Resolutions for the 2013 MLS Season

With Major League Soccer set to start the 2013 season this weekend, I felt it was time to suggest some resolutions for the forthcoming season. Some of these might not be acceptable to some (or maybe a large amount) of MLS fans, but I am of the opinion that trying to abide by these resolutions would result in the 2013 MLS season being an enjoyable season, for us all.

Stop Saying "We Need to Grow the Game":

A battle cry from the soccer media and soccer fans in the United States is that, "We must grow the game!" Well, we can't really grow the game, the game will grow organically, in the same manner that the NFL and NBA managed to grow organically out of the shadow of Major League Baseball. Organically growing the game is essentially on MLS and, to a lesser extent, U.S. Soccer. Put out a good, accessible product and the game will grow.

MLS fans and U.S. Soccer fans bemoan what they call "Euro Snobs," bemoan how you're likely to find more Manchester United fans at the soccer bar than MLS fans. Well, that supports my argument, EPL, La Liga, and UEFA have all managed to provide a good, polished product that has, thanks to the internet and cable television, managed to grow big fan bases in the United States, as well as elsewhere in the world.

For a number of reasons, primarily financial, MLS still has lots of growing to do to reach those levels of popularity. It's not going to happen overnight, not if you want MLS to create a solid financial foundation, but MLS has come a long way since 1996, it'll get there.

Finally, let's be honest, efforts to grow the game can often be counterproductive because too many soccer fans can become annoying evangelical zealots that tend to turn away sports fans who are not soccer fans.

Stop Complaining about Lack of National Television Coverage:

There's a simple truth about sports broadcasting in the United States that many MLS fans do not seem to comprehend, and that is the fact that no major sports league has all of its games broadcast on national television. Not MLB, not NBA, not NHL, and not even NFL.

Thanks to contracts with NBC Sports Network and ESPN2 about two MLS matches per matchweek are broadcast nationally. Additionally, almost every MLS team, if not all MLS teams, have contracts with regional channels and networks that broadcast all of their non-nationally broadcast matches.

This is pretty much how it is in MLB and NBA. While NFL does have broadcast contracts with CBS and FOX, many of those games are only shown in specific regions. Only the Sunday, Monday, and Thursday night games are truly national broadcasts.

I don't have the time or inclination to do a statistically breakdown on the percentage of league games in each league that are nationally broadcast, but face it MLS fans, MLS is not getting a cold shoulder on the national broadcast landscape.

Stop Complaining when National Television Coverage is Delayed by Another Sport:

Sometimes sports games and events go over their scheduled time, sometimes that means you're going to miss the start of an MLS game. One most occasions, due to contractual obligations, the network cannot leave the prior game or event to go to the MLS game before that prior game or event is over.

But here is the good news for you, when an MLS game goes over it's scheduled time, the network is staying with the MLS game and not switching to the game or event scheduled to follow the MLS game.

Stop Complaining about American Football Lines on the Soccer Field:

Do you want MLS teams to make money so that they can pay better salaries, attract better talent, improve the product, grow the game? Then learn to live with American Football lines on MLS pitches.

For teams with their own stadiums, leasing them to college and high school football teams and tournaments is a good source of revenue. Get used to the lines, they'll be showing up every fall.

As a side note, MLS is not the only place you see those lines - they're also in some stadiums in Mexico, plus some teams in Europe share stadiums with rugby teams, which have similar lines.

Forget about promotion and relegation:

It's not a viable option, not right now. The current lower soccer leagues in the United States are in too much turmoil and uncertainty that promotion to MLS would just hurt MLS and relegation from MLS will hurt league revenue and investment.

While many "resolutions" that MLS seems to want to push seem to be geared towards creating a more "family friendly" environment, these resolutions are geared more to trying to get MLS fans to be more realistic about MLS and the business world it exists in, to be happy with how far MLS has come, and to learn to sit back and enjoy the ride, cause the destination will be worth it.

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It's A Good Thing: Ireland Fans Sing Even When Losing

Let's face it, the off-pitch news swirling around Euro 2012 has not been pretty. Before the matches started there was a huge focus on how much racism players would face in the Eastern European countries hosting the games, Ukraine and Poland. Then there were the violent clashes between Poland and Russia fans the other day, which have raised concerns about the specter of hooliganism at the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.

Despite all this bad press concerning football fans, yesterday one group of fans acquitted themselves quite well, serving as an example of why and how football fandom can be fun, should be fun. Despite the economic situation in their country and despite the fact that their team lost to Spain 4-0 and previously lost to Croatia, 3-1, the Ireland fans stayed for the full match, serenading their team, their country with The Fields of Athenry.

