My least favorite part of MLS season
Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while–yeah, I know, I haven’t posted much recently–will know I’m not a big fan of the All-Star Game. But what are you going to do? The league has managed to stumble on a a formula which works. The MLS XI vs some “big club” from another country seems to be selling out stadiums and attracting a large enough TV audience on a Wednesday night to keep ESPN happy.
I attended an MLS All-Star game once when I was looking for an excuse to spend a weekend in San Diego. That was back when it was still East vs West and attendance numbers were boosted by making it part of a doubleheader. That day it was some Mexican team playing some club team from Central America (El Salvador?) I believe. It doesn’t matter as most of the country were more interested in news coverage of John F Kennedy Jr’s plane disappearance. Most of the TV’s in the stadium were also showing the news coverage as well.
Probably the most noticeable thing about the actually event was the fact that the vast majority of those in attendance didn’t care at all about the All-Star game. They came to see their team play in the nightcap. It wasn’t long after that MLS figured out there were more people in this country interested in seeing teams from Europe or Mexico than they are seeing MLS teams.
No matter what challenges the league has creating the league schedule a few weeks before the season starts they manage to find dates convenient for those visiting teams to be able to prepare for their season by disrupting the MLS schedule. I can’t think of any other professional league in any sport who would be more willing to put their season on hold in order to help teams from else where get ready for their seasons. But we shouldn’t kid ourselves, after all, it’s not about the competition, it’s about the money the league and owners are making. If teams can spend $200,000 to put down a temporary grass field over their artificial turf, there must be some good money to be made. Seriously, that’s $200,000…that’s more than four times the league minimum salary.
Confused MLS fan
So now what? What are the fans supposed to think? “Hey, MLS is great but these teams in Europe are so much better. Maybe I should save my money, watch them on TV and then used the money I saved by not going to MLS games to fly over and see them in person” Okay, maybe it’s not quite that extreme. but when I add up all it cost me to have a season ticket to see LA at the HDC, the cost of gas getting too & from Carson (I lived in Pasadena…the Rose Bowl was much more convenient but that’s the business) and all the expensive beers and other goodies purchased at games, I could afford a round-trip flight to Heathrow, ground travel, hotel and a match ticket. Heck, I’d probably still have a bit more available to spent on a pint or two.
Bottom line, these games make money. MLS is in business to make money by giving the public (not necessarily MLS fans) entertainment. It’s not a scientific survey but I know several friends, not just in LA, who avoid these matches against Euro teams. They often sell their tickets if they come with the season ticket package. But that’s okay. The team has already sold the ticket, they’ve still got someone in the season and buying concessions and the sponsors still have someone who will hear their message.
Until a time comes when people stop coming to these games or watching on TV, we’ll keep seeing these games. The fact that MLS teams are–generally–getting thumped won’t change anything.
Now, the people who are attending these games are probably like the Man United/City fan pictured here. They just wanna see the best teams and don’t necessarily have much loyalty. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m certain they won’t start regularly attending MLS games because a team from Europe played a meaningless game against them.
Of course, Don Garber’s view is pretty obvious, shift the blame:
“Nobody likes to lose 7-0,” Garber said to a throng of media at halftime of Wednesday’s All-Star Game. “You don’t like to lose 7-0 in a schoolyard soccer match. Our view is that if we’re going to play these games, we ought to play to win. And if a team can’t fit it into their schedule either because of congestion or their own priorities, then they shouldn’t play in those games.
“I think Seattle regrets playing their second team, reserves, even trialists against Manchester United. I don’t think we’d ever do anything like that again.”
Perhaps we could start by axing the All-Star game…oh wait, it makes money for the league.
I know, change the structure of the league so that more emphasis is placed on the regular season rather than the playoffs, oh wait, they have sponsorship deals tied up there too.
Oh well, the Euro Invasion will be over soon and maybe we can get back to focusing on the playoff race. Nothing is gonna change any time soon. But the good news is, the league is making enough money that it won’t be going anywhere any time soon because they’ll be able to afford plenty of $50k/year rookies.
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