Americans Don’t Care About MLS, Huh?

The American Soccer universe went into a frenzy yesterday over an article by longtime sports journalist, Frank DeFord headlined, “Americans Don’t Care About Major League Soccer” While Frank is certainly entitled to his opinion, personally I don’t see much validity to what he emphatically states. That isn’t to say everything he penned is off base. Major League Soccer needs to see a boost on a variety of levels. Does MLS need to increase their TV ratings? Absolutely! Could attendance be higher in a variety of markets? Yes. Columbus, Colorado, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, and New England I am looking at you! But to proclaim with such fervor that America doesn’t care about MLS tells me that Frank isn’t looking at the big picture, and quite frankly he sounds like an old curmudgeon.

From a bottom line perspective, if America didn’t care about MLS, I doubt we would see remarkably smart and savvy business owners from across the globe ponying up $100 million dollar expansion fees just for the opportunity to own an MLS franchise. And I certainly can’t imagine ESPN and FOX would have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire the leagues broadcast rights either. The leagues national footprint is still growing and it is very conceivable we will see upwards of 30 teams within the next 10 years.

I am baffled by the reasoning or thought process behind guys like DeFord and the various individuals who left scathing comments about MLS on the article. Generally, the folks I have found that possess such a negative mindset towards soccer and MLS are a certain segment of males over 45 years of age, with an “old school” mentality that are afraid to see the sports landscape they grew to love change so drastically. They love their baseball, football, and basketball. They believe “soccer is for foreigners and sissies.” How twentieth century of them. Sure, I am painting an assumption with a broad brush but I am not too far off the mark here, as this is what I have come across over the last 20 years of my soccer fandom.

From a fanfare perspective, I defy folks with DeFord’s mindset to attend MLS matches in Portland, Kansas City, Seattle, Salt Lake, Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Orlando, and Toronto and tell me that America (and Canada too) doesn’t care about MLS. People from across the continent care a whole hell of a lot about the league. To say “Americans Don’t Care About Major League Soccer” is ridiculous. Even taking a juggernaut like Seattle out of the equation, the league still averages 17,000 per game, right in line with the NHL, and we don’t see this type of a negative onslaught towards hockey now do we?

Here is the deal, if Frank and his ilk do not enjoy or appreciate MLS that is their prerogative. Nobody is forcing them to participate or support the league. The rest of us will go about our lives enjoying the beauty and fanaticism that is Major League Soccer. I assure you, Frank, America absolutely DOES care about MLS. Maybe one day you will too.