This month is shaping up to be an excellent month for me on the soccer front. MLS is (supposed to be, at least) starting up again, and that makes me happy. But it's not just that. Let's start at the beginning.
I got the new USMNT away jersey in the mail last Thursday (along with a free Jabulani mini replica ball!) and honestly, it is a good looking jersey. I know a lot of people think it looks like a ~beauty pageant sash~ or whatever, but I think it looks awesome, especially against the navy. Adding to my jersey collection is always exciting. I have quite a few, and maybe one of these days I'll go through and talk about them individually. Actually, that would be a really good post. So I'll do that eventually.
I spent a decent amount of time the last few months trying to convince my parents that we should go up to Columbus for a Crew game. Unfortunately, that didn't really pan out. But when US Soccer announced the send-off series finale against Turkey in Philadelphia on May 29th, I decided this was the game that I wanted to go to. So as soon as the game was announced, I set out to convince my parents that we should go. 11 hours in the car won't be that bad, we can extend our trip and do some sight-seeing up north since we've never been there, and most importantly, it'll be the last game before the World Cup so the atmosphere should be great. They were iffy at first, but on Saturday my mom caved and bought us all tickets. I'm a bit disappointed we won't be sitting with the American Outlaws, but we're supposedly right along the tunnel where the players come out, so that should be pretty awesome. Regardless of where I'm sitting though, I'm finally getting my first cap!
Finally, I will be going to my first "MLS" games in 10 days! I say "MLS" because it's just preseason, and only one of the games will feature two MLS teams (Toronto FC vs. Real Salt Lake, then DC United vs. Charleston Battery), but it's still just as exciting. Especially since it's the last weekend of preseason and the teams should be pretty much full strength. I can't wait.
The Crew play tonight in CONCACAF Champions League, so I have a couple extra weeks of excitement to get me pumped up for First Kick on the 25th. I'll still be home for Spring Break so I'll have people to watch the games with (my family, but it's better than nothing). Basically, March is shaping up to be exactly the kind of month it needs to be to get me back into soccer after I spent most of February obsessing over the Winter Olympics.
Showing posts with label major league soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label major league soccer. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
on being a crew fan in georgia
I guess I have to start this off by stating, for those of you who didn't know, that I'm a Columbus Crew fan. Through 2007, I just sorta casually followed MLS, watched whatever game was on, not really cheering for anyone in particular because I didn't have a team within 9 hours of me, so there really wasn't much of a reason to. At the beginning of the 2008 season, however, I decided that I was going to really get into the league and pick a team and stick with them. It was a couple of weeks into the season when I settled on Columbus- they had US National Team players I liked (Frankie Hejduk, and to some extent Robbie Rogers), they had players I knew I would like (a crafty Argentinian midfielder, a Scotsman who scored a rocket of a goal, a keeper who looked like Ricky Bobby, a goofy blonde kid who looked like a Cabbage Patch doll, to name a few), they played a nice passing game which I respected, and, just as importantly as the other reasons, they wore yellow, one of my favorite colors. So I started following the Crew, and either I'm good at picking winners or I was actually their lucky charm; regardless, the Crew won the Supporter's Shield and MLS Cup and I was a content fan. In 2009 I was still a Crew fan. They only won the Supporter's Shield this season, but at least that's something.
I'd become really attached to the team, which I suppose is a good thing, but being a fan of a team nine hours away from you can pose some problems. For one, I've never met another Crew fan. Actually, I can broaden that by saying I've never met a fan of any MLS team outside of my family, who I've pretty much forced it on, but that's a whole different story. So other than a couple people on Twitter and, if I dared, Big Soccer, I don't really have anyone to talk to about anything specifically Crew-related. (My mom will listen to me rant and ramble, but I doubt she takes most of it in.) Another downside is that I can't just decide I want to go to a game and then go. I'd have to get a plane ticket and a rental car and a hotel room and find someone to go with and as much as I'd love to go to games all the time, it's just not feasible.
I had a nice long paragraph here about not being able to find Crew merchandise, but it just sounded really whiny so I scratched it all. I only have one piece of Crew merchandise, and it's the MLS Cup Champions t-shirt. It's also a mens large, since that's all they had in stock, so I can't wear it out anywhere. I plan on getting a jersey when the new ones come out in February, but I have nothing now. Recently, however, I took up knitting, and I bought yellow and black yarn and knitted myself a Crew scarf.
It's my first project, so it's not at all perfect, the stripes are different sizes and the stitches are loose in some places, but it's something at least. Of course, everyone is going to assume it's just a Georgia Tech scarf, but they don't know any better.
