Basically LaOpinion is saying that MLS using geography for expansion (More cities over more teams), which must be interperated as arrogance. Instead MLS should consider more teams, greater competition when it comes to expansion. Plus, the intelligent thing for MLS do is seize the moment and let Chivas and Club America join MLS in 2004 vs 2005, unless of course MLS is deaf. Also, for MLS to avoid this challenge (to recruit Chivas and Club America soon) will show that MLS still is immature. The fortunate doors are opening for MLS, but will MLS seize the moment ? or be arrogant and stick to it's stiff policies. Finally, something about a person who doesn't want to hear is worse than a deaf person, and person who doesn't want see is worse than a blind person.
I'll be the first to say it. What an asshole. Maybe the league doesn't want to splinter currently meager fanbases. If the Galaxy can't sell out a 27,000-seat stadium, why does he think a second tennant would help matters?
Oh, thank you! Thank you, oh great gods of Mexican football! Thank you for stooping to help little ol' MLS, which certainly doesn't know what is best for it! Thank you for deeming us worthy of your attention! THANK YOU!!
I'll be the first to second you, what an asshole From that translated jibberish, it has all the makings of a baby in a playpen shaking their rattle with tears streaming down their eyes..... Who is he to to call MLS arrogant? A little hypocritical dont you think? He is the one who implies MLS should cater and plead to meet any needs immediately...
I think he's an idiot. He's an idiot with a point, but an idiot none the less. He's an idiot because he tries to make the case that America vs. Chivas, the Mexican clubs, drawing fifty thousand is somehow indicative of the drawing power of Chivas USA and a supposed America USA. This is poppycock. These will be MLS teams, and to assume they have any loyalty from the fans of the MFL is just plain stupid. He's got a point because putting second teams in Chicago and Los Angeles COULD have the same impact on the league as adding Houston and San Diego. Cross town rivalry in those two places could actually create buzz, good games, more consolidation on those two critical markets, and could mean better TV ratings in those areas in a way that would surpass SD or Houston. Doubling the ratings and the fanbase in Chicago and Los Angeles might be as cash-valuable as adding the other two markets, where penetration is less and there is no in-town rival. Splitting the populations in half still equals a bigger cachement for each team than two markets in MLS right now. Can an LA vs. SD rivalry generate the buzz? Can the Dallas vs. Houston? The rest of his article is typical grandstanding, but the arguement is worth thinking about.
I think it just shows that vastly different worlds folks are coming from. Most BS posters are used to literally protecting MLS from vultures. La Opinion readers are probably more used to having their valid opinions overlooked in the English-speaking US.
...because there are over 5 million Mexicans in LA. The LA Galaxy do attract many Mexicans, but it's disproportionate to the number of residents... Do they ever. most English newspaper print Bundesliga and French League scores and STANDINGS b4 they print MFL scores.
I'm sure you don't me "literally" here. I have yet to go to an MLS game with a weapon for the purposes of hitting vultures with it. In fact, I have yet to see a vulture at an MLS game. Sorry, me being pedantic. I can't help myself on this one. My apologies.
That's just because you're not from the Southwest. In fact, if you look closely, I'm absolutely certain you'll see vultures circling over Home Depot center right now. (good call voros-- I deserved it...)
1. The Hispanic fan is massively important in MLS--just look at who traveled for the Rapids and DC in their recent road playoff matches. Overwhelmingly Hispanic, showing overwhelming loyalty to their teams. And many Galaxians are of Central American descent. 2. However, the Mexican fan will only be impressed by improvement in the quality of the league, not some quasi-farm team Chivas USA or America USA. (I didn't go to any NFL Europe games when I was living over there.) I've been told over and over and over by literally dozens of Mexicans and Mexican-American futbol fanatics that the reason they don't follow MLS is that it simply isn't as good as the LMF. Everyone thinks it's always bout race, or about marketing, but the best way for MLS to win over Mexican fans is: --Get better players (and better scouting). MORE Jose Cancelas, LESS washed-up Juskowiaks. --Start beating Mexican teams in these Pre-Libertadores competitions. US 2 Mexico 0 probably brought more Mexican-American fans to MLS than all these Futbolitos and Heritage Nights combined.
