Why can't MLS attract more ex-players of the game as fans?

Because it's well known that most American soccer fans of the Burn, such as yourself, never get laid?


Seriously, what a stupid question to ask..

 

Fandom is a learned behavior--not learned by playing.

Despite the high-brow answer from the unique avatar, it's not a bad question.

The NFL hired a university to do research about what built fans. What they found was that playing a sport doesn't turn someone into a watcher of that sport. Becoming a fan, they found, seems to be something that is learned.

There were three factors they discovered. One was having male adults (fathers, grandfathers) taking pre-teen children to games. Another was a strong identification on the part of the community with the team--that the team was seen as representative of the community. The third was that on the team were players with whom the fans could identify, and in the case of the young fans, look up to.

That seems to fit with what I've experienced (probably why I accept the findings). I like baseball because my grandfather used to take me to see the Salt Lake City Bees summer after summer. I can't say the community thing was operating, and the heros came later with another team. All four of my kids played. Two still do. Two like to watch soccer. Two don't. One of those still playing is a strong United fan. The other is bored watching the game. The only factor that seems to explain which are the fans and which aren't is that it's the two younger ones who I took to United games who are the fans. When the two older ones were at that pre-teen age there was no United to take them to. So they never watched soccer from the fan point of view.

Oh, and my playing sport was basketball. It bores the hell out of me to watch it. I only get interested when my college team is playing. And, you may ask, if I learned to be a baseball fan and played basketball, not soccer, then how did I become a soccer fan? By watching my kids for years and years. And remember that during the glory years for United there was a strong community identification (DC's only championship team) and we had heros.

If this NFL study is accurate, then building the fan base will be slow and difficult for MLS. How many of today's fans are of the age that they have pre-teen children who they are taking to games? That will grow, but my guess is that the average age of the core fan group is just entering into marriage or hasn't been in it long enough to have older children.

I doubt any team (maybe Columbus is an exception because they are the major--only?--pro team in the area) in the MLS has that community identification yet. Our teams are still an afterthought in most communities, if thought of much at all.

And the effects of the salary cap on keeping star players long enough to have them take on the role of community hero is to make that almost impossible.

Anyway, a long answer to your question based on an NFL study. May be correct, or it may not.

 

Re: Fandom is a learned behavior--not learned by playing.

In my opinion this is a key point. Where as in American Football, baseball and the rest, the local media, national sports media, etc., they spend a lot of time highlighting the individuals on the teams on a personal level which builds interests in the individuals that make up the teams, it is very lacking with MLS. It is key in building a fan base as they must be able to identify with the players on a personal level.
If an NBA star so much as buys a new house, has a new baby or even a hang nail, there is a story, at least on the local level.
Series like "Beyond the Glory" have totally missed soccer with the exception of the US Women's national team, which is a good example of a show giving personalities to the players.

 

Re: Fandom is a learned behavior--not learned by playing.

MLS best focus all of its time and attention on No. 3. That is how NASCAR rose through the ranks. Get people to identify the players and from there it will grow. It may sound crazy, but the MLS needs more heroes and villans. It has few of each.

 

For those of you too young to know, the NFL wasn't exactly fan prosperous even into the early 60's! As a kid I still remember watching the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers during pre-season in our hometown stadium ( capacity 10,000). They used to barnstorm the cities around the midwest during preseason trying to build fan support.

Now of course they fill their regular stadiums, playing the second and third string players for most of the game, bringing in mega bucks in the pre-season.

Soccer has done the same thing on the NAT level, playing in cities around the nation that are not traditional soccer areas. ( long term like St. Louis, chicago, New England cities etc). Maybe the MLS should take a book from this page and visit some of the smaller cities and towns to drum up more support.

There is nothing like seeing a game in person.

 

I can't say I agree....

I play pickup indoor with a bunch of old guys and most are fans of the Rapids. I guess you couldn't classify us as ex-players, because while we range in age from 30 to 70, we never quit. Quite a few of us have season tickets. And I would expect that a majority of people at the games have played at one time or another. At least, that's my opinion from talking to people I've met in the stands. And as for being introduced to attending a game at a young age, who can miss the dozens if youth teams (in uniform) who show up for games? I think building a soccer fanbase cannot be directly compared to the NFL, NBA or other sports. It's an international sport gaining favor in the US. The OP is making an invalid assumptions and asking the wrong question. However, that's no reason to question his sex life.

 

Re: I can't say I agree....

[This is post #100 for me, so I'd better make it a good one.]

I suppose a survey would have to be taken. I can't say that I've talked to a whole lot of people at the games I've attended. But I can talk about those who I've invited to games--both those who have come and those who didn't.

A lot of the former players who don't come to games often do so based on snobbishness. They watch whatever league they can which plays in Europe. They say they don't come watch the domestic game because the quality isn't there. Most of these guys have never been to a game. Some of these guys have been to one or two.

For immigrants, and even first and second generation American-borns, there is still a lot of allegience to the mother country's clubs. Sure they play and/or played. But they can follow their home club easily enough on TV and with family over the phone. When they go "home" they can see a game with the same friends they used to.

Also, the atmosphere at a game here is a lot different. Many immigrants who I've met have families. Wherever they're from, games were not a place you took your family. Male children, maybe, but not females of any age. They translate that to here, and don't understand how I could suggest that they put their wives and children at that risk. Some that I know have taken the risk, but did so for a game involving a team from the mother country. What ended up happening was that the atmosphere ended up like at home, so they got scared away.

