Sir Landon Of Donovan

[Aztattooedfootballfan]

One more MLS thing and then I have a comment about Donovan.

I know that they always talk about bringing a team here in Arizona even if it more realistically started in the smaller USL. They were talking about doing it the same route that Chivas did with ties to a Mexican club.

I would have no problem with that although going after one group of fans(in this case hispanic) might backfire. Mexico National team plays here and huge crowds come out. MLS exhibition is played here and it would be a good way to show support for a small future hope for a team and a small crowd shows up. It was just the hispanic population though that didn't show up. A good soccer family crowd showed up.

I do think that the MLS shouldn't focus much of advertisement on the US soccer mom type of crowd. There should be a section or two of the crowd for the beer drinking, song singing crowd(some songs might have some non PG rated lyrics) to mix in there if you want all the fans of the sport to come out for live events.




Now on to Donovan, I am really digging reading his after match remarks at his facebook page.

 

[SoCalMike]

The Hispanic population is S. Fla is largely Cuban by far. They don't care a bit for futbol.

As a Cuban-American, I'll vouch for that (I'm the exception ) However, the U.S. / Cuba WC qualifier from Havana was well attended, my cousin from Havana went so far as to take a picture of himself holding up an American flag that they borrowed from someone in the U.S. delegation and emailing it over. Simply by sending that picture he literally risked a visit from the commie police there, or may have jeopardized his job in Cuba, but he so wanted to show that he is an American supporter (as well over half the people in Cuba are, they just can't outwardly state it). His sport though is beisbol, although he does follow the Spanish La Liga, his team is Barca.

Miami isn't the best of sports towns, heck the whole south-east U.S. aren't known to be with the exception of the college-towns...

 

[MLS is not quite EPL]

Geees, I get back on here and I am being racked over the coals for the comment that I made.

First, I do not get the Foxsports channel, so the amount of MLS games I could see are diminished. Second, I work two jobs, so that cuts into the time. Third, there is no MLS team in Florida. I did follow and attend the Fusion games before that team went belly up. I attended almost every home game that I could, with my son. Son still owns a Fusion shirt with most all of the players names on it. Fourth, although I am going to get slammed for this, my son who got a scholarship to college to play does not really follow the MLS. He and his friends tune into the games that have x teammates playing. They tend to follow the PL and others. It is unfortunate, but true, in that a lot of soccer fans want to have a stake in a game, to care about who wins or loses, and frankly if the quality of the teams is what was displayed in the MLS final, then the fan base is going to suffer in states without a team. I thus far has not found a team in the MLS that I care about.

I hope the MLS is successful. But, I have a question. Why do you think that a hotbed of soccer, like south Florida had a team fail? I think that it was a good idea, but the hispanic fan base in Florida (that they hoped to tap into), did not attend in numbers. Why? the product was not that great. And the hispanic fans tend to support their home teams. If the Fusion were around today, I would be watching and supporting.

My beef with your argument is with the assumption that for you to "have" a MLS team, it has to be local. You don't live in Liverpool yet you follow Everton. You don't have to follow (or not follow) a MLS team because one isn't in your market.

I grew up in South Florida too, my team is the Dolphins (i'm a huge fan, actually), and i have a lot of roots in Florida. I went to & watched the Fusion games. I think that franchise failed due to piss poor marketing and the overall youth of the MLS at the time. Also, as has been already pointed out, the latin american population of South Florida is largely reluctant to be passionate about soccer outside of their homeland leagues or national teams. Southern California & Texas have this problem with the Mexican population largely failing to embrace the local MLS teams in those markets. Obviously there are Mexican American fans of soccer teams, but the per capita fandom isn't there.

I don't consider Florida a "hotbed" of soccer. Sure there are some quality soccer camps there, but a hotbed? I don't know about that.

I went to the US Open Cup final last fall. Nothing compares to sitting right behind La Barra Brava(in the US that is). They stand and sing the ENTIRE match. Great atmosphere in DC.

that was indeed VERY impressive! I went over to LBB's boards after that match to complement them on their display - i was impressed! I get chills when Qwest Field erupts into the "Seattle...... Sounders" chant. You have to hear it in person to appreciate it, awesome to see such noise at a MLS game.

