Supporter's Shield. Does anyone care?

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by rymannryan, Aug 28, 2002.

  1. tigersoccer2005

    tigersoccer2005 Member+

    Dec 1, 2003
    North Bergen, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Stanley Cup--hockey's crown glory-- is the oldest trophy in north american sports. In its current form the trophy weighs 15.5 kilograms (approx 35 pounds). It is made of highly polished silver-nickel alloy. Unfortunately the way things are going right now, it doesn't seem like they will play hockey this year. Another lockout imposed by the owners....:(
     
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  2. henryo

    henryo Member+

    Jun 26, 2007
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_cup
    [​IMG]
     
  3. DCUdiplomat96

    DCUdiplomat96 Member

    Mar 19, 2005
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    the Supporters Shield isnt the Championship thats the MLS Cup.
     
  4. asoc

    asoc Member+

    Sep 28, 2007
    Tacoma
    Just a heads up, that post you quoted is from 2002:) So don't expect a response. Someone felt like raising this thread from the dead.
     
  5. RedBullFootball

    Apr 7, 2008
    I care..

    Personally, I know I am in the minority but I would rather RB with the Supporters Shield than MLS Cup. Even with an unblanaced schedule, it is MUCH tougher to win the Shield than the Cup.

    If San Jose were to get bounced inthe first round of the playoffs, is there really anyone out there that would dispute they have been the best team all season long?
     
  6. Mucky

    Mucky Member+

    Mar 30, 2009
    Manchester England
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Jeez, this thread is timeywhimey.
     
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  7. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Jewelz510

    Jewelz510 Member+

    Feb 19, 2011
    Bay Area
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A couple years from now, no one will care who won the Supporters Shield this year. "Best regular season team" isn't remembered or celebrated the way a league champion is.

    No one really cares that the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls tied for the best record in the NBA last season. No one cares that the Vancouver Canucks have had the best record in the NHL the past two seasons in a row. No one remembers the Philadelphia Phillies won over a hundred games last year. None of those teams will be remembered as champions.
     
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  9. Earthshaker

    Earthshaker BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 12, 2005
    The hills above town
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Because they don't give out an award for it???
     
  10. Darkwing McQuack

    Darkwing McQuack BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 11, 2011
    Morrisville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The NHL is the only other league that gives a trophy for the best regular season record with the Presidents' Trophy but it's not really a viewed as a major award.
     
  11. Neuwerld

    Neuwerld Member+

    Oct 15, 2007
    California
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Depends on how much you value it. I remember SS winning teams and consider their achievements to be on par with MLS Cup.

    Those other sports are different. In MLS the SS winner gets a trophy and now a CCL berth with the associated allocation.
     
  12. CoconutMonkey

    CoconutMonkey Member

    Aug 3, 2010
    Japan
    Club:
    Chicago
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MLS Cup is still #1 for me, especially now that the schedule is unbalanced again, but I still care about the Shield. It terms of silverware, I'd rate it as the second most important trophy in MLS. And CCL seeding seems to agree.
     
  13. Jewelz510

    Jewelz510 Member+

    Feb 19, 2011
    Bay Area
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's an important trophy, but not the biggest prize. The CCL berth makes it more meaningful, but only as meaningful as a CCL berth can be. No one really cares much for the CCL besides die-hard fans. If the CCL grows in prestige, so will the Supporters Shield. But even then, it will not be on par with MLS Cup, because most people don't view a regular season prize to be worth as much as the grand finale to decide the league champion. Plus, with unbalanced schedules, you can always debate whether a team truly is the "best" team in all of MLS, based on strength of schedule and other factors. You can't debate the MLS Cup playoffs as much. You might not agree with a 6th seed winning the Cup, but you can't debate the fact that a 6th seed outperformed and outlasted the rest of the top teams in a tournament to decide the league champion. The league, the teams, the players, the fans, etc have all agreed that MLS Cup is the prize that determines the league champion. It will not lose that legitimacy to a regular season trophy. If anything, the SS winner is the one who needs to legitimize their regular season performance by following up with an MLS Cup title.
     
  14. DCUdiplomat96

    DCUdiplomat96 Member

    Mar 19, 2005
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    there is no need for the European mentality with MLS, the league needs to stay away from that.
     
  15. henryo

    henryo Member+

    Jun 26, 2007
    Is this the only pic The Don ever took with the SS?

    Hopefully not the last...

    [​IMG]
     
  16. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What they do not get a spot in the Hockey Concacaf club championship?
     
  17. henryo

    henryo Member+

    Jun 26, 2007
  18. DCU1996

    DCU1996 Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    N. VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    We now need two Supporter's Shield, one for East and one for West.
    Then they should be called the Conference Champions.
    I would give them berth to Copa Libertadores eventually.
     
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  19. El Naranja

    El Naranja Member+

    Sep 5, 2006
    Alief
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If memory serves, isn't Hans the one who said that the SS winner was the "true" champion and he'd be gung ho to win it, at the expense of MLS Cup?
     
  20. henryo

    henryo Member+

    Jun 26, 2007
    http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/11/08/throw-end-only-one-trophy-really-matters

    [​IMG]
     
  21. Mstars96

    Mstars96 Member

    Jul 13, 2003
    NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I do very much so. It's the league's job to make it important, they should talk about it much more, make it a big deal on the field with celebration, sadly sometimes a team wins it without playing because of other results but once the team gets home they should present the trophy with all the hoopla MLS cup gets, now if they do something similar already, then the league has failed because I haven't seen it.
     
  22. DCUdiplomat96

    DCUdiplomat96 Member

    Mar 19, 2005
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    doesnt make sense to make the SS important when the League champion is the MLS Cup winner
     
  23. Kot Matroskin

    Kot Matroskin Member+

    Aug 10, 2007
    SF Bay Area
    I don't think it will lose relevance. The relevance peaked during the two years of balanced schedule; it went down a little with the current schedule, but it is what it is, and people accept it.

    However, I don't think it will gain relevance, either, which I think is what bothers people who are bothered. At least until MLS itself makes a bigger deal out of it, which I don't think they will for fear of diminishing the MLS Cup.
     
  24. El Naranja

    El Naranja Member+

    Sep 5, 2006
    Alief
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Also because it isn't their trophy. Their award. I'm glad they've acknowledged it and given it some meaning with a CCL spot but I just can't see them doing more.
     

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