Saturday, February 19, 2011

A New URL for OverLapping Run

The New URL for OverLapping Run
Please update your links. The new OLR site has a section for MLS attendance geeks. Try it out and let me know if you like it.

Meanwhile, I'll see if I like running a more hands-on blog. If not, I'll be back here.

Enjoy!



Friday, February 18, 2011

An Assortment from the Soccer Buffet

Starter Fun
MLS
Video

The Business of Soccer
Interesting Reads
Tournaments


Monday, February 14, 2011

A Little of This and That

Starter Fun
MLS
Points Earned Percentage 2000-2010
PtsPts Avail Pts %Seasons
 Miami  94  174  54.02%  2 
 Seattle  95  180  52.78%  2 
 SJ/HOU  502  990  50.71%  11 
 Chicago  496  993  49.95%  11 
 Los Angeles  485  990  48.99%  11 
 Columbus  472  990  47.68%  11 
 New England  462  993  46.53%  11 
 Kansas City  457  993  46.02%  11 
 Metrostars/RedBull 453   990  45.76%  11 
 Dallas  452  990  45.66%  11 
 Colorado  435  990  43.94%  11 
 D.C. United  432  990  43.64%  11 
 Chivas USA  230  552  41.67%  6 
 San Jose  109  270  40.37%  3 
 Real Salt Lake  222   552  40.22%  6 
 Tampa Bay  66  177  37.29%  2 
 Toronto FC  134  360  37.22%  4 
 Philadelphia  31  90  34.44%  1 

The Business of Soccer
More Interesting Stuff


Thursday, February 10, 2011

On Cascadia, MLS Playoffs and other things

I read a pretty well written piece today by Stanley Holmes on SportsPress Northwest calling for an increase in the MLS salary cap. As much as I agree with the article, I must say that this is a moot point at this time. The league is in just the 2nd year of the 5 year Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) and the cap has been set. This would have been a timely piece last year as the negotiations were going on but now it's just old hat stuff.

I find that this is just the latest in a group of articles, posts, tweets, etc about this and other issues coming out of the northwest. Now I don't know Mr. Holmes. I don't know how long he has been following MLS and its issues, but I do find it amusing how the fans in the northwest are acting as if they have discovered something new about MLS. I find it particulary interesting how some Sounders fans are complaining about supporting other MLS clubs via revenue sharing. Don't get me wrong. I think the Cascadia teams are great for MLS. I don't think anyone suspected how successful the Seattle club would be. After all, they were drawing middle of the road numbers while in USL-1. But suddenly I see posts, etc. where Sounders fans think they deserve every consideration, every MLS Cup, All-Star game and the cookies in the cookie jar.

To the great fans in the Northwest I say this... Enjoy your teams and learn your MLS history. The game will change, but slowly. Salary caps will increase and I suspect single entity will end at some time, but not anytime soon. Understand that having the highest attendance gains you the admiration of many, myself included, but does not grant extra privileges.

==========================================

I also read Brian Strauss' latest on the MLS schedule and playoffs. One thing I take exception to is the theme that the playoff structure makes the regular season nearly irrelevant and lacking a compelling element on a game by game basis. Can it be said that it's any different in the 'Big Four' US pro leagues? By the 2/3 point in the season, there are a few teams that are near locks to make the playoffs, a few that are a near longshot to make the playoffs and a group in the middle that is competing to get to the big dance. Why is their regular season anymore or less compelling than MLS?

I find it a bit ingenuous to call the MLS playoffs abbreviated such that they don't "determine a champion in a manner that captivates fans".What's so different from the other major sports playoffs? It's win or go home whether it be via a series or one off games as in the NFL and MLS Cup. So what makes the other championships more compelling? Fan interest. Plain and simple. Those of us who view soccer as our #1 sporting interest would love for MLS Cup to be surrounded by the same fanfare as the Stanley Cup or the World Series, but there simply aren't enough fans to make it so. The short shrift given the sport by ESPN in particular, as Brian points out, is a critical missing element in building the interest in the game. That may be a shallow method, rather than garnering fans via a direct interest in the beautiful game, but let's face it, if ESPN bombards its viewers with a buildup for MLS games and playoffs as it does for the other sports, people will wonder what it's all about, take notice and some will tune in. The structure of the season and the playoffs is a non-factor in the 'compelling' nature of the championship.

==========================================
Speaking of Playoffs

The first number represents the seeding within the teams' conference. The second number is the overall seed based on win total. In the case of the NHL and MLS I used point totals. And for MLS I used just the overall seeding irrespective of conference.