The cynic can easily, and rightly, point out that Euro 2012 was Ireland's first appearance in a major tournament since the 2002 World Cup Finals; therefore, its fans have low expectations and can frivolously enjoy just being at the Euros. On the other hand, I think that the fans of more "serious" teams (England, Russia, etc.) would do well to take a moment and try to learn something from the Ireland fans, because, when all is said and done, football is just a game and sometimes you don't need to win to feel good about your country, and to feel good about yourself.

Houston Texans Fans Acting Like Houston Dynamo Fans

For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans have made it to the NFL Playoffs. On Saturday January 7, 2012, the Texans hosted their first ever Playoff game at Reliant Stadium, and prior to that game there was an indication that the Texans' front office had paid attention to the tifo displays that have occurred down the road at Robertson Stadium, former home of the Houston Dynamo, because, as evidenced by the above picture, they managed to orchestrate a tifo display worthy of any major football club in Europe. You can see the display starting about 30 seconds into the below video clip.

The Texans went on to win the game, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10.

Today the Houston Texans will take on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Division Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium in Charm City. Yesterday, when the Texans arrived at their hotel in Baltimore they were surprised by the large amount of travelling fans on hand to greet them:

Travelling fans aren't a completely new concept in the NFL, when I lived in Wisconsin it was amazing to see how many people traveled to away Green Bay Packers games, but here in Houston, it wasn't until the Houston Dynamo came to town that the concept of a large contingent of travelling fans came into vogue in the Bayou City. The Dynamo have much more experience being a playoff team than the Texans do and they are used to having a good contingent of travelling fans on hand no matter where they play, especially in the playoffs.

I'm not saying that the fan treatment the Texans are getting would not have occurred but for the presence of the Houston Dynamo, after all, Texas is football country and Houston has been starved for NFL Playoffs since 1993, but there is a good amount of sports fan crossover in this city, with many local sports fans supporting all the professional teams, so there probably has been some cross-pollination between the Texans and Dynamo.

The Texans-Ravens game starts at Noon Houston time and will be aired on CBS.

Bosnian Cup Match in Mostar Halted after Fans Chase Visiting Team Off Pitch

Things got ugly in Wednesday's Bosnian Cup match between FK Velež Mostar and HŠK Zrinjski Mostar in the ethnically divided town's derby match when Zrinjski fans invaded the pitch to chase visiting Velez players. The incident occurred in second half stoppage time right after Rijad Demic scored for Velez.

Match in Kenya Abandoned as Gor Mahia Fans React to Officiating Calls

On Wednesday, a Kenyan Premier League Top Eight match between Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars at the Nyayo National Stadium in Kenya was abandoned after 60 minutes when Gor Mahia fans, known as K'Ogalo Green Army, became incensed with two calls made by the referee and began throwing stones. Police fired tear gas in an effort to quell the crowd, but in the end at least an estimated 1 million in Kenyan Shillings of damage occurred to the stadium and the Ulinzi team bus.

Gor Mahia will most likely be fined for the actions of its fans, and it's not clear if the match will be replayed or handed to Ulinzi, who were winning 1-0 when the match was called off. The Independent Disciplinary and Appeals Committee will decide the punishment at a meeting on Friday. Already on the agenda for Friday's meeting, a February match that was called off because of Gor Mahia fans.

The officiating calls that got the Gor Mahia fans all riled up? A goal was disallowed for keeper obstruction and a handball.

Gor Mahia's next match is against Tusker this weekend.

USA & Argentina Fans Fight in Stands at the Meadowlands

There was nothing friendly about this incident that occurred in the stands at the Meadowlands after the USA - Argentina friendly on March 26, 2011. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Noisy Fans Ruin Moment of Silence for Japan Prior to US-Argentina Match

Those of us who watched European club soccer last weekend saw numerous moments of silence to honor the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I for one was amazed and moved by how silent those stadiums, filled with thousands of people, were during said moments of silence. Therefore, I was appalled by how noisy the moment of silence in the Meadowlands before the US-Argentina match was tonight. You can see the players were also disappointed by the noisy crowd. Disgraceful. Even more disgraceful is what one moron can clearly be heard yelling during that silence.


Links to help make a difference:

How to help Japan: Earthquake Relief Options

Japanese American Citizens League

Here is the moment of silence from before the Manchester United v. Bolton match the previous weekend.



Yes, it is not perfect, but so much quieter and more respectful than the moment of silence at the Meadowlands was on Saturday.

Is NFL Taking its Cue from Viral Video of Landon Donovan's Goal Against Algeria?

On his twitter feed today, Beau Dure said, "Just saw an NFL ad that looked quite a bit like the YouTube montages of people celebrating Donovan's World Cup goal."

So, here are the videos - you be the judge: