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View Full Version : FIFA president Blatter says MLS needs to adopt int'l calendar to compete



Pachuco
06-18-2009, 10:19 AM
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has a message for MLS: Adopt the international calendar if you want to see American soccer improve internationally.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/06/18/2009-06-18_fifa_president_sepp_blatter.html


Is Blatter stupid? He goes on to say that the only problem with playing in the winter is competing with the NFL. So if MLS had their own stadiums then that wouldn't be an issue. Is he that big of a moron that he doesn't realize THE WEATHER is the biggest problem we would have? Unless all those stadiums have domes (which = no grass) then how could he not mention the weather?

Oh I got an idea, let's get rid of Toronto, Chicago, New England, DC United and only play footie in the south.

SilverSamurai
06-18-2009, 10:23 AM
We could have grass in a dome, but the costs of keeping the thing lit all the time would def. not be cheap. Although if they put in a turbine or had it solar powered it would not only pay itself off but would also be "green" and could possibly also help to power some of the stadium too.

Well you wanted a roof... ;)

InTheCrowd
06-18-2009, 10:25 AM
Blatter obviously doesn't know what it's like on this side of the pond. He's corrupt to. :mad5:

trane
06-18-2009, 10:27 AM
Playing to the International Calendar does not mean playing in winter. Sweden, Norway and I belive Denmark play the same or similar season as Canada. However, their schedule accomodates international FIFA dates.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 10:34 AM
I really hope that's what he means, because otherwise, he's more of a dumbass than I already thought he was.

Pachuco
06-18-2009, 10:34 AM
Playing to the International Calendar does not mean playing in winter. Sweden, Norway and I belive Denmark play the same or similar season as Canada. However, their schedule accomodates international FIFA dates.

I only looked one up to validate what you were saying. According to Wiki, Sweden plays their season at the same time as MLS

There are 16 clubs in Allsvenskan, increased from 14 participants from 2008 onwards. During the course of a season (starting in March and ending in October) each club plays the others twice (home and away) for a total of 30 games. The two lowest placed teams at the end of the season are relegated to Superettan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superettan) and the top two teams from Superettan were promoted in their place. The third lowest team in Allsvenskan plays a relegation/promotion play-off against the third placed team in Superettan.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 10:36 AM
I'm sure the Russian and Ukrainian leagues also play through the summer, but I bet they take a break during the World Cup.

rocker
06-18-2009, 10:37 AM
But Sweden, Norway and Denmark don't have playoffs like the MLS does.

the schedules take place on approximately the same number of months (March to Nov.). But MLS's whole final month is designated for playoffs towards the MLS Cup. So regular season games have to be over by mid-November to allow that to happen.

The Norway/Denmark/Sweden Leagues have a whole extra month in the same number of months to schedule matches.

If MLS just had to schedule 30 games between March and November, it would be a very different story.

Beach_Red
06-18-2009, 10:37 AM
Is Blatter stupid? He goes on to say that the only problem with playing in the winter is competing with the NFL. So if MLS had their own stadiums then that wouldn't be an issue.

As long as MLS wouldn't play on Sundays or Mondays, they would be okay and might still get games on TV. There might even be some media coverage on other days.

Going up against the NFL would be a mistake.

Pachuco
06-18-2009, 10:37 AM
Playing to the International Calendar does not mean playing in winter. Sweden, Norway and I belive Denmark play the same or similar season as Canada. However, their schedule accomodates international FIFA dates.

And for the heck of it I checked Norway as well. According to Wiki, they play the same times as MLS and the Swedish league.

I realize it's wiki, but do you have a source that says otherwise?

mdc 77
06-18-2009, 10:39 AM
Playing to the International Calendar does not mean playing in winter. Sweden, Norway and I belive Denmark play the same or similar season as Canada. However, their schedule accomodates international FIFA dates.

