Old Thread with almost 600 votes https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71131 New thread to reflect the missing years (2004,2005,2006,2007) and 1995 (the year they announced the teams). Since the poll can't be edit even by the Moderators, I am making a new thread. When did you become a fan of MLS? If you have time, please share your experience on how you became a fan. Thank you.
Clearly, it was all the business talk about attendance numbers and potential MLS ownership of English clubs that pc4th blathered on about that drew me into MLS. Nothing is more orgasmic than dollar signs and salary figures to breed passion within the sport of American soccer. Sure, you can talk about the actual thing that's going on during - what do they call it? oh, I know - a game, and any league has that sort of insignificant chit-chat, but MLS. C'mon. MLS has people, especially pc4th, talking about stadium naming rights and television contracts! How can there be any comparison? And when pc4th goes on and on and expansion fees! Oh, baby, I'm hooked! So thank you, pc4th. I need a cold shower now.
Ive followed it since 96, but never a season tix holder until 2007, so I chose 2007 (the point i contributed $).
Parents took me out to about 8-10 DCU games a year in 96-99 as a young teenager and I loved it, but moving away combined with lack of coverage I drifted away. As of the beginning of the 2006 season, I've been back in full force and I credit much of this to the WC.
1996 of course. I remember i was so happy with the Metrostars. I think i went to 90% of all games played at Giant Stadium including international games in 1096.
I became a fan when the league adopted international rules in year 2000, and when Columbus Crew Stadium opened, it signified investors believe this league has a future.
Fell in love with footy on the lead up to France '98(was in Germany until the day before it started so my entire trip, everyone talked about and watched soccer all of the time) and still haven't picked a MLS club just because all I've really rooted for was for the league to survive. Might pick one soon.
The first MLS game I ever saw was MLS Cup 02, where LA beat NE in OT. After that, I was hooked. I'd always been a soccer fan, but never saw any MLS action. I've been a huge fan ever since.
I have known about MLS and soccer for quite a long time, but never got into it. Went to the US MNT against Ecuador here in Tampa and got hooked with the 30,000 fans there cheering and having fun. Started looking up games (MLS, USL) and soon realized that none were around the Tampa area and decided to include soccer in my baseball road trip. Went to a DC United game, a Revolutions game, and all the Gold Cup games in Foxoboro (beautiful stadium by the way). So... now I'm hooked and desperately needing soccer in Florida (well, at least within driving distance)
I was watching the WC 2006 and realized that I really needed to support our own league, even though there was no team in the area. My dad lives in Salt Lake City, however, so I figured I would support RSL while I waited for a Phoenix team. I sure picked the wrong time to be a RSL fan, though, eh?
This is how I am. I'm following the league because the quality has increased dramatically and with more and more MLS'ers playing for the USMNT, I like actually knowing more about the players than their names and where they play.
Me too. When Houston got a team, I got interested and watched. When I saw how good we were and representing my hometown, they became my favorite soccer club.
2004. 60 minutes had a piece on some 14 year old kid named Freddy Adu who was just about to play in the MLS. I had to see that. Ordered MLS Direct Kick and have been a fan of the league ever since.
Has anyone checked out the cumulative percentages in that poll, especially compared to the earlier poll? 1/3 of fans are new since last year nearly 1/2 of fans are new since 3 years ago (when the Freddy Adu hype blitz began) So the fanbase is doubling every 3 or 4 years? Or they're losing fans as fast as they gain them? And what are the reasons for new fans joining? (We should have a poll for that as well.) Is it because MLS is expanding teams into cities like Toronto, Salt Lake and Houston and thereby opening up new fans? Or is it because they're now showing games every week on ESPN2? Or showing games every Saturday night on Fox Soccer Channel? As for me personally, I was fan in 1997-2000 when I lived in DC. Then I moved to Houston. And when Houston got a team in 2006, I became a fan again.
Dips in the 70's, Washington Stars of the APSL in the 80's, and MLS as soon as they were announced. I watch what I can over the internet now, and go to all the DC games.