I've been wondering...

.. on the old subject of MLS adjusting their season so as to coincide with FIFA constructs:
Let's 'assume we had done.'
And the first half ended Dec 15.
Anyone got a suggestion just when the second half starts?

Eh?

 

Germany starts back up at the end of January.

The Russians are on a US like schedule - March to November.
The Tippeligaen (Norway) is March to November.
Eredivisie (Netherlands) is August to May

Anyway... I like Late July to Mid November, then Mid February to Late May.

 

I say start in February/March, end in August/September.

 

Considering weather considerations, I really don't see how we can do much better than the late March -- mid November that we have. I think a bigger consideration is revamping the playoffs to make the regular season more meaningful. Winning the regular season gives no advantage that I can discern.

 

You can just break from mid-December to end of January (~ 6 weeks) and then adjust the schedule so that the Feb games are not in the northern cities...if even that. An Aug-May schedule with such a break would work, no problem...if it wasn't for the fact that 2 teams share stadiums with the NFL.

 

Steve, that you can say that after the 2009 season boggles the mind. And I'm a Columbus fan.
The best frickin' team won the MLS cup and didnt even qualify until the last game.

 

And I'd say start late February or early March, and end in late August or early September. Extremely limited competition for stadiums, and ratings and drawing competition with pointy football. Plus, the added bonus, the millions of footy and pointy football fans who find baseball about as interesting as paint drying have a very good option.

Baseball = barely a sport.

 

Playing in the cold is better than playing in the heat and humidity.

We can have a winter break to avoid the worst of the snow and cold and then, if local conditions are really bad (like the recent blizzard in Baltimore/DC), you can postpone a game, rescheduling for midweek later in the season, JUST LIKE EUROPE DOES.

We just need to solve the Seattle and New England stadium issues.

 

The only problem with "Just like Europe does" is that soccer is the dominant sport in Europe and TV Execs are going to throw silly money at leagues to broadcast the sport no matter what time of year it is played. In the US however TV rights for soccer matches are just not as valuable if the matches are going to be aired against NFL games. Christian is dead on with analysis of when the games should be played and why they should be played from March to September.

The simple truth of the matter for the MLS is that they will play when they can generate the biggest TV revenues and that is not at the same time the NFL is in season.

 

Huh - all interesting points. To be honest I dont really care what they do as long as they do as all seem to be in favor of: Observe FIFA calendar!

Heat and Humidity make for boring soccer.

Cold and snow make for brutal watching soccer.

It seems obvious they are not going to go to and England schedule - a German schedule seems unlikely... It could be done.

To be honest - I kind of like having the MLS in the summer when the EPL is not going. The weather is great for it in the NW, and it gives me something to follow and go to matches. But yes - we have to observe the calendar... It is a must. Why not have some 2 matches weeks in the schedule around holidays like the christmas and new years weeks in the EPL? That would free up some weekends for FIFA.

 

Don I have never seen you post a more wrong opinion than "WE ARE NOT COMPETING WITH THE NFL FOR VIEWERSHIP". I am the average NFL viewer. In times past had the Prem been on at the same time as the NFL I NEVER would have watched it and I do mean NEVER. However, becasue it came on at an odd time for US sports, namely Saturday mornings, I began watching it and fell in love with the sport. I am a big fan of the MLS but it cannot compete for viewership with Saturday afternoon college football and Sunday afternoon NFL. People are not going to DVR the MLS as an afterthought to football if they never turn it on to begin with.

 

You're forgetting how large a subset of our folks are in the Cleveland area.

Following a European schedule will benefit the players. As it stands, there's really only one transfer window a year where they can move. You'd think the players' union would push more for that.

 

I have to agree with Don - we are NOT competing with the NFL for TV vieweship. The MLS will likely never be bigger than, say, Baseball, when it comes to TV viewership IN THIS COUNTRY. Where the potential lies is in International viewing rights. If we have a league in which the games are played in packed stadiums, with good quality play and top class TV coverage, where we will compete is against the EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga, and Serie A for international TV coverage.

So no, I'm not really worried about NFL or NCAA football. Their audience is what it is and we won't break that for 30 years. We just need there to be SOME coverage, so it can be watched by those who want to. The real treat of top quality soccer is going to the stadium, the fan experience which can only be compared in this country with college sports and even then, rises above them. I'm more concerned about filling our stadiums than about which channel the games are on.