World Soccer XXX: We Have Men Too!

[Jimjamesak]

I don't think you market an entertainment product by saying "you owe it to us to watch us."

*shrug* It’s still the truth. And it’s basically been the marketing strategy for nearly every women’s sports league too.

It’s not a uniquely American problem either. It’s a growing problem for the game worldwide. With the overwhelming financial power of the top European teams and the ability of the internet to reach every corner of the globe, domestic leagues are struggling. The Copa Libertadores(South America’s Champions League) is a really good example: 10-20 years ago you could have winners from countries all over South America, including Colombia and Ecuador, now it’s just Brazilian teams and Boca Juniors and River Plate from Argentina because they’re only ones with money to compete. It’s also the reason why the Saudis started throwing money around.

[Jimjamesak]

Oh fer sure. The Germans are so disgusted by the US pro sports system. You got it so figured out by your Twitter and reddit observations.

Missed the entire point of the original post (being that Germans will decry “corporate” teams like Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig using their financial power while simultaneously asserting that clubs with large fanbases from heavily populated areas like Hamburg and Schalke should be able to use their financial power to keep their “deserved” places in the Bundesliga).

[Kepler]

*shrug* It’s still the truth. And it’s basically been the marketing strategy for nearly every women’s sports league too.

The DNC tried it from 1980 through 2007. How'd that work out?

You have to sell a product that people want. If the conclusion you draw when your product doesn't move is "the consumer sucks," then you will go bankrupt in splendid moral superiority. Don't I know it. I wish culture outsold comic book movies and rom-coms, but it doesn't, so put the map of Florida in the background and get some t-ts in there.

For entertainment consumer goods like sports (or mass politics), every sale you do not make for any reason is your responsibility to fix.

[Jimjamesak]

The DNC tried it from 1980 through 2007. How'd that work out?

You have to sell a product that people want. If the conclusion you draw when your product doesn't move is "the consumer sucks," then you will go bankrupt in splendid moral superiority. Don't I know it. I wish culture outsold comic book movies and rom-coms, but it doesn't, so put the map of Florida in the background and get some t-ts in there.

For entertainment consumer goods like sports (or mass politics), every sale you do not make for any reason is your responsibility to fix.

The problem is it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario:

"I don't want to watch because you don't have the best players."

"We can't have the best players because we don't have the money to afford the best players because you don't watch."

A common denominator of American Eurosnobs over nearly thirty years is a constant shifting of the goalposts. There is nothing that can be done to please the demographic and long ago MLS gave up on trying, choosing instead to focus on general American sports fans (and it's working because the league is growing).

[Kepler]

The problem is it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario:

"I don't want to watch because you don't have the best players."

"We can't have the best players because we don't have the money to afford the best players because you don't watch."

A common denominator of American Eurosnobs over nearly thirty years is a constant shifting of the goalposts. There is nothing that can be done to please the demographic and long ago MLS gave up on trying, choosing instead to focus on general American sports fans (and it's working because the league is growing).

Are they Eurosnobs, though?

If the US league was better, and they continued to watch Europe, than yeah that would be snobbery. But for as long as the US is triple A then people want to watch the best players.

The other approach is to embrace it. I've seen Bruins and Rangers fans, and I am glad they aren't BU* and Cornell fans. Be thankful the US isn't the PL. Let the morons pay $200 a ticket. The Best Seller List is God's way of telling you you're a cultural vacuity.




* I'd have said Harvard fans, but, ya know, NULL SET.

[Jimjamesak]

Are they Eurosnobs, though?

If the US league was better, and they continued to watch Europe, than yeah that would be snobbery. But for as long as the US is triple A then people want to watch the best players.

The other approach is to embrace it. I've seen Bruins and Rangers fans, and I am glad they aren't BU* and Cornell fans. Be thankful the US isn't the PL. Let the morons pay $200 a ticket. The Best Seller List is God's way of telling you you're a cultural vacuity.




* I'd have said Harvard fans, but, ya know, NULL SET.

