7,416 @ New England (season average - 13,732) ... LOWEST HOME ATTENDANCE ALL SEASON BY ALMOST 2000
11,499 @ RSL (season average - 16,375) ... LOWEST HOME ATTENDANCE ALL SEASON
why has this happened???
Playoff Attendance - What is Happening?
7,416 @ New England (season average - 13,732) ... LOWEST HOME ATTENDANCE ALL SEASON BY ALMOST 2000
11,499 @ RSL (season average - 16,375) ... LOWEST HOME ATTENDANCE ALL SEASON
why has this happened???
its always like that. New England got 5000 last year.
Animals Eaten:
pig, cow, lamb, moose, chicken, quail, kudu, ostrich, kangaroo, octopus, alligator, rabbit, shark, springbok, goat, bison, boar, caterpillars, turkey, fish, lobster, crab, oyster, prawn, antelope, camel, eel, squid
Lots of empties at last night's Raps game too. I think its a trend all over.
Let's not discount the poor economy as a reason for empty seats, though. Entertainment is usually the first thing to go from the budget when times are tough.
ok why was it the lowest home attendance of the season for these two teams???
Because playoff tickets are extra to season tickets.
For some reason MLS playoffs don't generate huge attendance figures, well they haven't in the past.
Plus, unless you're a die hard Revs or Pats fan, would you want to be spending a cold, rainy day in November at Gillette stadium?
Cool Weather, NFL Season, Short notice for games due to last minute playoff race, Maybe poor marketing or economics...
There are a lot more sporting or entertainment options at this time of the year for the causal fan who may go to a game or two in the summer.
Makes one wonder if we need the playoff system to grow the league...
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
I was thinking that.Originally Posted by Fort York Redcoat
But with Seattle and Toronto in the league I'm sure playoffs numbers would be great.
Oh wait...
TV ratings.
they probaby aren't any good right now (I haven't checked) but if the league can get big TV ratings for the MLS final that will really help it grow. Right now it's a lot easier sell one "event" game instead of thirty regular season games.
It's what the NFL did with the Super Bowl. That seems to be doing okay now...
NHL numbers are also lower. 11K showed up to the Colorado game, and It's INDOORS
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. The MLS finals the next Super Bowl. Cheerleaders. All we need is one of those bearded, honky tonk guys to say " It's MLS on Maonday night!"
If this be the case should they not be shrinkning the playoff rounds no one watches and get to the all saving Final?
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Last week on The Bing Bang Theory Sheldon said, "They love every kind of football in Texas, pro football, college football, high school, pee wee, every kind except the original, European football, they think that's a communist plot."
But that's Americans. If soccer is going to go big, then yeah, it's going to look like every other big sport in America. Soccer doesn't look exactly the same in every country in the world, does it?
What they really need to do is get college soccer going bigger. That's what basketball did.
You mean open it up to gambling and hold a huge tournament every March?
Yes.
Well, maybe have the tournament in a different month, but yeah, that's the idea.
Attendance is always bad in the playoffs.
Its a symptom of MLS' pitiful 'family day out' approach to marketing their product.
Last edited by ilikemusic; 11-05-2009 at 03:24 PM.
I think the MLS has to go with a CUP to be played during the season (HOME AND AWAY).....as a league CUP...and then the MLS CUP be awarded to the 1st place team during the SEASON!...
TIME FOR A SINGLE TABLE!
RID THE PLAYOFFS
Last edited by RPB_RED_NATION_RPB; 11-05-2009 at 03:30 PM.
They could call it the "Footy Four".Yes.
Well, maybe have the tournament in a different month, but yeah, that's the idea
We already have the Supporters' Shield as our league trophy.I think the MLS has to go with a CUP to be played during the season (HOME AND AWAY).....as a league CUP...and then the MLS CUP be awarded to the 1st place team during the SEASON!...
TIME FOR A SINGLE TABLE!
RID THE PLAYOFFS
The MLS Cup is like our mini version of the FA Cup.
And yes, a single table would be fine by me.
Understand that....just play for the MLS cup during the season..as they would do for the FA cup....Attendances should remain good as they are better during the season anyways ,,,and are down for when they use the tournament style playoffs at the end of the season..
