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AliveAtTheHiveTiger 
USA Fan
LSU Town, USA
Member since Mar 2008
687 posts
| Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 5:04 pm)
It just doesn't make sense to me. It's terrible for growing the sport in America, IMO. Why schedule the league so that the back half of the season is in competition with football? How many people are really gonna watch MLS Cup over college football on championship saturday? I'm a big soccer fan, but even I'm still going to watch college football before MLS.
Not only MLS cup, but the entire 2nd half of the season! Games played on Saturday and Sunday, and at the same times as college football and the NFL. I mean, could you really pick a more difficult television market to compete with?
Why not align the schedule with Europe, that way the 2nd half and MLS playoffs are in the Spring, competing with NBA and early season MLB? You're only competing with football for the first half of the season. It just seems to me they could find much better TV ratings and increased viewership if you're not forcing people to choose between MLS and NCAAF/NFL. Anybody have ideas for why this is?? 
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Jumbeauxlaya 
LSU Fan
Denham
Member since Jan 2011
15171 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 5:08 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
Heard of snow?
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StraightCashHomey21 
West Virginia Fan
Ramstein AB
Member since Jul 2009
30225 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 5:10 pm to Jumbeauxlaya)
quote:
Heard of snow?
that dont mean shit, the weather over here is awful
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thenry712 
Gonzaga Fan
Hullywood, UK
Member since Nov 2008
13795 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 5:12 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
While MLS does compete with football at the end of its season, the majority of the season is played during the summer, thus only pitting its clubs against baseball for attendance. A larger than normal share of MLS's profit still comes from attendance, rather than TV contracts, unlike NFL, NBA etc.
Take Sporting Kansas City for example. Would SKC rather compete against the Chiefs or the Royals for an average KC sports fans' weekend money? It's far easier to sway people away from one of 81 home baseball games, than one of 8 home NFL games. Why sacrifice half of your gate receipts for a more European schedule?
I do think MLS stupidly schedules MLS Cup on the weekend rather than in the middle of the week when there's less competition for sports viewing.
There's more in this argument, but that's the basic idea.
This post was edited on 11/30 at 5:13 pm
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Jumbeauxlaya
LSU Fan
Denham
Member since Jan 2011
15171 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 5:44 pm to StraightCashHomey21)
quote:
that dont mean shit, the weather over here is awful
The average min and max in the UK is 35/45 in the winter.. try playing an outside game in one of the Canadian stadiums/New England/New York...
This post was edited on 11/30 at 5:45 pm
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WarSlamEagle 
Washington Fan
Golden State Warriors Fan
Member since Sep 2011
12504 posts
 Online
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 5:46 pm to thenry712)
quote:
While MLS does compete with football at the end of its season, the majority of the season is played during the summer, thus only pitting its clubs against baseball for attendance. A larger than normal share of MLS's profit still comes from attendance, rather than TV contracts, unlike NFL, NBA etc.
Truuuuuuuuuuuuuuue...
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droman225 
Syracuse Fan
Houston
Member since Aug 2011
9612 posts
Online
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 5:55 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
Because we are America and we do what the frick we want to.
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lesismeaurx
USA Fan
datdirtydirty
Member since Dec 2011
610 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 6:05 pm to droman225)
I think the way the schedule is right now is actually better than Europe's. Like someone else said, I'd hate to see Vancouver playing in January at home.
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DestrehanTiger 
Duke Fan
Houston, TX by way of Louisiana
Member since Nov 2005
7416 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 6:18 pm to lesismeaurx)
Yeah, I really don't understand why European teams are off for the best weather months of the year.
This post was edited on 11/30 at 6:19 pm
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lesismeaurx
USA Fan
datdirtydirty
Member since Dec 2011
610 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 6:24 pm to DestrehanTiger)
So they can enjoy their yachts.
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AliveAtTheHiveTiger
USA Fan
LSU Town, USA
Member since Mar 2008
687 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 6:32 pm to lesismeaurx)
quote:
I think the way the schedule is right now is actually better than Europe's. Like someone else said, I'd hate to see Vancouver playing in January at home.
I would like the schedule more if it weren't competing with football in the latter half of the season. Good points about the weather, as well as the money coming from attendance rather than TV... I guess I'm just thinking more along the lines of GROWING the sport rather than what is most profitable at this time.
