How to woo a Cubs fan?
By: Tom | March 20th, 2007Much as I, personally, cannot stand Wrigley Field and the fratboy parties that take place there at Cubs games 81 times a year, it could be argued that if the Chicago Fire can’t attract at least some of those who just want to enjoy a good sports game, drink a beer, eat some nachos and relax then MLS is not going to succeed in this city.
Over on the Bigsoccer forums, a Wrigley field regular writes of his frustration as he has attempted to become a fan of MLS and he Fire since moving to Chicago:
My family moved to Chicago (Lincoln Square) summer of 2005. I was very excited about living in an MLS city, having my team, and living the experience, within the constraints of being a full time professional with wife and two very little ones.
My problem is I’m trying to feel a part of it, but I’m just not emotionally attached. I’m very attached to the USNT and my univerity’s athletic teams, and I want the same for the Fire. Unfortuantely, I feel more attached to the Cubs, and I don’t follow baseball at all. I’ve been to Wrigley more, and I have fun when I go. It’s easier, nicer, and more entertaining. This is sad.
Former Fire GM Peter Wilt responds with patience and insight to these concerns on the thread, and his comments are well worth reading and considering for anyone interested in the future of American soccer.
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Category: Off the field
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Comments
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The sad reality is that many soccer fans in the US would rather stay at home and watch EPL on Fox Soccer than go to a game in their own city. Americans always want their leagues to be associated with the best in the world and MLS clearly is not. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth watching and that you can’t enjoy it, but it does mean that it is a constant challenge for the teams to get fans, even those who love the game.
Posted from
United States
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I totally agree. If the quality of American players and the US national team continues to improve, then kids who are growing up now attached to teams (as kid fans) will have much stronger ties to their clubs as they get older. This was a problem with NASL that MLS seems to understand – the intense marketing geared at sub-18 year olds will help in 10 years time when these kids start to gain spending power and eventually have children of their own.
The money quote from the original article: “I was very excited about living in an MLS city, having my team, and living the experience…” sums up why the short term chances for substantial popularity increases are unlikely. Becoming emotionally attached to a team or city requires investment and experience. Neither of which MLS has had time to develop on a large scale, yet. However, the groundwork years for the league has to show payoffs for financial backing to continue. Bringing in global ‘name’ players may buy the league enough time to allow the first and second generation of fans who were brought up idolizing Cobi Jones and Eric Wynalda to put more money back into the league and spread their enthusiasm with friends and (future) families of their own.
Of course, improving the quality and speed of play would be nice for those of us who DO shell out for the games : )
Oh yeah, I’m not sure how it works for MLS, but for the major European leagues the clubs make far more money from people sitting home watching TV than from those who attend matches in person. Our TV overlords are taking over the world!
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United States -
IMHO, one mistake that MLS teams have made is that they always market to families. The Cubs are a draw in part because of the bleacher bums. Beer, bikinis, single yuppies…like it or not those are the people who have money and time for sports. Peter Wilt undestands this. Most execs in MLS do not.
Posted from
United States -
This may well be just my own wishful thinking and passionate narcissism speaking, but I have to think that bloggers such as ourselves can really help the “learning to love MLS” process along.
How does one get attached to a team? I believe it’s less by watching the games than by getting to actually KNOW the team and the players. The American media aren’t willing to help the process along until there’s money in it. (Seriously, our Seattle papers devote literally one paragraph per day to soccer. And most of that is European.) And there won’t be money in it until people are already attached. It’s a Catch-22.
Enter bloggers. We’re the ones who can introduce the fans to the players, maybe create some rivalries, get people attached, get them INTERESTED. The soccer kids and soccer parents are ripe for it. The MLS world just has to find a way to get them hooked.
And so I have to believe that I, in my own small way, with my scintillating little posts on
Beckham’s sperm, am doing my part to make this happy US soccer utopia a reality.Posted from
United States
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