Worst sports team cities.

[P2K]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

My point in regards to that is you can't expect MLS to be in that top tier after only 14 years. The jury's still out on whether it'll ever get there (I think it will), but it's popular enough in America to be considered when you talk about sports cities. For example, the Sons of Ben, Philadelphia Union's supporters group, formed a year before MLS even announced a team was going to be placed there.

For a league that young to be A) already having teams that turn a profit and B) drawing over 30,000 for league games and nearly 70,000 for friendlies, they definitely deserve to be put into this discussion. I think people just need to leave their bias against soccer out of it, because they're clearly involved.

The MLS being young has nothing to do with it. It could in its 50th year. This country is not going to care enough about soccer because the United States does not house THE best soccer league on the planet.

NBA - best in the world want to be in it
NFL - best in the world want to be in it
MLB - best in the world want to be in it
NHL - best in the world want to be in it (even with the KHL)

MLS - not so much

Not even average players want to be in the MLS. And may never. Why? Because this country doesn't have good enough national talent to make it a strong league. Our big time athletes don't dream to be superstar soccer players like in most of the world.

The club tournament among all the Americas in blah at best. No UEFA Champions League hype to it. That somewhat goes for South America, too. But they soccer so much AND produce so much talent, it offsets everything. Europe salivates for their talent.

I have nothing against the MLS, but until this country has soccer cracks into the top three sports here (which will be never), the MLS will be nothing more than a novelty act. Where old, past their prime former superstars MAYBE entertain to come play over here.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

The MLS being young has nothing to do with it. It could in its 50th year. This country is not going to care enough about soccer because the United States does not house THE best soccer league on the planet.

NBA - best in the world want to be in it
NFL - best in the world want to be in it
MLB - best in the world want to be in it
NHL - best in the world want to be in it (even with the KHL)

MLS - not so much

Not even average players want to be in the MLS. And may never. Why? Because this country doesn't have good enough national talent to make it a strong league. Our big time athletes don't dream to be superstar soccer players like in most of the world.

The club tournament among all the Americas in blah at best. No UEFA Champions League hype to it. That somewhat goes for South America, too. But they soccer so much AND produce so much talent, it offsets everything. Europe salivates for their talent.

I have nothing against the MLS, but until this country has soccer cracks into the top three sports here (which will be never), the MLS will be nothing more than a novelty act. Where old, past their prime former superstars MAYBE entertain to come play over here.

I see much more potential than that. The Cosmos proved that they could assemble a team with stars in their prime (Beckenbauer and Chinaglia with an older Pele), and once the MLS gets rid of the single entity structure and teams can build themselves as they please, I think you'll start seeing star players come over. I don't think this will happen for another 10+ years, but there's too much potential for it not to.

[P2K]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

I see much more potential than that. The Cosmos proved that they could assemble a team with stars in their prime (Beckenbauer and Chinaglia with an older Pele), and once the MLS gets rid of the single entity structure and teams can build themselves as they please, I think you'll start seeing star players come over. I don't think this will happen for another 10+ years, but there's too much potential for it not to.

Yeah sure.

And how long did that era go for the NASL?

You're dreaming big about something that should stay as it is. The big club leagues are built at the foundation with a strong national player base. That's not happening here.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

Yeah sure.

And how long did that era go for the NASL?

You're dreaming big about something that should stay as it is. The big club leagues are built at the foundation with a strong national player base. That's not happening here yet.

Fixed.

The NASL ran themselves into the ground. The MLS actually has an intelligent business plan in place, and once all the teams can turn a profit (which they are on their way of doing), they'll rid themselves of the single-entity system and let owners spend as they please. Owners spending more money = better players = better competition = more interest = better youth academies = a better national player base.

[Cebby]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

Owners spending more money = better players = better competition = more interest = better youth academies = a better national player base.

This isn't NCAA 2004.

Spending more money may improve the player quality to a point, However, it won't ever be comparable to the money offered for the top players especially when endorsements are factored in. I'd compare it to the Euroleague in basketball.

Sure the players are improved in Europe from 20 years ago, but the vast majority of the league falls into 3 categories: A select few very good players who will be in the NBA in 2 years, a few good NBA bench caliber players, and a whole lot of players not good enough to play in the NBA.

Further, having a season that ends during NFL, NCAA football, and MLB playoffs will never amount to much popularity.

[P2K]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

Fixed.

