From: MLINDROOS@finabo.abo.fi (Marcus Lindroos INF)
Subject: Re: NPSL franchise moves
Organization: Abo Akademi University, Finland
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 09:46:55 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20

In <9209112011.AA18364@cs.utexas.edu> CSALLEN@uga.cc.uga.edu writes:

>  > Cup matches vs invited European teams
> 
> I am more in favor of the Cup format as well as a serious professional
> league in all of the major North American cities (particularly the
> WC venues). The European club teams and national sides will keep coming
> each late spring and summer (e.g. US Cup), but you are right in saying
> that the level of play by the visiting Europeans is not always up to
> world class level.
> 
> Yet, I am afraid that there is not much vision in the US about the need
> for a coast to coast professional league. In the most recent issue of
> Soccer America, Paul Kennedy wrote that there was no discussion of
> a larger professional league during the USSF meetings.
> 
> What can these people be thinking? That the WC is somehow going to magically
> create an environment for professional soccer in North America? Much more is
> needed than the WC which will come and go all too fast.

As a self-proclaimed expert on the subject, I'd say there are some unknown
factors that prevent business & marketing people from committing themselves to 
a pro league. Sure, there are more good American & Canadian players than ever
before (up to (almost) world-class talent) but do we have enough talent for
20-25 teams? Fan support? No question that good NASL cities like Seattle, 
Vancouver, New York etc. would sell out again if anything resembling a quality
team comes to town, but what about the rest? Will Houston, Chicago or Atlanta
draw crowds? Unless there are teams in the main media markets and all regions
(northeast, midwest, south, west coast) the national TV companies will not
support the whole thing. If the pro league was on national TV, would there be
enough interested viewers to prevent poor ratings with subsequent financial
losses for the TV companies? Are there enough stadiums suitable for soccer in
the States and Canada? The NASL was forced to play on uncomfortable artificial
playing surfaces and indoors, which put off a lot of players (especially the 
foreign-born stars) and affected the game in negative ways (no slide tackles
etc.). Will soccer's negative reputation as a "boring foreign sport" among 
conservative Americans be a major obstacle, and do we have to change the game
to make it more appealing?
---
These are tough questions. My personal opinion (having discussed the subject
with a dozen US & Canadian soccer fans (and a few who hate the sport!) over 
the years) is that there is a place for soccer, but that a new pro league
would have to have extremely patient and determined owners and be run by
competent people. It's a shame that the projected Pan American soccer league
never got off the ground. In 1989, the leading clubs from Brazil, Argentina,
Uruguay and Paraguay were discussing a new pro league to improve standards of
play and attract larger crowds to their games. In an ideal world, cities like 
Toronto, New York, LA and San Francisco would have teams in such a league.
There are certainly more than enough local players for this sort of thing,
fan support should be no problem (this depends on the quality of the 
visiting teams of course) and the cities mentioned above all have outdoor 
stadiums suitable for soccer. Didn't the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks sell out
(24000 people) when playing the Mexican champions in the CONCACAF
club champions' semifinal? Perhaps USSF should start lobbying for a
"World League of Association Football:-)"  

 
> Best, Chris
> 
> Prof. Christopher S. Allen
> Political Science Department
> University of Georgia
> Athens, GA 30602
> Voice: (706) 542-2984   FAX: (706) 542-4421
> Internet: CSALLEN@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU


MARCU$