Exactly...some of the blame has to rest on MLS here for not accommodating the international schedule. Really MLS doesn't do much at all to accommodate FIFA dates. This is what you get from an American run league, it would be un-American to work with others. ;)

Toronto Ruffrider
06-18-2009, 10:40 AM
Blatter is an idiot, plain and simple. Every now and again he says this garbage, with little or no knowledge of the climate on this side of the Atlantic. Has Blatter ever been north of the Mason-Dixon line between late November and March?

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 10:40 AM
No, he's saying they play through the summer as well, but don't play on international dates.

denime
06-18-2009, 10:40 AM
Russian Premier league with 16 teams started on March 14 and will end up on Nov.29.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 10:40 AM
But Sweden, Norway and Denmark don't have playoffs like the MLS does.

the schedules take place on approximately the same number of months (March to Nov.). But MLS's whole final month is designated for playoffs towards the MLS Cup. So regular season games have to be over by mid-November to allow that to happen.

The Norway/Denmark/Sweden Leagues have a whole extra month in the same number of months to schedule matches.

If MLS just had to schedule 30 games between March and November, it would be a very different story.
Easy solution, then... trash the playoffs! I'd be happy...

denime
06-18-2009, 10:42 AM
Exactly...some of the blame has to rest on MLS here for not accommodating the international schedule. Really MLS doesn't do much at all to accommodate FIFA dates. This is what you get from an American run league, it would be un-American to work with others. ;)
+1

Pretty much,American ignorance strikes again

InTheCrowd
06-18-2009, 10:43 AM
Playing to the International Calendar does not mean playing in winter. Sweden, Norway and I belive Denmark play the same or similar season as Canada. However, their schedule accomodates international FIFA dates.

In the article it mentions:


The MLS season runs from March to November. The international calendar runs from August/September through May, which includes a Christmas and winter break.Not to mention that Blatter said:


You are not in the good international season, specifically in Europe and some other countries.Norway, Sweden and Denmark are exceptions. He's obviously referring to the most common European schedule.

Then Sepp said:


What is the result? The result is that you do not attract star players to play for six-seven months with the exceptional case of [David] Beckham]. On the other hand, your best players are in Europe. Wow. I'm sure that if we could afford to pay salaries that are offered to players in Europe we'd attract many more "star players". Oh wait, unfortunately we can't go giving players huge salaries like in Europe because on this side of the pond we have a very small salary cap.

Pachuco
06-18-2009, 10:44 AM
No, he's saying they play through the summer as well, but don't play on international dates.

Ahh ok I missed what Trane was saying.

But that's not what Blatter is saying according to the article.


The MLS season runs from March to November. The international calendar runs from August/September through May, which includes a Christmas and winter break.
Blatter added that "as long as they are in this procedure, I said no, no, they should (have] it the other way.

Beach_Red
06-18-2009, 10:45 AM
+1

Pretty much,American ignorance strikes again

Someday you will regret America getting on board with the rest of the world ;).

rocker
06-18-2009, 10:45 AM
Easy solution, then... trash the playoffs! I'd be happy...

Whether that's a solution (i wouldn't mind if playoffs were gone), it's still the reality of MLS now.

thus the comparison with Norway and Sweden can't be made.

They play 30 games March to November. MLS plays 30 games March to October.

I'm too lazy to figure it out, but do 4 Scandanavian teams in each league play in Champions league? Do 4 Scandanavian teams play in their own version of Superliga? Do Scananavian teams have their own Voyaguers Cup?

Some MLS teams play 40-50 games between March and November. That's the comparison that has to be made with Scandanavian teams. Not 30 games from March to November.

InTheCrowd
06-18-2009, 10:46 AM
No, he's saying they play through the summer as well, but don't play on international dates.

Unfortunately for him, he's not. Which makes him sound like a complete doorknob!

denime
06-18-2009, 10:47 AM
Someday you will regret America getting on board with the rest of the world ;).

No, I wont that's for sure.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 10:49 AM
This is what you get from an American run league, it would be un-American to work with others. ;)
Spot on right there. :D Socialism, oh noes!

denime
06-18-2009, 10:55 AM
Whether that's a solution (i wouldn't mind if playoffs were gone), it's still the reality of MLS now.

thus the comparison with Norway and Sweden can't be made.