The NASL ran themselves into the ground. The MLS actually has an intelligent business plan in place, and once all the teams can turn a profit (which they are on their way of doing), they'll rid themselves of the single-entity system and let owners spend as they please. Owners spending more money = better players = better competition = more interest = better youth academies = a better national player base.

THE COUNTRY HAS TO CARE FIRST.

We have four major spor.....



You know what? I cave.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

THE COUNTRY HAS TO CARE FIRST.

We have four major spor.....



You know what? I cave.

Like I said, look at attendance figures of teams like the Sounders and Cosmos, and the fact that the team in your own city had a supporters club before it even existed. The Sounders, LA Galaxy, and Toronto FC all drew over 20,000 a game and Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake were both close. That's great for a 14 year old league that supposedly nobody cares about. People care.

[Cebby]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

Like I said, look at attendance figures of teams like the Sounders and Cosmos, and the fact that the team in your own city had a supporters club before it even existed. The Sounders, LA Galaxy, and Toronto FC all drew over 20,000 a game and Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake were both close. That's great for a 14 year old league that supposedly nobody cares about. People care.

So three teams have "good" attendance (which really wouldn't be good in the other leagues), there's no real television deals that I know of, and hell, it takes some 5-6 pages to even get to the MLS front page on ESPN.com.

[P2K]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

Like I said, look at attendance figures of teams like the Sounders and Cosmos, and the fact that the team in your own city had a supporters club before it even existed. The Sounders, LA Galaxy, and Toronto FC all drew over 20,000 a game and Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake were both close. That's great for a 14 year old league that supposedly nobody cares about. People care.

The people here already despise that stadium in Chester being built and there is absolutely NO buzz about the Union, whatsoever. Sports radio here crack funnies at the whole idea.

I'm not saying the MLS shouldn't exist or anything. I'm glad it does exist. And I wish soccer was on par with football and so on here in the states...but seriously...not in our lifetime.

[Bruins]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

there's no real television deals that I know of

MLS has national deals with ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel, and Telefutura.

it takes some 5-6 pages to even get to the MLS front page on ESPN.com.

Wrong.

From ESPN.com:
Step one: click "Soccer" in the top bar, brings you here
Step two: click "US Soccer" in the top bar, and you're there

But sure, let's just exaggerate our points in order to try and get them across.

Personally, I would say MLS is on par with the NHL in terms of popularity. It will never overtake the MLB, NFL, or NBA, but that is a nice sport for it. There's certainly room for the sport in America.

[PVarck31]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

Sports popularity list

1 NFL
2 MLB
3 NBA
4 NHL
5 WWE
6 WNBA
7 MIL (Major Indoor Lacrosse)
8 UFL (Ultimate Frisbie League)
9 PAL ( My little cousins police athletic league team)
10 MLS

Just kidding, MLS is prob close to hockey and growing.

[Cebby]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

MLS has national deals with ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel, and Telefutura.Wrong.

I consider TV deals to be the four networks and major cable networks. If anything but the championship was carried on those, I was unaware.

Wrong.

From ESPN.com:
Step one: click "Soccer" in the top bar, brings you here
Step two: click "US Soccer" in the top bar, and you're there

You have to further click to get to MLS from the US soccer page.

[superjames1992]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

Personally, I would say MLS is on par with the NHL in terms of popularity. It will never overtake the MLB, NFL, or NBA, but that is a nice sport for it. There's certainly room for the sport in America.

I don't know about that. The MLS is growing, but I'd say it's the sixth most popular sport in America at this point.

1. NFL
2. MLB
3. NBA
4. NHL
5. NASCAR
6. MLS

It's going to be hard for the MLS to grow too much, though, unless they start retaining the top talent. As of right now, they kind of seem like what the Euroleague is for the NBA.

I consider TV deals to be the four networks and major cable networks. If anything but the championship was carried on those, I was unaware.



You have to further click to get to MLS from the US soccer page.

I think ESPN does some regular season MLS soccer games on Saturday mornings.

[Bruins]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

I consider TV deals to be the four networks and major cable networks. If anything but the championship was carried on those, I was unaware.

http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/schedule/2009/national_tv.jsp

You have to further click to get to MLS from the US soccer page.

But you don't need to, considering MLS articles/stories show up on the US Soccer page.

I think ESPN does some regular season MLS soccer games on Saturday mornings.

That's not MLS. That's the English Premier League and Spanish La Liga. MLS is currently in their offseason.

[Unmasked]

Re: Worst sports team cities.

I live about an hour away from Oakland, so I'd have to say they're the worst sports city, but you'd never know it from the way people talk about their sport's teams.