Attendence this week was awful. I think the high was 13k at Colorado, and right now that is the league-wide average. Attendence has been on a downward slide since opening week. What's going on?
Four letters: WUSA. But seriously, attendance is pretty crappy. I can see why Colorado fans are staying away, and Dallas and Chicago haven't had any capacity. Metrostars fans suck, and Columbus can't seem to figure out that they have a pro team. San Jose has always had the saddest fan base of any team on the planet. What's really sad is that KC seems to be leading the pack. I think it's essential that Crew fans start filling up their stadium more regularly. A familiar position these days is that MLS needs its own venues in order to survive, but if the only team that has one (as of now) isn't filling it up, a lot of the arguments out there for new venues get weaker.
The economy has effected businesses all over the country. Baseball has had a simillar drop like mls has had this season. The one positive though is the strides the wizards have made in this area. San Jose could learn a thing or two from them.
Next week, attendence will be great do to the opening of HDC. So then what are you gonna say? Plus, in a few months there will be some double headers with the Gold Cup and women's World Cup. I am not worried at all.
Re: Re: Is Anyone Else Worried? Is Victoria Street the entire league? Great, we might get 27,000 in LA, but we keep getting alarmingly low numbers at usually consistent cities. I can live with low attendences at Spartan or cities where the team is struggling, but this is getting kind of alarming.
While I have been surprised by the Crew's weak attendence I haven't been surprised by the rest of the league's poor attendence. The Burn will kill the leaguewide attendence as does the Earthquakes. I know that the Rapids had over 60,000 people show up last year on the 4th of July last year so a showing like that this year will help. And of course the HDC will vastly improve the numbers as well. Hakuna Matata.
I worry then I don't, its up and down depending on several factors. I do not like to see 7k crowds EVER. I think things will start to get better once LA's stadium opens. DC United usually get a good crowd but GD it they have been killing their fan base with crap play and few wins to show for it. I have a feeling DC will win next game at all costs. Truth is the Crew SHOULD be drawing decently all season but who knows.
the league is in transition, and the dollars-to-numbers value might be skewed more today than in the last few years. naperville and southlake have low max capacity, but maybe MLS is making bank on these temporary projects. KC seems do be doing well. the revs don't seem to be packing 'em in at the razor, nor do the rapids. it's hot; youth soccer tourneys conflict; hoops throws a wrench into the mix; the economy sucks; and maybe folks just haven't grabbed hold yet. to quote a 21-year-old coworker: 'i'm hoping for a seven-game basketball final, because after that nothing's on until football season.' and after my soccer mention: 'soccer just hasn't grown on me.' it's cause for either cautious optimism, or optimistic caution.
Attendance in every league is bad, especially baseball. A lot of people are being more careful with money and the focus of the country isn't on sports.
Crew fan, live in Dallas, like the Burn as well... As for Dallas...most of you fans probably know this already, but their temp place REALLY sucks....it's embarrasing to play on the painted football lines...I feel sorry for them, but at least it's only temporary...I think they'll do quite well in Frisco (probably closer to a bunch more soccer moms, but farther from the middle of the metroplex)...too bad it is a while away still.
Actually, it's in the population center of the region, though not the physical center. Southlake is in the sticks for most of the Metroplex, especially the hispanic fans that live in Dallas Co. Frisco will be better, but how much better is hard to say. It would be too sweet to go back to the Cotton Bowl for next year. I agree the mood of the country is just not good, and it matters. And yes, the economy is in crap shape and will be the entire season. Let's hope the fans get back into soccer. The quality of play is really pretty decent. I mean four teams had not won a game, but I saw four of them play this weekend and the quality is there...this country has so few great strikers it's almost a national emergency. If only San Jose had it better. and now with Confederations Cup, it will be either salvation or purgatory. If the US happens to win against anyone in their group with a lot of MLS players, they might actually get a jump out of it.
Irving is probably more the population center of the DFW metroplex....I assume you were referring to Frisco above, but that'd be quite off. There is not much north and east of it besides a couple burbs like Plano to offset Dallas, Arlington, Irving, Lewisville, and Fort Worth. Just my take on that. I agree that southlake is quite a ways away too, but hopefully it makes some fans in that area and Ft Worth that will continue to follow soccer and the Burn even when they move to their new place.
Even though the Burn attract fans from throughout the DFW metroplex, not surprisingly most longtime Burn fans are from the Dallas area rather than the Fort Worth area. And though Southlake is about the same distance from Dallas as Frisco is, to most Burn fans, Frisco feels closer by since it is a suburb of Dallas whereas Southlake is a suburb of Fort Worth.