We have one the second largest attendance last night beside July 4th. This is good for the league. The home depot was sold out ( I was there ), there were a few empty seats, but i guess those people did not show up, but only a few. There were more than 30k at Soldier's field. There were more than 18k at Giant Stadiums. Is this getting better regarless of the World Series?
I'm very interested to see what the first round of the playoffs pull in. Especially with the new two match set-up, which I am strongly in favor of, instead of the insane maybe-two-games-maybe-three-games first-to-get-five-points thing they've been doing.
Chicago's front office is doing a great job pulling in fans...Good news that should (hopefully) encourage them to get their own stadium and not think too much about staying at SF... I'd predict CHI and LA will keep bringing the most fans to the playoffs....Not that they'll get far into the playoffs or anything...
Kudos to all MLS fans last night for showing up in great numbers, especially in LA and Chicago. I watched the Galaxy vs. Eartquakes last night, what a entertaining match. What a beautiful sight to see the Home Depot Center packed with fans. Their were even fans sitting on the grass berm. That stadium was rocking with atmosphere. Just think about it, we have two teams with their own stadiums. Pretty soon the Burn will be in their own stadium. MLS is starting to take shape.The future looks bright.
I think these solid attendences that we've witnessed in month of October pretty much shows that MLS would do fine with a fall to spring season or at least a season with a month long break during the summer, provided that teams have their own facilities.
I think the solid attendences have more to do with it being in the end of the season, rather than people liking the cooler weather.
I don't agree at all. Chicago in December when it's 14 degrees outside isn't going to draw very well. Due to the diverse climates of the US we have no choice but to play a spring to fall season. Once every MLS team has their own stadium we can play all the summer games at night, rather than the 90 degree heat.
You are spot on with this comment. This country is so much bigger than all the European countries and has such a wider climate variance that there is no way we could get away with playing fall to spring. hell, even the NFL isn't crazy enough to play more than a month into the winter.
Okay, this thread is about switching to Fall to Spring. I think it is a terrible idea. Here is why. Garber has got it just right culminating the season with the MLS Championship on Thanksgiving weekend. It could easily become a real American tradition. Its only TV competition are those lame NFL and College games and a couple of parades. Switching to Fall Spring would put the playoffs and MLS Cup up against the finals of NBA, NHL, plus the start of Baseball. MLS season coincides with the main season in Brazil and Argentina and with the Mexican summer season. I think it is right that the Western Hemisphere play its seasons opposite of the Europeans. The summer still has the least crowded team sport schedule. After NBA and NHL wrap up, all that is left is MLB. In the fall you have NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB still going, plus NASCAR until November. The fall schedule is still too crowded. Witness the MLS games bumped off ESPN 2 by College Football. The spring may be better, but not enough so. Attendence is improving. Switching now is like putting your favorite TV show on another night. Americans will never understand taking a month off mid season. They will simply move on to something else.
Hey, some of those *dumb* college football games are great rivalries (I'm thinking specifically of UGA/GA Tech)! The day after Thanksgiving seems good--no NFL, maybe one or two regional college football games, and people are still off for the long weekend. And it's absolutely true that MLS can't do fall-to-spring. The UK is warmed by currents out of the Gulf of Mexico, which is why Edinburgh isn't as startlingly cold as it should be, given that it's on the same latitude as Moscow. The Midwest/Northeast (Fire, Crew, Metros, Revs, United, KC) would go on strike, I suspect. Lord knows the fans won't show up for that.
I stand corrected on the UGA v GA Tech match. Good point about the weather. I know I do not want to sit in Columbus in sub zero weather watching a meaningless match come Winter. Attendence would go in the crapper. Plus, it would all but end any chance of adding teams in Minnesota, Upstate New York, the Rockies, and a lot more.
Yeah, we have little chance of competing with Thanksgiving Football. It has become tradition. Now, I don't know of too many day-after Thanksgiving Traditions which MLS could easily grab...
I propose that MLS starts the year in late March, take a month off in the summer and have the MLS Cup final by december 5th