MLS examines winter season

[ray]

Sorry if this was mentioned before.

In a move clearly intended to curry favour with FIFA ahead of next month’s decision on the host of the 2022 World Cup, for which the U.S. is bidding, Garber said MLS will look at changing its schedule from the current March through November format to one more in line with most other leagues around the world. While reluctant to get into specifics, he suggested starting at the end of summer and playing into early winter before taking a break of several weeks and then resuming in February until late spring.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/mls/article/894614--mls-contemplating-games-later-in-year

[kj52]

Sorry if this was mentioned before.

In a move clearly intended to curry favour with FIFA ahead of next month’s decision on the host of the 2022 World Cup, for which the U.S. is bidding, Garber said MLS will look at changing its schedule from the current March through November format to one more in line with most other leagues around the world. While reluctant to get into specifics, he suggested starting at the end of summer and playing into early winter before taking a break of several weeks and then resuming in February until late spring.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/mls/article/894614--mls-contemplating-games-later-in-year

We'll need global warming for sure now!

[VPjr]

We'll need global warming for sure now!

It would certainly be nice for us

I firmly believe this is doable. It would be tricky but definitely can be done.

Like Bundesliga or the Scandanavian leagues, it would require a fairly lengthy winter break but that would actually work out, from the business angle, because MLS would be shut down during the most important weeks of the NFL season (playoffs), restart during the most boring part of the hockey/NBA season (dog days of February) and would end before the NBA finals and NHL finals and before baseball really starts to heat up.

More than anything, I really hate watching sports on a really hot summer day. Sunstroke ain't my idea of a good time. The quality of play drops off too (who ever believed that soccer was meant to be played in 110 deg. weather in Frisco, Texas??). Start 1st week of August (yes it is hot that month but it's only 1 month), break for winter 2nd or 3rd week of December, restart 1st week of February and play until end of May. There are enough warm weather/mild weather markets in MLS now to pull this off.

[phil7777]

Mmh teams ups north would probably benefit from playing in inside stadiums for a few games during the colder months of that schedule (ie. Olympic Stadium for MOntreal). Also, northern teams should play most of their away games during that period too.

[forster01]

Mmh teams ups north would probably benefit from playing in inside stadiums for a few games during the colder months of that schedule (ie. Olympic Stadium for MOntreal). Also, northern teams should play most of their away games during that period too.

Depends on how much snow there is on the roof of the BigO, some of the quebec official worry that piece of the roof will fall down due to its lack of structural stability (it has happened before)

[Admin]

Just move all Canadian MLS teams to Vancouver.

TFC to Burnaby

Montreal to Surrey.

Done.

[jpoma]

if this were to happen, then TFC's home games would be front and back loaded (e.g. to mid-Nov to mid-Mar ), with no home games in Dec, Jan,Feb. That is a pretty big buzz kill.

I suppose they *could* play in the dome, but that would be a complete antithesis of what this team has tried to do with BMO field.

[Trident]

Or we can grow a sack and play in the cold?

[jpoma]

Or we can grow a sack and play in the cold?

nope. Soccer is not fun to either watch or play in the cold.

[Admin]

if this were to happen, then TFC's home games would be front and back loaded (e.g. to mid-Nov to mid-Mar ), with no home games in Dec, Jan,Feb. That is a pretty big buzz kill.

I suppose they *could* play in the dome, but that would be a complete antithesis of what this team has tried to do with BMO field.

Or could make for awesome road trips to warm places.

[Admin]

nope. Soccer is not fun to either watch or play in the cold.

Heated seats in the stadium!

[Alex D]

nope. Soccer is not fun to either watch or play in the cold.

This is Canada, man up buttercup!

I personally have no problem with watching football in the snow, some of my favourite TFC matches were played in the freezing rain with the fog blowing in off lake Ontario. The big issue is do 20,000 others agree with me?

[jpoma]

This is Canada, man up buttercup!

I knew someone was going to say something to this effect.

I don't have a problem with snow. Even in Europe, you'll see snow in some matches.

But playing a soccer game in -20 degree weather... sure, call me buttercup. If you want to be a man, and freeze your nads off to watch a soccer game, have a good time. You won't see me there.

[Admin]

I knew someone was going to say something to this effect.

I don't have a problem with snow. Even in Europe, you'll see snow in some matches.

But playing a soccer game in -20 degree weather... sure, call me buttercup. If you want to be a man, and freeze your nads off to watch a soccer game, have a good time. You won't see me there.

