Rumor: Misl Expansion teams

Yes, because if that's what he thinks he should grab himself a ratty practice site and join the PASL.

 

That's too broad of a brush stroke... too much of those examples above are due to the relations that have been forged over years between a community and it's team, especially CHL teams. Indoor lost that appeal many moons ago except for Baltimore and Milwaukee.

 

We need more fights, wacky haircuts, red shoes, and monster pizza eaters.

 

There is hardly any marketing period, but even with the marketing, they don't try and promote stars. There is no, come see the Blast play Jamar Beasley and the Rockford Rampage, or whatever...

 

Why do you think WWE draws 16,000 fans every Monday night to their live FREE ON TV Raw shows?

Because Vince McMahon is a marketing genious who creates superstars out of basically nobodies! He makes you want to be a part of the festivities live and in person. You know the crap is rigged and fake, but millions watch each week!

It's not really about the level of talent that exists today in the MISL. You can creat "stars" out of todays talent. People need a reason to go watch indoor soccer. They need "characters" to be creative... ala Tatu throwing the shirt, crotch chop the fans, run around and show excitement when scoring a goal. That is why the Dusosky's are great for this sport. We just need about 100 more players like them

Is it not just as exciting when players celebrate their accomplishment!

When the idiots at the MISL decided they needed to be "a part of FIFA" and use their refs and abide by their standards, all of this excitement was thrown under the bus. When Hale & Co realize FIFA doesn't give a rats ass about them and they do their own thing, then things can change.

CHANGE SOME RULES
Let the bench erupt when scoring a goal. (maybe make the goals a normal size and you won't have 28-20 scores)
Taunt the crowd. Damnit do something. I hate when a player scores and walks away like oh well... get a personality!

I remember the guy from the Comets getting a yellow for pulling his shirt after a goal celebration. Manfre gave Dusosky a yellow for crotch chopping the fans. Healy once told me Cabral could not flip on the glass as this was against FIFA. WTF!

PETER
I know if you read some of this you have to agree this sport needs some sort of excitment and motivation to get people interested.
By all means, players reaching out at schools etc is a great task, but this doesn't draw people to the games. Announcers screaming like fools doesn't get fans (over 15) too excited either.

I could go on and on....

 

Because people would laugh.

The marketing's not very good, because actual marketing is expensive.

But at the end of the day, it's the product, not the marketing.

And this product went downhill years ago.

 

Like he did with the XFL.

Oh, wait....

 

Hey - The USA is out of the World Cup
and this is sad news
however
Can we now advertise and make announcements or is it still too early since the world cup is still going on?? ahahahahahaha

 

oh and i agree - I am not Dusosky fan but love to go to a game and watch them get beat or taken actually there a few Wave players that I am not fond of but only because they are good players and score goals or make good defensive decisions and stop their opponents but they are flashy players and so it makes it fun not to like them. I respect what they do and as players - just not a fan of them
I Love going to these games and hope it flourishes and have met many good people on the way

 

Criticize McMahon all you want..... the guy is a multi billionaire with a product that half (if not more) of the population laughs at and cannot believe people actually watch

BTW: the XFL was bad football period. I think Vince had way too much time on his hands and was bored.

 

I'm not critical of McMahon. He is what he is. Kudos to him for forging his empire.

Just saying that you can't just market something and have it work if it's crap, no matter how much of a genius you are. Which makes my point - you could market indoor soccer all you want. It's not the same game it was back in the day. It's much more cynical, defensive and devoid of stars. And whereas it once had the advantage of being new and exciting and different, it now has years of rinky-dink reputation to try and overcome. And that's not easy.

And this comes from someone who loves indoor. But let's be honest here, please.

 

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but when was the last time you went to an MISL game? You are more likely to see a 4-2 game than a 28-20 game.

The best thing about wrestling is the story lines. If you don't follow it it's not that exciting.

If you're not emotionally involved in an indoor soccer team (like 99% of the youths and groups) then it isn't that exciting.

If there isn't a story line and you don't care who wins NO SPORT is that exciting.

 

But the XFL drew relatively well and you can't make any snap judgements based on one season.

I don't think the UFL is drawing nearly as well and they don't have any sizzle.

