Considering the season starts in the beginning of April, now is the time for more that a 'first game of the season' pop-up. They should be doing: Team capsules. New player bios. Stories about players poised to have breakout year bios. Interactive advertising - like having a box where you can put your zip code, and then it would tell you the nearest MLS team, when that team's games (or other MLS games) are on TV, and give you a link to their website. New stories and items everyday. I don't the page has changed in the last three days, and this is the prime advertising time. A major media blitz that advertizies mlsnet.com on sites like Yahoo (like they've done in the past). I know a lot of these items are on mlsnet.com and on other pages, but that's because I've used these pages a lot. The page needs to be redesigned so that first-timers can find what they're looking for and find other things they weren't looking for that look intruiging and keep them at the site longer. Basically, it needs more stories, more interactive items, and needs to be formatted for the non-converted. What else would be good? What are your thoughts?
There's only 10 teams in the country. Try putting in a Seattle zip code in there and you'll probably come up with San Jose. But you're right, they should really re-vamp the site. It's a fine resource for BS Posters, but I doubt any new MLS "customers" (which is what they're trying to attract) would find the site useful. How about a section for newbies to the sport? This weeks article, "Direct and Indirect Free Kicks" or "Offside Rules Explained".., something like that.
Exactly. If ESPN isn't going to do it, MLS needs to do it themselves. The first game is less than two weeks away!
Re: Re: What's with mlsnet.com? this annoys the hell out of me for the love of god, espn has JACK to do with mls... mls buys the air time from them and airs mls on their own it's not an espn production, it's nothing... it's simply shown on their channel... mls gets all the revenue from the commercials so espn has absolutely no reason to promote this league...
Re: Re: Re: What's with mlsnet.com? Woah there, you're missing the point. I said that if no other media outlets are going to do a season preview, MLS should do one themselves. MLB.com doesn't need to worry about something like this. MLSnet should. I didn't say ESPN was at fault AT ALL. I wasn't complaining over ESPN's lack of coverage. I just as well could have written CNNSI.com. Jumping the gun a little quickly there.
Completely agreed, those weaksauce fools over at the HQ are either: a) They are going to suprise us, with a new site efore the season starts. very unlikely b)Really too stupid to know how too pump up there own league. I was always told to lead by example and by the look of it MLS HQ are pretty weak. I suggest we take over MLS, who with me?
Re: Re: Re: Re: What's with mlsnet.com? read much? media outlets are doing season previews... check current and past daily news threads for evidence of this and i know that Bradley, Palace, Connolly and Wahl have been previewing the upcoming season for some time as well it's not as if everywhere has been devoid of covering the preseason... you just haven't seen anything labled "MLS Season Preview" and assumed it hasn't been done
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What's with mlsnet.com? Fine, you're right. Off topic, but right. Yes, there have been plenty of offseason articles by the four you mentioned. In fact, I've written to all of them commending their work. You know what, though? Hardcore soccer fans are going to read everything. It's the people passing by whose attention needs capturing. What I consider a proper season preview is a full blown feature that commands your attention. For example, when the old FourFourTwo cover said "THE SEASON STARTS HERE", you know something big is going on. On top of everything, this thread is about MLSnet. Show me their season preview. As of this writing, it isn't up there. CNNSI.com focuses on the US v. Venezuela. Boston.com has a feature on the U-20 qualifier situation. Yes, I have been reading around, and no, I haven't seen a full out season preview yet. So this thread doesn't go totally off topic, I'd like to see MLSnet follow the ESPN build up for a season preview. List out the topics for the entire week, but only release the links of certain features on a designated day. Preview the West one day, the East another. Save a bio on someone like McBride until later in the week so people have a reason to return to the site. Make sure to have the MLS writer troika contribute some in-depth articles about different aspects of the new season (new Galaxy home, US World Cup vets returning home, emerging stars, etc.), and I think this would be a solid intro to the season.
The sad part is that MLS has always been slow with stories, updates, or anything that is really useful or worthwhile. 9 times out of 10, I've found out the latest MLS or team news from either the team site, BS, or some other source...one would think that the league would be the first to break their own stories. As for the site itself, yes, they do need to relaunch it and make it a little more exciting and accessible for continuing as well as new fans... Peace..
Re: Re: What's with mlsnet.com? I don't think an articlce could help to explain offsides. That is something you need to see over and over before you understand it. I like the idea of a into to the rules page. MLSnet.com is a useful website if you know where and how to look. If not, it can be harder to use that the loc.gov website, or filling out your 1040 returns.
MLSnet.com is the ugliest and most boring site i been to. They terrible, from design,updates,graphics etc.
um...i'd have to go with NE's website. MLS might come in at a close second. wait then again, there's the burn's (which should go ahead and be replaced by 3rd degree). but yeah, but the the MLS website is pretty bad considering it's the LEAGUE's website. but i think that MLS might delegate those responsibilities to each supporter's website, which in most case do quite well - DC, Chicago, Columbus, and NY come to mind.