Thebes - I went to the Fusion games in the late 90's, and i go to the sounders games now. the two experiences could not be more different. You need to give MLS another shot, my man. Pick a team not in your local market, much like you did Everton, and follow them. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

 

[toffeestillidie]

I went to the US Open Cup final last fall. Nothing compares to sitting right behind La Barra Brava(in the US that is). They stand and sing the ENTIRE match. Great atmosphere in DC.

glad someone recognizes it, best fans in mls

 

[TX Bill]

The Fusion didn't work in South Florida because the fans blow (also, who the hell wants to see Carlos Valderrama). They don't support a good baseball team in the Marlins, you can always gets tickets to see the Heat, the Panthers have no fans and while the Dolphins have a good fanbase, it's only when they are good. Hell the Miami Hurricanes have trouble getting fans too.

South Florida has too many New Yorkers down there that just don't give a damn about anything but their New York teams.

Totally off topic but did any of you see that ESPN special on "The U?" It was a two hour program on the rise of the Miami Hurricane football program. I'm not a college football fan at all but it was a great show.

I went to the US Open Cup final last fall. Nothing compares to sitting right behind La Barra Brava(in the US that is). They stand and sing the ENTIRE match. Great atmosphere in DC.

El Battalion and the Texian Army might disagree with you on that.

 

[Maverick]

As a big "U" fan growing up, I absolutely loved the doc on them. That program was soooo dirty

 

[TX Bill]

Michael Irvin cracked me up.

 

[jdeezy]

Michael Irvin cracked me up.

Pun intended??

 

[Maverick]

Michael Irvin cracked me up.

I love how cocky those boys still are

 

[MLS is not quite EPL]

Totally off topic but did any of you see that ESPN special on "The U?" It was a two hour program on the rise of the Miami Hurricane football program. I'm not a college football fan at all but it was a great show.

I still haven't deleted that show from my DVR.

My mom went to the U (I'm a Gator myself), but I always rooted for them growing up, and looking back now..... man! Those guys were nuts! and Luther Campbell is amazing


Now this thread has officially gone off the deep end.

 

[Rook]

I'm a WVU (alma mater) and Pitt (grew up with Pitt season tickets) fan.

I missed that doc and that was the one 30 in 30 doc that I really didn't want to miss. Big CFB fan. Loved the orange bowl where Miami played. So much history there something is missing from the U now that they no longer play there.

 

[MLS is not quite EPL]

the 2001 Hurricane team was arguably the best collegiate team of all time.

 

[BuffaloTF]

El Battalion and the Texian Army might disagree with you on that.

We'll give you a run for your money . RFK is old and was built as a convertible stadium. So what that means for us, our stands are on tracks, and when we get going, that entire side of the stadium literally starts to bounce. So even if you're sitting around minding your own business trying to enjoy the game in peace, you become a part of our bounce.

Moving back to a previous comment about Neville stating Landon is going back. It may be true. Right now MLS is in their labor dispute for new player contract terms. So long as that goes, the company line he needs to maintain is he is returning. Freddie Ljundberg danced around the idea of leaving Settle, and he quickly showed up to training a few days after they were supposed to report since he was dragging on their ability to negotiate. If they settle the terms, look for Landon to stay. Against the norm, Landon gets to pursue his own transfers and loans as per his contract extension. And given a certain reserve amount is met in a bid, he can accept it or deny it. Whether than ends up being their asking price of 10MM USD that they asked Bayern Munich for last year, or something lower or higher, remains to be seen.

 

[Rook]

the 2001 Hurricane team was arguably the best collegiate team of all time.

Miami got lucky against a mediocre Boston College team and barely squeaked by VT that year as well.

The best team I ever saw was Nebraska in 1995. Tommie Frazier the best player in college football at the time didn't even play for most of the season as well thanks to a blood clot.

Plus Tommie was so good that what they did was the equivalent of Florida losing Tebow for 2/3 the season and rolling up scores like this.

Here is what they did to opponents:


Beat Oklahoma State 64-21
Beat Michigan State 50-10
Beat Arizona State 77-28
Beat Pacific 49-7
Beat Washington State 35-21
Beat Missouri 57-0
Beat Ranked No. 8 Kansas State 49-25
Beat Ranked No.7 Colorado 44-21
Beat Iowa State 73-14
Beat NO. 10 Kansas 41-3
Beat Oklahoma 37-0
Beat No. 2 Florida 62-24

 

[chicoazul]

Who's side am I on here?

I like B-more but feel obliged to follow Houston for Bill.