I'd become really attached to the team, which I suppose is a good thing, but being a fan of a team nine hours away from you can pose some problems. For one, I've never met another Crew fan. Actually, I can broaden that by saying I've never met a fan of any MLS team outside of my family, who I've pretty much forced it on, but that's a whole different story. So other than a couple people on Twitter and, if I dared, Big Soccer, I don't really have anyone to talk to about anything specifically Crew-related. (My mom will listen to me rant and ramble, but I doubt she takes most of it in.) Another downside is that I can't just decide I want to go to a game and then go. I'd have to get a plane ticket and a rental car and a hotel room and find someone to go with and as much as I'd love to go to games all the time, it's just not feasible.
I had a nice long paragraph here about not being able to find Crew merchandise, but it just sounded really whiny so I scratched it all. I only have one piece of Crew merchandise, and it's the MLS Cup Champions t-shirt. It's also a mens large, since that's all they had in stock, so I can't wear it out anywhere. I plan on getting a jersey when the new ones come out in February, but I have nothing now. Recently, however, I took up knitting, and I bought yellow and black yarn and knitted myself a Crew scarf.
It's my first project, so it's not at all perfect, the stripes are different sizes and the stitches are loose in some places, but it's something at least. Of course, everyone is going to assume it's just a Georgia Tech scarf, but they don't know any better.
Monday, January 4, 2010
really, someone else should be writing about cold weather. but i'll take a whack at it.
One of FIFA president Sepp Blatter's favorite topics is how the MLS should switch to a European schedule, playing from August to May like the leagues there do. Obviously, Sepp Blatter has never been to the US during the winter. I've never left the southeast, so I can only speak for the rest of the country on hearsay, but it was in the 20s and teens yesterday in Atlanta, so I can imagine how cold it is in places that actually get "real winter". Which would cover 11 of the 16 MLS teams.
I've sat out at Georgia Tech football games in almost-freezing weather. It was bearable, only because we were jumping around like crazy in 6 layers of clothing. I can't imagine being out in anything colder, so props to everyone who does. Over the weekend I watched an FA Cup match where Middlesbrough hosted Manchester City. The stadium was practically empty, with temperatures in the 20s and snow falling. I'd bet that the lack of attendance had a lot more to do with the weather than fans not caring about the FA Cup.
If the MLS were to switch to the "European Schedule" as Blatter wants, the league's attendance would really suffer. I'm sure the hardcore fans would still go out to a game if it was around ten degrees outside, but the casual fans most likely wouldn't. In a world where if you aren't Seattle, your attendance is mocked, dropping attendance is the last thing anyone wants to see. From a purely personal point of view, I like that the league plays through the summer because it gives me something to watch. I feel like I have more to say, but really, all I have is that I don't like the idea of the league switching to the European schedule. Let the Europeans keep their schedule, we'll do things our own way.
I've sat out at Georgia Tech football games in almost-freezing weather. It was bearable, only because we were jumping around like crazy in 6 layers of clothing. I can't imagine being out in anything colder, so props to everyone who does. Over the weekend I watched an FA Cup match where Middlesbrough hosted Manchester City. The stadium was practically empty, with temperatures in the 20s and snow falling. I'd bet that the lack of attendance had a lot more to do with the weather than fans not caring about the FA Cup.
If the MLS were to switch to the "European Schedule" as Blatter wants, the league's attendance would really suffer. I'm sure the hardcore fans would still go out to a game if it was around ten degrees outside, but the casual fans most likely wouldn't. In a world where if you aren't Seattle, your attendance is mocked, dropping attendance is the last thing anyone wants to see. From a purely personal point of view, I like that the league plays through the summer because it gives me something to watch. I feel like I have more to say, but really, all I have is that I don't like the idea of the league switching to the European schedule. Let the Europeans keep their schedule, we'll do things our own way.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
odds and ends
On the December Jersey Count
There won't be one, unfortunately. The only jerseys I saw on campus were the USMNT jerseys I wore, and since the stats are already padded in my favor, I'm just going to not count this month. Hopefully I'll see more in January.
On my Soccer Library
My Soccer Library has now expanded from 4 to 6, thanks to some awesome Christmas presents from my family. I've already started A Massive Season by Steve Sirk, and I also got Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski. They join:
-Bloody Confused (started, didn't have time to finish thanks to school)
-The Beckham Experiment (amazing, amazing, and amazing, a must-read for any MLS fan)
-Fever Pitch (a must-read for any soccer fan-even if you don't like Arsenal)
-The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup (skimmed through, though slightly out of date now, there are good stories and facts)
If I had time to read more, I'd spend all my money on Amazon buying soccer books.