They play 30 games March to November. MLS plays 30 games March to October.

I'm too lazy to figure it out, but do 4 Scandanavian teams in each league play in Champions league? Do 4 Scandanavian teams play in their own version of Superliga? Do Scananavian teams have their own Voyaguers Cup?

Some MLS teams play 40-50 games between March and November. That's the comparison that has to be made with Scandanavian teams. Not 30 games from March to November.

Actually they do have Swedish Cup (98 teams) + Royal League a tournament of twelve teams from Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The winners of the tournament are declared Scandinavian Champions. And UFEA Cups

Russia has League(30 games)+ Russian Cup +UEFA Cups


Weather is a LAME Excuse for MLS not to follow FIFA dates,other things might be considered but not weather and Number of games.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 11:10 AM
^Spot on, every other league has Cup competitions to take into account as well. Number of games isn't a valid excuse. I'm sure the Russian league gets at least 1 CL spot and 2-3 UEFA Cup spots, as well as their own domestic cup competition(s).

TFC07
06-18-2009, 11:35 AM
It can work if MLS decides to play 2 games per week.

trane
06-18-2009, 11:46 AM
No, he's saying they play through the summer as well, but don't play on international dates.

Thanks. I was trying to figure out, were the contradiction was.

trane
06-18-2009, 11:47 AM
Unfortunately for him, he's not. Which makes him sound like a complete doorknob!

Acctualy I am. What point do you think I am making?

trane
06-18-2009, 11:49 AM
Ahh ok I missed what Trane was saying.

But that's not what Blatter is saying according to the article.


The MLS season runs from March to November. The international calendar runs from August/September through May, which includes a Christmas and winter break.

Blatter added that "as long as they are in this procedure, I said no, no, they should (have] it the other way.


No clearly we cannot play trough the winter. But there shuold be a way to accomodate it better, then we do presently. Most US supporters that I have heard, feel the same.

Redcoe15
06-18-2009, 11:50 AM
Sepp Blatter: :frown2: :out:

rocker
06-18-2009, 11:54 AM
but guys, think about this for a second. those tournaments other countreis play are played concurrently with the season. They are spread out over the season.
MLS teams play in competitions concurrently PLUS they must get all league game done before the final month of playable weather.

The playoffs in MLS must occur after the season.

No scandanavian league has to get all their league games done BEFORE playoffs begin. They are able to play all their league games right up until our MLS Cup time.

It cannot be compared.

Yes, we can eliminate the playoffs and all would be well. But you guys know that would not happen in America.

I would love to see MLS completely shut down on FIFA dates. But that's essentially saying we should take

week off in march

week of in june

week off in august

week off in september

week off in october

Impossible to do that and still fit the playoffs in.

InTheCrowd
06-18-2009, 12:24 PM
Acctualy I am. What point do you think I am making?

I'm talking about Blatter lol.

mighty_torontofc_2008
06-18-2009, 12:37 PM
Blatter why could you have not hosted this confederations cup in January to not interupt the MLS season? have the Euro teams make concessions for this tournament
not the teams from the americas,. same goes for Concacaf too play the gold cup in February..

Beach_Red
06-18-2009, 12:39 PM
Impossible to do that and still fit the playoffs in.

When MLS gets stronger and international play becomes more important, it won't need the playoffs anymore.

This should be the goal that the league is going for, but we'll have to understand and accept it's new for North American sports and won't happen overnight. None of the other four team sports in NA have international club play - I wish they did and someday at least hockey and basketball should - but right now it isn't valued that much by NA fans.

But it'll happen someday.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 12:43 PM
Hey, in every North American sport but hockey, there's no international play at all, unless you count the baseball classic or whatever which I don't think many care about. If you think about it, worldwide, hockey is the biggest North American sport becauese it's the only one that's really played at a high level on more than one continent.

