Mexico v USA Friendly

[dbackjon]

People say we can't deport all illegal mexicans, which I disagree with but ok, but can we please get rid of those that think they are cowboys? They really annoy me.

Why limit it to just illegals that think they are cowboys?

[citdog]

People say we can't deport all illegal mexicans, which I disagree with but ok, but can we please get rid of those that think they are cowboys? They really annoy me.

Why limit it to just illegals that think they are cowboys?

Because the legal ones are OUR idiots.

[GannonFan]

Uh, Philadelphia Union continue to play to sell out crowds at 18.5k PPL park, and 32k people for an exhibition game last night is still 32k people. And it was only a few weeks ago that 57k people came to the Linc to see the Union play Real Madrid. I haven't seen the Sixers actual attendance but I'm pretty sure the Union have a better season average than they do and throwing in the games at the Linc and the Union start to have a better average than even the Flyers. That would put them close to the 3rd most watched sports team in Philly. Apparently quite a lot of people in Philly are into it.

Yep. While still far behind Europe, the quality of MLS continues to improve every year. And, more and more Americans are realizing its value as a way to beat the summer baseball doldrums.

Let's get real here, baseball attendance in 2011 is only off of last year's average attendance by about 153 people per game. Considering that the Dodgers are almost 8k down per game as they go through a disastrous owner's divorce and hamstringing the team and the Mets are likewise money-strung because of the Madoff mess and they are down almost 3k a game, it's quite clear that baseball is doing extremely well and growing. I'm not sure there's any actual evidence to say that soccer is siphoning away attendance from baseball as you are alluding to.

[Grizalltheway]

Yep. While still far behind Europe, the quality of MLS continues to improve every year. And, more and more Americans are realizing its value as a way to beat the summer baseball doldrums.

Let's get real here, baseball attendance in 2011 is only off of last year's average attendance by about 153 people per game. Considering that the Dodgers are almost 8k down per game as they go through a disastrous owner's divorce and hamstringing the team and the Mets are likewise money-strung because of the Madoff mess and they are down almost 3k a game, it's quite clear that baseball is doing extremely well and growing. I'm not sure there's any actual evidence to say that soccer is siphoning away attendance from baseball as you are alluding to.

I'm not saying that it's 'siphoning' fans away from MLB, just that the bulk of the MLS season takes place when there's not a lot else going on in the American sports world.

[Skjellyfetti]

MLS is growing and MLB is shrinking. I think MLS could outdraw MLB in my lifetime. It won't happen overnight, though.

[EPJr]

People say we can't deport all illegal mexicans, which I disagree with but ok, but can we please get rid of those that think they are cowboys? They really annoy me.

...because as we all know (from hollywood) all cowboys were and are white

[bluehenbillk]

MLS is growing and MLB is shrinking. I think MLS could outdraw MLB in my lifetime. It won't happen overnight, though.

[GannonFan]

MLS is growing and MLB is shrinking. I think MLS could outdraw MLB in my lifetime. It won't happen overnight, though.

Huh?

[Skjellyfetti]

Average MLB attendance is ~30k per game and has been decreasing for several years now. Average MLS attendance is ~17k and has been increasing. You really think it is outside the realm of possibility for MLS to EVER eclipse that?

[bluehenbillk]

Average MLB attendance is ~30k per game and has been decreasing for several years now. Average MLS attendance is ~17k and has been increasing. You really think it is outside the realm of possibility for MLS to EVER eclipse that?

"we're talking about soccer? soccer? we ain't even talkin about a real game, we're talkin about soccer"

Sorry to steal from Allen Iverson but to answer your question......no.

Most MLS stadiums are the size of FCS stadiums anyway....

[Skjellyfetti]

Mexico - US friendly midweek = 5.57 million viewers
Red Sox - Yankees Sunday night = 4.72 million viewers

Sorry to steal from Allen Iverson... but, we talking about practice? A practice soccer scrimmage gets more viewers than the most heated rivalry in baseball? PRACTICE?! We talking bout practice?

Most MLS stadiums are the size of FCS stadiums anyway....

You're right. And, I didn't say it would happen overnight. But, I said in my lifetime. I'm in my early 20's... so, that's 50 years if I'm lucky. I think it's safe to say in 50 years... MLS stadiums will be much larger.

It's not at all that crazy. Soccer is growing in popularity... especially with the younger generation and people my age. You'll be surprised.

[CitadelGrad]

Mexico - US friendly midweek = 5.57 million viewers
Red Sox - Yankees Sunday night = 4.72 million viewers

Sorry to steal from Allen Iverson... but, we talking about practice? A practice soccer scrimmage gets more viewers than the most heated rivalry in baseball? PRACTICE?! We talking bout practice?

This is a useless comparison. I'm a much bigger baseball fan than soccer fan, but I watched the USA/Mexico match and didn't give a crap about the Yankees/Red Sox game. You are talking about two metropolitan areas in a nation of 300 million and the national team of the same nation. That the soccer game got only 800k more viewers than the baseball game is strong evidence that soccer doesn't mean much in the US.

[Skjellyfetti]

The soccer match was also a scrimmage that didn't count for anything.

The baseball match was between two rivals, in the top 2 spots of their division, battling for the division lead... only 1 game separates them.

A whole fucking lot more on the line in the baseball game. Not to mention it was Sunday night primetime vs. midweek.

You say you care more about baseball than soccer... ask yourself why you chose to watch a meaningless soccer game... vs. a very important baseball game.

