If this super league does happen as the default competition, my interest level will definitely drop significantly.
I might be taking it or seeing it the wrong way....but while I enjoy that Hell is Real video, I get the feeling that their trying to push and reinforce an image of Cincinnati as a team of hip, urban dwellers (read: cool) and Columbus as country bumpkins (read: lame). They dont bother to show attractive images of Columbus. Just a little farm market in the country outside of metro Columbus, so basically bumf*ck Ohio to the average MLS viewer. Seems like its pushing a certain idea and image of us. Nevermind that we have billionaire owners just like them, a new stadium coming as well, better players, etc. I fully acknowledge that this is just my conspiracy minded thoughts assuming it's the league undermining us in any subtle way they can.
I would watch it. My interest wouldnt necessarily drop off as long as it's my team playing. I just prefer to keep other leagues separate. I like watching MLS teams play Mexican teams occasionally. Concacaf matchups every once in a while keeps it a little more interesting and special. I dont need or want any more intermingling than that though. I'd rather have games against the best Mexican teams be a big deal, reserved for those who have dominated their domestic league (mls).
Not a foreign league masquerading as my own, no. You and Lamachia made it clear, you don’t care who the Crew play, the North American Super League, MLS, Belarusian League All-Stars, USL Rejects Best XI, whatever. That’s cool, good for you guys. I’m tired of going in circles, so I’ll just leave it at this: I think a bloated and diluted league structure of 50, count ‘em 50, teams is insane. I care about the league, and don’t just focus on my local team. I don’t see how it helps MLS to give Liga MX revenue it wouldn’t have had otherwise, and keep them afloat. I’d also be against (pretending logistics were a non-issue) a joint MLS and EPL league, a joint MLS and LA Liga team, etc etc. Wanna have CCL? That’s great. Wanna add some sort of SuperLiga cup? Cool, no complaints. A default league of 50 teams? It’s a money grab, pure and simple. Also, a super league as proposed in Europe over the years has been for the big teams to make a league, not combine ENTIRE leagues. It’s insane.
Barcelona will sell naming rights to Camp Nou and donate the proceeds to help fight COVID-19. https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/st...ou-title-to-raise-money-to-fight-virus-042120
Not saying I wouldn’t watch it, just that I wouldn’t be as interested. Hard to stay interested when I wouldn’t give a shit about half the league. And I mean, how many Americans would go to play in Mexico? A couple? It would still be faux-Liga MX. That league just doesn’t interest me.
I agree with everything you said but I won't watch less soccer if MLS and Liga MX merge. I don't think I need to go dig out my MLS fanboy t-shirt at this point, do I?
Personally, I just don't think this combined league happens. Granted, seems like there's enough smoke to make me uncomfortable, but my guess is that it's an expanded Champions League or some such. I agree that a 50 league single league is unlikely. But I also think it's unlikely that the Haslams and others are willing to plunk down hundreds of millions of dollars to then have the chance to be relegated down to MLS/LMX second division. But beside all that, my question to you; do you not watch the Crew play Canadian teams? If they were suddenly now playing Mexican teams as well, why would that be any different?
Canada is part of MLS, as has long be established in other American pro leagues with Canadian teams. There is zero history of Mexican teams in American pro sports leagues, not to mention the ENTIRE Mexican league joining MLS. Completely different. There are other examples around the world of teams from one country playing in another: - Swansea and Cardiff (Wales) playing in the EPL / Championship (England). - Vaduz (Lichtenstein) playing in the Swiss Super League (Switzerland). - FC Andorra (Andorra, obviously) playing in the Spanish Segunda B (Spain’s third division). Wales, Lichetenstein, and Andorra can’t support a full top flight league of their own, just as Canada hasn’t be able to with other sports. There is also a longstanding tradition of integration between the US and Canada. Like I said, I’m against joining any league. I’m just as against MLS joining Liga MX as I am MLS joining the EPL or La Liga or Bundesliga or whoever.
I'm with Kyle. I hate the idea of MLS and Liga MX combining, and if it happens, I'll be a lot less interested. I could give two left testicles about Mexican soccer. So I couldn't care less about MLS teams playing teams from Mexico on a regular basis. And I certainly wouldn't care about watching two teams from Mexico playing each other. I don't subscribe to this attitude that the more international a competition, the better. To me, the appeal of international competitions is that they're completely separate from the domestic ones. And don't North American athletes have enough to deal with in terms of travel and logistics and culture and scheduling without playing a dozen extra league matches in a THIRD country all of a sudden? I don't see the appeal. At all.
Meh, I guess where most of my opinion is based is in the fact that I am not really a fan of the MLS, I'm a fan of the Crew. Rarely will I watch a MLS matchup that doesn't involve the Crew and that includes the playoffs. That's why I don't really care about who they are playing.
Yeah, I had a feeling that would be your response. But I do watch the league as a whole. And if this merged league winds up happening, there are going to be times when the 10th best MLS team travels to Mexico to play the 9th best Mexican team. As of the last set of complete standings, that would be DC at Pachuca. I wouldn't watch that match if it was on a split screen with a compilation of Angelina Jolie's best nude scenes.
I have to admit, after going down a rabbit hole of reading about Mexican teams, down through their 3rd division.....I will say I kinda enjoy the names of some of the teams. Many have what we think of American-like names. And I don't mean like calling Arsenal "the gunners" or Man Utd the "Red Devils". I mean like the Green Bay Packers or SF 49ers, etc where the nickname is the formal name. Some ones that jump out at me... Cafetaleros de Chiapas (Coffeegrowers) Dorados de Sinaloa (Mahi Mahi fish) Correcaminos UAT (Roadrunners) Venados FC (Bucks/Deer) Mineros de Zacatecas (Miners) Alacranes de Durango (Scorpions) Gavilanes de Matamoros (Sparrow Hawks) I'm not one of those people who hate European influenced names. I just find some names like this charming and interesting. I especially like names that are job/industry based. Anyway. Carry on with the real soccer talk.
Yeah, I'm in a different camp: I only care about MLS and therefore my hometown team is my favorite team in the world and I'll watch any time they're playing, and also watch other MLS games because it's my domestic league. If MLS merges with Liga MX, i'll know it's a money grab and think it's dumb but I won't less watch Crew or Liga MLS than I currently do. I can't say I'd watch more, though, either.
There are two other Welsh teams that play in England—Wrexham and Newport County. There’s also Berwick Rangers, a team in northern England that plays in Scotland. (I did not bother to look up what Division they play in.) And New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix plays in Australia’s A-League. It is noteworthy that all examples listed in this thread are an individual or couple/a few teams playing in another country. Having an 18-team and a 26-team play in a combined league is completely different.