Beach_Red
06-18-2009, 12:52 PM
Basketball in other parts of the world is catching up to the US. I think baseball is actually on the decline in a lot of places.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 12:54 PM
Basketball in other parts of the world is catching up to the US. .
That's because American players are more concerned with doing sick dribbling moves and shoe advertisements than learning to pass, shoot and play their position properly.

Beach_Red
06-18-2009, 12:58 PM
That's because American players are more concerned with doing sick dribbling moves and shoe advertisements than learning to pass, shoot and play their position properly.

:D

Or it might have something to do with the rest of the world catching up. If they can turn out soccer players all over the world there's no reason they can't turn out basketball players.

of course, the same goes for the US and soccer players - if they ever start taking soccer as seriously as they do American football and basketball they might actually be good.

ExiledRed
06-18-2009, 01:10 PM
But Sweden, Norway and Denmark don't have playoffs like the MLS does.

the schedules take place on approximately the same number of months (March to Nov.). But MLS's whole final month is designated for playoffs towards the MLS Cup. So regular season games have to be over by mid-November to allow that to happen.

The Norway/Denmark/Sweden Leagues have a whole extra month in the same number of months to schedule matches.

If MLS just had to schedule 30 games between March and November, it would be a very different story.

Well they could make a start by scrapping the ridiculous all-star pageant.

Then they could limit the number of meaningless international friendlies.

I'm sure that would free some schedule space up.

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 01:19 PM
^I like the All Star game, but it only adds to the fixture congestion, that's a good point.

flatpicker
06-18-2009, 01:33 PM
Well they could make a start by scrapping the ridiculous all-star pageant.

Then they could limit the number of meaningless international friendlies.

I'm sure that would free some schedule space up.

agreed... if they are so determined to have international friendlies, then don't include MLS teams in the games.
Just have one or two friendlies as part of the season ticket package, but make both teams international invitees.

and yes, dump the All-Star game.

All-Star games are decent in hockey, basketball, and baseball, because each of those leagues employ the best players in the world.
So it's worth showcasing that talent.
But in MLS, we don't have that level of star power, so why bother holding it?

SilverSamurai
06-18-2009, 01:51 PM
I'd have a game a game on Wed (before Int. date), nothing on the weekend. And then a game on the following Wed and Sat, then go back to weekly.
It's not perfect but it keeps the games flowing while being able to stop for FIFA dates.
You might miss the odd starter or have them limited somewhat for the returning game but it helps the schedule out.

You can't really get rid of the allstar game though, since every league has it in US and Canada. If you had the allstar game at the end of the season, you'd be limited by where it could be held.

And I'm totally against getting rid of playoffs. It's exciting to see if theirs an upset which does happen from time to time. Basing it on points seems so anti-dramatic. Sure I'd like to see TFC win the supporters shield, but I think the MLS Cup is far more important.

flatpicker
06-18-2009, 01:56 PM
I'm not against the playoffs either.

To me, the playoffs are kinda like a small version of the FA Cup, where lower ranked teams get a chance to upset top teams.
- though, I would also rather see two-tier MLS that included teams from USL (with a relegation playoff)
- then a proper FA Cup style playoffs in place of the current format.

But that's a whole other discussion!


The one thing that gives me hope is that America is not the big kid on the block in soccer.
America likes to do things its own way, but it can get away with it in other sports.
In soccer though, the whole world pretty much has its way of doing things, which might put more pressure on MLS to follow the leader.

RPB_RED_NATION_RPB
06-18-2009, 02:03 PM
Get rid of the playoffs focus on the SHIELD!!!!!!......and still use MLS cup as a League cup format..! PLay it throughout the season....instead of a season end playoffs!

I_AM_CANADIAN
06-18-2009, 02:05 PM
I'd have a game a game on Wed (before Int. date), nothing on the weekend. And then a game on the following Wed and Sat, then go back to weekly.
It's not perfect but it keeps the games flowing while being able to stop for FIFA dates.
You might miss the odd starter or have them limited somewhat for the returning game but it helps the schedule out.

You can't really get rid of the allstar game though, since every league has it in US and Canada. If you had the allstar game at the end of the season, you'd be limited by where it could be held.

And I'm totally against getting rid of playoffs. It's exciting to see if theirs an upset which does happen from time to time. Basing it on points seems so anti-dramatic. Sure I'd like to see TFC win the supporters shield, but I think the MLS Cup is far more important.
The rest of the world 'bases it on points', and in a league like MLS where all the teams are at varying levels of mediocrity, it could produce some exciting finishes. A team stealing away the title at the end of the season by a point or two is always pretty dramatic- and a team that consistently is the best throughout the season deserves to win the title.

I think far too often in North American sports we place the value of excitement higher than the value of fairness and integirty. When I told people I talk to from Europe that the NHL had introduced a shootout in the regular season, they were disgusted, because they said a draw is a fair result if two teams match each other evenly, and I agree. It's the same thing here in my opinion, the playoffs may be more exciting, but I don't think we should throw the season table out the window in October, and in MLS where literally any team can get into the playoffs in any given year, that's essentially what happens.

ensco
06-18-2009, 04:14 PM
All FIFA cares about is getting more TV revenues, and FIFA mandarins are frustrated that they're not getting them for a top 20 team in a massive market.

Blatter has a point, but has cause and effect backwards on the more fundamental issue:

It would clearly be better to go to a spring and fall schedule, with a break in between like the Bundesliga does, because the international games really help make the sport matter, and right now they're off cycle for MLS.

But players going to Europe, and teams not controlling their stadiums, and playing March-November, are all outcomes of the following fact: total MLS revenues are miniscule.

You won't get the former until the latter is fixed. Not the other way around.

SilverSamurai
06-18-2009, 04:23 PM
The rest of the world 'bases it on points', and in a league like MLS where all the teams are at varying levels of mediocrity, it could produce some exciting finishes. A team stealing away the title at the end of the season by a point or two is always pretty dramatic- and a team that consistently is the best throughout the season deserves to win the title.

I think far too often in North American sports we place the value of excitement higher than the value of fairness and integirty. When I told people I talk to from Europe that the NHL had introduced a shootout in the regular season, they were disgusted, because they said a draw is a fair result if two teams match each other evenly, and I agree. It's the same thing here in my opinion, the playoffs may be more exciting, but I don't think we should throw the season table out the window in October, and in MLS where literally any team can get into the playoffs in any given year, that's essentially what happens.
But North America is not the same... (The Spanish countries are the exception here)
Playoffs are in every major league here.

I do think shootouts in hockey are stupid though.

Keep it as it is now. Whoever wins the league, gets a berth into the Champions League. Just make the $$$ prize fair to the players. Gives them incentive to play.

pubboy
06-18-2009, 04:50 PM
But North America is not the same... (The Spanish countries are the exception here)
Playoffs are in every major league here.

I do think shootouts in hockey are stupid though.

Keep it as it is now. Whoever wins the league, gets a berth into the Champions League. Just make the $$$ prize fair to the players. Gives them incentive to play.

I think that's the point. They should change !

Canary Canuck
06-18-2009, 04:57 PM
Hey, in every North American sport but hockey, there's no international play at all, unless you count the baseball classic or whatever which I don't think many care about. If you think about it, worldwide, hockey is the biggest North American sport becauese it's the only one that's really played at a high level on more than one continent.

I don't mean to get off topic here but Basketball is actually the 2nd biggest team sport on the planet by a mile. It's not viewed that way only because the best league in the world is right here in North America so you never hear about anything else. Pro basketball is played all over latin america, all over europe and throughout asia and australia. Not even cricket and rugby have anything close to its professional reach. Hockey has the illusion of being a bigger sport than basketball worldwide due to the huge coverage that international tournaments get here in Canada. The truth is the sport hardly exists outside of countries with sufficient wealth and climate to play it.