I would be fine with that.
If they mixed it in during the regular season, many fans wouldn't even know the difference since all the games would be in their ST package. But I would hold the actual MLS Cup Final after the final regular season game. Though, that might confuse some people to... but at least tickets for it would be sold throughout the year as normal.
This is exactly the problem in my book. If the league was targetting as its core fan base 18 to 30 year old males and gearing things more around the urban fans, then the play off numbers would be as good as anything else in the regular season.
Put it this way - how many people on these boards would be chomping to get to a play off game when we make it there? And how many soccer moms from the east and west stands wouldn't fancy a night in the cold and rain with little Johnny and his sister?
That said, I just don't think MLS believes it can generate enough numbers of fans to be successful if it switches targets. But in reality it's suicide. No sport will be truly successful unless you have bars packed with guys watching the away games and waiting for the next home game. You need a strong base of beer swilling, die hard fans for any sport to do properly well. The soccer moms and family days out are just add ons to a really successful model. With MLS, it's the other way around.Can they make the transition over tme? Let's hope so.
We are the Angry Mob, we read the papers every day
We like who we like, we hate who we hate
But we're also easily swayed
well that's the us open, only we're not allowed to enter. just like the fa cup it's open to lower level teams as well.
We just need Montreal to get a team already.
Preach on brutha!This is exactly the problem in my book. If the league was targetting as its core fan base 18 to 30 year old males and gearing things more around the urban fans, then the play off numbers would be as good as anything else in the regular season.
Put it this way - how many people on these boards would be chomping to get to a play off game when we make it there? And how many soccer moms from the east and west stands wouldn't fancy a night in the cold and rain with little Johnny and his sister?
That said, I just don't think MLS believes it can generate enough numbers of fans to be successful if it switches targets. But in reality it's suicide. No sport will be truly successful unless you have bars packed with guys watching the away games and waiting for the next home game. You need a strong base of beer swilling, die hard fans for any sport to do properly well. The soccer moms and family days out are just add ons to a really successful model. With MLS, it's the other way around.
There's also the league cup, so it's exactly the same. They just give more credence to the playoff-style winner, that's all.
And despite arguments that it plays into north american mentality, when I challenged Ives Galarcep on single table a few months back, he polled his audience and the majority (mostly Americans, remember) preferred single table to playoffs, with the league winner being the champion.
MLS is trying to attract new viewers, however, and the bulk of its audience aren't new viewers, they're converts from euro soccer. In fact, given how few of that demographic have been tapped to date (but are now largely the new base for the league in Toronto and Seattle) it's a mistake on their part to think that "new fans" are the way forward. What they need are the millions of americans who will only watch euro ball or the Mexican apertura.
In the short term, this is the only thing that will grow soccer in the states.
The other thing is a more improbable (but possible) USMNT winning the world cup. I've said it before I give it about 12-16 years..... but I think I've said that every four years since 1994????
teams like DC, Toronto, and Seattle are more geared to the 18-35 year fans. And i believe Portland and Philly are as well. Its teams like New England, Colorado and Kansas that gear ticket sales towards the little kids and Soccer moms.This is exactly the problem in my book. If the league was targetting as its core fan base 18 to 30 year old males and gearing things more around the urban fans, then the play off numbers would be as good as anything else in the regular season.
Put it this way - how many people on these boards would be chomping to get to a play off game when we make it there? And how many soccer moms from the east and west stands wouldn't fancy a night in the cold and rain with little Johnny and his sister?
That said, I just don't think MLS believes it can generate enough numbers of fans to be successful if it switches targets. But in reality it's suicide. No sport will be truly successful unless you have bars packed with guys watching the away games and waiting for the next home game. You need a strong base of beer swilling, die hard fans for any sport to do properly well. The soccer moms and family days out are just add ons to a really successful model. With MLS, it's the other way around.
that is very true. I know TFC do this but i dont know about other teams but teams that qualify for Champions League should also sell tickets in the season package.
problem with teams besides Seattle and TFC is other teams dont really got that many season ticket holders. Its more just show buy single tickets here and there. Games often arent sold out so people can just go buy tickets on game day if they want.
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