They're snobs because it's an entertaining product and they act like it's beneath them. That's honestly why you see more of an international focus from MLS with the Apple deal, they don't give a * about the level of soccer, they see an chaotic, unpredictable, entertaining product.

Of course, that's not even getting into the people that actively trying to destroy the domestic game (looking at you World Soccer Talk, Stephen Ross, and the writers at The Athletic).

[Kepler]

They're snobs because it's an entertaining product and they act like it's beneath them.

You don't have to sell me, I rooted for the Timbers in the USL.

I'm just saying Joey F-cknuts needs to bask in reflected glory by rooting for the highest level athletes. He's not there for the sport, he's there to make up for the failure of his life since high school.

[Jimjamesak]

From a philosophical standout, I absolutely hate the style of officiating in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Ruins too many games.

[Jimjamesak]

Matt Miazga suspended for the rest of the MLS Playoffs for entering referees locker room after match.

According to the match report, which Queen City Press obtained from the PSRA, Miazga entered the officials’ locker room on or about 22:18 p.m., which would have been about 80 minutes after the match, “by loudly opening the door, walking 10 feet into the interior hallway and turning the corner.”

“Mr. Miazga then in a confrontational and aggressive manner, yelled at all four match officials,” the report stated. “Miazga was immediately asked to leave by (assistant referee) Jeff Greeson, fourth official Ramy Touchan and (assistant referee) Jeff Swartzel, but refused and said, ‘Why? I want to talk to the f—ing referee.’ After refusing to leave, stadium security was summoned and had to forcibly remove Mr. Miazga from the Match Officials’ locker room while he continued to yell and insist on speaking with the referee.”

A spokesperson for PSRA indicated the crew mentioned the head official, Victor Rivas, was in the shower, but the others were near the lockers and had no knowledge of how Miazga got in the locker room or what happened in the hallway before and after Miazga entered.

PSRA said there also was video footage submitted from Red Bull Arena.

Good riddance to bad, Trump supporting rubbish.

[RaceBoarder]

Pro Cheeseburger-ing.

**** that. All 4 officials should have jumped him and beat the pizz out of him.

[Jimjamesak]

Pro Cheeseburger-ing.

**** that. All 4 officials should have jumped him and beat the pizz out of him.

The worst part is that FC Cincinnati tried to downplay the whole incident (“he just walked by the door and yelled in”) and accused the referees union of fabricating a story.

Still awaiting the punishment for Vancouver Manager Sartini after he was ejected for running onto the field and then threatening to murder the referee in his postgame press conference.

[Jimjamesak]

MLSPA statement:

The Refs are lying.

[Jimjamesak]

It should be noted that the referee involved, Victor Rivas, is the referee for the Western Conference Final this weekend.

[RaceBoarder]

This right here is why there won't be grassroots officials for ANY recreational sports in 10-15 years.

Just once, I hope that a league will come to their senses and realize the damage that is being done by the behavior the encourage.

**** THE PLAYERS!

[Spartanforlife4]

Pro Cheeseburger-ing.

**** that. All 4 officials should have jumped him and beat the pizz out of him.

Speaking of Cheeseburger, the guy from Offside is straying further and further from awareness of abuse of officials and spreading positivity and is becoming just as negative as the people and behavior he is trying to drive out of sports.

A few weeks ago he accused someone on Twitter of doxxing because they posted the officials from an Oklahoma football game. The fan clearly did it from a source of anger, but that’s not doxxing because it was literally just copying from the easily available box score published online. Literally the SAME DAY he posts about hearing of an official being pushed at a soccer game in LA and offered $250 for video and the name of who did it.

Then a week or two ago he posts a Twitter screenshot of an uncle saying there were some bad breaks with calls and his nephew’s football career is over, along with a picture of his nephew and I think the nephew’s girlfriend. Rather than just saying the officials didn’t decide the game he decides to go out of his way and attack the kid in the picture calling him clumsy.

Someone last week must have threatened legal action because he made a post about how if you’re okay with posting about officials then you better be okay with others posting pictures with your kids in them, and that he has lawyers too.