Crew: What ELSE can go wrong?

The defending champs of MLS, whom nobody doubted belonged top last year now sit at 0-2-2.
And what's worse, the team seem to lose a player per match.
Frankie came back injured from the T&T game, Chad now has unspecified head injuries from an elbow to the jaw. That's devastating, considering his past history of concussions. Robbie Rogers still has a bad hammy, Moffat and Noonan STILL out.
Coach tried Ekpo in center mid and he's lost there. It's getting so every time a player goes down on the pitch, the doom and gloom clouds gather.

It must be my fault for using that avatar so I switched back

Meanwhile, Crew fans are in a stupid slagging war with TFC rowdies, STILL, over events from the Toronto match.

 

What else could go wrong? You could be deducted 30 points, for starters.

Give them time. It's not like they can be relegated. And the come-one-come-all p[layoffs aren't for another 6 months.

 

C'mon Steve.. I didnt grouse about it being hopeless. I'm referring to the giant hole being dug in the quest to repeat. And the situation is far different from Luton, to be sure.

Perhaps I should have pointed out that we Crew fans had been proud that the team was apparently so deep all we had to do was keep the roster intact. Injuries have shot that full of holes without us being able to state it might have been different if there was more 'turn-over'.

But what I really dont get is your reference to the playoffs being 'come one-come all'; that's something Franek might write. And totally not justified.

Ask DC United fans.

 

You caught me in a rant -- my least favorite thing about the MLS is the 8 team playoff. Especially in the days when there were 10 teams in the league. That is my least favorite thing about the league -- I perceive games in April as having significantly less meaning than, say, a Prem game in September.

There's too much strength on the Crew's roster, give it a little time.

BTW, my team is rolling! Ianhux, where are you?

 

But there are MORE than ten teams in the league. You are taking a very perverted view, perhaps to suit your views. .. as you say, PERCEIVE!

1. Tell me how 9 points in early April are less important than nine points in September. It may be pretty damn important to many teams.. those who got them and those who lost them.

2. Unlike the Prem, finishing 7th in the league isnt really seen as an accomplishment. How about we apply standards based on the realities.

In the end, though.. when the going gets tough...

 

'fog. Sorry, but it doesn't matter if you finish 2nd or 8th...get into the playoffs and do well, and that's what is remembered (at least per the MLS website). If it wasn't for the Supporter's Shield, no one would even care/remember who had the best record. It's all about the Cup.

Plus, with the parity in the league, its very much like the NBA - teams can coast for the first half of the season then put on a good run and make the playoffs. Once in, its a whole new season. Look at what the Lakers did so many years.

 

How MLS' playoff system went all wrong for me was in 2004, I believe, when the Galaxy stunk all year, got hot in the final 5 games and won the Cup. Why did they even have the regular season? To keep the accountants busy? That has been my biggest gripe about the MLS' playoffs -- all they were was a cash grab.

As the league grows, I can deal w/ an 8 team playoff system, especially if the league goes to 20 teams. That's a little too big for my liking and starts to go into overexpansion a la the NHL, but it's still workable.

I'll even go further and say this -- I was never in WB's view that the league is the MSL or whatever WB says to get a rise out of us, but for 11-12 years, there was no reason to follow the league until September. And if I was a casual fan, as I was for many of those years, not even then -- I didn't know who won the MLS Cup in 2003 for several months after the fact.The fact that I am following the league now, and bought the online service that they have for all the games, is a victory for MLS. All they had to do was give me a reason to watch, and they have in the last few years.

 

Or like RBNY last year. I get that they think marketing like other US sports is the way to go. NASCAR has fallen victim to that thinking with the chase (although the results seem to support the switch) and the NHL has by tinkering with the game to avoid the dreaded tie at all costs.

Maybe it's the smart way to go, but I wonder if being unique in such a crowded marketplace wouldn't be a good thing and come off as something more interesting.

 

Problem with "US sport type marketing" is that 90+% of MLS fans also watch games from other leagues. In some ways, the MLS is competing more with foreign leagues than they are with other US sports.

I suspect I'm not alone in the following:
- while I used to be an avid football fan, my Saturday and Sunday sports viewing is now spent on the EPL.
- I catch a handful of college and pro football games each season; really only the playoffs and bowl games catch my attention.
- I used to be a much bigger NBA fan than I am, but for the last decade have only started watching during the playoffs.
- I've never been a big baseball fan, but do watch at least some playoff games.

Playoffs allows viewers to be lazy and just watch the playoff games. You can't say the same about the EPL season - with promotion/relegation, the UEFA and UCL spots, and the transfer windows, every part of the season has its own significance. Often, it is the particular matchup that matters, more than when in the season it occurs. THAT is how you grow advertising revenue - produce a product that your customers don't want to miss any of. Playoffs is counter-productive to that, unless they have a higher cause (i.e., promotion playoffs).

 

I'll tell you what else can go wrong for the Crew - having to face the 2nd hottest team in the MLS this Saturday, the Rapids.

Colin Clark and Conor Casey for USMNT!

 

Well I've kind of disappeared with the beginning of track season. I'm spending my time whining at my coach about meaningless things for the past month and a half instead of hanging around here.

As for my team I keep on being thrust back into a dream these past three weeks not really expecting victories like those for Seattle. It feels great to be able to say we're top of league.... if only for a short-while. I believe we can be very competitive and nab a playoff spot. But if I'm like a bunch of the ignorant Seattleites and say that we're gonna win the Cup I'd be out of my poor little mind.

As for the playoffs. It has improved the level of play in MLS all season long as more teams are staying in the hunt at the last day of the regular season especially since the league has increased the number of teams.

And the Crew are still going to be a force to be reckoned with. Look at the start Houston had for the seasons when they won back to back Cups. It was not stellar by any means. Oh how I love this league!!!

 

At least you haven't lost to my Fire yet! I mean you will eventually, but take heart that it hasn't happened yet this season.

 

Don, you're idea works in the rest of the world, so it surely will not work in the US.

As for what else can go wrong? You could have football yard lines painted on your pitch and some nice end zone graphics in your goal box.

 

Bradical, you beat me to it. That's right, they have to face the rapids saturday night. I'm just trying not to get too excited for the Rapids. Honestly, every time I watch Conor Casey, I just don't understand how he's out there. he looks slower than my 69 yr old dad. But somehow, he creates chances and pleasantly surprises me. So, congrats for Conor for his Player of Week honors.