You could say the same thing about champions world. Huge attendances that don't translate into interest for the league. Thats the point these people want to support Mexican teams and NOT MLS! They have had 9 years to do it and the have declined. When will you people get it through your skulls? This league needs to spend money on growing new fans not trying to pander to people who have shown time and time again that they don't want want to support our games. If they don't want to support our league F-em. Spend money on those who want to support us. The people who support european and south american teams have proven for the most part they don't want any part of us. Why are we having this conversation now?
So in other words say ******** you to the galaxy fans just to satisfy a group of fans who will don't care about MLS anyway. Thats just great. Give the finger to loyal customers to gamble on currying favor with people who have proven they don't like our league?
Re: Chivas Are these rhetorical questions? I mean, you sounding off on 6-month old posts. . . Oh well, I guess better late then never, huh? No. Not "Seed the teams where the sport is popular". My example illustrated that, just like in London, Buenos Aires, Rio, etc, you can have more than two teams in the same area, and have them financially viable. And no, LA is not London, Buenos Aires, etc. But we do have a few things in common. We are a big city with a ********-load of die-hard soccer fans. Unfortunately, up to this point, they haven't been interested in supporting the Galaxy (or MLS in general). The whole point of Chivas USA is to market to that demographic. And thank you for putting me in the same league as Al Davis. Classy. Obviously, you thought long and hard about that one. I don't want any teams moving. . . Ok, wait, check that - Move San Jose.
Re: Chivas ((Stay Out Of L.A. and MLS)) [ring...............ring...............ring..............ring............ring] Hello, you've reached the now disconnected Chivas/Armageddon Emergency Line, a joint UCLA and UC Berkeley project whose goal it is to prevent mass suicides over the Chivas USA expansion project. Unfortunately, UCLA and UCB are no longer able to sustain this line (severe budget cuts in the Patience w/ Ig'nancy Department). However, Cal State San Francisco has taken up the endeavor. Please contact Calexico 77 for more info.
I apologize for the "retraso". I didn't realize the situation was this out of hand... Not necessarily. LA Galaxy actually relatively decent #s of Mexican fans, considering that MFL has at times 6 games on broadcast t.v. per weekend and that Chivas oftentimes out draws the Lakers in ratings. MLS' position is that immigrants from countries whose domestic league is inferior to MLS tend to become and remain fans moreso than immigrants from say Western Europe, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. I was at the opener in '96. A few thousand ppl left at halftime b/c they recognized a lower level of play. Many have NOT come back, especially w/ MFL getting better and wealthier w/ each year. The hope (we'll see if it pans out) w/ Chivas is to attract those footie savvy folk and others. I've brought many footie savvy ppl to games over the last couple of years, and ALL have recognized the improvement since '96. The key is getting ppl BACK into the stadium. Again, MLS is not in agreement w/ you here. Garber has stated that the key demographics are suburban soccer moms and families, Latinos/immigrants and Eurosnobs (Champions League crowd). The bottom line is LA is a HUGE market for Chivas and Chivas USA. If MLS were to put in a 2nd team in the market and it were, say The Vipers or some silly shite like that, then that team would really struggle. But Chivas LA would attract a completely different demographic. It really wouldn't be an issue of impeding on LA's turf. In fact, if they were to play at HDC, the Galaxy would be forced to drop prices even more, which would bring in even more fans. 16 million ppl, a full 35% from footie-fanatic countries, the Galaxy with an incredibly solid fan base (reminder: the best in MLS): there's enough room for Chivas.
Re: Chivas So all mexican in LA support Chivas? Of course not. So that mean we are creating a team that will only appeal to 1 section of fans in 1 city? Brilliant. BTW if i see a thread on the front page I like I will respond to it.
And that is the problem. We need to start marketing to people with disposable income not JUST families who think taking the kids to games is like going to Chuckie Cheese (Cheap entertainment).
