Anyone else read about the Knicks game? The team got booed and Im sure there were a few hecklers out there saying stuff about player's mommas. And this is only like their 4th game!!! Yet people are surprised when fans give players a hard time in soccer. Atleast Metrofans supported their team a full season before they reserved judgement. Why are we expecting people in the area to act different just cause its Metro? Im not saying it right or wrong but again people on the boards are so upset and surprise of the way fans are not "supporting" Mathis(throwing inccident aside)/Metro. If you dont like the way people throw out their opinions like that and wear their feeling on their sleeves, then you are living in the wrong city.
This is actually a point that deserves a more serious debate than I suspect we'll see in this thread. The reason being, that soccer fans in the US are torn to a large degree, in that there is a hunger to support pro soccer in the US, but that (IMO) often let's the league and its players off the hook, as many fans will put up with a mediocre/poor product (in all its shapes and forms) in the name of, "helping soccer grow." It's a burden placed not just on MetroStars supporters, but on US soccer fans in general. And at times, I find it an unfair one.
If it's *#*#*#*#- then call it *#*#*#*#. I have no problem with that. If the team/ player plays his ass off and we still don't get the results- que sera. I agree with you Ray, there is this *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# feel good vibe that has to be part of a US Soccer event. Thats a load of crap.
Look, US Pro Soccer is still in its infancy. Not to mention theyre the most underpaid athletes in the US. You cant really hold them up to the standard of overpaid & spoiled NBA players. Just appreciate what you have, cuz for all you know MLS could be gone tomorrow.
I call BULLSHYT. These are professional, whether they are millionaires or not. IF they aren't cutting it out there, I have every right to let them know about it. MLS isn't going anywhere, even if I heckle an underperforming player. Kumbayh.
Why shouldn't they be held to the same standards as other professional athletes? it's my hard earned money that I spend on tickets and such that funds their slaries. If I don't like the product on the field I'm going to let them know it. And if they try and dress it up in plastic hats and snappy catchphrases they will hear it even louder. I don't understand the whole hands off approach to criticism of the sport. I think that by not being critical we are doing more harm than good in the long run.
Knicks were schooled last night by a Bucks team that's in more disarray than they are. There is no sport where the fans are closer to the players than in the NBA. In Washington, there used to be an annoying heckler sitting in the row right behind the road bench. The guy would talk trash throughout the game, but rather than go after the guy, the players would laugh at him and would playfully throw a towel at him.
Real Ray and Eric D got it right. And let me add when I see Alexi Lalas say on those MLS commercials that "We're one big soccer family" I want to a) not go to games anymore, because I'm not interested in soccer for some sense of community, and is sounds like they won't compete that hard, or b) see both of Lalas's legs broken by one of our battle hardened foreign players.