MLS Cup considerations.

interesting news and take from Goff.

the league should give it to either NE, Toronto, or Seattle (whichever is willing to pay to put down a nice grass field over their synthetic surface for the final).

If none of those teams/cities want to do that, then let Chicago/Bridgeview host it.

i wonder if the league would ever consider having their Cup final in May or June.

 

Two or three months into the season?

Let's see. For a June 13 Cup the playoffs would need to start on May 23. With the season starting in March that leaves 9 weeks to play 30 league games.


That seems unlikely.

 

who suggested that?

oh, come on. think outside the box. in the distant future. MLS could in theory start its season in late August and wrap it up before the summer heat really kicks in.

now, back to our regularly scheduled discussion of the venue for MLS Cup 2009.

I vote for Toronto, or Seattle, or Chicago. yeah, my vote doesn't count. is this a caucus system?

 

From what I understood from last year's MLS CUP talk among the owners that NYRBA was a major consideration at the time, the news came out recently that RBA won't be ready till 2010 at best. Now the search is on for a suitable venue.

 

I can't find a reference but wasn't hosting the Cup by 2012 one of the items promised to TFC when they entered the league? I seem to recall they were promised and All Star game and a Cup hosting.

 

Effin awesome. I've been wanting the MLS Cup to be at a primetime spot instead of Sunday afternoon.

Seattle would be the best choice for me because of potential capacity and the city's enthusiasm toward the league. But if Chicago gets it because of the grass pitch, I'd be fine with that. imho, Toronto and New England in late November doesn't seem too great.

 

MLS playing fall to spring has been discussed many, many times. Suggesting that the MLS Cup be played in May or June is not thinking outside the box. It is trying to inject a different argument into a discussion of where the Cup should be played in 2009.

 

Unfair to have it on the West Coast again this year, particularly since there was two Eastern finalists last year.

Still a fan of the highest seed hosting.

 

agreed.

but in a thread talking about "considerations" I thought it would be ok to really open up the discussion. i wasn't arguing for anything. i was simply wondering what MLS might do in the future.

this season they seem to be ok with moving away from the idea of the Sunday afternoon (or very early afternoon) time slot. it perhaps is worth discussing (or thinking about), but perhaps not in this thread since it is specific to 2009, the idea of getting out of the busy fall window for MLS Cup in future seasons (to avoid all of that gridiron action that has regularly competed with MLS Cup).

but now, since Seattle seems to be the front-runner for MLS Cup in Nov 2009, i'm fine with that apparent selection. except for that FieldTurf part. but if it is the best choice for the league and makes sense for them as a business, I'll support it, as I would suspect the PNW folks would as well.

 

Would be nice, if all MLS teams were primary tenants and could control schedules.

I suppose it would be possible to argue that New England and Seattle are unlikely to be the top seed remaining when MLS Cup rolls around, but anything is possible.

 

how bout mls cup09 at kansas citys ballpark stadium that way its in the middle of east an west..

 

Mexico v. China in Seattle, April 2008.
Latest generation Field Turf, first match.



http://flickr.com/photos/bebeblue/sets/72157604665914260/

http://flickr.com/photos/a207001392/sets/72157604591022351/

http://flickr.com/photos/64772328@N00/tags/qwestfield/

From the floor of Qwest Field:
http://goalseattle.com/photos/Media Day 2008 DF/

I think it would look fine on TV, and so far it has played well for matches.

 

From what I remember it was more of an "either/or," not a both. BMO field will probably host a MLS Cup at some point though - once it has grass and expanded capacity which both are likely in the works.

 

The opposite has also happened. In 2001 it was in Central Time Zone (Columbus Crew Stadium) with 2 West Coast clubs participating.

 

Yes, and thank god. I would have to say that playing the MLS Cup - the league's showcase event - at 9am on a Sunday is my #1 biggest complaint about MLS. It's a complete joke in my opinion.

I don't know of any sports league that would even think of doing something like that, and all just so they can get on ABC? Like most people who would even consider watching the match can't figure out how to get a basic cable channel or find a place that has ESPN?

 

Columbus is in the Eastern Time zone.

Otherwise, good point.

 

A Saturday night MLS Cup final would be awesome! However, getting that game on ESPN or ABC will be difficult - that's prime College Football time. Would be awesome exposure of MLS.

 

Hopefully they can strike a deal though. I agree with bandwagon, I have absolutely hated the very early start for the MLS Cup final. Finals are supposed to be played at night, the atmosphere and celebrations are just soooooo much better.

Hopefully ABC or ESPN can give up one football game a year to broadcast the championship game of a booming league.

 

Doh!

I knew that too.

 

I'm with you arky, but have you seen the ratings for a primetime college football game on ABC or ESPN versus an MLS game -- even the cup? I think you are asking a bit much. That's a lot of lost ad revenue.

 

yes, ESPN and ESPN2 are each in something like 84% of all US homes.

and for that 16% who were relying on ABC for the free MLS Cup tv coverage, they can still likely get that via TeleFutura, which broadcasts in many major markets.

if having this game on an ESPN (and not ABC) gives the league a bit more scheduling flexibility, that's wonderful.

 

MLS should just allow the highest seed to host the final game in their home stadium, maybe a Saturday late evening game the weekend after thanksgiving could become a new tradition for the sport here in this country, many may not welcome that idea, but I just saying since we're throwing ideas around!