Liverpool FC Forum

by **Big Niall** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:08 pm

I went to a baseball game in america before and there was no athmosphere. the problem with american sports is that the country is so big that away fans can't travel to support their team.

The country should be split up into regions (maybe quarter ) to get a more "local feel" and have a few derbys, e.g. Boston Vs New York . The winners of the conferences could then play in semis.

I don't think it will take off over there as they have their own sports.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 1:53 pm

JoeTerp wrote:
RUSHIE#9 wrote:TBH I really can't ever see 'soccer' taking off over there to the extent of what it is elsewhere in the world as the americans are much more interested in their own sports like baseball, basketball and American Rugby Football sorry .

History certianly points to that, but I think that there is a change that has occured within the younger generation that is MUCH more "globally aware." "soccer" is the most participated in sport in this country, and within 20 or so odd years I think there will be a much higher demand for the quality of proffesional play in the country to improve drastically.

I think soccer has a chance at breaking the mold of the traditional American sports system of no promotion and only thrity teams divided into conferences, with playoffs, salary caps, player drafts, and doing everything to see that the the odds before the season starts for each team are exactly the same. None of the leagues want to expand past 30 or go to any city that is not in a huge tv market, and as such there are many people who simply cannot go to games (without it being a HUGE hassel) because they do not live close enough to one of the big cities. This is great place to capitalize on a niche market. Small cities like Birmingham, Tulsa, Boise, and Richmond all do not have professional teams, but would be easily capable of supporting a League one or even championship level team once soccer's popularity blossomes.

In the current system, even with conferences each team has to travel to every other city, they just play more games against the "local" sides. It is my dream that when the league does expand it evolves into a single table with multiple 2nd divisions and some day 3rd divisions. The other posibility is to split the country up into leagues of 10-12 (much like our college sports system) and play a fall "local" league, and then in the spring the top teams play in the national premiership league (which would be a new 12 team, 24 game season, and the mid table teams play in the "championship" league.

But there are two MAJOR problems that need to be solved first. One is getting the football fans that follow European teams to come out to the MLS games after watching their team on the tele, and to convince the general american SPORTS fan that football deserves their attention. The answers is a better marketing approach, more BIG NAMES at the end of their days, and better quality throughout the league (improving the standard of the average American footballer AND trying to assert itself as THE place for young talented South, and Central Americans (maybe we can even try for the Asian market too), to put themsleves in the shop window, play 1st team football, develop into a better player and use the MLS as a stepping stone to Europe.

This might be outlandish expectations but given 30 years and enough will power and MONEY, and we can do pretty much anything.

If the authorities are to make it work over there then I agree that they need to market the sport better maybe try and pull in the crowds from the traditional american sports during their close season and like you say try and bring in one or two more world superstars.

The one danger I do see is that the league may go the same way as the last time they tried to establish the sport over there if they throw more and more money at players until they go broke and then all of the players just desert it.

Certainly grouping teams together in two or three conferences based on their geographical locations will help and possibly allow some rivalry to develop between teams so that the atmosphere in the grounds can be improved and maybe attract fans to go to away games instead of just going when the team is at home.

by **JoeTerp** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:04 pm

Our college system is broken down into conferences and thats where you will find the best atmosphere's in the US, but that has a lot to do with the ammount of alchohol consumed and the fact that half the crowd are between 18-22, and the rest wish they were still 18-22. Not much of an away presence at these games though, maybe a couple hundred sprinkled about, all the important teams sellout their 80,000+ stadiums as it is, and it wouldn't make sense to turn more of their fans away to allow the opponents fans in. probably would cause a lot of fights too. Unfortunately the only place to find a significant away fan atmosphere is at High School american football games

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:49 pm

I don't think relegation and promotion are cultural nuances at all, they are inherent to the professional game of football. Virtually every national footballing country employ a relegation and promotion system within their leagues. It generates competition, improves club diversity and creates revenue. If the US refuse to adopt this footballing standard the MLS will remain as mediocre as it has been for the last 30 years.

by **JoeTerp** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 5:37 pm

I agree, and I am trying to convince people that are fans of MLS that they should demand that kind of a system if you ever want the quality on the pitch to improve. Its only been around for 11 years by the way.

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