http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/john_donovan/news/2003/03/31/payoff_opening_day/ Apparently the thrill is gone from baseball. Yet I think the buzz is high for MLS this year. Is this another step we're making into baseball's territory? Thoughts, anyone?
The buzz is high where? I'm thinking these boards, while wonderful, isn't exactly representative of the country at large. Maybe one day...
It's a stupid article. If it was about MLS, folks here would recognize the stupidity, but since it's about baseball, apparently people see what they want to believe and ignore the stupidity. First, his initial examples of how it used to be ... parades and bunting and marching bands, Marge Schott and Sparky Anderson ... these are examples from a long time ago indeed. If he was saying that compared to last year, Opening Day has lost something, that would be one thing, but he's saying it isn't the same as it was 25 years ago, and what the hell IS the same as it was 25 years ago? Where was this guy last year, or the year before that, or the year before that, when there were no marching bands for Opening Day? (BTW, there will be plenty of bunting at Opening Days across the country ... the decorative kind, not the sacrifice bunts ... and there will be marching bands, and special versions of the national anthem, and most of the other things we associate with special sporting events ... the guy is basically wrong about a lot of this stuff). How about this odd comment, one which I think would get a lot of hostile attention in bigsoccer if he was talking about soccer instead of baseball? "aseball's insistence on spreading the international word by opening outside of America ... has done its share of ruining things over here." Yes, that's the sign of an intelligent writer: reaching out beyond the borders of the United States is a bad thing that "ruins things over here." The attendance figures for the Opening Days played thus far in 2003? 40,258 ... 53,586 ... 49,561 ... 42,343 ... 47,356 ... 37,137 ... 40,427 ... 40,302 ... 46,257 ... 34,391 ... 50,119 ... 61,707 ... 43,525. Do these numbers suggest a sport where "the thrill is gone?" If the "buzz is high for MLS this year," can we assume MLS will draw number similar to the ones listed above? Or is all of this just wishful thinking and uncritical acceptance of a stupid article by a nostalgia-fueled writer? I attended the very first MLS game ever played. In a few weeks, I'll be attending the home opener for the Earthquakes, as is my habit. Next Monday, I'll be attending my 24th consecutive SF Giants home opener. The thrill ain't gone for me. There is room for MLB AND MLS.
What masoo said... I just spent $79.00 for the complete baseball package over broadband AND $49.00 for the MLS package on satellite.
So what? Who the hell cares? Baseball & MLS are just playing out the string & fighting for second place behind NASCAR. Forget about expansion, overpriced foreign stars or even repatriating Yanks overseas......if MLS could afford to hire a couple NASCAR marketing executives and if they could recreate for MLS what they did for NASCAR; then MLS would have a "buzz"
At least the MetroStars won't get spanked like the Mets did yesterday. I've never seen a 15-2 score in MLS
The baseball package is only $79!!!! I better look into that. Is that the same package that we're getting for free this week? Glad the Cardinal game was 1) on tv and 2) worth watching yesterday. Also glad I happened to have yesterday off, too.
While I believe its foolish for soccer fans to start prematurely dancing on baseball's grave (very foolish) there is no doubt that the excitement and popularity of the sport had dipped significantly. My father tells me all the time about how much passion there used to be for baseball when he was growing up. The truth is that just isnt there anymore. The MLB ignored young fans in the 1980's with playoff games that sometimes started at 9 p.m. and they are now paying the price for it. But lets not get ahead of ourselves - baseball ratings and especially attendance will bury those of MLS like always this year.
Also, they opened in 3 cities in which the team lost over 100 games: Kansas City, Detroit, and Tampa Bay. KC and Detroit almost sold out and Florida had a good showing despite finishing 2nd last in the league in attendance last year. Also, that new Cincinnati park is beautiful, and wait till the new San Diego park finally opens next year.