http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/...can-teens/

That's not surprising, since more American teens play soccer than baseball. MLB is becoming primarily Hispanic, with a sprinkling of Japanese and Americans to round out the lineup.

I played both growing up, and hockey during the winter. Switched to Rugby and Racing in High School.

I don't enjoy the MLS more than MLB, simply because the quality isn't that great (much better than in the past, but still a ways to go), but the EPL is right up there with MLB for me.

I was a season ticket holder for the Chicago Fire for a few years. I always had a great time and think there is plenty of potential for growth.

My hope is that the quality of play improves.

Soccer is booming due to the heavily influence of hispanic immigrants the last 40 years and it's a much more convenient game to watch (rarely goes over 2 hours). The MLB needs to find ways to speed games up. They eithe rneed to enforce the time between pitches rules (especially on the Red Sox) or they need to take less commercial breaks between innings. I think they should shoot for average games to range between 2:20 and 2:40 in length.

(05-07-2014 11:06 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Soccer is booming due to the heavily influence of hispanic immigrants the last 40 years and it's a much more convenient game to watch (rarely goes over 2 hours). The MLB needs to find ways to speed games up. They eithe rneed to enforce the time between pitches rules (especially on the Red Sox) or they need to take less commercial breaks between innings. I think they should shoot for average games to range between 2:20 and 2:40 in length.

Baseball makes its comeback as Moms start encourages their kids to do something other than football. But you are correct regarding the time in baseball. My suggestion would be to automate as much of the game as possible and eliminate the roll of the umpires from a decision making POV.

Soccer still has a lot of problems though....

I think its having a hard time making itself an identifiable product to the U.S. The World Cup is something everyone can rally around, and its fairly simple to follow. The MLS is confusing and looks very contrived....

1) When is the season actually??? Sports in America are easily organized by season, so that everyone knows when they occur....Football in the fall, then Basketball, with March Madness, then the NBA Playoffs, and Baseball throughout the summer. I'm not exactly sure WHEN Soccer starts or ends?? But the MLS needs to take advantage of the summer lull....the period right after the NBA playoffs, and before college football starts. Ideally they should kick off the season in May and wrap it up in August....(maybe they already do this? I don't know)

2) Quit trying to be European in nature....be American soccer....Toronto FC?? Sporting Kansas City?? what???

3) Please don't be the MLB and NBA and try and play games during the week days....who is going to go to these games?? Copy what the NFL does, and make Sunday Soccer day....its a real schedule that working class people can identify with.

4) Make it regional. Getting Soccer in some big name cities is critical....New York, Chicago, LA, Texas, Florida....but don't try and be the NFL or NBA. Get your big market teams, and surround them with regional teams. For example, you've got the LA Galaxy....surround them with teams close by. Anaheim, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego. Houston Dynamo? make a division BASED on them and add Austin Nightbats, Rio Grande, San Antonio, Corpus. It seems too big and spread out right now...

5) Make the season fairly short, followed by a huge extensive playoff....something similar to the world cup? but maybe a double loss tournament?

6) Lastly, advertise better!!!! and sign on with someone like FoxSports. Have a simple product and image that is easy to relate to....

Just my 2 cents on the MLS....they need to take advantage of the boom in interest in soccer. What they have right now though isn't a winning prodcut

(07-03-2014 08:49 AM)EvilVodka Wrote:  1) When is the season actually??? Sports in America are easily organized by season, so that everyone knows when they occur....Football in the fall, then Basketball, with March Madness, then the NBA Playoffs, and Baseball throughout the summer. I'm not exactly sure WHEN Soccer starts or ends?? But the MLS needs to take advantage of the summer lull....the period right after the NBA playoffs, and before college football starts. Ideally they should kick off the season in May and wrap it up in August....(maybe they already do this? I don't know)

well, looking at the Houston Dynamo's schedule, it looks like the season is from March to October....

Sorry MLS, but when football comes around, no one is going to give 2 chits about soccer.....wrap it up in August, while everyone is waiting around

(05-07-2014 12:48 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 11:06 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Soccer is booming due to the heavily influence of hispanic immigrants the last 40 years and it's a much more convenient game to watch (rarely goes over 2 hours). The MLB needs to find ways to speed games up. They eithe rneed to enforce the time between pitches rules (especially on the Red Sox) or they need to take less commercial breaks between innings. I think they should shoot for average games to range between 2:20 and 2:40 in length.

Baseball makes its comeback as Moms start encourages their kids to do something other than football. But you are correct regarding the time in baseball. My suggestion would be to automate as much of the game as possible and eliminate the roll of the umpires from a decision making POV.

I think this is actually where basketball begins to shine. There are far more recognizable NBA stars than there are in any other sport and the NBA is about to enter a juicy new TV deal (with ESPN most likely).
Basketball is also well paced and can be played in basically every school in the country.

I heard a stat somewhere recently saying that basketball is the second most popular sport in the world and will only continue to grow. It is amazing at how good other countries have gotten since the Dream Team just shredded everyone in 92. The current Spanish team roster has quite an impressive list of good NBA players.

Baseball is big in the Northern suburbs of Atlanta, thanks to the Braves not sucking
over the last twenty years and the many big name MLB players from metro Atlanta.
In this area, swim teams and Lacrosse are more popular than soccer.

Soccer is HUGE in the Dallas area, at least with kids. There are hundreds of leagues for every skill set (from beginners to kids getting college scholarships).

(07-03-2014 09:49 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 12:48 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 11:06 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Soccer is booming due to the heavily influence of hispanic immigrants the last 40 years and it's a much more convenient game to watch (rarely goes over 2 hours). The MLB needs to find ways to speed games up. They eithe rneed to enforce the time between pitches rules (especially on the Red Sox) or they need to take less commercial breaks between innings. I think they should shoot for average games to range between 2:20 and 2:40 in length.

Baseball makes its comeback as Moms start encourages their kids to do something other than football. But you are correct regarding the time in baseball. My suggestion would be to automate as much of the game as possible and eliminate the roll of the umpires from a decision making POV.

I think this is actually where basketball begins to shine. There are far more recognizable NBA stars than there are in any other sport and the NBA is about to enter a juicy new TV deal (with ESPN most likely).
Basketball is also well paced and can be played in basically every school in the country.

I heard a stat somewhere recently saying that basketball is the second most popular sport in the world and will only continue to grow. It is amazing at how good other countries have gotten since the Dream Team just shredded everyone in 92. The current Spanish team roster has quite an impressive list of good NBA players.

But the roster spots in the NBA are limited and of have the requirement of needing to be at least 6'2". I expect soccer to get some players from the decline of football but I think that baseball, if they are strategic in the changes needed, can position itself for a resurgence. We'll have to see how the new commissioner acts.