MLS Cup final heading back to Planet Hollywood
by Steve Davis on May 10, 2011 11:53 AM EDT
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Life doesn’t always work the way it should. How else to explain how a show like Joey could last three seasons before someone kicked the plug on that silliness?
In our soccer world, important decisions aren’t always made through high-level board room discussions and execution of prudent marketing plans. Some are – but not all.
Last year at MLS Cup time, a pretty highly placed MLS executive talked to me about the site for Major League Soccer’s 2011 championship. Los Angeles’ next turn on the rotation was coming, he forecasted. Heck, they haven’t had one since waaaay back in 2008.
Sure enough, the league officially awarded MLS Cup 2011 to the Home Depot Center. Could we get a home team in there? The Galaxy is pretty good, after all.
What Mr. MLS Exec told me about the decision making process was this: in a lot of ways, it’s just ground-level politicking, albeit among very high senior level players. There’s a lot of “Hey, Mr. Garber, we haven’t had a championship in our place in a while! When you are going to give us another one?” You know. That kind of thing.
Apparently it works. New stadiums in New York, Philadelphia and Kansas City will sit idle while the Home Depot Center gets its fourth spin of the wheel. Obviously, weather will always be a concern in those places, considering the late November date. Same with Chicago, where Toyota Park has yet to host the final.
On the other hand, Houston has to be an early favorite for 2012, as the Dynamo’s new ground will be open for biz – and the weather in South Texas won’t be much of a concern.
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Unreal...
Seriously? Their 4th MLS Championship game?!?!?! I know weather is a concern….and if that’s the case, just come out and stat that it will never be in a cold state…or, hey, do something logical and play the league at the same time as the rest of the world!
All this in the hopes that LA will be there and have a home game…good lord, how bad do the people making these decisions want to hand Beckham a cup?
Or they could just push it up two weeks.
Early November in Chicago, Kansas City, Philadelphia isn’t exactly balmy, but it isn’t horrible either.
@jschnauzer
Bloggin' at http://joepasdoghouse.com
Woah, woah, woah
Joey really lasted three seasons? I thought it was like three episodes. Damn.
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They are going to have the Super Bowl
in New Jersey in February in a few years. Hell, it wasn’t even that bad in Toronto this year for MLS Cup, for those of us who ventured to the park! Mid November can be viable almost anywhere. Or put it in Vegas!!!!
Chad the Ref
here's an idea
just scrap the MLS cup and go to a single table format. then we won’t have to worry about where to have the cup. playoffs just don’t make any sense in a league where every team plays every other team in the regular season. it makes sense in every other american sport because there are different leagues and divisions. sure, in basketball and football they cross over leagues during the regular season, but every team plays the other teams in its division more than any other. that’s what makes the playoffs and championship interesting, because you see match-ups you haven’t seen yet, or haven’t seen much. the way things are done now, playoffs in MLS are dumb.
by michaeljspinelli on May 10, 2011 6:38 PM EDT reply actions
just to be clear
i’d rather have playoffs than a single table format. single table just isn’t exciting enough without relegation – and the US isn’t anywhere close to being able to sustain a league that relegates/promotes. but i can’t get excited about MLS playoffs until the regular season is more like other american sports (with divisions, or with less crossing over leagues). right now we’re doing it halfway euro style. same kind of regular season, different kind of post-season. pick one, our way or their way? and if you’re going to do playoffs, AT LEAST THINK OF A WAY TO DO IT THAT ISN’T STUPID – like the one that starts this year.
by michaeljspinelli on May 10, 2011 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Playoffs aren't going anywhere
I get your point about the teams playing each other in the regular season, but the whole point of the playoffs is the built in drama. Does the best team always win? Nope, but again that is part of the draw for a lot of casual fans. The chance to see an underdog surprise people. I don’t see a big difference between the MLS playoffs and a league cup competition other than MLS tacks on the playoffs to the end of the season instead squeezing in cup games during the regular season.
I do wish the league did more to put the supporters shield on at least equal footing with the MLS cup though. Market it better. Find a sponsor and give teams a financial incentive. Fans play a part too. MLS is much more receptive to fans than most professional leagues. If the fans are making a big deal out of the supporters shield the league will too. Just because not enough importance is placed on the regular season winner doesn’t mean that playoffs should go away. There’s no reason you can’t have both. Playoffs also serve to keep the interest up at the end of the regular season as well so more games matter so to speak. Without relegation fights that is even more important. Even with relegation there’s no reason to get rid of the excitement of play off games.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
Can we talk about how stupid it is
to put the Final opposite the Giants/Eagles sunday night game, when they did the EXACT SAME THING last year, and the ratings were utterly terrible. Who looked at last year and said “Hey this worked swimmingly, let’s do it again”. Obviously tv ratings aren’t exploding in the near future, but a little growth would be encouraging, and this strategy gives them no chance at all. Garber would love a LA/NY final, but does he really think at this stage that if the Red Bulls make it they would pull NY area viewers away from a Giants game with (probably) serious playoff considerations? Madness.
Your First Ever Pinstripe Bowl Champions- The Syracuse Orange
by bigbluethruandthru on May 11, 2011 10:49 AM EDT reply actions
Great Move
If the Galaxy are in the final.
Otherwise who cares. Here’s an idea, make the final RELEVANT by putting it the city with a team in the final.
The HDC is on the beautiful CSU Dominguez Hills campus in Carson by the way, and Hollywood isn’t a planet, its not even a city man, its just an area of LA.
Don’t ask me what z Dominguez Hill is though because I have no fucking clue.
