To the the dozens of soccer fans who will read this post, we have arrived... at least for the next 6 months.
I have no shame in singing this sports' praises, usually at the price of endless ridicule from my closest friends. The sport I love so dearly has long been viewed in this country as the bastard child of the Olympics... worth paying attention to every four years at the World Cup.
Now, however, it's our time in spot light. By hook or by crook, we managed to bring the most marketable and recognizable sports figure in the world to Major League Soccer.
For the next few months his addition will bring this league to the world stage. Americans as an audience are always (how about that for alliteration) looking for the next "in" thing. (Unless of course you're watching ESPN's "Who's Now" in which case the only thing you're looking for is the remote). At this moment in time, there is nothing bigger in LA than Beckham. While this moment of marketable glory is still upon the league, there are certain measures the league should take to make the most of this opportunity...
1. Embrace the designated player rule.... to an extent.
The reason the NASL faltered so long ago was that owners were spending money as if they were the NFL.... only without the stability and revenue that the other leagues possess. If you look at the success of Juan Pablo Angel and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, it is obvious that these players bring a higher skill level than the standard MLS player. Find more of these guys... but without breaking the bank.
2. Expand the league.... just not to New York
I don't care how big of a media market NYC is. Nor do I care how much money Red Bull is pouring into this franchise, the fact remains that they have some of the worst fan support of any team in the MLS. Word has come out that MLS will be returning to San Jose which should make everyone involved with the league excited. The Earthquakes always drew a large crowd and had a very loyal following, it's good to have them back. The next three logical destinations should be...
I have no shame in singing this sports' praises, usually at the price of endless ridicule from my closest friends. The sport I love so dearly has long been viewed in this country as the bastard child of the Olympics... worth paying attention to every four years at the World Cup.
Now, however, it's our time in spot light. By hook or by crook, we managed to bring the most marketable and recognizable sports figure in the world to Major League Soccer.
For the next few months his addition will bring this league to the world stage. Americans as an audience are always (how about that for alliteration) looking for the next "in" thing. (Unless of course you're watching ESPN's "Who's Now" in which case the only thing you're looking for is the remote). At this moment in time, there is nothing bigger in LA than Beckham. While this moment of marketable glory is still upon the league, there are certain measures the league should take to make the most of this opportunity...
1. Embrace the designated player rule.... to an extent.
The reason the NASL faltered so long ago was that owners were spending money as if they were the NFL.... only without the stability and revenue that the other leagues possess. If you look at the success of Juan Pablo Angel and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, it is obvious that these players bring a higher skill level than the standard MLS player. Find more of these guys... but without breaking the bank.
2. Expand the league.... just not to New York
I don't care how big of a media market NYC is. Nor do I care how much money Red Bull is pouring into this franchise, the fact remains that they have some of the worst fan support of any team in the MLS. Word has come out that MLS will be returning to San Jose which should make everyone involved with the league excited. The Earthquakes always drew a large crowd and had a very loyal following, it's good to have them back. The next three logical destinations should be...
- A.) Portland/Seattle - Seattle had a sell-out crowd for the Real Madrid vs. DC United match last year.
- B.) Canada - No team has enjoyed a greater fan base so far this year than Toronto. While DC United can still claim to have the most loyal and devoted fans of any MLS team (The Barra Brava should be recognized as the best supporter group in the league http://www.barra-brava.com), Toronto has shown that they are in the upper echelon. That being said, another team in America Jr. could produce a great rivalry and pull in some of the hockey fans during the off-season.
- C.) Philly - They allready have the supporter groups in place http://www.sonsofben.net/Home/Home.html ... now they just nead a team.
That is all for now. But in the words of my esteemed colleague A-Funk: "slappywag is the hootenanny"
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