Carlos Beltran the Auction

Giants · Post by **Giants** » Mon May 02, 2011 5:08 pm

Naw, he's better than JamRuss, at least Cam Newton seems to like playing football so he has that going for him. I simply don't accept that VY led those teams to the playoffs, anymore than I accept that Trent Dilfer led the Ravens to the Super Bowl. I'm too lazy to dig up the numbers, but Young had the lowest rating of any starting QB the first year the Titans got to the playoffs., actually his only year that could be called good was last year ironically enough. I think Newton will show just enough to get people excited, then coast on it for the next few years while he alienates the locker room and sucks, just like VY.

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Mon May 02, 2011 5:14 pm

I watch every Colts game, and Vince Young always gave us problems even if he sucked. He would always scramble and keep a play alive, get a first down by a hair, ect. By the numbers, yeah he sucked, but I still hated playing him. Newton doesn't have the weapons to get people excited. I don't get it at all. He had one good year on a loaded team and ran an offense that doesn't translate to the NFL. I figured he was a mid round pick just because he never played as a conventional QB and that never works out good. He has major character issues as we all know, he won't be plopped down in a situation where he can immediately be successful, how will he handle that? The major problem is that teams that need a QB always talk themselves into the fact that whatever QB is available in the draft is their guy for the future whether they suck or not. Franchise QBs are few and far between

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon May 02, 2011 5:31 pm

Honestly - A+.

That is all a fantastic and reasoned analysis. I'd actually argue that with all the new SSS's in play, we're probably closer to $35-$40 (someone's got to pay for the big guy's lapdances)...but you also have to factor that $51 over 41 games to us having $35 over 20 games - so even if we are averaging more fans, they have 21 more games to more than make up for the difference.

First of all, I use this as a forum to continue to practice speaking to non-fans - and I love the fact that I do it well enough to get people either this riled up, or willing to go into that much depth. I've learned that the easiest way to convert non-fans is to piss them off enough to attend a game (you'd be shocked at how well this works), and then have them tell me how much they loved it. The talent is FAR better than lazy, generic, non-researched assholes give it credit for, and it's the best fan atmosphere, bar none, of any sport in the US. Go to mlssoccer.com and watch the highlights of the Sounders or Timbers game this past weekend if you need clarity on that...

Second, I'm all for reasoned arguments on this. Saying the league is a "JV" league is just a very simple way of saying "I have no clue how the business of sports work". The league is growing every year, and is growing at a rate that will allow it to continue to move forward. The value of teams is increasing every day, the ticket prices & attendances are both on the rise (which is currently unheard of in pro sports), and sponsorships will overtake many NHL & some NBA teams within the next 5 years (jersey sponsor is a HUGE advantage). Trust me, the NHL is looking over their shoulder VERY cautiously right now...

I'm quite aware that the scale of the MLS still trails the NHL, however that gap is closing more rapidly than most people think. If the NFL doesn't go off this year, it will have a positive impact on the level that the World Cup did last year - and those fans will transition to soccer before hockey.

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Mon May 02, 2011 5:37 pm

Soccer sucks and is for pussies and fags. USA! USA! USA! There, that's more of what Z's expecting

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Mon May 02, 2011 6:08 pm

Haha...actually, about that whole USA thing... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPm ... re=related

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Mon May 02, 2011 6:43 pm

Everyone knows USA! USA! chants only happen when Bin Laden gets killed and during wrestling matches when the face squares off against a generic foreign heel

Cardinals · Post by **Cardinals** » Tue May 03, 2011 12:06 am

I have no interest in the MLS and will continue to have no interest in the MLS even after reading this thread.

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Tue May 03, 2011 12:21 am

I knew getting Z going on the MLS' JV status would get a good argument going. It's good to see a bit of fire on the board again

oh, and I only called the league JV, because that's what it is. Junior Varsity. They're the Not Ready For Primetime players of the sports world. At least with the WNBA you can say "Y'know what, i'm seeing the best women's basketball anywhere." Granted, that was still a shitty product.

The thing of it is though, I have a hard time actually believing Z gives a shit about MLS. I don't recall him ever going off about the excellence of MLS before he got this gig (though i may have just laughed and ignored him). In fact, before this job, he was trying to sell us all on the WNBA (which we all have to admit was hilarious). Z's a salesman down to his bones, anyone who follows him on Twitter (or spoken to him for 5 minutes) can see that. It's admirable in a way, dude loves what he does. Sales. Not so sure about soccer, we'll see what he says when he moves on to his next job. Oh Lord, let it PLEASE be selling NHL tickets...

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Tue May 03, 2011 8:54 am

First of all, given the growth on the business side, there's no shot I'm leaving the MLS soon. It's not like I said I was going to be hanging around indoor lacrosse, women's soccer, the WNBA, or even the NBA for that matter...but I will be around the MLS

The reality is that the with rising attendances, this is really the only that's growing to meet it's demand right now - offering a TON more opportunities on the business side. Would I potentially be a 30 year old Chief Ticket Officer in the MLB/NFL/NBA? Especially since I started my career in sports at 26? Shit no...however I've used whatever opportunities I've had, and the MLS is the biggest growth opportunity out there.

