I recently engaged in a fun, spirited debate on Twitter and figured I would expound on my thoughts in this forum. With the rise of popularity in soccer in America, the debate has been reformed as to whether a promotion/relegation system would work in American soccer. Before I go into my reasoning, let me give a very rudimentary explanation of what that system is.
All throughout European leagues and several others around the world, there is what is called a promotion/relegation system. If we use the English leagues as our example, then there are tiers. The Premier League is at the top. Then the Championship, then League One and League Two. Now each league throughout the world has different numbers, but on average it is about two to three teams that move up and down. In our example, if Southhampton, Cardiff and Swansea are the three worst teams in the Premier League, then they would be relegated to the Championship the next season. By the same token, the top three or so in the Championship would be promoted to the Premier League. The same is true of the bottom teams in the Championship going to League One and their top teams promoted to the Championship and so on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotion_and_relegation : Here is a link to the different pro/rel systems throughout the world. Now then, on to the point that I argue. While soccer is gaining steam within the US, it is not to a point where this kind of system would be accepted. Soccer has gained notoriety through the US National Team's performance at the last two World Cups. It has picked up steam with an improvement in quality of MLS teams. Also, the top European leagues are readily available on regular cable and satellite TV packages now, making it much easier to see the top names/teams in the world from the comfort of your own couch or at your local sports bar.
But soccer is not there yet in America. While we, as fans and players, strive to make it ever more popular and mainstream, at this juncture it is still a fourth rated sport at best. The NFL is still king in the US. After that, depending on your own personal preferences, there is the MLB, NBA and NHL just to name professional leagues and not even taking into account the huge popularity of college athletics. Now I have long argued that there is enough room in our sporting hearts to support many sports equally and with the same passion and fervor. Yet, the reality is there is only so many dollars to go around and right now those dollars are precious to a league like Major League Soccer when they are still in competition for eyeballs and butts.
MLS, while gaining success and mainstream notoriety, is still in its infant stages. Promotion/relegation would hinder that growth within America because it would limit the sport we hold so dear to only the most passionate fan who both cares deeply for their team and for the sport as a whole. MLS is still in dire need of the average fan and it is my contention that the average fan would not understand or support their local team under a pro/rel circumstance. Although proponents of the system like to throw around buzz words, like elitists and call people MLS cronies for supporting their one corporation approach to the league, the bottom line is it has worked and worked reasonably well.
Yes, there were failures along the way as there would be for any league/business model trying to build from the ground up. However, nobody throughout the world can argue with the success and number of right moves (with the exception of on the field quality) the the MLS has made to this point. Trying to jam American soccer into the European mold this early would just spoil things. There is a growing passion for the sport and for local clubs. Promotion/relegation would just dam the stream before letting it grow into a river. The argument made to me, while valid, says no open league system has ever been shut down due to lack of support.
That's an apples and oranges comparison. The rest of the world has such a connection and passion for the game, that not supporting their club doesn't register on most fans' minds. Trying to apply that here in America just doesn't stick yet. Your average fan is perfectly willing to not attend the game of whatever their favorite team may be because they have plenty of other options. St. Louis Cardinal fans are often labeled as the best in baseball. And while that may be true in some instances, if anyone says they show up through thick and thin and sell out every single game, then I have a bridge to Hawaii you can drive on. If the Cardinals are losing and the St. Louis Blues hockey team is hot or the St. Louis Rams football team is on a winning streak, then butts will be in those seats and not at Busch Stadium and vice versa. It is true in all other pro sports towns and regarding all other pro sports franchises in America.
You have to take the hardcore fans out of this argument. The hardcore fan will support their team no matter what level they play against, win or lose, thick or thin. But hardcore fans, in any sport, are just not numerous enough or possess the amount of pocket money necessary to fully base a club or franchise's financial well being on. The argument that no open league has collapsed also just doesn't really apply to the US landscape either. There are plenty of teams and leagues at all levels in America that have fallen by the wayside. The old NASL had some of the biggest names in soccer playing for it at one point or the other, yet fell apart. Hockey is littered with the carcasses of former teams and leagues. RIP to the IHL and CHL as well as team after team after team. Let us not forget Miami and Tampa Bay and San Jose in the early days of MLS too.
Also, there just aren't the type of facilities or fan base for each and every team to think they would succeed. A team that plays in front of 2,000 in the USL (no matter how passionate those 2,000 are) just won't be on the same level financially and/or stability wise as a team that averages 15-20,000. And not to be snobbish, but anyone who thinks a team that averages those numbers at the MLS level would keep the numbers if they were playing in the USL is just foolish. Again, there aren't enough hardcore fans to support it yet.
In reality, the argument that MLS and North American soccer must have promotion/relegation right now is more elitist than the other side of it. It would not surprise me if many of the people who advocate pro/rel right now are the same ones who think MLS has to go to the same schedule as European leagues (which would crush MLS under the NFL's mighty boot instead of only having to go up against baseball). Now before people label me as not understanding the sport or not being a fan or falsely only thinking I support the one corporation system of MLS, let me say you have no idea.
I am for promotion/relegation. While I think MLS should keep playing during the summer, I do support a more FIFA oriented schedule where there are breaks during international play. I would not be opposed to MLS letting their franchises' gain full control down the road. But therein is the key words: down the road. Let the league keep growing. Let the fervor for professional squads keep growing in towns and cities like Sacramento and St. Louis and coast-to-coast. Let the league get to their desired number of teams before we talk of such things as an entirely new system of leagues. Let each city gain the kind of facilities necessary to compete at various levels of competition. Let's just let it keep growing for awhile. Right now, a great concept on paper: the CONCACAF Champions League, isn't really off and running. It just doesn't matter yet. I'd rather a tournament like that take off before we try to jam the European model into the US soccer landscape. People are too quick to want things the way they want it now. Just chill and enjoy the growth of the game. Maybe promotion/relegation will come before we expect. Many didn't think MLS would reach the heights it has. But don't expect more of this league before the league itself is financially ready or all teams across the nation are ready from a stability standpoint.
And as always, remember that these are just opinions. But mine is right.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment