In the latest episode of The Front Row podcast, Steve discusses the new soccer war on the horizon, the role of American antitrust law in the battle, and previous challenges to USSF/FIFA authority.
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Great post… found a new topic on soccer!!!
I love that this podcast has started! Very interesting hearing the nuances of the soccer politics going on and how it built the game as we know it today.
I’m very interested to see where these “soccer wars” end up and hopefully don’t have too much of a negative impact on the game. Also I see the NASL’s point of fighting against the monopoly, but from the NASL play I’ve seen, it’s definitely not on par with MLS. However, this is the first time I’m actually thinking about how quality of play really isn’t the indicator of D1 status as much as meeting infrastructure criteria. Arguably, the quality would improve if granted D1 status from additional funds would be brought in… I don’t know. I guess we’ll just have to keep listening to find out what happens over the next several months/years.
Good podcast… I follow this story so closely as to levitate a feather over pursed lips in my sleep.
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Eiber has a stadium of 6,000 in La Liga.
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There are cities with Tier I clubs in world soccer with a population of <50,000 of which 22,000 of those people attend the home games every week.
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Liga MX has a a pro/rel system based at least on an aggregate of perceived failure… it is a system, flawed as it even is- but infinitely better than the monopoly MLS has forced upon the rapidly growing number of mixed demographic soccer first families in this country…
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This notion of parameters for meeting Tier I status is beyond my reach of understanding… but once again when you do not have a system based on meritocracy, the parent league dictates all the terms for entry into the league- there are no clubs in MLS- if you think that you are rooting for your club sadly, you are hypnotized by Kaa… the name club is a rouge… they are all franchises under the purview of the league… and while this works marvelously for all those sports we are already the best at (which I'd even argue that is the case) and are already developing World Class players as The Gold Standard, it will not work in this particularly outside the standard deviation sport of soccer / futbol / football / calico / votebol… etc etc.
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Our only hope is the steady slow growth of NASL and proper adjudication to grant another league Tier I status. And while the quality is not as good at this point the drive to excellence of an open system would raise the tide of all boats and the quality would improve commensurately as new money is dumped into a REAL system.
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I do not hope against MLS. I hope for 'optionality' to steal from the flawed yet visionary Sam Hinkie… I am for only what is in the best interest of growing the game culturally and organically now that MLS has graciously kickstarted the growth 20 years ago– then decided to seal off all entry for organized local growth.
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One can only sit, spout off as catharsis and hope for intervention.
Remember that the law is bought by and for those with money to contribute to the law makers’ on-going re-election fundraising.
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If Specter had to raise $30,000 everyday starting the day after his election, what does a US Senate seat have to raise daily now?
I was inclined to look at metropolitan area soccer teams and population Statistics.
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If there is a war between NASL and the MLS-USL alliance, NASL is very very poorly positioned. In the US, among the areas with 2,000,000 or more in the greater Metropolitan area, MLS has 16 teams, USL, fourteen, and NASL ten.
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Furthermore, NASL plays fewer games. They generate much less revenue.
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A war would be over very quickly. And I very much doubt that the NASL would reprise the Peter Sellers film, “The Mouse that Roared.”
Thanks, Steve. Much appreciated.