 

they need more games in the lingerie Football League

 

Even when you lose a kajillion dollars and you're a national punchline by week 10? Are you one of those guys who thinks we were justthisclose to victory in Vietnam or something?

"Snap judgments?" Where were you in 2001? The XFL was a Disaster with a capital D. Tons of money lost (part of that is that football is the most expensive sport to start up), no cachet, dropping TV ratings, bad press and a bad product. Maybe a half-dozen guys played after that?

Point being, McMahon was touted as a marketing genius and that "if anyone could make it work, he could." Because he was able to sell wrestling. Well, I hate to break it to you, but there's a core audience for wrestling. Kudos to him for playing to it and doing well with it. Not my cup of tea, but that's neither here nor there.

The core audience for indoor soccer is minute compared to wrestling, even. You think you can tap it, knock yourself out. But you can market all you want, you can put John Ball on a city bus or do TV commercials with Adauto Neto all you want. This product isn't compelling enough to enough people in and of itself to have marketing make the difference between 4,000 a night today and 7,000 a night three years from now. I know you guys think going back to formula and rebuilding from the bottom up is the way to go, and that's certainly no worse (and possibly better) an angle than the one that's been used the last several years (which is "let's try to convince three people to come in to replace the two people we're losing and the one that's on thin ice.")

At some point, even those of us who love the game are going to have to admit that we're not going back to 1984 in terms of level of interest. We're just not. This MISL is not going to take us back to those days, nobody is. Even if they're classy and noble and hold off making big announcements in deference to that little tournament going on overseas.

They're not drawing anywhere near what the XFL did. They're also not spending what the XFL did and they're not basing their success on TV ratings, which the XFL did. I don't think the UFL has a chance in hell, either, because there are lots of places to consume football and the NFL hasn't pissed off enough people enough to send them running to see Brooks Bollinger play quarterback. My suspicion is that the UFL will last as long as Versus is dumb enough to pay them an exorbitant (for the product and its ratings) rights fee and no longer than that. But that's just my hunch.

 

I think the main difference between the MISL of, say 1985-6 and now is the quality of play (and the gimmicks, of course). Back then, and even before, you had what was America's best playing in the MISL. It basically became to indoor what the NASL was to outdoor. The AISA/NPSL/MISL2/ad infinitum began as sort of the indoor equivalent to the ASL, and was, early on, closer in quality to the EISL. Even after the MISL was replaced with the CISL, and later, the PSA/WISL, the NPSL was still a child trying to wear their parents' clothes. In my opinion, the AISA/NPSL/MISL2 was never the league the MISL was, and because of the gimmicks, it showed. The forming of MLS killed any chance of the league getting any better, especially in light of MLS getting around to playing without shootouts, countdown clocks, goofy points schemes, and the like. The best players are not playing indoor; they're in MLS. So now, indoor is at about the level of D-2 (if you're Baltimore, Philly, or Milwaukee), or D-3 (if you're everybody else).

If an indoor league were to form, and use either the original MISL rules, the FA small sided rules (actually very similar to MISL rules) adapted to a hockey rink, or even a hybrid of the two (not futsal: it's slow enough on a team handball court; it would be a slow horrible death on a hockey rink), I think it would have a chance, because it would be just enough "real" soccer to attract the traditional soccer fan, and enough of the fast action and scoring to attract the indoor fans. It may not replicate the huge crowds of the MISL of the 80s, but I would think they would do a heck of a lot better than what's going on now (5000-7000 instead of 500). You might also get a better quality of players, especially if they were paid well enough.

Would it work? Who knows? I'd like to think it could save what is left of indoor soccer as we know it. But it could blow up in our faces, or do absolutely nothing, or it could just be too late anyway. But we'll never know until we try.

I'd be happy to draw up the rules and the court, and fly them up the flagpole to see who would salute it.

Sorry for the long rant, er, um, I mean, post.

 

I really think we've entered a death spiral. With no tv, radio, media or print coverage crowds have decreased, as crowds decrease the budgets get chopped, marketing guys + girls lose jobs, the players are less and less likely to have star power and that in turn leads to lower fans in the seats. Go back to start and repeat.