As far as attendance goes, if schedule is aligned with Europe, I think it would be fine. Those clubs that consistently turn out high attendance numbers are at the point now that people are gonna go to the games regardless. I mean, you're still competing with football for three months the way it is now, and you would still only compete with football for three to four months if aligned with Europe. Except that with the latter case, the portion of the season competing with football would be the first half of the season instead of the second half when playoff races are heating up, playoffs, etc. It seems people would be more inclined to watch a more meaningful regular season game that has playoff implications if there's only NBA or baseball in season. I think it would actually INCREASE attendance in those cities that have football to compete with.
All I know is this. It CANNOT be good for the growth of the sport in this country when a casual sports fan is flipping through the channels and sees an MLS playoff game in Chicago that has 10,000 people scattered throughout the stadium. Even as a soccer fan, I see this and the first thing I think is "Bush League"
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droman225
Syracuse Fan
Houston
Member since Aug 2011
9612 posts
Online
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 6:37 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
You're forgetting, that game was also on a Halloween Wednesday night
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thenry712
Gonzaga Fan
Hullywood, UK
Member since Nov 2008
13795 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 7:19 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
Yeah, one Chicago play-in playoff game was poorly attended. That's more on the crappy front office in Chicago that doesn't do well to draw attendance most of the season. The same scenario would play out in other MLS black holes like Dallas, Chivas USA, and Columbus. Almost every other playoff game this year was a sellout.
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cwil177
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2011
5531 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 7:41 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
quote:
As far as attendance goes, if schedule is aligned with Europe, I think it would be fine. Those clubs that consistently turn out high attendance numbers are at the point now that people are gonna go to the games regardless. I mean, you're still competing with football for three months the way it is now, and you would still only compete with football for three to four months if aligned with Europe.
I agree with what you say about established fan bases.
On the other hand, competing with football from August to late January/early February would be tough.
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AliveAtTheHiveTiger
USA Fan
LSU Town, USA
Member since Mar 2008
687 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 8:04 pm to cwil177)
quote:
On the other hand, competing with football from August to late January/early February would be tough.
That's true, I guess it is more than just 3 or 4 months. I guess it just seems to me like it would be better to attract new fans to the MLS if they're watching late season and playoff games instead of early season games (assuming that they would watch football over the MLS game). The games they would be watching would be more exciting and hence more attractive to new viewers. Late season/playoff games just have such a different feel to them, a different level of competition that you don't really see in the early part of the season, kinda like NBA
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Sheep
USA Fan
Straight Outta Acy
Member since Jun 2007
12990 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 8:14 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
quote:
Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe?
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave you been to Canada?
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thenry712
Gonzaga Fan
Hullywood, UK
Member since Nov 2008
13795 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 8:55 pm to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
quote:
Those clubs that consistently turn out high attendance numbers are at the point now that people are gonna go to the games regardless.
That is quite the assumption. Many people, not in the Pacific NW, will opt for their local NFL or college football team over their adopted MLS club when selecting a game to attend in the fall.
I highly doubt that a Houstonian will opt to buy tickets for the Dynamo over the Texans.
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nola tiger lsu 
SMU Fan
Member since Nov 2007
2329 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 10:00 pm to lesismeaurx)
quote:
I think the way the schedule is right now is actually better than Europe's. Like someone else said, I'd hate to see Vancouver playing in January at home.
Vancouver doesnt get that cold (discussed a lot during the Olympics) and most importantly, they play in a dome.
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Sheep
USA Fan
Straight Outta Acy
Member since Jun 2007
12990 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 11/30/12 at 10:28 pm to nola tiger lsu)
quote:
they play in a dome
notsureifserious.jpg
quote:
BC Place should be considered an ‘open-air’ stadium whether the roof is open or closed, and guests are encouraged to dress accordingly, based on the temperature outdoors.
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inelishaitrust 
Ole Miss Fan
Oxford, MS
Member since Jan 2008
22914 posts
| re: Why doesn't MLS align their schedule with Europe? (Posted on 12/1/12 at 1:16 am to AliveAtTheHiveTiger)
quote:
Why schedule the league so that the back half of the season is in competition with football?
The regular season ended almost two months ago. MLS only goes up against football for the first month and a half of the season. Don Garber and co. know what they're doing. They also get a bunch of time in the middle of the season where they are the only soccer on. Not going head to head with other leagues is probably a benefit in this instance. Playing through the summer is the most important thing. MLS has to do it from a growth perspective, and it's impossible to do without the irregular schedule.
MLS is growing just fine, faster than I would have expected.
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