Look, there are usually two days a year that there are no professional "big four" sports scheduled. The day before and the day after the MLB All-Star game. Since ESPN has locked up the day before with the Steroid Freak Show, why doesn't MLS make a concerted effort to own the day after? Since there are two of a possible five games being played on Wednesday, that's a start, but when I checked my Direct Kick package (794-up) to set up some taping (because I'm going to DC-Forest) I find that neither game is listed! Are you freaking kidding me? I mean, THERE ARE NO OTHER PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ON!!!!!!!!! GET IT???? Good. Now that I found the Chicago game will be broadcast on FSChi, can we hope for a Colorado and or LA station to pick up that broadcast, and get that game on nationally? Probably not. Just think about it for next year when you have 6 games on and run some sort of doubleheader on the New Fox Soccer Channel, or maybe even ESPN 8, the Ocho. Thx, Jay!
Funny thing happened last year at this time. There were still no other pro sports on the day after the all star game, and there was a partial MLS schedule. I turned on sportcenter the next morning to find exactly ZERO MLS highlights. I know ESPN isn't exactly the pulse of america, but it does seem to indicate that it takes more than filling a void in the schedule to move the needle.
I don't think MLS wants to air TV games on Wednesdays- I think they figure people need to know that there will be a game basically every Saturday at 4 or 5:00 ET.
Well I saw the Freddy Adu makes the all-star team on Sportscenter, and you think they might have schedualed the expansion press conference for tommorow for a reason?
I agree, of all the Wednesdays to play games, this seems like quite a good one. I don't know if ESPN2 or FSW is a possibility, but at least a full schedule would get some games on Direct Kick.
I'm 99 percent sure that the MLS All-Star game in '97 was played at Giants Stadium (in the rain) the night after the MLB All-Star game. And it was televised on one of the ESPN networks. After getting soaked in the stands, I remember the MLS game getting great play on the late-night SportsCenter. Valderrama, Galderisi, Ralston, 9 goals ... a beautiful memory. IMO, it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of the uncrowded sports landscape the day after the MLB All-Star game. But doing that successfully means spending $$$, and MLS has shown it is trying to become successful by spending as little money as it has to. Probably a good rule to stick to, but frustrating as hell.