cubs, Giants-Jets, Raiders-49ers, Lakers-Clippers "rivalries". It's nice to have a Derby if it naturally grows [as Chivas-Galaxy seems to developing], but they are neither necessary nor sufficient, not even close, to the growth of the MLS and the level of play in our American leagues. What Ferguson did show in his remarks [for instance, absolutely ignorant of the MLS background of the Yanks he mentioned] is that he is as close a student of the game on this side of the pond as Lalas is the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Lets remember too though that SAF has been dissatisfied with Becks since he married Posh and became bigger than the game. You mention teams and sports that have been in the forefront for decades. Dont forget to mention that many of these away supporters actually live in these cities. Most Red Sox fans that attend away games arent flying from Boston. They live in places like Anaheim and Tampa, but they might be from NE or just plain bandwagoners.
Nice to know. Actually I will continue exercising my American right to do whatever the h--l I want. Gracias.
Fergs' Posh envy [it was "being bigger than Fergie's obedient pup" and not being "bigger than the game" which got his goat] has what to do with the acumen, or pronounced lack of it, in his statements on the game here? What does away attendance have to do with rivalries? A rivalry is made intense here in Yankland by the fierce desire of the LOCAL audience to go to the game and see the Rival annihilated, a desire reciprocated by the other team's fans when a home game is played. Is your attempted point really that for a rivalry to flourish you need lots of away fans present??? But enough of Fergie and his passion for his lost love; instead lets wish him the serenity of his years as he meets his good friend Ericsson for a spot of tea by the gentle field of play later this season.
Pele, Cryuff and Beckenbauer did change the status of soccer here, albeit for only a short time. +, i never thought Beckham alone was going to bring soccer to the forefront of american sports, although he could spark the revolution. As far as the best american players going to europe, well... duh? All the best players from around the world go there, because it pays the most to go there. Money talks. Actually i think MLS ought to start exorting more talent across the ocean. They should go to central america, buy some cheap but talented youngsters, and start selling them for a profit, ala ajax of amsterdam SAf, you might be a great coach, but i disagree with almost everything you said.
I just don't buy this argument. Think about all the great rivalries in American sports, they are not all close distances, especially on the West Coast: Giants/Dodgers Cubs/Cards Sox/Yanks Cowboys/Redskins Cowboys/Niners USC/Notre Dame Lakers/Celtics SF/LA anything The whole frikkin SEC I could go on and on ... I think the negative effect of the big distances is that realistically with the time changes for TV you have to have more games in your region. Thus an imbalanced schedule - thus divisions - thus playoffs. One can break this chain of logic but the solutions are not easy.
Ferguson has no clue about contemporary sports fandom in the US and should keep his trap shut. Once again, most Europeans have little understanding of American sports culture. It's COMPLETELY different than the UK or any other European country. Distance between cities hasn't stopped Notre Dame/USC from being fierce rivals in college football. 'Skins and Cowboys in American football. Bruins and Habs in the NHL. Why should we lower our expectations as fans of 'The Beautiful Game?' I grew to love soccer as an adult and tons of other Americans can, too. We just have the challenge of SO MANY OPTIONS available to us as sports fans in North America.
Typical Scouser... can't bloody spell or use proper grammar. SAF is spot on with what he's trying to convey, but he does need to understand that most Americans played in the MLS before they left for Europe. I think what he's trying to get across is that the MLS needs to hang onto these players instead of letting them go. How we're supposed to do that with the current state of the league is beyond me, but it needs to happen in order for us to truly be successful beyond the "Beckham" years. We cannot survive if all of our best and most creative talents leave for Europe as soon as they are able. Someone like Jozy Altidore, who is an electric talent, needs to stay here and become the superstar he seems destined to be... only he wants to leave for Europe too because that's where the best talent is and where the money is right now. We're in a catch-22 it seems... and it's frustrating as all hell.
Just read the article--Wow, Alex, bitter much?? "Yeah, Beckham devoted his whole life, night and day, to nothing but football, then he went and thought he deserved to have a life off the pitch, get married, have kids...what a prat!" Actually, the thing that struck me is that Furgeson was talking about the MLS. Would this have happened a year ago? Apparently Beckham is having enough of an impact to have this guy discussing the MLS publicly. Bet it burns Alex's a$$ that he is STILL answering questions about Beckham...the player who should have shrivelled into obscurity the minute he left ManU.
To be honest until he says, I'm sorry, for allowing his clubs players to be photographed next to a banner that read "Istanbul Reds" two months after two Leeds fans were murdered before a UEFA cup game against Galatasaray I don't give a toss what he says. But the way Beckham acted was unprofessional, ie ringing in injured but being caught shopping in Manchester. He's admitted that Ol' Heart Attack went easy on him, compared to the likes of Jaap Stam, so while I think his comments are ridiculous and meaningless, like most of what he says, I think you are wrong on the Posh envy point, at least in part.
I don't think Sir Alex is too far off in saying that Beck's can't do it on his own, and the league certainly needs it's best homegrown talent to help out, but none of this is going to happen unless the salary cap is raised. People might argue that moves over to europe are performance driven, sort of an "i want to prove myself against the best" attitude, but come on, the money over there doesn't exactly hurt. Eventually, once more ownerships completely sell out success for money (ie AEG) and start turning profits year after year we'll see a substantial rise in in the salary cap allowing for bigger names, better quality and so on and so forth and I'm sure we'll see more and more US born players stay in the league. Also, in all honesty, support for the league isn't hardly as bad as a lot of press and fairweathers think. Plus the infrastructure is unfathomably better than the NASL's "blow all your money" business plan so comparing MLS' lack of stars with NASL's huge starpower is a bit off base. Once NASL found itself eight feet under from bankruptcy what exactly were the fans supposed to support? In all honesty the fans during this period did their jobs in attending games, purchasing gear etc. and I'm more likely to believe that had the NASL continued, America would have picked it up. But the past is past and I commend MLS for taking it's time and building a strong structure first and foremost.