That is the key. The number one factor, at least in the USA, is for the fans to know the players as individuals that they can like and care about and have knowledge of as people. The rest happens once that is in place. Sports Marketing 101..
Sports Marketing 101 Wolves must of learned that type of sports marketing from the Metros front office. The NBA marketed its best players when they had Magic, Bird, and Jordan. 3 of the best 10 players of all time. What happened when they stopped playing. Thats right, ratings dropped every year even with Jordan's comeback. Also look at what happened to the most marketible NBA player before Lebron, Kobe. Lets look at the king of American sports, the NFL, which markets its' teams. I've noticed that a lot of official NFL comercials have players in Uniforms walking around on the street, like the recent Pennington, Cullpepper, Portis comercial. Now NFL players may be less recognizable by nature because of helmets, but the NFL realizes that because of frequent player movement, marketing only a few players would be wrong. MLS should market teams by using their best players not the other way around. New fans going to see the Cleveland Cavaliars aren't paying to see and support the team they are paying to see Lebron, and as soon as he has a bad season or he opts out to go to a good team they will stop coming to games. If MLS markets Freddy as Freddy instead of Freddy as DC team member there will be little long term benifit. The one factor that gives credence to your argument is that MLS is an under publisised league and publicity from great players will help the league. But if MLS doesn't realize these players will be gone very quickly then they will see fluctuating attendences. I liked soccer but I had no MLS team. I became a Fire fan partly because of Beasley, but I will stay because of the classiness of the whole team and organization long after he leaves. 1. Higher salary cap 2. Try to sign good young Americans; Freddy, Szetela, Carlos Elliot (if he's as good as hoped), etc... 3. Continue atracting solid commited investors 4. Make more progress on stadiums and expansion 5. Friendlies with Euro teams.
Re: Re: Re: Re: 5 things MLS needs to DO next season. Maybe. For the Master Race. Or if you plan to invade Poland or France. As an image of authority, it's impressive to a certain mind set. As a logo for a US soccer team, it needs a makeover. How about the Anheiser-Busch eagle instead of the Beerhall Putsch version?
...upon further review I take that back. The DC eagle looks more like somebody in a chicken mask holding open a cape -- kind of frumpy and perfectly harmless. Keep it. Like the man says, the best logo in MLS. Yes indeedy.
I take this thread to be "realistic changes MLS can make for next year that would actually be visible, and things they would not otherwise do." Here are things they will do anyway -Sign Adu if they can entice him -bring in new foreigners for Etcheverry, Stoitchkov, and other retiring--but the quality is a hit or miss thing, not much you can do but exercise due diligence. -expand by 2 teams for 05 -leave the playoff format alone. The two teams that should have been in the final, are in the final. I don't see what else you can ask for, except the quakes winning -leave golden goal alone -try not to lose too many other players -leave the conference structure Now here's the things that I agree with that they should do, and things fans should urge them to do during the off season -get USSF to require the worst refs to get international training to make them competent, or fire them -agree with USSF reffing committee to increase the number of yellows for dissent and professional fouls -raise the salary cap enough to afford 8 better foreign players, the foreign players we can get for the current cap are not good enough -open up two more full roster spots to 20 (or at least one developmental and one full roster), so that the play of MLS stays more level during qualifiers, and expansion does better the year after -discount season ticket prices by 20 percent for season ticket holders that recruit a new buyer, or increase their current purchase themselves. They can afford these things. They have already locked in a new investor, they are days away from locking in two more, maybe three more, and they have a brand new stadium in the pipeline that will open in 18 months. It is time to put a little more cash into the player payroll to fill up Columbus, LA, Chicago, and Metro stands. 8 high quality foreign players scattered around would do a lot.
Better Refs. Fewer matches turning into rugby games. Better Stadiums. Astro-turf? Football lines? More diversity. In fans, in players, in coaches, in styles. So far mls is moving in the right direction as far as Players go. But i'd love to see a few quality Brazilians Argentines... not like they'd be insanely expensive right now. Stop trading players all the way through the season... the season is meaningless enough as it is.
1) Refs, refs, refs - fix 'em. Create greater consistency. The whole "every league, every sport says this" thing is BS. 2) See #1 3) More incentive to play hard through the season - whatever that incentive is - money, etc. Watching SJ lay down for multiple games at the end of the season was horrible. 4) Raise the cap. At least a little. Give the boys more to work for within the league. 5) Better local marketing and operations. 6) More MSL-MLS friendlies.
I agree with all of your demands. I think that the league is finally listening to fans and even the players. Let's take the case of Dallas Burn's fans and players. They stepped up and formally complained about the Dragon Stadium situation. Neither fans and players were happy there. I heard in Radio Unica Soccer Show that former Dalla's El Sarco Rodriguez is coming back to the Burns next season. I think that is very positive. Many Dalla's fans considered Rodriguez like a soccer icon in Dallas. I think the league is finally learning, but there is still a lot of things they need to improve.
1. Improve refereeing by any means mecessary. 2. Bring in more investors 3. Aggresive marketing (especially in Dallas) 4. Reserve teams/increase salary cap. Having players leave the league is not good for the level of play, but selling them is good for the bottom line. Plus, guys like Clark, Magee, Gaven, Dunivant, Ralph, Jamil Walker, Borchers, and other young players is a great sign that more talent is coming in. It also is an example to talented young players that going to MLS will get you significant playing time against quality opponents.
My 2 cents 1) Get rid of OT 2) Single table (or at least have the best teams qualify for the playoffs) 3) The gimmicky substitution rule has to go 4) Home & Away playoffs (MFL style) 5) Higher salary cap
Better officiating by any means necessary. Keep overtime and conferences if only to give whiners something to focus on.
Why don't you mention the coaching? Are you very satisfied with our coach carrousel ??? It would be a good Idea to celebrate Andrullis new contract with a game against Morelia
Re: My 2 cents # 4 ....What do we need to get this soccer wanabes directive to have a two leg final... and they are still complaning about money .....
1. Keep the stadium momentum going. 2. Lose OT during the regular season 3. Reduce playoff teams to 6 with conference winners getting first round bye. Make the regular season more meaningful. 4. Make all rounds of playoffs 1 game, NFL style. Again making the regular season more meaningful to get homefield advantage. 5. Although this isn't exactly under MLS' control, I can still wish.....convince FSW to stop calling MLS games from the studio. The broadcasts are so much more enjoyable, not to mention the audio is much better when the announcers are actually at the game and not in some studio.
W/o having read most of the thread, off the top of my head 1. Get the Harrison deal soon....GS has become the embarrassment of the league field wise (post Dragon Stadium) 2. Get Freddy Adu 3. Market our up and coming young players in a each local team (hype their US paricipation, whether U-20, U-23, U-17, whatever) It shows how much America has grown in developing talent 4.Get more Cancelas and Guevaras into the league (i.e. not necessarily big names, affordable, talented and durable) It makes the league better 5.Get Andrulis replaced within the next 6-8 games next season if he does not perform...and get Hudson about the same period of time if re signed ....Coaches ought to be held more accountable....