I don't mind Chivas in LA. I do mind Chivas in HDC. For me its that simple. Maybe if people attended games in the other cities in the US, the league would be looking into setting up teams in cities with no team. But when you see empty seats (lots of them!!!) in SJ/Dallas/Colorado/Chicago why look into going into oklahoma city? cleavland? Why not tap the market that is here in LA. I think it would work, I just don't want two teams in the same stadium. And to use my crappy logic in explaining to some here in LA as to why LA is a good market to set up Chivas................when Galaxy merchandise outsells Chivas merchandise in every liquor store and mini-mart in LA then we can say 'no chivas in LA', but we all know that is not the case.
Re: Chivas It is when that sector is close to 5 million ppl, which is what, 5 times larger than Rochester and OK City. BTW, I've stated numerous times that part and parcel of the draw of Chivas is precisely the fact that it would instantly be the most hated team in MLS, and this includes fans in LA who would become Galaxy fans simply b/c of the existence of Chivas in LA.
Re: Chivas word how many America fans will come to cheer against Chivas/for LA when the Galaxy and Chivas meet? The enemies of my enemy is my friend, and my new friend will have to pay for parking, beer, food, horns, all of which are overpriced with the exception of the horns Cha-Ching!
Re: Move the Galaxy to San Diego Various Styles -- thank you for reminding me why I drink Pepsi. Welcome to the new soccer nation.
Re: Chivas WORD. Plus, I think the pre-season hype in California in the Spanish press would be monumental. We're talking a Freddy type boom in the Spanish speaking press.
C-USA in the HDC = make assloads of money for AEG and MLS C-USA in the Coliseum = lose assloads of money for AEG and MLS With the caveat that I'm basing this on nothing except what I laughingly refer to as my common sense...with every passing week, it becomes that more likely that Chivas USA will play in the Home Depot Center. And that's fine.
But it will be great to see the Goats playing on this field: Goats USA should adopt the colors Cardinal & Gold to match the field. Fight On!
Re: Chivas The simplistic and extremist views on both sides are are depressing. MLS cannot just be about the quick, short term money - the U.S. really needs a league that new fans can be drawn to and come to appreciate for the way it both offers entertainment and develops players that we then cheer for in the World Cup. The thing is, though, a team should reflect the city it represents. I supported Chivas (Mexican version) playing the All-Star game with MLS - and I supported Vergara bringing a team into MLS - although I thought he should pick a new name. But I figured that should be his choice, since it was his money. But since then, Vergara's demands and attitude about pushing into LA is becoming obnoxious. I don't think that soccer needs to make Chivas-USA the "Mexican" team in Los Angeles - will that then imply that if you're a Galaxy fan, you're somehow against Mexicans? If you're a Mexican fan of the Galaxy, would you then be considered a traitor for not switching to Chivas? I certainly don't want new Galaxy fans because of a hidden anti-Mexican bias. Like it or not, Chivas's Mexican-only policy brings baggage into its conversion into MLS - baggage that I don't think Los Angeles needs. Here, everybody cheers for the Lakers and feels a little sorry for the Clippers. The Dodgers pull in all segments of the community - even the Angels, which were in danger of being considered suburban Orange County whitebread when they were owned by Disney, now belong to Arte Moreno - who won fans from every culture by lowering beer prices. Los Angeles does not need the division and antipathy that this Galaxy - Chivas/USA rivalry would bring. Let Vergara go someplace else and become part of the civic pride and identity of that city - part of the sporting experience that brings a city together, not against each other.
Re: Chivas Yet another NHL comment. Actually, it's only been until recent history that the NHL has expanded into areas you wouldn't normally expect to see hockey clubs (the deep south). Most of the NHL's history has seen teams exist in regionalized areas around North America (for the U.S., mainly in the northern tier). After filling these regions of the U.S., it came the time that the NHL could expand into other 'non-hockey' regions, so they expanded into these areas. Even with recent expansion, however, the NHL still remains very regionalistic (this is evidenced by the fact that national TV ratings for NHL games remain fairly low, yet, in NHL city markets, they can do quite well locally). The argument that MLS should "saturate" regions is an interesting one, but implying the NHL (in its history) did something completely to the contrary (at least on a regional scale) is simply not accurate.
