Comments on: Mid-Atlantic jolt | Energy drink takes New Jersey out of MetroStars http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/2006/03/mid-atlantic-jolt-energy-drink-takes-new-jersey-out-of-metrostars/ Soccer as a second language Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:52:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Brian http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/2006/03/mid-atlantic-jolt-energy-drink-takes-new-jersey-out-of-metrostars/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Brian Wed, 15 Mar 2006 15:29:59 +0000 http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/?p=117#comment-23 I forgot one of the other teams the MetroStars share a location with. The Metros remind me a lot of the NBA's Nets. They're just sort of there, rudderless. Though they've had some success in the last few years, they don't really have much of an imprint in the NY sports community. I forgot one of the other teams the MetroStars share a location with. The Metros remind me a lot of the NBA’s Nets. They’re just sort of there, rudderless. Though they’ve had some success in the last few years, they don’t really have much of an imprint in the NY sports community.

]]> By: Brian http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/2006/03/mid-atlantic-jolt-energy-drink-takes-new-jersey-out-of-metrostars/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Brian Wed, 15 Mar 2006 15:28:30 +0000 http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/?p=117#comment-22 As you point out, the problem with the former Metros is not simply their mediocrity. That can change. Look how the former San Jose team went from chumps in their first six seasons to the best team in the league the last four. New England (my team) never won a playoff GAME in their first six seasons, but under <strong>Steve Nicol</strong> has won at least one playoff SERIES in each of his four years in charge. The Metros/Red Bulls are just sort of there in the middle of suburbia. While they share a location with the Devils and Giants, there is a difference. The Devils have been very successful for the last decade. And the Giants had a huge following before they moved to New Jersey. The other problem they face is a microcosm of the challenge faced by MLS as a whole. New York is home to probably the country's most diverse immigrant population, which would make you think it a great recruiting ground for MLS fans. But as they come from other countries, they realize that the quality of MLS does not compare favorably to the top Western European leagues so they don't bother to support the team. They save their pennies for the one-off friendlies between, say, Chelsea and Milan that come every summer and attract four times as many fans as the biggest stand-alone Metros game despite high ticket prices. If you have a club without an identity, it's no surprise that the team on the pitch lacks the same. (Though I will say that I like what they did last summer in arranging a few friendlies between the touring European teams and top MLS teams: Los Angeles–Real Madrid and DC United–Chelsea, for example. The Chicago-Milan match was fantastic, and Chicago would've won convincingly if not for hideous finishing by one of their forwards. That was ten times better than the two Chelsea-Milan snoozefests.) As you point out, the problem with the former Metros is not simply their mediocrity. That can change. Look how the former San Jose team went from chumps in their first six seasons to the best team in the league the last four. New England (my team) never won a playoff GAME in their first six seasons, but under Steve Nicol has won at least one playoff SERIES in each of his four years in charge.

The Metros/Red Bulls are just sort of there in the middle of suburbia. While they share a location with the Devils and Giants, there is a difference. The Devils have been very successful for the last decade. And the Giants had a huge following before they moved to New Jersey.

The other problem they face is a microcosm of the challenge faced by MLS as a whole. New York is home to probably the country’s most diverse immigrant population, which would make you think it a great recruiting ground for MLS fans. But as they come from other countries, they realize that the quality of MLS does not compare favorably to the top Western European leagues so they don’t bother to support the team. They save their pennies for the one-off friendlies between, say, Chelsea and Milan that come every summer and attract four times as many fans as the biggest stand-alone Metros game despite high ticket prices.

If you have a club without an identity, it’s no surprise that the team on the pitch lacks the same.

(Though I will say that I like what they did last summer in arranging a few friendlies between the touring European teams and top MLS teams: Los Angeles–Real Madrid and DC United–Chelsea, for example. The Chicago-Milan match was fantastic, and Chicago would’ve won convincingly if not for hideous finishing by one of their forwards. That was ten times better than the two Chelsea-Milan snoozefests.)

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