For the two years that the Quakes were gone/on hiatus/whatever, who did you find yourself rooting for in MLS? For me, well AEG or not, I couldn't help but wishing the players for Houston well. I don't know if I actually would say I "rooted" for them (except in the MLS Cup, I definitely did). Initially in 2006 I sort of decided I'd support Chivas based on 1) actually having the availability to attend matches (I never did however) and 2) John O'Brien. Well much like Johnny, that didnt pan out too much. I actually preferred watching them in 2007 based on Preki & Galindo. In general, when all was said & done, I wouldn't say I really rooted for anyone, although I certainly supported MLS as a whole. I guess the teams I enjoyed watching the most ended up being Houston, Chivas and NYRB. However an emotional attachment for any team ever materialized, which is a good thing in the end as the Quakes are back (and sooner than I realistically expected). What about you? Lee
I haven't watched an MLS game other than this year's All Star game (when our expansion was announced) since the Quakes left. MLS has been irrelevant to me since December 2005 and I didn't root for anyone nor did I care about the league. I'd been watching EPL instead rooting for Manchester United. As for other sports it was all A's and Patriots for me.
There back quicker than I expected for sure. I didn't watch all that much, nor particularly root for any team, beyond rooting for whichever team was humiliating LA in any given week. Once it looked likely the Quakes were coming back, I watched a bit more because silly season isn't as fun if you don't know how specific players are playing and I new we'd be having the expansion draft. I'm more than ready to have any soft spot I held for Houston because of who their players were switch over to being a rivalry.
I wrote it here several times before and I'll write it again: considering my soccer priorities, a San Jose Earthquakes-less MLS held absolutely zero appeal for me and would continue to hold that much appeal for me had there still been no San Jose Earthquakes. I watched absolutely no MLS whatsoever in 2006 and the first half of 2007 save for a few minutes just to see what the new SSS's that opened during that span looked like. Just shortly before the San Jose Earthquakes officially returned in July 2007, though, I did start watching MLS games again (except those that involved the Houston Dynamo) precisely because the Earthquakes' return was already imminent by that point. As for what sports I've watched in the Quakes' absence: SF Giants (all summer),the Sharks and the Warriors (both having playoff runs late Spring - early Summer), as well as 49ers preseason (late Summer) and the World Cup in Summer 2006. But now, the San Jose Earthquakes and MLS will have my top sports-watching priority once again! GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Of course, I also watched the 2006 Winter Olympics, though I'm not sure whether or not that counts as "in the Quakes' absence" since it wasn't held during the MLS regular season. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
I think I've watched a total of four MLS games since the Quakes left (two cup finals and two random games I happened upon). DISCLAIMER: I am one of the small minority who are not ready to "forgive and forget" MLS. To me, these are not "my" Quakes. That team no longer exists - rather we have an expansion team that may or may not evolve to the point where I give a damn about them. Until that point, I'm not going to be passionate about them. My team is dead and gone, and nothing yet has come to replace it...
Dynamo FTW. Even though I was a season ticket holder, having the DirectKick package meant the team just had a bunch of road games. Otherwise, it was the same guys I'd been following. I wasn't going to let finincial transactions beyond my control take away something I enjoyed. Once we get a new tradition going here, things will be back to normal for me.
I watched MLS games but didn't root for anybody. The only soccer teams I rooted for during the Quakes absence was Mexican League's Morelia and EPL's Manchester Utd. Other sports included the A's, 49ers, Sharks and Warriors (only during last years playoffs). My brother tried to get me to watch NASCAR but I couldn't stomach watching for 4 hours when all you have to do is wait for the last 5min of the race and you'll know who wins.
NASCAR is no good on TV. You have to go see it in person. I would have seen the Sonoma race if I hadn't hit my head and gotten a grade 3 concussion the night before. I did however attend the Fontana race in Sept.... BIG MISTAKE. It was 115 degrees at the green flag. I've never been somewhere so hot and dry that my eyes were drying out between blinks.
I have not watched or cared to watch a single MLS game since the Quakes where so rudely interrupted. The only time I came close was the All Star game two years ago. It was on as background noise as my son and I cleaned his disasterous bedroom. I'm still not all that happy with MLS, BUT my Quakes are back!
When San Jose takes the field this year, It will be the first MLS game I've seen since our last game in 2005.
Me too. I had to see the Beckham show. I thought that if he did well, MLS would benefit. My disgust with the filth sort of eased with the absence of the 'Quakes. Then as the house of cards down there started falling apart and the likelihood of a 'Quakes team reemerging getting better, it was still fun to watch
So it seems that by and large no one has anything to "fess up". Most of us didn't pay MLS any mind. Which is probably part of the reason the team is back so fast. They'd truly lost this region as an MLS area. Cities that don't have teams yet aren't necessarily MLS black holes as their fans will look toward MLS teams nearby or MLS in general in hopes of an expansion team. Our area however had become a black hole of support. (ie none at all)
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to athletics68 again. For the very reasons you stated, it was absolutely imperative that the San Jose Earthquakes started playing again no later than 2008 (for a while, I kinda thought that the team would actually return in 2007, but I digress...)! Lew Wolff and John Fisher were wise to see that and to act upon it. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Have not watched an MLS game other than a few minutes of Beckham's debut match, and only a couple of minutes at that. When the Quakes left, like Goodsport said MLS held zero interest for me.
In MLS I was rooting for Houston in a bitter-sweet way. NFL it was the 49ers and Ravens. The Patriots fan on here needs to explain himself.