I agree with you that, like herpes, they're a universal phenomenon. It's just that, in the US, they dare to present themselves as the true fan of the sport, the connoisseur, etc., and I'd be surprised if they dared to do that in the case of, say Reading. Though I could be wrong.
to an extent you will always get a similar effect, in that success brings the crowds in. My point was more about the fact that for some people only the big event is enough for them. OK, if you have enough big events some of those drawn along that day will certainly consider going more often, but it's almost impossible to get them to come along without that initial big incentive. What I'm saying is forget those who think it's a level 'beneath them' and concentrate on those not prejudiced against it. kind of. The way it works out here though is that all 4 teams share the receipts from the play-off games. I'm sure the accountants are glad of the cash, but as a fan you don't tend to find if you lose a play off final that thinking of the financial gains brings a rosy glow to your cheeks.
Just "SIX YEARS OLD" ? Damm, I must be losing it. I could have sworn that I went to the SJ Clash vs DC United game in 1996.... Interesting article. I take it was a grain of salt. The author could have been doing his research at the local pub. I did like this part: "Clearly, not enough Englishmen have been on the end of a crunching Troy Dyak challenge to realize that these views, through no fault of their own, are purely the product of distorted perception. MLS is as aggressive if not tougher than any league I have seen—a factor that has established the U.S. as a country of choice for players equipped to cope with the physical nature of the English Premiership."
The Quakes are 30 years old, yes? in proportion, that's more team history (as compared to the oldest clubs in England) than the US has history as a country (as compared to England). That lack of US history hasn't seemed to hinder us much.