NFL NBA NHL MLB MLS
Playoffs Playoffs Playoffs Playoffs Playoffs
 01-02 A2(4)N1(1) E1(3)W3(2) E7(16)W1(1) A4(4)N4(7) 15
 02-03 A1(2)N2(1) E2(8)W1(1) E2(5)W7(10) A1(1)N3(8) 12
 03-04 A1(1)N3(4) E3(6)W2(4) E1(2)W6(12) A4(3)N1(1) 41
 04-05 A2(2)N1(3) E2(5)W2(3) lockout A1(2)N4(8) 82
 05-06 A6(4)N1(2) E2(5)W4(3) E2(3)W8(13) A4(4)N3(13) 53
 06-07 A3(4)N1(2) E2(7)W3(3) E4(7)W2(3) A1(1)N1(6) 34
 07-08 A1(1)N5(4) E1(1)W1(3) E2(4)W1(1) A2(2)N2(5) 18
 08-09 A2(2)N4(5) E3(4)W1(2) E4(8)W2(3) A1(1)N2(5) 82
 09-10 A1(1)N1(2) E4(9)W1(3) E7(15)W2(3) A3(8)N2(5) 74

What does this table say? For the 9 year period in the table, out of 44 championships, the overall #1 seed won 11 times(25%). The #1 MLS seed won 33% of the titles. The overall #1 played #2 3 times. The conference #1 seeds have met 3 times(1 time in MLS).

The conference system has inherent problems for sports purists. It is almost inevitable that deserving teams will be locked out of the playoffs. For example in the most recent NFL championship, 5 teams had more wins than playoff participant Seattle. In fact, the MLS system used for the past two years makes it nearly impossible for that to happen. We'll have to wait and see what system the league has in mind for 2011. Hopefully, it will be such that the top 10 will make it in. I have a hard time envisioning a system that would prevent that.

As for the whining that permeated the blogosphere this year over western teams in the eastern championships, the solution is simple. Rename the conferences without a geographical reference. What a specious bit of outrage. I do, however, agree that the playoffs should be seed based, regardless of conference. That would be a problem for the 'Don' as he really likes the idea of a conference champion via a playoff. Too bad. The team that finishes first in the regular season is the conference champion. Of course with a balanced schedule, it's pretty meaningless but what the hell, give them a cup.

Oh yeah, I disagree with the league expanding the playoffs to 10 teams. Dumb.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Sunday Post

Starter Fun
MLS
The Business of Soccer
Tournaments
UEFA Top Leagues

 GP  W   D  L   GD  Pts 
EPL
 Manchester Utd  25  15   9  1   31  54 
 Arsenal  25  15   5  5   27  50 
 Manchester City  26  14   7  5   20  49 
 Chelsea  25  13   5  7   24  44 
 Tottenham 25   12  8  5  8  44 
 Liverpool 26   11  5  10  3  38 
Bundesliga
 Dortmund  21  16   3  2   34  51 
 Bayer Leverkusen  21  11   6  4   11  39 
 Mainz  21  12   1  8   10  37 
 Hannover 96 21   12  1  8  -1  37 
 Bayern Munich 21   10  6  5  16  36 
 SC Freiburg 21   10  4  7  1  34 
Ligue 1
 Lille  22  11   9  2   18  42 
 PSG  22  10   7  5   10  37 
 Rennes  22  10   7  5   7  37 
 Marseille 22   9  9  4  12  36 
 St Etienne 22   9  8  5  7  35 
 Lyon 22  9   8  5  7  35 
Serie A
 AC Milan  24  14   7  3   21  49 
 Napoli  24  14   4  6   16  46 
 Inter  24  13   5  5   17  44 
 Lazio  24  12   6  6   8  42 
 Palermo 24   12  4  8  11  40 
 Udinese 24   12  4  8  9  40 
La Liga
 Barcelona  22  20   1  1   59  61 
 Real Madrid  22  17   3  2   33  54 
 Villareal  22  14   3  5   19  45 
 Valencia  22  13   5  4   12  44 
 Athletic Bilbao 22   12  2  8  6  38 
 Espanyol 22   12  1  9  0  37 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Thursday Post

MLS
The Business of Soccer
In Case You Haven't Been Following ...
Tournaments
UEFA Top Leagues

 GP  W   D  L   GD  Pts 
EPL
 Manchester Utd  24  15   9  0   32  54 
 Arsenal  24  15   4  5   27  49 
 Manchester City  25  13   7  5   17  46 
 Chelsea  24  13   5  6   25  44 
 Tottenham 24   11  8  5  6  41 
 Sunderland 25   9  10  6  2  37 
Bundesliga
 Dortmund  20  16   2  2   34  50 
 Bayer Leverkusen  20  11   6  3   12  39 
 Bayern Munich  20  10   6  4   17  36 
 Mainz 20  12   0  8  10  36 
 Hannover 96 20   11  1  8  -2  34 
 SC Freiburg 20   10  3  7  1  33 
Ligue 1
 Lille  21  11   8  2   18  41 
 PSG  21  10   7  4   11  37 
 Lyon  21  9   7  5   7  34 
 Rennes 21  9   7  5  6  34 
 Marseille 21   8  9  4  11  33 
 Montpellier 21   9  6  6  -2  33 
Serie A
 AC Milan  23  14   6  3   21  48 
 Napoli  22  13   4  5   16  43 
 Lazio  23  12   5  6   8  41 
 AS Roma  22  11   6  5   7  39 
 Inter 21  11   5  5  12  38 
 Palermo 23   11  4  8  9  37 
La Liga
 Barcelona  21  19   1  1   56  58 
 Real Madrid  21  16   3  2   30  51 
 Villareal  21  14   3  4   20  45 
 Valencia  21  12   5  4   10  41 
 Espanyol 21   12  1  8  1  37 
 Athletic Bilbao 21   11  2  8  3  35