Ted Meyer: MLS is Awesome
Monday, March 29, 2010
Someone heeded the call on MLS is Awesome. Ted Meyer sent along this post with his reasons, which we were more than happy to put up here.
I’ll admit. I love Major League Soccer. It may not be home to the best talent or the greatest players, but it is best soccer league here in America. I will support the league and my team D.C. United until I die. I couldn’t wait for season to begin so I could put on my black and red jersey and cheer for United. Even though United was smashed in its opener, I will be there at RFK on Saturday to support my team in its home opener. To put it simply, MLS is just awesome and here are 5 reasons why.
Supporters Groups
The one thing that is truly unique about this league in America is its supporters groups. Whether it is Section 8, La Barra Brava, LA Riot Squad, all MLS supporter groups add passion to the game. You don’t see this in the NFL, NBA, or MLB. It is something that is entirely unique to Major League Soccer in America. Yes this was borrowed from other countries that have organized support, but certainly not in America.
It is also completely fan organized and fan driven. The teams may allow their supporters to take part in this type of organization, but other than that it is entirely a fan organized and sponsored activity. In my view that just adds to how special supporters groups are to Major League Soccer. I just joined the Barra Brava for D.C. United and I cannot wait for my first tailgate and match as a member of the organization.
Player and Owner Contact with Fans
Forget John Terry and his cheating ways, when’s the last time he personally updated his Twitter on when he will return from injury? Major League Soccer really became the first 21st Century sport. It had its players on Twitter and Facebook in large numbers before any other league. The Houston Dynamo players have become the kings of the social media in MLS. Almost their entire team has a Twitter profile giving their fans a way to connect with their players. Sure Chad Ocho Cinco has a Twitter that he uses to connect with fans, but name any other prominent American superstars that do that? Chad is also a soccer fan, go figure.
Even some of the owners are willing to connect with the fans. D.C. United owner Will Chang has a Twitter and can even be seen with the fans at tailgates talking with fans and bringing a real human face to the D.C. Untied ownership. It is because of Chang’s commitment to connecting with fans gives me hope that the team will remain in D.C. for a long time with or without its own stadium. I know there are certain owners in MLS that seem to ignore the fans and treat them like an annoyance, but a few connected owners is heck of a lot more than what you would see in the MLB or NFL.
Chants and Singing
Other sports have chants and phrases, but it doesn’t even match the unique songs and chants in MLS. The fans of the game have created chants and songs. They don’t need to be prompted by some stadium announcer or cheerleaders on the sidelines. No, the fans in the stadium as a whole decide what chant is acceptable. Whether it is D.C. United’s “Wings of an Eagle” song or Philadelphia’s “Stickin’ to the Union” song, each is created by the fans and sung by the fans.
I love going to the college basketball games at George Mason, but I hate that the cheerleaders lead every lame chant in the book. With MLS, every chant is unique and creative and started by the fans. It is just awesome.
The Games
Ok, I know that the players in MLS are not nearly as skilled as in Europe or South America. MLS has had its fair share of boring games. On flip side there have some absolutely spectacular games. The 2004 Eastern Conference Final against D.C. United and the New England Revolution stands out in my mind as one of the greatest matches in MLS history. It could have been affected by the fact that I was in attendance at the game, but it was still a classic match. Just talk to any United fan about that game and they tell you it was great.
The games are getting better as the talent in America improves. We are seeing more and more players taking their trade in Europe. I see no reason to believe that the game here stateside will improve with it. Just in the first week this year, we saw many entertaining matches and spectacular goals. It is just a matter of time before the league’s entertainment value grows.
The Fans
Most importantly, the greatest part of MLS is the fans. Fans of Major League Soccer are the best fans in the United States. Why? Because of all we have had to put with. We have had to deal with un-televised games or games on channels not available in our area. We scour illegal streams and recently the new MLS website just to watch our favorite team take the field. Fans of other sports and leagues have no idea how lucky all the coverage they get of their team. We rely on unpaid bloggers and the few journalists on websites and in the ailing newspaper industry. It makes us stronger as fans and we continue to support our club and league.
We also put with the people that put down our league as Mickey Mouse or minor league. I don’t know how many times I have heard people insult MLS and claim that no one cares about the league. I was watching the opening games this weekend only to have one of my friends rip on the league. We take it all in stride, put on our jersey and scarf, and go the games yelling louder. Maybe the quality isn’t the best but we still come out and don the colors of our team
Let’s admit fans, our league is just awesome. We support our club and country and will continue to do so. Even if some us switch allegiances on a regular basis*, we are still all fans of the same game and league. Keep cheering and supporting MLS fans, because our league is awesome.
*Hi Zach!
Visit Ted's blog, Bring Back the Stripes.
