MLS Teens

Put it on MTV. I already get made fun of less for liking soccer since the World Cup and the USMNT became 'cool'. Who cares if you have to herd the sheep to make it popular? =)

 

Yea, lets put a sport that most Americans find slow and boring on a channel who's main audience are the ADD children of America. The average person who watches MTV has the attention span of a knat, which is why MTV constantly bombards it's viewers with fast and loud music videos and insane commercials. Good idea.

 

Well, for starters, where I am soccer is respected as a sport and I won't be "made fun of" for being a huge fan of it. The only problem is that no one really follows it, whether its lack of coverage or just not being interested in it. People on my high school team always talk about how the MLS players are "sick" (good) and stuff, but would never be able to tell me how good the Revolution are doing. Which tells me that they think the level of play is pretty good, but as I said before they either have no idea when games are going on, or they just don't care enough to watch or go when they find out when a game is. The other thing that bothers me is that they're all Man U fans (which really has nothing to with MLS but I thought I'd add that). Many of them were into the World Cup but once it was over, so was their interest. And for this reason I'm dragging a bunch of them out to the Revs-Metros game on Saturday. I'm expecting a large crowd and a playoff atmosphere.

 

I am a high school student and I can assure you I am one of few MLS fans. Anyway, during the WC everyone cared and were talking about it. Since then though, soccer is not too big.

 

Hey, Chicago, if you've got a better idea post it, but does it make you feel better to just put down oher's ideas?

And yes, getting MTV to make it seem cool and the 'in' thing to do would help. Your average teenager wouldn't like 90% of the crap on MTV if it wasn't on MTV but since it is they like it. That's the point. If it's on MTV people will like it or really hate it. Either way, publicity is publicity.

 

I think they should put Quaranta up as the next poster boy for MLS. He's a solid player, loads of potential, fairly good looking bloke, interviews well. He'd do well on TRL.

 

MTV? Dude, what are you on? I don't want to come to school in a week and see all these preppie girls who were just skater chicks last week because it was cool wearing MLS jerseys.

"Whats your fave MLS team, mine is the Chicago Fires!"

Christ, girls in MLS jerseys and ties. I've seen enough of ties on girls.

 

Exactly. I just hope that they can learn to market somebody other than LD. He's just perpetuating the "soccer is for fags" myth.

Everything.

PS. Is your moniker Soccer dome, or soccer do me. I just have to know.

 

as a 16 year old high school junior:

no one likes soccer at my school. except for the foreign kids. so i talk to my polish friends and my friend from mozambique all the time.

everyone else just thinks i'm another "soccer f.ag"

 

yeah, soccer is a big thing here in Central Jersey, but I don't know about the MLS being big. Everyone is basically into another national team besides the US or an international club team. It's annoying, and I've tried getting my friends into MetroFans. I succeeded immensely with one, I took her to her first pro soccer game, and she loved it, (it made me feel accomplished as well). My 10 year old cousin came to 2 games and loved it! We also got to meet DaMarcus, Josh, and Clint, which I think added to the excitement. But, I can't force, particularly this other friend, in front of the TV screen. I've tried, I tell her when games are on, and she claims to be a soccer fan, but some teenagers in this day and age would rather catch up on sleep whenever they can.
One kid in my Pre Calc class, who's a Juve fan and other foreign teams fan, said this to me:
"I can't watch American soccer. It's too fast paced. Italian soccer is a lot more laid -back."
I thought this was incredibly ridiculous. Hell, I love Italy and Juve, (check my profile), but that was a dumb reason to not pay attention to US soccer. I thought most people hated soccer because it can be slow at times? SO isn't action exciting and good? Whatever, the TV was on at my school constantly during the WC, but everything is low key now, as far as I can tell, towards the MLS, which is sad for a huge soccer area like mine. I don't get it. I also don't get MTV, it's annoying. I'm pissed that LD was on so many shows (because I only caught 2 of them) , but that's what they're trying to do, gain publicity for soccer. I mean, how else are they going to do it? It's a long process to convert the blind into the knowledgeable. But, with patience, you can do it, one person at a time, like I did.

 

in my school, soccer is the biggest sport...last year both our boys and girls varsity teams won sectionals and the boys had an undefeated year (20-0-1)! and during the WC some teachers even had it on during school and if we had a sh, we could watch it....so pretty much anyone, who is anybody at my school plays or at least likes soccer. however, i know that doesnt go for the rest of the country, but i think its a start!

i also think stadiums are a big part of why there is little fan base for major league soccer. like out here they just decided that they are not gonna build the stadium for the rhinos, which woulda been awesome! instead they have to continue to play on the baseball field at frontier. also i think that MLS needs to expand to other cities.

 

Lol I know what you mean, but MTV makes things ok to like according to those people. It's 'cool' then, and even if it goes out of style it won't be so looked down upon to like soccer.

Hell, 5 years ago I was made fun of constantly for skateboarding. Then, when the X-Games became so big the people who made fun of me all of the sudden thought I was cool. Even when the trend is over it probably won't be as bad as it was before. The sport will have made lasting fans.

 

Haven't watched MTV in awhile have you? They rarely play music videos of ANY kind anymore. That being said, anything that gets the league exposure. I was a teen when I first started following the league in 1996 (I was 16). Soccer and MLS were popular with some of my friends (mostly my soccer teammates) and I talked about MLS with them. If it were on MTV for a weekly game, I'm sure it would get bigger. Why not work the schedule so that there is a Sunday game every week next season, and have the Sunday game on MTV. I bet they'd do it without a ton of convincing, but we'd probably have to make a few concessions as far as letting them use their announcers and junk.

JMac

 

No, no. No game on MTV, just commercials or slipping some announcers something to say it, or having the best choice for a poster boy from the team who wins the MLS cup go on TRL or something. A game on MTV is too much like Celebrity Softball or the XFL or...it just seems bush league to me.

 

The best way to get teens (or anyone for that metter) involved is to take them out to the stadium for the full experience. Get there early and tailgate (with the age appropriate beverage of course), bring a ball and kick around, sit in the cheering section and yell until you lose your voice.

The above is the route I take with friends who haven't been to soccer games before. We did this for the old Clash games (I was 15 when the league started, so my Dad always came along too), and whenever the US plays at Foxboro we do this too.

The reason I am against the MTV promo thing is that anything that you like in for an extended period of time (beyond a fad) needs to be discovered for yourself. You can't jam soccer on MTV and expect people to immediately accept it; even if they did, they would most likely be short term fans.

 

i disagree with the idea to have a game on MTV, what might work though is a weekly highlight show kind of like NBA inside stuff on MTV.
another idea would be to get MTV maybe to sponsor a MLS concert tour, get a big name band or two and have them perform after the game, and have MTV promote the hell out of it and cover events of the tour , this could bring in huge crowds to all MLS cities and expose the MTV crowd to the game

 

That would be a better way to get younger audiences.Create a show that focuses on MLS players and gives you profiles on them and stuff.They could also show highlights from the weeks games.You'll give players and teams exposure and hopefully create new fans.

 

Of course, with the current production levels of any MLS telecast, we'd be better off cutting out some shoeboxes hosting a Diorama-rama for the league.