Tuesday, May 31, 2022

After watching European games last weekend I agree with MLS fans and owners... #ProRelForUSA would be bad for soccer here.

 

Photo by Scott Abbott

 

Taking a few hours last weekend and tuning in to ESPN+ and watching, among other things, the Nottingham Forest promotion playoff and the subsequent celebration after their victory over Huddersfield convinced me. Y'all are right, I was wrong... American soccer fans would absolutely HATE #ProRelForUSA.

 
@loucityfc or @RiverhoundsSC fans would just absolutely despise experiencing something like this. It would be HORRIBLE for those fans.
Nobody would mark a promotion to the top level of the game as one of the most exciting points of their sports fandom and create the kind of long lasting family memories that create soccer culture in a way we don't do now. Yes MLS, I get it now. I just absolutely see it clearly now.
 
I don't know what I was ever thinking. Could you imagine @SacRepublicFC fans while their team is getting promoted? I am sure they would absolutely not be this invested in their success because they know it is more important that MLS owners have their balance sheet protected from competition than anything like this existing.
 
 

 

American soccer fans are just too smart to think this is a good idea. They actually understand that closed leagues deliver better ROI for a limited group of early investors and that is actually much more important than the game, communities, players, or fans. We aren't in it for the game, the emotions, the wins... just that sweet sweet clickity clack of an accountants keyboard adding another zero to the end of the asset column on a balance sheet. 

We would absolutely walk out on a celebration like this. Who wants to see a trophy lifted for some scrub city with an owner who can't pay a giant fee to enter the league?

As the smartest soccer fans in the world we all know that guaranteeing that Stan Kroenke can benefit from a system designed to deliver artificial scarcity to a limited group of mostly rich white guy owners is way more important than something like this. This would just end up being a ghost town of zero celebrations because we just know what is the most important thing here. Increasing the billionaires net worth.

Let me not forget the players... they know. They know better than all of us that American's find Relegations story lines just worthless. Who would want to follow along with those, get invested in them, or god forbid want to play for a team in that kind of situation?

Not a single American player ever would. Especially not one of the best ones.... 


 

After watching some Segunda Division games in Spain I am also super glad someone like Ronaldo hasn't been able to have a team in the 2nd Division in the US and achieve promotion. We have to make sure we protect the initial investors in MLS balance sheet right @Flight_19 ? 

We are far too smart to allow this.

 

I am now absolutely sure the fans of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers are just ecstatic that things worked out the way they did with their former teams former owner in Spain. It was absolutely what was best for soccer in the US.

I for one am glad Robert Kraft has had his net worth increase thanks to how we do soccer instead of allowing fans to experience any of this. 

It was a great trade off.

I mean who would want the women's game in the US delivering the kind of stories that promotion and relegation deliver, clubs working their way to the top, and 2nd division teams playing in front of crowds of over 5,000 during their push for promotion? Obvioulsy not us. We know what is most important... and it isn't allowing every community to participate in the game, increasing the diversity of who owns teams, the increased power of players and coaches to leave if being abused because of the much larger pool of clubs to play/coach for, and the power of the fans to create the kind of culture within the club they want... we are far too smart for that. 

Those sweet sweet ROI numbers are what matter!  

 

Yes, MLS owners... I see it now. 

#ProRelForUSA would be TERRIBLE for soccer in the US. How else would we all be able to guarantee your balance sheet growth if you had to compete to stay at the top against every single club who wanted to try to work their way up the pyramid?

Us fans, coaches, players, clubs, owners, investors, and people on the ground floor of soccer in the US appreciate what you've done for us. It is all worth it... we love making you money by giving away our ability to grow and compete. 

 Thanks. 

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