On my upcoming first MLS experience
The Carolina Challenge Cup happens to fall on the front weekend of my Spring Break, and since Charleston's so close (and $25 for a doubleheader is a price nobody could pass up), I've already got my front-row tickets. Even though none of the teams participating are teams I really support, I'm going just for the experience.
Of course, MLS First Kick 2010 falls on the back weekend of my Spring Break. I'm still trying to convince my mom that it'll be worth the trip up to Columbus (Mom, when you read this, I still want to go. :) Also, kickoff is at 4pm.) but hopefully we'll make it up there at some point this season.
There won't be one, unfortunately. The only jerseys I saw on campus were the USMNT jerseys I wore, and since the stats are already padded in my favor, I'm just going to not count this month. Hopefully I'll see more in January.
On my Soccer Library
My Soccer Library has now expanded from 4 to 6, thanks to some awesome Christmas presents from my family. I've already started A Massive Season by Steve Sirk, and I also got Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski. They join:
-Bloody Confused (started, didn't have time to finish thanks to school)
-The Beckham Experiment (amazing, amazing, and amazing, a must-read for any MLS fan)
-Fever Pitch (a must-read for any soccer fan-even if you don't like Arsenal)
-The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup (skimmed through, though slightly out of date now, there are good stories and facts)
If I had time to read more, I'd spend all my money on Amazon buying soccer books.
On my upcoming first MLS experience
The Carolina Challenge Cup happens to fall on the front weekend of my Spring Break, and since Charleston's so close (and $25 for a doubleheader is a price nobody could pass up), I've already got my front-row tickets. Even though none of the teams participating are teams I really support, I'm going just for the experience.
Of course, MLS First Kick 2010 falls on the back weekend of my Spring Break. I'm still trying to convince my mom that it'll be worth the trip up to Columbus (Mom, when you read this, I still want to go. :) Also, kickoff is at 4pm.) but hopefully we'll make it up there at some point this season.
Monday, November 30, 2009
on my european disinterest
So December is about to start, which means it's going to be a pretty boring month for me soccer-wise. Most soccer fans love December- sure, La Liga and the Bundesliga take breaks towards the end of the month, but the Premier League has a full schedule that would have any other fan mesmerized in front of the TV all day. And sure, I'll probably watch as much as I can, because I won't really have anything else to do and I love watching soccer. But I won't be nearly as into it as I would have been two years ago. For some reason, European soccer just doesn't interest me as much as it used to.
I have two schools of thought as to the reasoning behind my sudden disinterest. The first, which seems more logical, is that it's no longer convenient to watch games now that I'm at college. At home, we get Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV, and my weekends were always jam-packed with games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, and La Liga. I don't get GolTV at school, so I've almost completely fallen out with La Liga and the Bundesliga, simply because there's no way for me to watch matches besides streaming, and even with my newly acquired HDMI cable, it's a lot of work in comparison to the crappy picture quality I get from an internet stream. I still get FSC, but I always end up staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights and I can never bring myself to get up in time to watch a 10AM game. I'll occasionally put on the noon game while I'm eating lunch, but I'm always distracted by other stuff and I just can't get into it.
The other school of thought is that my newfound love (my parents call it obsession, but I beg to differ) for MLS has replaced my past love for European leagues. It is more convenient to watch- I don't really do much on Saturday nights other than maybe watch a movie with friends, so I'm not missing much if I stay in and watch a game, and midweek games are even easier. The 800k streaming on Match Center hasn't really given me problems with quality or freezing, so I don't mind taking the time to hook up my HDMI cable, although I mainly just use it for Columbus Crew games or the occasional "big game" that isn't on TV. As for games that are on TV, though, I'll generally watch whatever's on, unless I could honestly care less about both teams playing or I have an important prior engagement. I'm the rare soul who actually enjoys the commentary on FSC, with the "6 in 60" segment being a personal favorite of mine (the fact that they used my questions and sent me cool stuff has nothing to do with this, obviously). I've even started watching the Sunday Telefutura match, despite the fact that I have to put up with a crappy internet stream. They usually get a pretty good game, and the commentary gives me a chance to practice and improve on the six years of Spanish I took in middle and high school, so it's worth it.
But the fact of the matter is that I'll put up with a crappy, non-English stream to watch an MLS game, but I won't for a European game. I'll forgo hanging out with my friends to watch an MLS game, but I can't be bothered to get up early to watch a European game. It's a solid argument, and but it's not one that I want to believe. I'd like to think that I could potentially get back into watching the European leagues some day in the future when it becomes more convenient, because I really enjoyed watching them. But for now, I'll just spend my December disinterestedly watching European soccer, because why not?
I have two schools of thought as to the reasoning behind my sudden disinterest. The first, which seems more logical, is that it's no longer convenient to watch games now that I'm at college. At home, we get Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV, and my weekends were always jam-packed with games from the Premier League, Bundesliga, and La Liga. I don't get GolTV at school, so I've almost completely fallen out with La Liga and the Bundesliga, simply because there's no way for me to watch matches besides streaming, and even with my newly acquired HDMI cable, it's a lot of work in comparison to the crappy picture quality I get from an internet stream. I still get FSC, but I always end up staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights and I can never bring myself to get up in time to watch a 10AM game. I'll occasionally put on the noon game while I'm eating lunch, but I'm always distracted by other stuff and I just can't get into it.
The other school of thought is that my newfound love (my parents call it obsession, but I beg to differ) for MLS has replaced my past love for European leagues. It is more convenient to watch- I don't really do much on Saturday nights other than maybe watch a movie with friends, so I'm not missing much if I stay in and watch a game, and midweek games are even easier. The 800k streaming on Match Center hasn't really given me problems with quality or freezing, so I don't mind taking the time to hook up my HDMI cable, although I mainly just use it for Columbus Crew games or the occasional "big game" that isn't on TV. As for games that are on TV, though, I'll generally watch whatever's on, unless I could honestly care less about both teams playing or I have an important prior engagement. I'm the rare soul who actually enjoys the commentary on FSC, with the "6 in 60" segment being a personal favorite of mine (the fact that they used my questions and sent me cool stuff has nothing to do with this, obviously). I've even started watching the Sunday Telefutura match, despite the fact that I have to put up with a crappy internet stream. They usually get a pretty good game, and the commentary gives me a chance to practice and improve on the six years of Spanish I took in middle and high school, so it's worth it.
But the fact of the matter is that I'll put up with a crappy, non-English stream to watch an MLS game, but I won't for a European game. I'll forgo hanging out with my friends to watch an MLS game, but I can't be bothered to get up early to watch a European game. It's a solid argument, and but it's not one that I want to believe. I'd like to think that I could potentially get back into watching the European leagues some day in the future when it becomes more convenient, because I really enjoyed watching them. But for now, I'll just spend my December disinterestedly watching European soccer, because why not?
Friday, July 31, 2009
Converting the Eurosnobs is the key for MLS success
Eurosnobs. Every American soccer fan has met them- they belittle you for calling it "soccer", laugh about what a joke MLS is (and obviously you're a joke as well for caring about it), and proudly support one of the "Big 4" in the EPL and one of the top European national teams such as Spain, Italy, or Germany...even though they're American as well. They wouldn't dare lower themselves to watch an MLS game, yet they would get up before 8AM on a weekend to watch their beloved Premier League team play. Their love for the game is evident- but only for the European game. If their love for "football" can be harnessed and directed towards MLS, the league will have the support it needs to succeed.
TV ratings for Premier League games are consistently much higher than those for MLS games. February's game between Liverpool and Chelsea on FSC averaged a 0.5 rating (294,000 viewers) while last weekend's game between the Kansas City Wizards and the LA Galaxy on widely-available ESPN2 (which included supposed ratings-booster David Beckham) only averaged a 0.3 rating (231,000 viewers), just a bit less the season-high rating set by the season opener between Seattle and New York (254,000 viewers). MLS is watched even less on FSC, averaging a 0.1 rating (44,000 viewers) through May of this season. Ratings for Euro 2008 averaged a 0.5 on ESPN2 and a 0.9 on ESPN, with the final on ABC earning a 3.1 rating. MLS Cup 2008, also on ABC, only earned a 0.7 rating.
And it's not just TV where European games attract higher crowds- July's World Football Challenge had attendances ranging from over 31,000 to over 81,000 across 6 venues (I was one of 53,000 in attendance in Atlanta). This is combined with sellouts of 67,000 and 27,000 in Seattle and LA, respectively, where the Sounders and Galaxy faced European opposition. Future friendlies this summer for Real Madrid and Barcelona have pretty much sold out. But so far this season, the MLS has only averaged over 15,000 a game, with average team attendances ranging from almost 9,500 in Dallas to over 30,000 in Seattle. People are coming out to watch these European teams (Chelsea's three games drew the three biggest crowds) as opposed to their own local teams, which is understandable, especially in Atlanta, where men's top-level soccer has been virtually non-existant (I'm not really a fan of AC Milan or Club America, but the chance to actually go to a live soccer game was too good not to take), but there shouldn't be this big of a difference between the two.
I've recently defended the MLS against a barrage of insults from two sports-crazy friends who said, among other things, that "people want excitement and entertainment and that's the EPL not MLS" and that there isn't "a big consistent enough fan base in America" for the sport to succeed. I'm not sure if he's ever watched an MLS game, but I certainly find them exciting- I didn't really care as much until I picked a team to support, but I still watched games whenever I could catch them and always enjoyed it. The past three MLS Cup finals have been very exciting, in my opinion. As for the big, consistent fan base, it's there for soccer, just not for the MLS. The Eurosnobs are holding the league back- if even half of them decided that it was okay to like the MLS and actually showed up to a game or watched it on TV, the league's popularity would skyrocket. But they're most likely not going to convert. They'll watch one MLS game on TV, and if it's not up to their standards, they're going to write the league off and not watch again. And unfortunately, there's not a whole lot the league can do to attract them. Setting up the friendlies against big clubs is a great move for the league as well as the clubs, though I'd like to see a wider range of MLS teams' international friendlies on TV. Designated Players for the most part haven't really worked out the way the league hoped they would- they've brought in fans, but the degree to which they've improved their team varies, with the most impressive being Guille at Columbus, and he didn't even start out as a DP!
Hopefully, the day will come when MLS fans outnumber the Eurosnobs. And that will be a glorious day for soccer.
TV ratings for Premier League games are consistently much higher than those for MLS games. February's game between Liverpool and Chelsea on FSC averaged a 0.5 rating (294,000 viewers) while last weekend's game between the Kansas City Wizards and the LA Galaxy on widely-available ESPN2 (which included supposed ratings-booster David Beckham) only averaged a 0.3 rating (231,000 viewers), just a bit less the season-high rating set by the season opener between Seattle and New York (254,000 viewers). MLS is watched even less on FSC, averaging a 0.1 rating (44,000 viewers) through May of this season. Ratings for Euro 2008 averaged a 0.5 on ESPN2 and a 0.9 on ESPN, with the final on ABC earning a 3.1 rating. MLS Cup 2008, also on ABC, only earned a 0.7 rating.
And it's not just TV where European games attract higher crowds- July's World Football Challenge had attendances ranging from over 31,000 to over 81,000 across 6 venues (I was one of 53,000 in attendance in Atlanta). This is combined with sellouts of 67,000 and 27,000 in Seattle and LA, respectively, where the Sounders and Galaxy faced European opposition. Future friendlies this summer for Real Madrid and Barcelona have pretty much sold out. But so far this season, the MLS has only averaged over 15,000 a game, with average team attendances ranging from almost 9,500 in Dallas to over 30,000 in Seattle. People are coming out to watch these European teams (Chelsea's three games drew the three biggest crowds) as opposed to their own local teams, which is understandable, especially in Atlanta, where men's top-level soccer has been virtually non-existant (I'm not really a fan of AC Milan or Club America, but the chance to actually go to a live soccer game was too good not to take), but there shouldn't be this big of a difference between the two.
I've recently defended the MLS against a barrage of insults from two sports-crazy friends who said, among other things, that "people want excitement and entertainment and that's the EPL not MLS" and that there isn't "a big consistent enough fan base in America" for the sport to succeed. I'm not sure if he's ever watched an MLS game, but I certainly find them exciting- I didn't really care as much until I picked a team to support, but I still watched games whenever I could catch them and always enjoyed it. The past three MLS Cup finals have been very exciting, in my opinion. As for the big, consistent fan base, it's there for soccer, just not for the MLS. The Eurosnobs are holding the league back- if even half of them decided that it was okay to like the MLS and actually showed up to a game or watched it on TV, the league's popularity would skyrocket. But they're most likely not going to convert. They'll watch one MLS game on TV, and if it's not up to their standards, they're going to write the league off and not watch again. And unfortunately, there's not a whole lot the league can do to attract them. Setting up the friendlies against big clubs is a great move for the league as well as the clubs, though I'd like to see a wider range of MLS teams' international friendlies on TV. Designated Players for the most part haven't really worked out the way the league hoped they would- they've brought in fans, but the degree to which they've improved their team varies, with the most impressive being Guille at Columbus, and he didn't even start out as a DP!
Hopefully, the day will come when MLS fans outnumber the Eurosnobs. And that will be a glorious day for soccer.
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