Dan Loney Playoff Column

I'm in agreement with you on that.

Agreed.

Outside of some supporters' groups disputes, I don't think MLS is intentionally saying "screw you" to the exisiting immigrant fan base. I just don't think they've figured out how to market to them yet and get them to identify with the MetroStars or the Earthquakes or the Fire or the Galaxy as well as they do with whatever team they root for in their home country.

Part of that is that the relative youth of the league hurts it in terms of developing tradition, part of it is that MLS sometimes takes a traditional sports marketing approach when they need to toss out that book and take a look at a particular target audience and say "OK, what's really the best way to reach this audience?"

It's being done in a place or two. ElJefe can tell you better than I can what the Dallas Burn have done to reach out to their Latino community, and how that's paid off for the Burn at the gate. I just think those efforts need to be increased by every team. The youth team market is fine, but MLS teams shouldn't be shy about going out to a particular immigrant community and inviting them to regard the Crew or the Revolution as a team worth adopting and rooting for as their own.

Good question. I think MLS is keeping true to the spirit of the sport. The only difference on the field is overtime, and that essentially means you're getting a "Buy nine, get one free!" deal.

You could make an argument about single entity affecting play on the field, but I'll skip that argument as I think it gives both of us a headache. Compared to the financial fits plaguing teams in Europe as well as South America, I think SEM provides a bit of welcome stability, though. Eventually, I believe MLS is going to move away from SEM as the birds in the nest get ready to fly, although that's a discussion for another time.

Everything else -- playoffs, divisions, nicknames, team colors -- is just window dressing that doesn't affect on-the-field play. Except for this: Do you think this Saturday's DCU-MetroStars clash would be as intensely fought by the players and as exciting for the fans if we didn't have playoffs?

In the end, it's still eleven of one side and eleven of another side trying to win the match according to the laws of the game.

I agree again.

And outside of OT, we're not changing how the game's played. And, I can see why MLS is making this concession, because Americans -- and why is a subject all its own -- don't care for ties. In baseball, you can play all night to decide the game. Basketball never has a tie. Football had ties, but they've pretty much eliminated them from the pro and collegiate game by different methods. Ice hockey does have ties in the regular season -- and it's worth noting that it's #4 behind the NFL, NBA and MLB.

But somehow, I don't see hordes of people staying away because MLS plays ten minutes of overtime. I see MLS as not having won them over to caring about the Earthquakes as much (or at least almost as much) as Arsenal, Benfica or Cruz Azul, or caring about the Earthquakes as much as the Athletics, 49ers, Sharks, Golden Bears and Cardinal. MLS is in a between and betwixt world as far as sporting interests go, which makes it more of a challenge.

Frankly, I think a lot of people use MLS' differences as an excuse not to go see MLS. An excuse, as opposed to a real reason.

As other posters have made the point: Which part of the world?

Eleven on eleven. No hands, except for the goalkeepers. Make sure you're not offside, no fouling, and let the best team win. Sounds like a good formula to me.

 

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Exactly, If you want time off you win on the road and sweep. It's part of the beauty of the current setup. I hope it never changes.

Sorry, the best playoffs would have to include at least a second game between the two teams so you can have carry-over issues develop. My vote goes to hockey. How can you not like 16 wins to get the Cup, two months, Game 7's, the best trophy in sports, the attrition, all the side stories, "your battle" and "our war" scenarios, 15 series-all the same length, Gary Thorne, the numerous peaks and valleys, the immense difficulty, and the reward for high seed is an "easier" road and Game 7 at home.

Whatever your opinion of hockey, the NHL playoffs are great TV, even if you can't see the puck.

 

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You'll get no argument from me on this one.

My guess is that attendance at these games would come close to equaling the two games at home we currently see, which will only add to the excitement.

For yeara we've seen attendance drop off in the playoffs, this scenario means fewer games, maybe even no midweek games and that would mean better attendance.

Nothing worse than seeing a 10,103 attendance figure for a pivotal midweek Game 3. The media/ignorant public will continue to pass us by.

 

Maybe R1 is crap. I don't think so, but I understand how it could be seen that way. (I'm a longtime Northstars fan)
If you look at the totality of the playoffs, Round 1 is intreging (sp). A 1-seed gets a sweep and they get to rest waiting around for the probably tired 4/5 seed that won Game 6 or 7. Every game that the 8 seed grabs is 2 days rest the 1 seed loses, plus another game to have to play. You can go back to the last several Cup winners and trace back losers of series had tougher times with team in early rounds. It's all important in the Bhutan death march of playoffs.

This only translates back to MLS in this way: In my opinion the best team should be the Champion. Team implies man 1 to 18. The current system puts the 12 to 18 men more to the test and rewards the teams that get through with the least problem. Remember: SJ swept Columbus at home after winning Game 1 on the road. MIA/KC went 3 hard games. SJ went on to beat a better MIA team in a Game 3 OT. MIA was out of gas. They then beat LA in a Game 3 OT. LA played the mini-game in Round 1 (100+ extra minutes over SJ) and Game 3 OT in the Semi. I'm saying it's probable that SJ got to the final on the strength of being fresher by beating Columbus away in Game 1.
The best team won.

If MLS goes to a one-offs then you lose that element of "physical-limit" that is entertaining and creates dramatic swings ctitical to every fans' enjoyment/anguish. MLS playoffs would then more closely resemble Real Madrid going out and winning a SuperCup game v 'Noord everyone knows they will win because they bought/have the best 11. I'm sure I don't want that in MLS. I already have that with Euro Cup Finals.