[Ivytalk]

MLS is growing and MLB is shrinking. I think MLS could outdraw MLB in my lifetime. It won't happen overnight, though.

What an ultramaroon!

[GannonFan]

Average MLB attendance is ~30k per game and has been decreasing for several years now. Average MLS attendance is ~17k and has been increasing. You really think it is outside the realm of possibility for MLS to EVER eclipse that?

Yes, it is outside the realm of possibility. You're just being silly here, and this is from a guy like me who actually likes soccer. Average attendances aren't the best barometer first of all - MLB plays 4x the number of games in a season than MLS does. So that's maybe 20 home games for an MLS team versus 82 for a baseball team - the fact that MLB is pulling in twice the average attendance than soccer and doing it with that many more games is pretty significant. MLB attendance has dipped each of the past few years since 2007, but it's well documented that the main dip happened in 2008 with the onset of the recession and it hasn't dipped appreciably since then. It's also further well documented that both LA and the Mets are having incredibly down periods - considering these are the two biggest markets in the country it's actually fascinating for MLB that they are holding steady on average attendance - pretty much speaks to the strength of the brand. As for MLS, hey, again, I'm a fan, but the largest reason for average attendance increases in MLS is solely because of one team - Seattle. Seattle's attendance was up 17%, and has been increasin every year. At some point, obviously, Seattle's going to run out of room to grow and MLS's attendance increases slow down.

[Skjellyfetti]

Average attendances aren't the best barometer first of all - MLB plays 4x the number of games in a season than MLS does.

How is that not the best barometer? My original statement was - "I think MLS could outdraw MLB in my lifetime." - Meaning, I think MLS's average attendance could eclipse the MLB's in my lifetime.

That's the ONLY barometer.

Yeah, I know MLB plays more games than MLS... but, that doesn't change anything.

As for MLS, hey, again, I'm a fan, but the largest reason for average attendance increases in MLS is solely because of one team - Seattle. Seattle's attendance was up 17%, and has been increasin every year. At some point, obviously, Seattle's going to run out of room to grow and MLS's attendance increases slow down.

First, that's not true. This is Portland's first season in MLS and they're averaging close to 20k. That increases MLS's attendance.

Second, yeah... if the Sounders keep growing they will eventually tap out QWEST Field.... at 67,000

Third, everything you've posted is why they won't surpass MLB in attendance any time soon. And I agree with that. I'm talking longrange-- decades. As MLS grows, better international players come in, US national team improves, etc. etc. soccer should grow at a huge rate over the next few decades. Soccer attendance will grow... and it doesn't even have to grow all that much to surpass baseball.

The average only needs to increase 13,000. That's very, very attainable when you start talking decades.

[clenz]

Soccer's polularity will continue to grow....because of the Mexicans.

[CitadelGrad]

The soccer match was also a scrimmage that didn't count for anything.

The baseball match was between two rivals, in the top 2 spots of their division, battling for the division lead... only 1 game separates them.

A whole fucking lot more on the line in the baseball game. Not to mention it was Sunday night primetime vs. midweek.

You say you care more about baseball than soccer... ask yourself why you chose to watch a meaningless soccer game... vs. a very important baseball game.

It was a rivalry match that counts for world rankings.

Each team plays 162 games each year. The Red Sox and Yankees will play each other a lot between now and the end of the season.

Nobody outside of Boston or New York gives a shit about the Yankees vs. Red Sox.

I watched the soccer game instead of the baseball game because I'm a Cardinal fan who doesn't give a shit about the Yankees or Red Sox. Also, the USMNT plays so few times on TV that I would have been compelled to watch it over any baseball game except for a Cardinal game.

[MSUDuo]

Skjelly,

There is one problem with all that. More and more MLS teams are building soccer specific stadiums that aren't anywhere near the capacity to match or eclipse the average attendance of MLB.

11 teams now have soccer specific stadiums and the largest one is The Home Depot Center in LA. Only 2 are over 25k, the other being in NYC.

Very few of the areas are hotbeds for soccer. Seattle could keep growing its attendance. KC, Toronto, San Jose, Philly, etc. are probably not going to be expanding anytime soon.

Baseball may fall some more but even if it gets down to around 27k, that is still well above what MLS can top out at.

FWIW, I am a completely devoted soccer fan. I would love to see the MLS continue to grow and take over as the #4 sport in America with the way hockey and American golf continue to fall.

[SDHornet]

Soccer's polularity will continue to grow....because of the Mexicans.

This. And there were definitely more Mexico fans in the stand than US fans from the green I noticed from the telecast...unless those were Eagle fans thinking the "futbol" game was a "football" game. But who really gives a shit...its fucking soccer.

[GannonFan]

Average attendances aren't the best barometer first of all - MLB plays 4x the number of games in a season than MLS does.

How is that not the best barometer? My original statement was - "I think MLS could outdraw MLB in my lifetime." - Meaning, I think MLS's average attendance could eclipse the MLB's in my lifetime.

That's the ONLY barometer.

Yeah, I know MLB plays more games than MLS... but, that doesn't change anything.

Wow, super logic there. That of course means that the NFL is a distant second at best in terms of popularity and drawing power in the US in terms of sports. Obviously, the biggest passion in the US is open-wheel Indy Car racing. I mean, they average something like 100k+ people per event. Who cares that only one of those events draws a ton of people (the Indy 500 and getting 250k-300k for that one race), and that there's only a handful of races in a year, it's the average that matters. Yeah, so baseball has 10x-14x the number of fans attending per year than soccer, that's just a mirage, it's the average that matters. Like I said, super logic there.