Ramblings of a Soccer Junky
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
What's most important?
The other day I asked...
Urban goes on to ask...
I've been saying it for going on 12 years now, until the league and the teams focus on putting the best possible team on the pitch that has a sole focus on winning championships both domestically (MLS Cup, Open Cup and maybe Supporters Shield) and internationally (I'm still waiting for an MLS side to knock a Mexican side out of the Champions Cup) they aren't providing the fans with the best possible product. Give the fans of each MLS town something to be proud of and to want to support rather than providing two hours of entertainment and hoping they'll come back.
On a related note, I've said for some time that I don't care when the season is played, as long as no matches conflict with International Dates--AKA MLS matches where the big name stars won't be present. Brucio over at the always great du Nord has what I think is an interesting idea. Move the season up a few weeks. There's a lot of positives to this idea. MLS teams playing in the Champions Cup will be better prepared. The season would end before the North American Championship of Baseball (not to be confused with the famous "World Series") Also, any team sharing their stadium with a football team won't have as many date conflicts. It's not like all the teams haven't been in LA or Texas or Florida or something the last few weeks. Open the season at southern locations for a few weeks before teams in the cooler climates have their openers. But I'm sure there's some explanation why this wouldn't work.
OK, enough rant. We all know the most important thing is financial survival (profit?) for the teams/league etc. But I'm still entitled to my opinion.
Good luck to Houston and DC tonight.
I've waited over 11 years so far, how much longer will I need to wait until winning the MLS Cup is more important than making money?It's nice to see I'm not the only person asking that question...
Apparently, protecting the integrity of the MLS regular season is beneath the notice of decision makers at AEG and the league office. Unbalancing the league schedule of one of its clubs, the putative "Jewel of MLS", in fact, appears to be a small price to pay to secure a couple of ticket-window windfalls. One can only wonder whether the possibility of a split-season schedule was ever seriously considered in the league office, because the Galaxy's schedule would fit almost perfectly into such a format: league, Open Cup, and CONCACAF Cup matches in April-June, July off, then league matches from August until November. Thirteen teams, 12 matches per season, home and away, less fixture congestion, MLS Cup at the end of November between the two champions of each split-season, or playoffs, if you must, between the top four sides.
Urban goes on to ask...
Should the Galaxy fail to make the playoffs, will the blame be laid at coach Frank Yallop's feet? Will Alexi Lalas be the fall guy for galactic failure?
Or will blame be properly laid at the door of those who placed commercial interests ahead of more mundane considerations like a fair and balanced league schedule?
Great question. LA fans should be demanding more. I thought something was up when the schedule finally came out and every MLS side was going to have a chance to see Beckham. It mean that roughly 2/3rds of their road games would be played in the second half of the season.
I've been saying it for going on 12 years now, until the league and the teams focus on putting the best possible team on the pitch that has a sole focus on winning championships both domestically (MLS Cup, Open Cup and maybe Supporters Shield) and internationally (I'm still waiting for an MLS side to knock a Mexican side out of the Champions Cup) they aren't providing the fans with the best possible product. Give the fans of each MLS town something to be proud of and to want to support rather than providing two hours of entertainment and hoping they'll come back.
On a related note, I've said for some time that I don't care when the season is played, as long as no matches conflict with International Dates--AKA MLS matches where the big name stars won't be present. Brucio over at the always great du Nord has what I think is an interesting idea. Move the season up a few weeks. There's a lot of positives to this idea. MLS teams playing in the Champions Cup will be better prepared. The season would end before the North American Championship of Baseball (not to be confused with the famous "World Series") Also, any team sharing their stadium with a football team won't have as many date conflicts. It's not like all the teams haven't been in LA or Texas or Florida or something the last few weeks. Open the season at southern locations for a few weeks before teams in the cooler climates have their openers. But I'm sure there's some explanation why this wouldn't work.
OK, enough rant. We all know the most important thing is financial survival (profit?) for the teams/league etc. But I'm still entitled to my opinion.
Good luck to Houston and DC tonight.
Labels: Champions Cup, LA Galaxy, Marketing, MLS Cup, Open Cup, World Series of Soccer
¶ 6:07 PM 2 Comments
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Enough with the use of this World Series name
Can't anyone think of anything original? C'mon now, the World Series of Soccer? How pathetic is that? Ok, so it's a nice little money spinner in the middle of the season to coincide with the arrival of the Spiced One (well, if Gretzky is the Great One...)
What really gets me about this whole thing is that in the rest of the world, do you think teams would make a commitment like this in the middle of the season? Six years ago, I had my flight book, hotel reserved and match tickets bought for a friendly Ipswich was going to play in Charleston against the Battery. Ya see, Ipswich had a two week break towards the end of the season (International Weekend or something) so Sheepshanks and Burley decided to take the team on a quick break to South Carolina and include the match. However, as the dates of the trip grew close, the decision was made to cancel the trip. Of course, fans like me were out the airfare, but Town players didn't risk the chance of needless injury right before the end-of-season run-in. Sure, I was disappointed but what was more important? Playing a meaningless match or qualifying for Europe. (Ipswich did qualify for the UEFA Cup and even managed a 1-0 vs Milan at Portman Road before getting stuffed at the San Siro)
So, back to my original point, I've waited over 11 years so far, how much longer will I need to wait until winning the MLS Cup is more important than making money?
What really gets me about this whole thing is that in the rest of the world, do you think teams would make a commitment like this in the middle of the season? Six years ago, I had my flight book, hotel reserved and match tickets bought for a friendly Ipswich was going to play in Charleston against the Battery. Ya see, Ipswich had a two week break towards the end of the season (International Weekend or something) so Sheepshanks and Burley decided to take the team on a quick break to South Carolina and include the match. However, as the dates of the trip grew close, the decision was made to cancel the trip. Of course, fans like me were out the airfare, but Town players didn't risk the chance of needless injury right before the end-of-season run-in. Sure, I was disappointed but what was more important? Playing a meaningless match or qualifying for Europe. (Ipswich did qualify for the UEFA Cup and even managed a 1-0 vs Milan at Portman Road before getting stuffed at the San Siro)
So, back to my original point, I've waited over 11 years so far, how much longer will I need to wait until winning the MLS Cup is more important than making money?
Labels: Chelsea, David Beckham, LA Galaxy, World Series of Soccer
¶ 9:43 AM 0 Comments
