Sepp Blatter's anti-MLS comments

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1283006/blatter-chides-mls-as-%27struggling%27-to-take-hold?cc=5901

I would imagine he knew how far down in the pecking order soccer was 20 years ago? I remember people saying the league would be out of business in five years.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

Sepp Blatter is senile. I guess MLS can't be legitimate because games aren't fixed and racism isn't rampant.

I do, however, agree that MLS should seriously consider having a schedule that matches Europe's.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

Who is Seth Bladder, Sepp's handicap son? Although, you really wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Anyway, fuck him (for multiple reasons) and Al Jazeera, too.

The last time I checked, MLS's attendance was doing well. Is it what England, Spain and Italy's is? No. It never will be. But is it thriving? I think so.

I don't think MLS can do a European schedule. It can't open head to head with the start of college and NFL football. That's one thing it will never do. Plus, it if did go Aug-May, because of the northern cities, the league would have to take a mid winter break like many of the European countries, and I don't think playing a split season would sit well with fans.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

If you told me in 1996 that MLS would still be around in 2012 I never would have believed it...

I think they've done a tremendous job and part of the reason they've been successful is because they were realistic about expectations and they went with a slow build rather than just throw money at top players and hope they don't go bankrupt.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

"Seth's" ass is talking because his mouth knows better.

The summer MLS schedule does mess with international play a bit, but that hasn't kept USMNT players from being available. We've qualified for the last six World Cups in a row.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

Just wait and see where those attendance numbers go if they move to an August-May schedule and are going up against college football, the NFL and the cold cold winter.

The league has certainly gotten better, but when you have guys making $50,000 a year or less who are getting big minutes and having some success, it's a minor league.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

I don't follow MLS but do try to keep up a little bit, and I'd agree with this. When it began I figured five years, tops, maybe clinging longer in some fashion.

Earlier this year I drove through Columbus for business and saw the Crew's stadium. I was impressed. MLS may not draw what goes on in Europe but it doesn't appear they're swirling the drain, either.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

I doubt even the drunks who flock to Toronto FC games would go to BMO Field in the dead of winter.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

And it does better in comparison to other leagues than people realize.

It won't touch the Bundesliga and the Premier League.... but average attendance at MLS games is only about 5,000 less than Serie A in Italy, and gaining quickly. La Liga in Spain averages about 11k more a game, but Barcelona and Real Madrid distort that number wildly.

MLS attendance is comparable to the Eredivisie in the Netherlands and Ligue 1 in France. It's better than the domestic leagues in Scotland, Argentina and Brazil.

Sepp can shut up.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

Of course it's a minor league. It always will be. Let's face it, the career goal of almost everyone playing in MLS is to get noticed and move on to the European leagues -- especially England -- where the real money and the best competition is.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

I covered it semi-regularly early on and seeing 10,000 fans in NFL stadiums was an embarrassment. With what they were paying to rent those places out, it was never going to work. Then Columbus built its soccer-only stadium and it was a huge success and they've followed suit in several markets and those teams seem to be doing pretty well. There are a few markets that can do well in bigger venues, but that's not really the norm.

 

Re: Seth Blatter's anti-MLS comments

You mean like a guy making $480K a year who was Rookie of the Year and got MVP votes ... in a league established 109 years ago? OK then.

So LA Galaxy are a farm team of whom?