I love the new Supporter's Shield, and if you have not seen it, check out: https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/new-supporters-shield.1983330/ On the flip side, I wish there was some way to recognize the Wooden Spoon recipient (won't say winner). I remember there was a discussion a few years ago about this, but nothing ever came of it. Why have one? Right now, the league losers kind of quietly slip away, and I simply want to embarrass them publicly! Clearly, this is nothing compared to the embarrassment of relegation, but it's something! I would gladly have a real sh!tty giant wooden spoon trophy made with places for all past teams that have had the dishonor of receiving it, and for plenty of future space. But I am at a loss as to how to "present" it to the teams each year, and how it would travel with the clubs, if they would. The teams that receive it I am sure would not want it, and I am afraid some harm would come to it anyway if it was relinquished. Certainly it would not be paraded around like the Shield would be. When is the Supporter's Shield awarded? At the Supporter's Summit each year before MLS Cup? Good time to "award" the Spoon as well. But the question remains - what then? Anyone have any good ideas?
I approve of this idea. Any woodworkers on here who would care to donate their precious time and skills?
The purpose of relegation is not to humiliate or embarrass losing teams. Awarding the worst team a wooden spoon would serve no purpose except to make losers feel worse. Why not just pee on them as they go into the locker room?
That's exactly the point. No need to embarrass teams in pro/rel leagues when they are about to: 1. Take a paycut most likely 2. Potentially lose their jobs However, that doesn't happen in MLS since we don't have pro/rel and instead of making teams feel better about not carrying their weight by giving them juice boxes and orange slices, we should have SOMETHING to let them know they suck. The wooden spoon is totally appropriate, don't be a tightwad.
I have thought of a way that could be a punishment for the club that finishes last and rewards clubs that keep fighting til the end of the season even with no playoff hopes in sight. Currently the team that finishes last gets the first pick in the draft and it goes in order from there (before draft trades between clubs and what not). My idea is that the first spot in the draft should go to the club who finishes with the most points but doesnt make the playoffs, then follows in order behind that club through the rest of the teams left out of the playoffs. Once getting through these clubs, the playoff team that was the first to be knocked out of the playoffs is next in line for the draft and this continues til the MLS Cup champ. This idea definitely worked better with a balanced schedule and if it was simply the top 10 clubs regardless of conference that made the playoffs so may not really matter until we hopefully someday see the league run this way. It would make the teams at the very bottom of the league at least attempt to keep fighting til the end of the season to up their draft position unlike the current status where the lower you finish the better your draft. Its just an idea but I think it would at least provide a bit of motivation to keep fighting hard and would end the practice of basically rewarding the worst team in the league with the best draft pick.
We need something. How about a gianormous banner TIFO that follows the team around for the whole season. The various SGs around the league would need to coordinate and it would be a total logistical hassle. But it would be awesome.
Should be warded to that teams rivals, just to make sure it gets the prominent display/attention it deserves.
I would love this. One way to do it would be to have a small storage space for it in the home city of whatever team won the wooden spoon for that year. Then as each visiting fan contingent arrived, they would just get it out of storage, display in the shitty team's own stadium, take it down and put it back into storage for the next week's visiting fans. It would be incredibly annoying to have that thing displayed in your own stadium, and embarrassing for fans and players alike. Rinse and repeat and no transportation of the Tifo required.
Um, correct? I am not one to necessarily pile on, but to be the worst in MLS is really saying something. They should be called out for their suckitude.
Not really? I mean, some team has to be the worst. I support something like this. Sure, at least the away fans should bring banners to the reigning spoonies.
I can't tell if you guys are being serious or not. There's already enough incentive to not be a losing team. The wooden spoon is a half-baked solution to a non-existent problem.
Didn't say it was necessarily a problem. I just think it would be fun to implement. There's a certain symmetry when the supporters award a Supporter's Shield, that is all to also recognize the team at the other end of the spectrum. This is just another way for supporters groups of other teams to have some fun at the expense of another team. And taunting the worst in the league is something I think all supporters groups (except, of course, for the team who "wins" it) can get behind.
Perhaps I put too much emphasis on that. Sure, someone has to be worst, but in this league where they strive for parity, you really have to work hard to be at the bottom.
Just buy an oversized wall-decoration type spoon, it would probably be relatively cheap... something like this: http://www.thewinfieldcollection.com/product/Giant_3-D_Fork_and_Spoon_Wood_Pattern/Wall_Decor and "engrave" the name of the last place team each year with a Sharpie Marker.... let it look like shit. Keep the joke award as much of a joke as possible.
Absolutely agree. I was thinking of getting a huge ugly trophy base from eBay- like this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-VINTAG...097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6cc8a631 and putting a giant spoon, or half of it, sticking straight up. It couldbe crusty with food as well! But the question remains - how is it presented and who holds on to it? There is potential in having the teams closest rival hang on to it, but anyone have other ideas?
It should probably be named after somebody who actually won it... With NE Clavijo finished 2nd, 3rd, and 1st in the East. With Colorado he finished 3rd, 4th, 4th, and 4th in the West (with Gary Smith finishing that final season in charge).
A collection of previous threads on Wooden Spoon over the years. (Feel free to add on if there are more...) Time to predict the likely winners / runners-up for 2013? Based on Standings after Week #2, it could be: Winners: Chicago? Runners-up: Colorado?