Another commonality I've found among former players is that there is no habit of doing so (like the NFL finding of the learned behaviour). They didn't grow up going to watch games, they only played them. Changing inertia by actually going to a game is a lot of work which, if life is fine, isn't worth it to a lot of people. I was lucky. I grew up going to baseball games at Candlestick, the Oakland Coliseum, and Wrigley. I try to make it to as many of the Fire's day games as possible because that is the time I always went to games as a kid (remember, Wrigley didn't used to have lights). It was always a two hour drive just to get to the city, we never stayed overnight, so my parents wanted to get home before morning. Learned behaviour.

I was surprised to find out my old soccer coach had never been to an Earthquakes/MLS Clash game. Found out it was because he had invested so much time, emotion, and effort into the NASL, he couldn't bring himself to risk getting burned again. I think that's self-fulfilling logic, but it's not my money or heart.

Finally, I think it's a matter of priorities. A lot of players enjoy being outdoors and the cameraderie and competition of playing on a team. That absolutely does not translate to sitting down watching strangers play the game. They're doers, not watchers. That's why I never went in Colorado--I was too busy climbing mountains to waste a beautiful Saturday fighting traffic and sitting around watching guys run around on a field. No one I knew was doing it, so there wasn't any pressure for me to either.

MLS is battling a lot of different reason why people don't go to games. It hooked me, though. By providing low cost entertainment, it was one of the few events I could afford to do when I moved to Chicago. Tickets were only $10. Everything here costs so much money, we thought it was great. And my wife had a good time, too. The Flex plan works out great, because we can go when we want, with whoever we want. I never liked baseball season ticket plans because you were locked into games, and if you couldn't go you were out those tickets. Finally, the Fire have a meet the team social every year. Being able to chat and play games with some of the players put personality into the team, and made me root harder for them. Yeah, MLS is up against a lot, but it hooked me.

 

From my view, what makes a fan is how you are raised. For example, in Chicago, the number one and most important team is the Bears (despite what any Cub fan says). My father's and most of my uncle's number one team is the Bears. In the 80s, they were also one of the elite teams in the NFL (yes, had to believe, I know). With all those elements, it makes the Bears my number one team.

As for soccer, the average parent doesn't know a damn thing about soccer. I'm a soccer ref, and that's what I find most amusing about it. Granted, its much better than it was when I was a kid (i'm 25), but it's still pretty bad. So, since its a good chance father is not a soccer fan, he's not going to get your kid into it. Even if he plays, the father may not get into the pro team. My father was the only parent that played soccer growing up. He's a second generation American. It was rare for a non-foreigner father at that time to be into soccer. It was his favorite sport. So, pretty much if the player is into it, he will catch on. However, the MLS is so unknown in general, very few people eventhough the Fire exist. There is more to a fanbase than just a good team. Marketing always helps.

 

NFL Study

The NFL study mentioned above gives me hope, especially the part where pre-teen children form their viewing habits for sports.

I took my brother-in-law and his two boys, aged 5 and 8 to the DC United home opener. I also took a friend of mine and his 12 year old daughter. My 12 year old son was with me, as usual.

We missed the kick off waiting in an unreasonably long line for bad food and bad drink. The game was a horrible, ugly, pathetic, 0-0 draw. If United management had any respect for their fans, they would have refunded our money for that awful display.

BUT, the kids loved it. My sister told me that her two boys considered it the highlight of their trip to Northern Virginia and wanted to go again when they returned. Both of my nephews left the game loaded down with DC United foam fingers, hats and tee shirts.

My friend's daughter asked several times on the trip home when we would go to another game.

My friend and my brother-in-law made bad jokes about "pass interference" and "field goals" during the game. These two were obviously beyond hope.

Forget the parents, take the kids to a game.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think DC United is doing anything this year that will help bring more fans to the game. They are pretty wretched and any newbie who shows up for one of their games is not likely to go away begging for more.

 

I think the reason is what some might call being a snob. I wouldn't call them snobs though. That's like calling a ex-Yugoslavian basketball player a snob for following the NBA rather than attending domestic league matches.

A more experienced soccer fan - with playing experienece and years dedicated to the sport - wants to watch the highest quality. He does not want to think that he could be out there doing better. It is that same frustration when looking at some modern art. Obviously if you could and did do it, you'd be the one out there. But the thought is still there and it distracts from the enjoyment of the game.

Players have also acquired a certain knowledge that makes them not want to waste time seeing a lower level game. And that's what the MLS is right now.

It is hard for an ex-player to go to a stadium and watch guys they've played against before - and maybe were not overly impressed with even when they were on the same field. As the MLS improves, I think this will change.

I think every American soccer fan supports the MLS, wants it to improve, and follows it at some level. Yet taking the time to go watch these guys is another matter.

Only the improvement of the league - which is happening - will remedy this problem.

 

Re: Fandom is a learned behavior--not learned by playing.

Good post Seahawkdad. I've always wanted to go see the games at RFK, no matter who was playing. When you posted this, it reminded me of my first game. I was about 5, and we had an exchange student from Kuwait staying with us. He had some friends playing a game at a local college, so my parents took me and my brother to the game. After that game, I always wanted to go see more soccer games. Later, we went to a few Baltimore Bays games (including the two against the Santos.) Then we went to all the Dips games.

When I was on my own, I never would miss a game at RFK. I even had Washington Stars season tickets (at Woodson High School.) My experience fits in with the analysis you quoted. I wonder if that is what MLS's long term strategy is all about. If so, it explains their effort at the 'family friendly' atmosphere they are always trying to encourage.