Its a continual endless spiral until teams fold. Thats why I'm thinking PASL might be the best bet. Just forget all the BS and start with what you know. Indoor soccer. Build from there. Its not perfect but its a darn site better than MISL in terms of a business model.

I'm surprised the never were Sidekicks didn't try and play at North Richland Hills. Its a two sport complex with a purpose built indoor soccer component and a (wait for it) hockey rink that seats 3500 complete with hockey boards. Free parking, a bar-restaurant and close to Dallas. The Texas Brahmas of the CHL play in that. The times I've visited I figured it was a good fit for MISL. Allen is out in the sticks. In fact its so far out its about 40 miles from downtown Dallas. Although it is very close to that Southfork Ranch that the show Dallas was based at.

 

What was the core audience of kitten videos? Now they command millions of views.

I don't really know how to do it, but indoor soccer needs to generate buzz and cross over into popular culture. Maybe our new slogan should be "Dude, you gotta see this &$&%!"

So if it's a player that punches someone everytime he scores or a coach that dresses up in different outfits every game like Lady Gaga someone has to step up and be a showman.

And yes it would help if our teams played in more welcoming facilities and no I have no aspirations of drawing 5 figure crowds anytime soon.

 

This whole "star player" angle is really beaten up on by you guys, most arguments on the growth of this sport almost always has most reverting to the no star player aspect.

You can list all of the stars from the past you like but they weren't pulling in marks like most acclaim them to. None of these guys were major or even minor stars before indoor gave them the platform to shine. It's the league and it's respective teams who build a star persona in this sport and that aspect hasn't changed.

A previous post or two mentioned that placing a player on a billboard isn't going to create a star... wrong, especially for our sport. If we can start moving into more fan friendly cities then the blank canvas is there to paint the picture you want. You can't create an indoor legend in Chicago or Philly but smaller metropolitan areas clamour for a star of their own and through some creative marketing and solid play on the carpet you can easily create a Tatu for the 21st century.

We have to make people want to give a shi- about this sport again. We need to bring it to cities who need and want a professional franchise to call their own and we need a little stability. They are both hard aspects to pull in but once it's done, it's easy to keep going... stop the moving chairs and just bunker in, we'll be better off for it.

 

Redman- that is what I was trying to get at. The fact Vince McMahon MAKES STARS out of nobodies.

This league has enough quality players right now to make it work. You don't need to pay a Tony Meola or some other washed up former player(IE MLS) to draw interest. Yeah, you may get the 5 second clip on sportcenter, but that's about it.

You need to market the game right now. Somehow, someway....

if only that 1 major sponsor would come along......and not Kendis!

 

My point was, when said club came to town, even the less HARDCORE fan just might know that Tatu played for the Sidekicks (in the 80s). Now, unless you're a real diehard, you don't know who plays for the other clubs (or even your club for that matter). A lot of things would be nice if they were or still were, but oh well...

I still enjoy the MISL game. I still think it is a exciting. It certainly is not a requirement that you agree with that point of view. If you don't like it anymore, then maybe you should move on to something else?

 

Better work on the 4 figure crowds first Syd. Just sayin'

 

What are they drawing in Cleveland these days? Oh that's right, nothing.

Again, please reserve your p!$$! comments for a more appropriate time (and there are actually appropriate times). The adults are trying to have a discussion.

 

Dont the Texas Outlaws of the PASL play there????
Outlaws Arena

 

Sort of......................

The complex has an indoor soccer specific pitch with some aluminium bleachers and will seat about 800-1000 if you were to cram them all in. In the same complex, in fact about 20 feet away to the left (or right depending on your point of view) is a hockey arena with 3000-4000 seats. If you google maps the 8851 Ice House Drive, North Richland Hills, TX‎ you will see what I mean.

There are two separate complex's under one roof. Indoor soccer (where the Texas Outlaws play) and a hockey arena (where the CHL Texas Brahmas play).

My point was the Brahmas hockey arena would be a good MISL arena. Free parking, 3000 seats and a bar/restaurant all in one place. They also have the indoor floor and nets.


Its all for nought anyways as the MISL to Dallas idea is Kaput.