Business Week Article on State of MLS

So what Stanley Holmes thinks MLS "should" & "ought to" do is create NASL-2.

Great.

Who is Stanley Holmes exactly now?

Lee

 

Huh?

Why is nonsense like this still out there?

At its PEAK, the NASL has never averaged as many fans as MLS in its worst attendance year.

 

Fading European stars - why hasn't MLS thought of that? Sigh

 

Lazy, lazy, lazy.

 

I thought I'd post this article (I actually subscribe to BW) after reading the first couple of paragraphs. Then it devolved into nonsense. The only thing I agree with is cutting the playoffs down.

Still, BW usually has an MLS article on a yearly basis (however off base it may be.)

 

My problem with the playoff argument is that everyone who complains about it ignores the fact that 8 out of 10 died this year.

 

My favorite quote:

People get paid for this kind of opinion?

 

Regardless, 8 of 12 is still too much.

 

Why? Because that's what we fans of the worldwide sport of soccer tend to do as well. We base leagues upon what the best 3 or 4 teams can do, not upon the masses in the middle of the league. Why is La Liga better? Because Real beat ManU! Why is the Prem better? Because Arsenal beat Inter!! It's madness. This writer has fallen into the same trap. He's looked at the top attendance team or two from back then, and since it's higher than the top attendance team from today, he's deduced that we've taken a step back. as monster said, it's just plain lazy.

 

It did however at the high end. What brought the average down was all the 4,000 and 5,000 average attendances from the bad ideas of the league. If MLS decided moronically to add 14 more teams then I don't think they'd outdraw the NASL, but I think they might suffer their same fate.

 

In the opinion of some. That's a new debate. I personally have little problem with 8 of 12. If he's going to talk about the future of the league, he shouldn't complain about something in the past

That's the laziness. So is the thing about the league controlling allocations like teams have no say in the matter. Laziness. He ignores the investment of Kroenke. Laziness. He says Cue's philosophy is what they need - THAT'S WHY HE'S IN THE LEAGUE! Laziness.

Sorry for ranting, but if people are gonna complain, they need to do better than cribbing a few press releases, using out of date facts and running them by one or two sports makrting guys who will say anything to get their name in the paper.

 

If there were enough Beckhams out there to have a couple per team - Madrid would already have signed them all.

Then they'd run out and finish sixth in the league.

 

I agree with his stance, not necessarily how he proved it

I'd place him in the camp of those looking for the quick fix...A stance that, as most of us around here know, is ridiculous.

A better article would look at the overall arc of the league:

A torrent beginning, with perhaps the 57K at the '97 MLS game being the highlight.

The inevitable drop off after a few seasons, the nadir of course being contraction.

And now the steadier growth, including expansion part 2, adidas deal, progress with stadiums, and players in the league that are the backbone of the national team.

 

Prepare for long rambling paragraph:

If MLS had a couple David Beckhams on each team. -

This guys "vision" would have run the league into the ground by 2000. Basically, what he is advocating is going for broke. Is there any other way to interpret it? Dissolve the structure that is responsible for proping up the league for so long, bring in high priced talent and hope the teams gel in time to play soccer the "quality level" of Europe or South America.

1. No one wants a league ruled by juggernauts (the NFL seems to be doing fine with it's parity.)
2. Did he mention that the Mexican League is of higher quality than the US? Arguable at best.

Is the league not starting a reserve system, have international rosters not been expanded....the measured approach that Garber and Co. are taking IS working. Just look to Frisco, Bridgeview and Commerce City. The league survived a massive lawsuit, being out of the public eye roughly since inception, 1998 World Cup collapse and contraction and NOW teams are starting to turn profits.

MLS can only show it's heightened quality of play through international competition, but the ChampionsWorld teams will not play MLS teams, no one watches the CONCACAF club championships and the World Club championships have been put on hold.

That leaves two avenues: World Cup and exports (Howard, Beasley, Mathis, Bocanegra, etc.) making their mark.

MLS WILL be one of the elite leagues in the world, but it isn't happening next year and this authors plan is not the way to do it.

 

Another article where the reporter was lazy and decided to continue to buy into the usual assumptions that most have about Soccer and MLS in this country without bothering to see if they still apply. I think the guy who said we need two Spice Boys in each team may be the most stupid man I have seen made a comment in a long long time.

 

No kidding.

And here I've been giving my half-baked, half-assed opinions away for free on bigsoccer. [/kicking self]

 

The San Diego Union-Tribune published an article about the same thing basically. But I don't think the writter complained about MLS. Although, it seems like he doesn't like the style of play all that much.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/soccer/20041117-9999-lz1s17goal1.html