Femfa ROCKS!! Femfa: thank you for restoring my hope in humanity. That was a very articulate, well-reasoned argument vs. Chivas USA. Kudos. Now, let's not try to hog all the grey matter, ok. leave some for the rest of the anti-Chivas brethren.
Isn't this thread a little outdated? When's the last time anything was published about Chivas buying the Galaxy?
Yeah, but you know. . .. We were bored. In response to Femfa: I respect your opinion on this, and I understand your concern. I just disagree. Referring to your comment about "being a traitor if you were a Galaxy fan and didn't want to support Chivas" - I think you are forgetting one thing (and it's one thing that gets forgotten a lot here). If you are Mexican and hate Chivas now, there is no reason not to hate Chivas USA. In fact, you will love and support the Galaxy THAT MUCH MORE because you want to see Vergara suffer. I mean, you know, that's the theory anyway. That's the Win-Win situation that MLS is looking for. It doesn't matter if you like Chivas or not, you WILL pay attention though. I think the vast racial divide that you are envisioning is a bit extreme.
I really think this is the best possible solution to the Chivas USA team concept. LA is the best market to capitalize on the chivas brand, not to mention the fact that if you put the team in a non-MLS city a HUGE section of that cities potential. I would certainly be a bit insulted if I were an Anglo fan in San Diego and we finally got an MLS team, but they only wanted to cater to mexican fans. The HDC right now is a financial strong hold for MLS, if they can capitalize on their wonderful stadium, by using two teams there so much the better. The icing on the cake is of course that MLS finally gets a Derby type rivalry in a city that can support it. I can't wait till next year! It's going to be awsome.
Calexico, I think FusionRefugee's point proves mine. He mentions that he would be feeling insulted as an Anglo fan with a team wanting to cater to Mexicans - already implying that it would be ok in Los Angeles - presumably because then the Anglo fans would have another MLS team, the Galaxy, to support. So, then, that proves that I'm not Chicken Little. People would naturally assume that Chivas LA would be for the Mexicans, and the Galaxy for the whites and others (presumably not mexican or against mexicans, even). I'm not "forgetting" the point you mention, about anti-Chivas fans staying that way, but the truth is, "el equipo mas mexicano" in my experience, often converts Los Angeles fans partly because they miss Mexico so much - and what could link them back home more than cheering for Chivas? Honestly - if anything, I think the hardest fans to convert to ChivasLA/USA would be the true Chivas fans - who know there is no substitute for the team from "la madre patria" or whatever. The sad thing for me is that I like Vergara's chutzpah in many ways. But I don't support racial or cultural exclusion (I don't like the original Chivas policy, for that matter). However, I've lived in L.A. long enough to see the divisions and misconceptions that can easily form between groups. If soccer is to become the sport it can be in this country, it should be able to draw all fans of the game in. Come on, we can have derbies when the league gets big enough. Until then, could we avoid the potential ugliness of a sectarian Rangers/Celtic clash in a single town? Oh, and thanks, uclacarlos! That was nice of you to say.
Why do we NEED a derby? Why do we think simply because we copy other leagues success will follow? Will this mexican Chivas fans really be interested in MLS or only Chivas? I am a Metros fan and I watch every MLS game on TV with other teams. Will these Chivas fans do that? This is a monumentally stupid idea. It makes MLs look even more bush league.
Attend a Real Madrid/Atletico Madrid game, or Chelsea/Arsenal, Chivas/Atlas, Real Madrid/Barca, Club America/Chivas or San Jose/LA Galaxy, and THEN report back to us. Derbies rock. They're great for attendance . LA's got a good one now w/ SJ. The league needs derbies.