Isn't there a FIFA lower limit on temperature?

[jpoma]

Isn't there a FIFA lower limit on temperature?

not sure. But if there is, that would always be a factor for games in Toronto, New York, Chicago, etc.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

Garber's not actually serious about this. It's just pandering to Sepp Blatter for the World Cup bid. It's the same reason Russia made the switch. Blatter continually whines about MLS not playing the traditional Euro sked. He even complained to Obama about it if you can believe that. Believe me, once the bid is over next month Garber is going to go dead silent on this.

[nfitz]

Depends on how much snow there is on the roof of the BigO, some of the quebec official worry that piece of the roof will fall down due to its lack of structural stability (it has happened before)

Which is why they are spending $300-million to replace the roof - http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/06/29/olympic-stadium-roof.html

Presumably it will be completed before 2013.

[Raven]

I actually prefer the non-European season for MLS. For selfish reasons...I like watching footy 12months of the year

[argh1]

Soccer in T-O, Montreal. Chicago, Boston, NY, Philly would be a blast in late Feb or early March.

Anybody know why hockey moved indoors in the early 1900's?

[tovan1]

Joey Saputo and the MLSE boys should invite Blatter and Garber to either Montreal or Toronto (the coldest cities in MLS) in January/February. Force the two of them to sit in the stands of their stadiums for 2 hours in the -20C weather and see if they like it...

seriously though, what matters most to MLS is the bottom line and I think the risk of losing fans and decreased attendance for the two Canadian clubs and all the other northern clubs would be too big of a risk for MLS to make. Toronto is a cash cow for the league, one can only expect Montreal to be the same.

[Alex D]

Joey Saputo and the MLSE boys should invite Blatter and Garber to either Montreal or Toronto (the coldest cities in MLS) in January/February. Force the two of them to sit in the stands of their stadiums for 2 hours in the -20C weather and see if they like it...

seriously though, what matters most to MLS is the bottom line and I think the risk of losing fans and decreased attendance for the two Canadian clubs and all the other northern clubs would be too big of a risk for MLS to make. Toronto is a cash cow for the league, one can only expect Montreal to be the same.

There will be no January/February games, the league would take a winter break. Add to that Montreal and Toronto not playing home matches for a couple weeks before and after the break and you're not likely to see games below 0C

[tovan1]

Ok maybe not January but from what I've been reading it seems like the league will take a break from November to February. Average temperatures in Toronto and Montreal are still below 0C in February, March, and latter half of November. To avoid playing in below-freezing conditions, these teams would be playing most November, all February, and most March games away from home. That is a long time playing away from home. Anyways, it not likely any changes will happen soon...

[finchster]

I think this would be a bad idea for MLS. In the summer the only competition for sports in USA and Canada is MLB and to a lesser extent the CFL. I believe this will lead to higher TV viewership as it is one of the only things to watch. Soccer is also viewed as a summer sport in the USA and it fills a nice gap in a relatively empty period for sports.

Play MLS in the winter, and it goes up against the biggest sports league in the world, the NFL, the NBA and the NHL. Not to mention, the MLS playoffs and final games would happen during March Madness. If you ask me, this is a recipe for lower TV viewership and overall interest in the league.

[Alex D]

The MLS season just ended and the NFL just concluded week 10, so MLS is already competing against the NFL for the majority of the NFL season. If I were to set the schedule for MLS (if it had to be fall-spring) I would start the 1st week of August and play until the 2nd week of December, then continue from the second week of February(perhaps a midweek game after SuperBowl weekend) until the the second week of June. Or conversely, start in February and end in December with a summer break, it would be a shorter layoff. None of the northern teams would play in December or February.

I'm not suggesting this is what is best for the league, I'm just playing devil's advocate. I must say however, that I rather watch a match in -5C than 35C. Hot summer afternoons kill the energy both on the field and in the stands. Maybe if it's -5C we can get more people bouncing just to stay warm.

On the flip side, winter breaks are brutal. A a fan of the bundesliga, waiting for a month and a half for the league to restart is down right painful.

[Cheeta]

Did someone say MLS was considering a winter season? Oh, "examining?" Sure. Okay. I can believe that's happening in much the same way they used to give suspected horse thieves a fair trial before hanging them. But legitimately considering a winter season?

I only ask because my Bull**** Detector just began screaming after the "MLS examines winter ..." bit and so I couldn't hear a thing afterwards.