Good lord. Look if you want to be commiteed to this idea that things are all hunky dory feel free. But there is a reason why this league can't give away enough tickets to its champioship game to fill a satdium. There is a reason why teams struggle to pull in 12,000 fans in a conference final. You know what you win. There is absolutely nothing amiss. The product is fine. The play is riveting and the poor attendance numbers can be EASILY explained away. It is all in my head I am just a bitcher and moaner. A pathological complainer who is hopelessly out of touch. I surrender. At least this is one less thread that will be cluttering my inbox.
Re: AEG powerman blasted ChampionsWorld, Man U I think I could do a better job than the people who run MLS. Most of us do. But you made a much more specific claim than that.
Why are posters on BigSoccer so willing to defend MLS at all costs? The excuses you hear to defend this league are simply endless. Bad attendence? Hummm the mercury probably dropped below fifty... Oh yeah, I think a highschool football team was playing, football is big in that area. It was a Friday night, no one goes to Friday games. It was a week night. It was a Saturday, but it was in the afternoon. I checked the forcast, they were calling for rain. They never end. There are a litny of excuses like these for every single topic MLS does not excel in. One poster suggested I was not welcome as a fan in the league, becuase I had the gaul to say MLS wasn't purest of soccer experiences. How dare I. Just because one doesn't sit up and clap like a seal, doesn't mean they are not a fan, does it? It is almost like many suffer from some sort of MLS induced inferiority complex. Critical thought will make the league better, not worse... Hummmmmm I just realized I might have posted this on the wrong thread.... oh well..
Because its the only one we got. If you want to criticize MLS keep it out East where your team has stunk up the league since 1996. The rest of us are just fine.
Re: AEG powerman blasted ChampionsWorld, Man U Why dont you have another drink there buddy!!! Where do you get off just assuming that you are somehow more knowledagble and able to run a pro sports league than a few billonares? Your an arrogant bastard, if your so good at it, get an FCUKING job there and lets what you can do jerky!!! Otheriwse sit down, shut up and keep sucking!!! I am almost done
I got blasted way back in this thread for suggesting CW will need MLS next year for commercial reasons. Now there is a thread saying ManU will be touring Japan next year, not the US. I repeat - if there is a CW tour next year, it will need at least one MLS opponent to draw interest.
I think you misunderstand the reasoning behind some of the posters' vehement defense of the league. Critical thought and debate is good for the league, I agree, and all fans are welcome, anyone telling you different is a moron. However, some of the ideas advocated in this thread (pro/rel, dropping SEM, big-name transfers) are ideas many of us feel could destroy the league. I think all of us would rather have MLS as it stands now over no MLS at all. Sure the league has some major issues, mainly getting people out to the games. But I'm of the mindset that there's no quick-fix for this. The way I see it, MLS needs to continue to grow and develop in baby steps and survive until it has what all of the Euro and S American leagues have. Not talent, not money, HISTORY. MLS is a neophyte league with neophyte teams in (mostly) cities where there are other more-established pro teams, in other more-established sports. The league will eventually develop enough of a following that the fans will care enough about the teams they support that it won't matter if MLS is not as good as the EPL, or that MLS can't afford Beckham and Ronaldo. And when they start coming out consistently, and commanding more media coverage and bringing the league big bux, maybe they will be able to afford some of the world's best players. But this is a while away. That said, I still wanna see it happen. So do a lot of folks. And we don't want the league to get desperate and try a bunch of dangerous gimmicks to appease some impatient fans, and fold in the process.
MLS is a good league. It doesn't need excuses. It needs 25 to 30 years of existence. It needs 18 to 24 teams. It needs SSSs. MLS will find it hard to be a worldwide destination league, but it is becoming the destination for CONCACAF countries not named Mexico and will continue to grow at a slow and steady pace. MLS has produced some amazing, amazing games. My favorite game involving MLS teams was the US Open Cup semifinal where Chicago took LA into overtime, Luis Hernandez kicked Peter Nowak in the face, and even though they were a man down LA found a way to lose as Josh Wolff outsprinted the LA defense to a thru ball and scored a golden goal. I have never been compelled by another club league or tournament like I have been by MLS. I enjoy MLS for what it is and what I think it will become. I don't cry to my mom if the clock counts down instead of up and I don't pretend that things like promotion/relegation would be good. I travelled through many states to see my first MLS game which was DCU (who I figured had to win it all with Harkes, Etcheverry, et al) vs Columbus in Columbus' franchise opener. To my surprise Columbus and Dr. Khumala (sp?) routed DC with the frustrations causing Harkes and Etcheverry to get into a fierce arguement during the game. So much of the criticism directed at MLS is unwarranted. However, the biggest joke yet is that people have said that the rebranding to FC Dallas will cause the team to have a wider appeal than the Burn. Yeah, because someone who is interested in soccer is concerned about the name of the team. I mean...sure I would have a hard time going to watch the Dallas Hello Kitty, but the rest of the argument is just absurd. However, I would love to go watch FC Dallas beat the NY/NJ Hello Kitty.
We have known since last year that Man U would be going to Japan in 2005. Welcome to last year. Without Copa Anmerica and Euro 2004 Chgampionsworld will be much improved next year.
Yeah.. All .8 (Rating for the final) of us that could bother to tune in for the Cup are as happy as clams.
Wether I agree with all the points in your post is immaterial. Its a good post becuase there is some thought there; it is not just blind defence or excuse ridden noise.
Re: AEG powerman blasted ChampionsWorld, Man U Speaking of nerves, it sure looks like I struck one.... You think THAT was a personal attack? And, since when does the world have just one set of eyes? So, where did I do either of those things? All I did was to notice the irony of your blasting MLS for not doing something that your favorite team (an assumption based on your screen name) also does not do, exposing you as a hypocrite. Just because you like to dismiss MLS as a joke doesn't make that the dominant worldwide opinion. And, you can rail on all you want to about it, but in the end, the only reason you ever give for your own dismissal is that MLS doesn't import European stars, just like River doesn't, and for exactly the same reason: That they know that they just can't afford it. But, here you are, wanting MLS to spend beyond its means, while River Plate (and Boca and the other clubs in Argentina) do not. And, do I need to post the stats for those teams in Argentina who draw fewer fans than MLS teams do? And why isn't "the real matter under discussion" how that was attempted once, only to fail miserably? You go on about the Cosmos as if the very thing you advocate isn't the reason why they aren't around any more. "Never" is a long time. I'll bet that there are more American players in Europe now than there were Argentine players in Europe in the Argentine League's tenth year of existence. I'll be happy to compare MLS to the Argentine League, when comparing apples to apples, something you're apparently unwilling to do, in your zeal to abandon reason and rational debate in favor of your self-serving little temper tantrums.