Los Angeles - San Jose W.C. Semi Game 1 (Saturday, 11/1) postgame thread [R]

I don't understand why the playoffs wouldn't draw better then regular season games. Isn't it more exciting if everything's on the line? Is it the weather? Time of year? Is it because the teams try to raise ticket prices (seems like Quakes prices are the same)? I don't get it.

 

All of the above...MLS has basically failed to convince fans that the playoffs mean more than the regular season.

 

MLS has basically failed to convince fans that MLS means anything.

 

Looking at attendance figures for MLS Cup, I would tend to disagree. MLS playoff attendance is lower because it's more difficult to sell group tickets to games that aren't on the schedule, and even more difficult when the game is on a Tuesday night.

 

Amen to that. You would think after this many seasons they would have fine "tuned" the product by now. At this point I'm starting to think, when they make thier annual changes, they lose just as many fans as thay gain. I don't know how it is in other markets, but there isn't a lot or really any hype surrounding the MLS playoffs. By the time the MLB World Series wraps up, MLS playoffs seem to get bumped farther and farther back in the sports pages.

 

That's why once again I'll jump up on my soap box and scream that MLS Cup should be played on Labor Day Weekend so that we maximize our media opportunities and get out of the way before the annual steamroller of gridball and baseball post-season coverage renders us irrelevant (again!).

 

Yes, 3 playing at 2 for the right to play at 1 works. If the league is worried about the fans of teams for whom 3rd place it out of reach, have 4 play at 3 midweek for the right to play at 2.

I don't mind LA having a shot at the Cup as long as they have to win in Colorado, KC and San Jose.

MLS should realize the regular season is the better money maker and they need to reassure fans that all regular season games are important.

 

MLS is a good time. It's decent-and-getting-better soccer hopefully close to home. The parity rules mean we don't have one or two awesome teams to compete internationally, but they also mean any team can win any game, which can be interesting. It will mean something more someday, hopefully.

 

It just takes time guys, it just takes time. I will repeat the question again: How long after it got started did it take for the NFL and professional gridiron ball to catch on in this country? And Red Grange and the guys that started it didn't have the competition that MLS has got. They've got to screw up a lot before they get it straightened out.