Re: [nas] WUSA All Star match. Did anyone watch?

["G. Warren Abao" <wabao@adelphia.net>]

From: Russell Campbell
Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2002 3:49 AM

| Did anyone watch?  Not a single comment on the list
| about it?

North's downfall was their use of the 3-4-3 formation.  It left major holes in
their back line.  :-P

| The WUSA appears to have figured out that the best
| timing for an allstar match or their playoffs and
| final match is not during the MLB closeout.  They also
| appear to have figured out that gridball fans are by
| and large not going to become WUSA fans.
|
| MLS should consider the idea that running it's
| playoffs and final match at the same time as the MLB
| season is finishing up probably isn't a wise timing.
| Ah, but then that's a thread that could start an
| entire 500 post debate.

POST #2

a) Unless MLS reduces their regular season schedule further (which I don't want)
or eliminates the post-season (hmmmmm...but that means the elimination of games
which I still don't want), there's no way MLS can finish their season prior to
the beginning of the MLB post-season.

b) A big killer to MLS in their late season isn't gridiron siphoning soccer fans
away beginning in September...it's gridiron teams reducing available prime late
regular-season and post-season dates (i.e., weekends).

Chicago vs. whoever the Cardinals are (I'm ignant)
Colorado vs. Denver Broncos
Kansas City Wizards vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles vs. UCLA
New England Revolution vs. New England Patriots
Rotmasters vs. New York Giants and New York Jets
San Jose Earthquakes vs. San Jose State University

There's the big problem of gridball killing the pitches too, but that's an
aesthetic issue which I don't think detracts the fan base significantly.

| The primary thing I have to say about the game is that
| the WUSA broadcast team did NOT do any favors for
| soccer in the US in a general sense.  Sure, they knew
| the game, the league, they knew the players, they knew
| the possibilities, moves, stats and all.  But when it
| came to saying where the game was being played, guess
| what?  The announcers called it PGE Park, home of the
| triple A minor league baseball Portland Beavers.  NOT
| A SINGLE MENTION WHATSOEVER DURING THE ENTIRE
| BROADCAST OF THERE BEING A LOCAL PRO MENS A-LEAGUE
| TEAM *OR* THE SEMI-PRO WOMENT'S TEAM IN TOWN.   The
| Portland Timbers play in the stadium that was used
| today.  I don't care that the baseball team was
| mentioned.  I care that the soccer team(s) were NOT mentioned.

WUSA has the problem MLS did (and in some cases, still does) of not being
cultured enough about the professional soccer world in our own country.

It's sad, but the quality of media in all of the major sports has been reduced,
because what sells (thanks Rupert Murdoch) is women dressed in tight-fitting
sports jerseys and being able to yell in a humorous manner, not hiring stattos
and anoraks.  So the sports media doesn't work as hard anymore.

Warren Abao - Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
AIM GWarrenAbao - YIM gwar720127 - ICQ 29374771
"People who say the U.S. will never win the World Cup don't know what they're
talking about. It will happen one day, and I will laugh at Europe when it
does." --DaMarcus Beasley


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