ABC originally said they would show one semi final game. I wouldn't doubt it though if they choose not to show it and screw MLS again. I would hope ESPN2 would show at least two or three more games but nothing seems to be written in stone yet. If we don't see at least one game from each playoff series the contract with the ABC Manson Family of stations needs to be terminated NOW. Our attendace has grown, there has been great competition and drama, what the hell else does ABC want in order for us to get some games on TV? I say screw ABC and get a new TV contract for next year, I can't take it anymore.
Espn is too busy trying turn itself into MTV....Witness the new show they've been plugging-A Road Rules type of thing with a sports theme....It will probably garner about as much interest as that original Bobby Knight movie they aired a while back....Between this and wall to wall college pointy ball and I believe, some baseball playoff games...not to mention endless sportscenter reruns, In-studio shows of NFL and autoracing overkill....and of course the ubiquitous showings of X-games, Billiards and strongman competitions... well, you can understand why they have no room for something as unimportant, unexciting and un-american as MLS. Since I've already purchased my tickets for MLS Cup, I've decided to watch Chi-NE on Thursday and then tune out until the final...That way I can just stroll into "The Big Razor" on October 20 and be totally surprised as to who the 2 participating sides are....It will be just like Christmas morning! Shouldn't be too hard.... I reckon, all I have to do is stay off the web...No danger in hearing the results in any print or electronic media now is there?
What the hell else does ABC want? Maybe people watching the games on TV? Ratings are still pretty bad even on ESPN2. I've criticized the Mouse in the past and still do for some things, but they partly addressed my biggest criticism this year by putting all the games (save September's) on the same day of the week at the same time on the same channel. Unfortunately, it's Saturday afternoon in the summer when people are least likely to stay inside in many parts of the country. But we're not going to supplant MLB on ESPN2 because baseball gets so much higher ratings. I would not, however, be averse to your last suggestion about getting a new tv contract next year. The problem is with who? Fox Sports is generally acknowledged to have by far the best treatment of soccer in this country, but FS World is not available on basic cable in most places. Maybe if it were with the more widely available Fox Sports Net...
There is a thread in Business and Media forum devoted to this topic. Also this: http://www.mlsnet.com/library/2002/ontv.html WEDNESDAY - SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 Colorado Rapids at Dallas Burn - 8:30 p.m. ET ATT Broadband DIRECTV: 794 DISHNET: 465 iN DEMAND: LIVE Columbus Crew at San Jose Earthquakes - 10:00 p.m. ET Sport ! TV DIRECTV: 795 DISHNET: 464 iN DEMAND: LIVE Kansas City Wizards at Los Angeles Galaxy - 10:30 p.m. ET Metro Sports DIRECTV: 796 DISHNET: 463 iN DEMAND: LIVE
Fox Sports Net could handle the regular season with regular Fox showing the final on national TV. It might be our only hope with the way things have been lately with ABC.
They already show MLS games on Fox Sports Net. The Rapids games shown on Fox Rocky Mountain have been the only games I have been able to watch this year since I don't have ESPN2. And isn't Fox still owned by Rupert Murdock?, the guy that tried to buy Manchester United a couple of years ago for 1 Billion dollars.
ummm... oh, thank heaven for 7-11... would probably have to take the nightshift which kind of defeats the purpose... and then tape the games on the vcr... guess how I know this?!? BTW, who's gonna take a league seriously whose playoffs draw 6-8K for contending teams in Dallas and SJ... PAX ANYONE???... I hear HG TV has a prime spot!... or maybe cable access after a re-run of "Wayne's World"...
But just because the Rapids are able to show their games on Fox Sports Net doesn't mean that other teams are able to show their games on their local Fox Sports Net affiliate, and it definitely doesn't mean that Fox Sports Net is interested in showing MLS games nationwide, as opposed to a 400th repeat of "Beyond the Glory." The last time I checked, Manchester United doesn't play in MLS. And there are plenty of reasons to buy Manchester United that have little to do with soccer.
Do you realize that not every market has a Fox Sports Net affiliate? Besides, Fox focuses on local markets anyway. They don't really have national programming, so you can't guarentee a set time for MLS in all markets. MLS could go with them, but they'd miss a chance at a consistent time slot nationally. For instance, if a local baseball team is playing and the game is on the local Fox Sports Net affiliate, the MLS game doesn't get picked up in that market. ESPN isn't perfect, but they offer MLS something no one else can. That is a national cable time slot at a predictible time for most of the season, a major network to showcase a couple of matches per year, and a network that has given soccer the time of day for almost 10 years despite poor ratings and a poor return.