From the Globe: "Sunday's MLS Cup at Foxborough was another watershed moment for professional soccer in this country. The game did a respectable 3.9 rating (10 share) here, and the TV picture screamed: ''Big Time Event.'' Suck on that Lobel! Not only that but the writer talks about Brown's amazing saves. Yes! This is sooo cool! http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/295/sports/Good_memories_come_to_mind+.shtml
Hey Dan, How did the game fair in comparison to the other events? You will need to have the paper itself as this is not in the online version. This is a record that will stay for a long long long long time. Andy
Hmm.. Unfortunately, I am not sure. I only read the online version, so if you have any idea, I'd love to know. Just the thought that 10% of the TVs in Boston were turned to soccer is pretty nice.
What Boston was watching: Each rating point represents 1% of the area's 2.3 million homes. Bills-Dolphins Sun. 1pm 14.7 Bucs-Eagles Sun. 4pm 13.1 NFL postgame Sun. 7pm 10.0 World Series Sun. 8pm 9.1 World Series Sat. 8pm 9.1 Ohio St-Wisc. Sat. 3:30pm 4.3 MLS CUP Sun 1:30pm 3.9 49ers-Saints Sun.1pm 3.7 Col. Rodeo Sun. 1pm 3.3 PGA Disney Classic Sun 4pm 2.9
Thanx Tony! It sure is nice to not see a soccer event at the dead bottom of the list. Shame about the luck of having the Bills (Bledsoe) on at the same time but this 3.9 overnight number may never be broken as a local record for the Revs. Andy
I hope you are wrong... I really think that if the revs put together 3-5 yrs of consistant playoff contenders, we may be turning a corner here to a wider appeal. Here's my vote for a highest seed gets to host the cup.
This gets my vote for one of the most clueless posts on bigsoccer. This is an event, not just a game. The local and league-wide logistics are not trivial.
right my mistake. never been done before. ever. in any sport. they pre-sold 60k in april didn't they, not 5 days before the 'Event'
Okay, for a change I agree with you, except for the last comment. There's no way that would work in MLS. Just as in the Super Bowl, the number of fans that come into these two events that are fully affiliated with either of the two participating teams is not normally the majority. Just as we saw this past weekend, and every other Cup I've been to, fans of all the other teams make trips to these games as well, and in respectable sized numbers. You don't see that in baseball, hockey, and basketball, where the top seed does get home field. On top of that is logistics. By the method you suggested, the Revs didn't know till last Saturday that the game would be held here. That would mean they'd have to not only sell to all the people they already did, but to the season ticket holders as well, since we would not have had tickets for this game. On top of that, fans coming in nationally would be cut down severely as trying to book flights within a two week radius constitutes huge costs. Hotels would be a problem, the league meetings/awards gala couldn't take place in the days prior because you probably wouldn't be able to work those details out. And there are a host of other conditions. As a fan of the game, the MLS and the Revs, I like knowing that LA will be hosting the Cup next year. I can already begin to make my plans ... which would be completely impossible if the higher seed hosted. Monty
God, what is it with you and name calling? Anyway, they sold approximately 40K in tickets this past week. They already had 20K or so sold going into last weekend. Also, what happens if Chicago had pulled off a couple of upsets and been the highest remaining seed this year (severe hypothetical)? Would the Fire be playing the final in Naperville? In front of ... what is that stadium's capacity, around 13K? Monty
What was the percentage of local, rev affiliated fans vs non rev, MLS fan from non participating cities?
I may have wrongly assumed that my post was not the most cluess post ever on Big Soccer. my bad. withdrawn. I would think that if you were to go to a highest seed scenario, you would have to submit a 'what if we host the cup' plan, and if you don't have an approved plan, you lose the right. besides, Crew stadium is small(ish), and they held it there... the key thought is to capitalize on the momentum, sell out, & media buzz that a local cup brings. I don't think this cup would have generated the buz locally if this cup was held in, say dallas.
I'm not really sure. I'm guessing around 85% Revs affiliated, 15% not. Just my guess. There were probably about 1,500-2,000 or so LA fans in the stadium, and then each team also sent in their own contingent. Then were the league sponsors tickets, etc. Again, it helped us that we had this in our season ticket package. We had all paid for this game back in March (or whenever the hell it was that I forked over my money).
Hint: Be arrogant when you have a clue, not when you don't. There are a hundred different reasons why this can not happen yet. These are obvious to people with even the most rudimentary understanding of SUM and league structure and control. There have been a ton of threads listing in detail on the MLS boards the reasons MLS can not do this yet. Some of the obvious reasons are 1) Stadium availability (MLS does not control the schedule in the vast majority of the stadiums) 2) Most cities have no ability for a back up plan 3) The time buy nature of the national tv contract forces MLS to choose a date, and time zone 6 months ahead of time 4) MLS can not run the risk of looking like a 2 bit league should things go arry, which can happen when MLS controls so little of the situation.
