Comments on: FIFA At It Again: Blatter Insults American Game

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:49:58 +0000

Lars has it right here. Blatter needs to realize that there’s a reason Americans call it soccer, and it’s because the other football dominates this country during the fall/winter when Blatter wants MLS to play half its season. Everyone on here pointing out that MLS would fail is correct, for that reason.

It’s pretty amazing to see the reactions when Europeans realize that amateur football teams in podunk towns, can consistently outdraw the giants of European soccer at the gate. MLS gates would drop over 25% at least if their games went up against college football on saturdays and pro football on sundays.

By: fenel

fenel — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:39:07 +0000

The K-league of south korea, Super league of China also play from April to november.

By: brizzle

brizzle — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:09:11 +0000

Sepp Blatter is an ignorant, corrupt bigot. This is a good rebuttal, but he wouldn’t hear you if you were standing right in front of him, broadcasting the entire message in THX directly into his brain using an extravagant setup of wires, electrodes and some pre-frontal drilling.

By: Lars

Lars — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:52:05 +0000

It has nothing to do with that. The league will die a horrible death. Many of its teams are in major hockey markets which will play their finals in Spring. On top of that the NFL dominates from Late summer to January. That means no TV Contract at all. Then you have Basketball on top of that. You just can’t compete with three of the big four.

By: LI Matt

LI Matt — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:46:04 +0000

Ireland plays a summer schedule to minimize conflict with the 800-pound gorilla next door.

***

Sean Wheelock, the BBC’s man in North America, agrees with Blatter on this. I was a little surprised at that, as he’s in Kansas City, which is also not the most suitable place for February soccer.

By: MarkVA

MarkVA — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:21:42 +0000

calendar

By: hypoxichyrax

hypoxichyrax — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:07:40 +0000

Interestingly, no comments from Sepp about promotion/relegation? Sometimes I wonder if FIFA bosses fully understand how much the open league model is owed for the global success of the sport. Nothing stifles MLS more than the stale franchise model – that’s what’s inhibiting the growth of club soccer.

I don’t need to see games played on the frozen tundra. The real question is – why can’t somebody figure out how to grow grass indoors???

By: dj voter

dj voter — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:03:07 +0000

don’t forget J-League, they play from March to december.

By: Cavan

Cavan — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:26:13 +0000

Mr. Blatter is such an arrogant man. Why bother to learn why someone else chooses to do things the way they do? It’s much easier to just spout off. Then again, his actions often imply that he thinks he’s above needing to learn the facts.

By: Arnie

Arnie — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:14:56 +0000

eplnfl and kartik are correct. Weather is prohibitive. And not just in snowy climates. If San Jose were forced to play in the winter, their nicely-filled stadium of today would become the 4,000 diehard fans of tomorrow. Is Blatter just mainly interested in punishing fans?

On the rare occasion that I watch at EPL game in January, I see fans wrapped up in so much clothing that clapping hands is not even a part of the equation. It doesn’t at all look like a pleasant experience, and I can assure you that while my wife and kids go to the San Jose games with me now, that would not be the case on most of the winter dates this FIFA goofball is suggesting.