I’m Going back to Hospital on the 21st of June. Until then I can’t lift anything over 5 pounds and have to avoid infections and getting sick.
The Pain Medication is making me a bit loopy so I thought I’d write some more rather than record a podcast.
You’ve been Warned!
Soccer is a funny ol’ business. Notice I didn’t say Football is a funny ol business. I’m talking about American Soccer, something I have been in love with since 1990 but fell head over heals when I went to the very first LA Galaxy match ever at the Rosebowl.
The early days of MLS was both amazing and crap at the same time. The football was just horrible. But the fans didn’t care. Watching some of the matches was akin to being stuck in an iron maiden. Horrible horrible football BUT it was “our football” – the city I lived in actually had a team and it was my duty as an ex-pat to support it.
I remember the stands being filled with ex-pats from all over the world. There was an English guy who would always come to the matches and sit there and just be frustrated at the lack of talent on the pitch. He’d leave huffing and puffing , mumbling under his breath “They’re shit! I’m not coming back!” Of course he was back every match day. Then there were the “Soccer Moms” who would bring their toddlers to the stadium to enjoy a nice night out in Pasadena. Back then…the biggest complaint from American Soccer bigwigs and fans alike was that they didn’t want MLS to be a “Soccer Mom” league and they wanted “real” fans to come running into the arms of the newest soccer league.
Even back then…these people were short sighted and had no clue about the soccer business. I would tell anyone who would listen…”you want real fans? You don’t even have a real product on the pitch.” And when they complained about soccer moms and kids I would tell them that they were stupid and should get out of the business. Those Soccer moms held the purse strings in the family so you had better cater to them. More importantly…at that time…creating fans was a long term proposition. Those kids that had to hold their mum’s hand to get into the Rosebowl are now bringing their kids into Dignity Health Sports Park. Of course now, the lessons are learned (somewhat) and anyone worth his weight in cheese in the soccer world knows that you always cater to the next generation of soccer fans while taking care of the current ones.
Until COVID, I spent every Fourth of July with the Galaxy. I loved the atmosphere and I honestly didn’t care about the match as much as the fireworks and the celebration.
When David Beckham showed up…is when the old fan base had to step aside. The folks who had supported the franchises all those years were swept to the side….move down the bench! I remember big wigs saying things like we have to cater to the hipsters and younger fans now. Okay- fair enough I suppose. Anytime there was a brand change, it felt like MLS franchise told the old fans to fuck off. What’s worse, as the years went on and the franchises became more and more popular, ie the sport of soccer gained more fans, the FO’s started distancing themselves from the OG fans. During the Rosebowl days you could have, on any given day, bumped into players around the stadium and started a casual conversation. Ticket sellers who would call you….actually knew you. I remember having conversations about Liverpool and how the last match went with the dudes who called to sell me tickets to the next one. I was going to buy tickets anyway.
It’ll surprise you to read this but since day one of my podcast, I have never ever gotten a press credential. Not once! The guy that spent every Fourth of July with the Galaxy and at one point One of the ONLY podcasts even talking about MLS never was awarded a press credential. Chivas USA never gave me one either -even though I covered them AND went to all the home matches as well. To be fair I haven’t asked LAFC for one- maybe next year. Doesn’t mean I never got an interview but I had to work really hard to get them. MLS did once list The World Wide Soccer Show on a list of MLS podcasts a long time ago. The irony was that KC Wiz reached out to me as well as Houston Dynamo to cover them and let me know that they would work with me when it came to interviews. Smart people! Won’t forget them.
When the next shift happens…I hope MLS doesn’t discard the fans that don’t fit into the new niche their research groups told them wouldn’t be useful or necessary for further expansion.
Women’s Soccer was different! In 1999, I was at the Rosebowl. I fell in love with the game and by the time the WPS formed – I was all in.
From 2009 to 2011 I Produced and Hosted for the WPS website a podcast called World Soccer Wrap:WPS. It was a half hour podcast dedicated to the Women’s Professional Soccer League.
And it was Featured on the WPS website- which was a really big deal for me. This was the world inside the footballing world that I wanted to be in. Needless to say, back then, Women ‘s Soccer wasn’t as big as it is now and I was probably the only podcast that actually talked about women’s soccer. I remember there was one podcast that was hosted by two women but it didn’t last long and I don’t think they talked about women’s soccer that much. It was strange and came off sounding a bit too creepy. But it was the early days of podcasting so people tried a lot of things and they didn’t last- Now everyone has a podcast and even the crap ones make a million bucks.
Slowly the Women’s game changed and more and more people got into it and now I would love to get more interviews with top players and managers. Before I would send an email and get a response the next day with an ok. I had some franchises actually seek me out to do interviews. Nowadays it’s like pulling teeth to get an interview.
I also made sure that I didn’t take anything from the league. When they offered me free swag or free tickets, I always declined. I was offered free tickets to the first WPS Final but I said “no thanks, I’ll pay for them!” I didn’t want anyone thinking I was a yobo who just wanted to free stuff. I kept the four tickets to the final…photo is right there… I wanted to be part of the team and promote the women’s game. It was fun while it lasted. When the NWSL popped up, I thought to myself- This will be fun. It has a different feel though. Watching Angel City is vastly different than watching the old LA Sol. I wonder where the LA Sol fans are now?
Flashing forward to today. I am watching all the hype about
Caitlin Clark and the WNBA.
Just like David Beckham at the LA Galaxy, Clark is the superstar that will send the WNBA to the next level. I am not a basketball fan but I have never seen so much WNBA news on my social feeds…ever! People who would never talk about Women’s Basketball are suddenly talking about the WNBA. It’s exactly the same thing as DB23 showing up for the first time in MLS. It really is déjà vu. Even the dumb talking points you hear are the same.
Clark isn’t the best player in the league so she’s not a superstar.
Really? DB23 wasn’t the best player in MLS either.
There are better players who have been there longer!
Yeah? Who the fuck are they? Cos I haven’t heard of any of them. Just like some of the players in MLS when DB23 first showed p
Why are you taking about women’s basketball? You never even watched ONE game!
Yeah! Cos this ONE players is peeking everyone’s interest
I am rooting for the WNBA now. They have a bone fide star in their ranks and if history repeats itself – that star will take the league to the next level. I just hope that the big wigs DON’T forget the fans that supported them from day one. Rather than forget about them or take them for granted in order to get new fans…I hope they celebrate the long time fan…like the English guy who would always come to the Rosebowl.
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