And then what happens? Go to the home of the other team? All of a sudden tons more questions pop up. Andy said it better than me. And the one that sticks out to me is #1. Being a Patriots season ticket holder as well, there is a reason that the Patriots didn't have a home game this Sunday. If we work off the highest seed theory, what happens if there's a Pats game at home that same weekend and the Revs are the highest seed? Does the game get moved? There are just too many issues that can occur with the highest seed theory. It works in other sports because those other sports have a series to find the winner. It doesn't work in the NFL or MLS because it's one game, do or die. Those types of events need to be set a long time before they occur. Monty
yup. I'm sure they can pick up a project plan for something like that by consulting with people that have done it before.
I don't fully understand the difference here. My guess is that all of your one game event issues multiply by 7 when you go to a best of seven series.
Yes that is becoming clear. MLS does not control stadiums and therefore can not dictate dates one week in advance. If KC and NE make the final and the Pats and Chiefs have a home game, MLS is screwed. Now the simple response is MLS should just play on a different day, but they can't because of the time buy TV contract. The stadium availability tied to having almost no control over the time slot of the game leads MLS to have to plan in advance. A decade from now when MLS controls most of the stadiums and has a better handle on the TV contract, they can move to higher seed idea. Let me put this another way. Do you really think you are the first one to think of this idea? Or perhaps your knowledge of the business side of MLS is weak at best and MLS has already thought of this idea, weighed the issues and decided that they can't do it yet. <sigh> I guess in a way this basic ignorance is good because it means new fans are coming to the sport. We went through all of this in 1997 when DC played at home for the final and the few people who think this is a good idea now, obviously were not around back then. Why you are comparing MLS which has no control of schedule on TV or in the stadiums, with other sports that do, is just beyond me at this point. Andy
Take your own advice. before you give it. Sure there are 100s of reasons why anything can't be done. I'm not saying how this would be done, or that it is easy, so back off. in your zeal to shoot me down you are missing the forest for the trees. I don't think you can honestly dispuite that having the CUP HERE IN FOXOBORO with the revs in it was the best possible scenario. Some of the obvious reasons are good point. not insurmountable. pick a date before the season starts. make it part of every teams cup hosting plan. not sure what this means. time zone is the only variable with a problem. im sure you can negotiate that problem away with the networks ($$$) This is always the case. by this logic, they should run the mls in a studio with a payed studio audience, and a cheer track to make it sound good. I think you guaruntee that you look 2-bit when you can't sell out crew stadium for your cup final. how would this past cup draw if it was in say, dallas? KC,? sellout???
Andy- you really are doing your best to insult me. I applaud your efforts. I especially like your 'I have been a fan since...' sctick. really nice touch. I wouldn't let the facts get in the way of your posturing if i was you either. keep up the good work.
Are you challenging my knowledge of the business side of MLS because if you do, you will lose. Every team can not support the same date because THEY DO NOT CONTROL THE STADIUMS. There is not a single date that could be chosen where you could garuntee all 10 teams could support. You were claiming how easy it was for cities to provide a backup plan. The vast majority of cities will not be able to do that due to stadium availability and suitability issues. Well that clears up how little you know about the SUM contract. Please do some research first, it will make the debate more fun. Why, what problems have you has with the past MLS Cups that you say this risk is always there? I am trying to help you understand your misconceptions with facts. I am sorry that facts hurt your uneducated aguements but there is not much I can do about that if you are too lazy to do even the slightest bit of research before making some of the assumptions that you do. When you have the facts, and knowledge, one does not need to posture. I will ask this question again because you ignored it the first time Do you really think you are the first one to think of this idea? Or perhaps your knowledge of the business side of MLS is weak at best and MLS has already thought of this idea, weighed the issues and decided that they can't do it yet. There is only one way you can answer this with out looking silly so think carefully. Andy
yes. I hereby challenge you to reveal everything you know. so I will truly be impressed. do you ever read what you write (or what anyone else writes before you reply)??? I stand by my original statment. The MLS should have the highest seed host the cup. your argument as to why it can't happen do not contridict that this is the best possible scenario.
I have no misconseptions. I did not proclaim that it was the easy solution, or even feasible at this time. It is certainly not impossible, however. I did not announce anything 'new' either. I didn't say ' wow, i just had a great idea..." now did I. you are tripping over yourself to perpetuate an argument. I'm sure even you could agree with me that the basic premise of haveing the top seed host has its benifits, of which we recently reaped on Sunday.
Good job ignoring the key question for the second time. You pretty much summed up your knowledge right then and there. Andy