The thing is that MLS has improved dramatically. The attraction that Chivas truly offers is that it will get press and hence will bring ppl in out of "curiosity". Many will stay, unlike in '96, when ppl came out to check out the league but realized it was 2nd division. It's not any more. I agree that quality of play will make the biggest difference. Fortunately, the league is addressing that.
I wish I had a way to contact the guy who wrote that article. I would first thank him for the great advice he's giving the state of soccer in the US, and then gladly remind him about that encounter United States and Mexico had in WC2002.
Arrogant, totally. But they have a point. Again, I've harped on this point- People seem to think the Home Depot Center is located in the center of Los Angeles where Angelinos of all types can easily access weekday games. This is wrong. Dominguez Hills can be quite a trek if you are a soccer fanatic living in, oh, say Canoga Park, or Los Feliz. Bad traffic, etc. In other words - just because the HDC doesn't sell out every game, it still does quite well by MLS standards. Putting a second team in such a big market (same goes for New York or Chicago), would send a signal to that community that they are serious about developing a fan base, both for local teams (say a San Fernando Valley+Hollywood+West L.A. team vs. a LAX-to-Long Beach team - aka the Galaxy) and for the MLS as well. Let me remind you - we ain't got no NFL team. And since the Clippers have/will never be good, there's not much of a rivalry in the NBA. So, I agree that we should be building on local rivalries and bigger markets. Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers vs. N.Y. Giants always worked for baseball! Seriously. How can you get all goosey about a team in Des Moines?
I would like to agree 100% with you on this matter!! Another thing I'd like to point out is that he's probably still a bit upset over the fact that his National Team can't hack it against a team made up of both European and MLS teams!! Perhaps this stuff is all out of fear, maybe he actually sees a league getting stronger and doesn't want the Mexican League to have a challenger to it in North America!! ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS SCOREBOARD US!!! 2-0 Mexico can kiss the collective butts of all US fans!!!
Isn't this paper an LA paper? That's what's wrong with this whole picture. Support the country you have made home. I'm not saying blindly, but if you're gonna use the foundation, services, and amenities provided in this country, then contribute something worthwhile.
Immigrant Latinos (actually immigrants in general) use less resources than they are entitled to. Society "contributes" news crews in their barrios only to show violence, drugs, urban decay. The Anglophone newspapers completely ignore their favorite sports and teams. La Times serves an area that is home to approximately 7 million Mexicans (Ventura on south to San Diego) and yet rarely publishes SCORES of MFL let alone standings, but they publish Bundesliga scores and sometimes standings. [Gotta serve that enormous German community that numbers in the thousands. And Lord knows that the ppl that work w/ Germans are talking about nothing but the Bundesliga. ] As a non-Mexican who works w/ Mexicans, I sure would appreciate a bone so that I can go into social/work situations informed. But I have to recur to La Opinion, b/c it's the only newspaper that serves the community. LA is 40% Latino. It's the hub of the entertainment industry. It's rock-en-espagnol scene surpasses the rock-in-English scene of the vast majority of large of US cities as well as large Latino cities such as Madrid. But judging from the film and t.v. industries, LA has about 5% Latinos. As a Latino from California, this bothers me. So yeah, I personally have benefited from "the foundation, services, and amenities provided in this country" and I'm damn proud of what this country has offered me. But I'm also a realist and know that we get pulled over more by the cops, that we are the victims of hate crimes (including myself; and I've also stopped [foolishly] hate crimes from taking place), ppl stereotype us and assume that we're not smart, we're ignored by the broadcast and print media, etc. No, I don't want a tissue. I'm just pointing out that the community rightfully feels ignored. So no, I don't think it's that simple to say that La Opinion should avoid having strong opinions. That's for the La Times (which, btw, is one of the better papers in this country, especially in sports and entertainment; it blows any other California paper out of the water).