Listen, I get up to watch soccer on Saturday mornings - and is the MLS as good as the EPL? Of course not. However, just because you don't support something doesn't mean it isn't thriving or exciting. The reality is that the MLS is the best we're going to get in the US for soccer, it's not going anywhere, and the fan experience at an MLS match is FAR superior to that of any other sport in the US. It's really easy to knock the MLS without knowing anything about it - something Bren enjoys doing consistently.

Listen - did I even think twice about soccer before I joined the WPS? Nope. But when I joined the WPS I got to go to quite a few DC United matches - and was pretty transfixed by the atmosphere at the games. If anyone lives in an MLS market, and wants to go to a game for free - let me know, I'll hook it up. I'd love to hear what you think...

Pirates · Post by **Pirates** » Tue May 03, 2011 9:55 am

Hook me up with some red-bull tickets, I used to drive past the new stadium every day.

BlueJays · Post by **BlueJays** » Tue May 03, 2011 10:28 am

Rockies wrote:Hook me up with some red-bull tickets, I used to drive past the new stadium every day.

Damn, if I was in NY I'd definitely be in favor of seeing a Red Bulls game.

My alma-mater, Saint Louis University, played the Columbus Crew about a month ago in Columbus and I had the opportunity to ride with the team down to Columbus and do color commentary for the game over KSLU (SLU's radio station), but other things came up combined with work and I wasn't able to go, but my roommate did it.

Phillies · Post by **Phillies** » Tue May 03, 2011 4:40 pm

This thread is too long. Go Union?

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Tue May 03, 2011 4:49 pm

Can we go back to arguing about a sport we all watch? This soccer talk is boring and I don't care enough to rib Z anymore

BlueJays · Post by **BlueJays** » Tue May 03, 2011 11:52 pm

Cardinals wrote:Can we go back to arguing about a sport we all watch? This soccer talk is boring and I don't care enough to rib Z anymore

Yea, I believe we were coordinating a mob effort to attack Nils?

Marlins · Post by **Marlins** » Wed May 04, 2011 12:50 pm

Yeah I work in the oil industry. I believe we all can agree there is nothing there to make fun of?

BlueJays · Post by **BlueJays** » Wed May 04, 2011 12:55 pm

Giants wrote:Yeah I work in the oil industry. I believe we all can agree there is nothing there to make fun of?

Gas tipped $4.00 today. I'm sure I could work something up.

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Wed May 04, 2011 3:58 pm

Orioles wrote:
Giants wrote:Yeah I work in the oil industry. I believe we all can agree there is nothing there to make fun of?
Gas tipped $4.00 today. I'm sure I could work something up.

ITS CUZ WE GOT AN OIL MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE!

Oh wait, that was the excuse by the media last time, but Obama's not getting fried by gas prices for some reason

Athletics · Post by **Athletics** » Wed May 04, 2011 4:07 pm

Giants wrote:Yeah I work in the oil industry. I believe we all can agree there is nothing there to make fun of?

Hey, I am a chemical engineer and want a better job...any openings?

Marlins · Post by **Marlins** » Wed May 04, 2011 4:13 pm

Yeah you can have mine.

Cardinals · Post by **Cardinals** » Wed May 04, 2011 4:15 pm

Orioles wrote:
Giants wrote:Yeah I work in the oil industry. I believe we all can agree there is nothing there to make fun of?
Gas tipped $4.00 today. I'm sure I could work something up.

It's been over $4 here for quite some time.

Giants · Post by **Giants** » Wed May 04, 2011 4:27 pm

Premium is up over 4.50 here, it'll be nice to move out of the Bay Area for cost of living alone.

BlueJays · Post by **BlueJays** » Thu May 05, 2011 9:10 am

Pirates wrote:
Orioles wrote:
Giants wrote:Yeah I work in the oil industry. I believe we all can agree there is nothing there to make fun of?
Gas tipped $4.00 today. I'm sure I could work something up.
It's been over $4 here for quite some time.

That's bc the NE loves to rape their own people. I filled up $3.98 this morning.

RedSox · Post by **RedSox** » Thu May 05, 2011 9:57 am

Drove down to middle NH on Monday to deliver some tree seedlings to my girlfriend's father. Cheapest gas I saw on the drive was $3.72. Been running around $3.91 in the local area.

BlueJays · Post by **BlueJays** » Thu May 05, 2011 10:00 am

As soon as we kick this cold snap I'm going to consider riding my bike to work. I don't care anymore that there's a 50% chance I'll get shot on Natural Bridge Road in North St. Louis.

Marlins · Post by **Marlins** » Thu May 05, 2011 12:57 pm

If it makes you guys feel better, gasoline futures are down about 18cpg today on demand worries. Tho, prob will just go up 20cpg tmrw to make up for it!