Canadian Premier League

[Ansem]

• "MLS will also establish a national marketing group with the goal of drawing coast-to-coast attention to some of the circuit’s marquee events, which include the playoffs, the all-star game and MLS Decision Day – the last day of the regular season, when several games are played at the same time."

Playoffs? Not happening as soon as Canadian Clubs are out. Those strong ratings were actually when they played one another and the MLS Finals.

All-Star Game? . I hope CPL doesn't do that

MLS Decision day? Hard to care about all those American markets... "Can't go out, got to see if Dallas makes the playoffs"

• “We’re looking to figure out ways that we can grow our national television ratings,” Garber said. “In order to do that we need to make the sport, our league, more relevant here and we need to make our clubs more popular in their local markets.”

Lol, 9 years later... Thanks for the thought Garber. In the status quo, yes that's totally doable.

 

• But there are no expansion plans in Canada. Instead, MLS wants to make Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver more popular in their regions – and across the country.

...Good luck with that. Can't see places outside the immediate markets to get into those teams. Going back to Montreal Metro area, getting people in the 450 suburb is very hard by Joey Saputo's own admission...Good luck getting Rimouski, Saguenay, Quebec City or Trois-Rivieres into it. Not happening. Let alone the Prairies or the Maritimes...

No expansion? Oh well, that's good news to CPL

 

• “Our task,” Garber said, “is to connect the dots between those three and create a national fan base.”

Outside of hockey, only the Blue Jays has done it. National base cheering American Teams full of American players....Yeah good F'n luck!

 

 

[Ansem]

4 minutes ago, MrSabiondo said:

And the push from MLS to kill CPL begins.  

No expansion in Canada =  CPL has the rest of the country to themselves to conquer. MLS won't kill CPL. Only CPL can kill itself at this point

[shermanator]

3 minutes ago, Rheo said:

They have to try, they are a business after all.  There's no reason the CPL and MLS can't co-exist together and complement each other and I think they will.  I won't give up on my supporting of Toronto FC but I'll also try to find a team to support in the CPL since I assume I won't have anything local.

Oh absolutely. I do actively follow the three MLS clubs, and support TFC to a degree, but it's not the same as having a club in your own city. When going to a game means hundreds or thousands of dollars in flights, hotels, food and drink, it's hard to get full buy in.

[Ansem]

3 minutes ago, Rheo said:

They have to try, they are a business after all.  There's no reason the CPL and MLS can't co-exist together and complement each other and I think they will.  I won't give up on my supporting of Toronto FC but I'll also try to find a team to support in the CPL since I assume I won't have anything local.

Exactly, MLS is a business. If you think they are happy with CPL launching, think again. From MLS at a business point of view, CPL is competition. It's not as clear the other way around as CPL will go after markets where MLS aren't there.

[ted]

10 minutes ago, MrSabiondo said:

And the push from MLS to kill CPL begins.  

Nah, not really. I am pretty sure he has said something similar every year since TFC joined the league. Just more of the same blather with added bonus of some success last year.

[Rheo]

10 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Exactly, MLS is a business. If you think they are happy with CPL launching, think again. From MLS at a business point of view, CPL is competition. It's not as clear the other way around as CPL will go after markets where MLS aren't there.

And we've argued this previously so I won't start again.  My position is out there as is yours.  Agree to disagree.  Cheers.

[MrSabiondo]

10 minutes ago, Ansem said:

MLS won't kill CPL. Only CPL can kill itself at this point

Kill or Own CPL (MLS reserve teams anyone)

But I agree only CPL can kill itself or abort altogether.

Here's hoping the CPL gives Garber the big FU.

 

[matty]

20 minutes ago, Ansem said:

• All-Star Game? . I hope CPL doesn't do that

Outside of hockey, only the Blue Jays has done it. National base cheering American Teams full of American players....Yeah good F'n luck!

 

 

Point A: Likely will. Sucks but yeah....especially if it's how they get a Euro friendly

Point B: Raptors have done it I'd say

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

1 hour ago, Dub Narcotic said:

At the Whitecaps town hall event last night Don Garber mentioned that MLS will be looking into setting up a Canadian version of SUM in Canada with, I imagine, bundled rights for the national team and MLS.

Presumably he wouldn't be saying that publicly if the CSA were not on the same page and it probaly ties into having a joint bid for WC 2026 in some way.

[Ansem]

Just now, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Presumably he wouldn't be saying that publicly if the CSA were not on the same page

More opportunities for Canadians is never a bad thing

1 minute ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

probaly ties into having a joint bid for WC 2026 in some way.

MLS has nothing to do with the bidding process.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

13 minutes ago, MrSabiondo said:

Kill or Own CPL (MLS reserve teams anyone)...

No entity called CPL has been sanctioned by the CSA and that is only the working name adopted by what Victor Montagliani termed "a swathe of the ownership" for the new domestic pro league that the CSA have been working on.

2 minutes ago, Ansem said:

MLS has nothing to do with the bidding process.

...beyond the way that they have the USSF very much in their back pocket in terms of control over US soccer. A cynic might even suggest that Canadian SUM could be the way that the CSA gets a pay off from MLS for not pursuing a D1 domestic league that is designed to compete with and supplant MLS in Canada.

[Ansem]

1 minute ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

No entity called CPL has been sanctioned by the CSA and that is only the working name adopted by what Victor Montagliani termed "a swathe of the ownership" for the new domestic pro league that the CSA have been working on.

...beyond the way that they have the USSF very much in their back pocket in terms of control over US soccer. A cynic might even suggest that Canadian SUM could be the way that the CSA gets a pay off from MLS for not pursuing a D1 domestic league that is designed to compete with and supplant MLS in Canada.

You're funny

So... what's the status on your green card?

[MrSabiondo]

1 minute ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

...beyond the way that they have the USSF very much in their back pocket in terms of control over US soccer. A cynic might even suggest that Canadian SUM could be the way that the CSA gets a pay off from MLS for not pursuing a D1 domestic league that is designed to compete with and supplant MLS in Canada.

A cynic or a realist?

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

36 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Playoffs? Not happening as soon as Canadian Clubs are out. Those strong ratings were actually when they played one another and the MLS Finals.

mostly i agree, but tbh if I follow VWFC/TFC/IMFC all year, i'll probably tune in for a few extra rounds of playoffs, assuming they at least made it.  

I'm not likely to watch the other teams during the season but I usually watch a few playoff matchups even after my team crashes out.  But I don't know how representative I am of the average canadian to be fair.

 

[grande]

So are what's the next date for "real" news? I think the rumour was 60-90 days near the start of January?

[dyslexic nam]

2 hours ago, matty said:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/mls-soccer-has-big-marketing-plans-for-canada/article33947927/

I wonder if those marketing plans include an explanation of the 10-year failure to make Canadians count as domestics in MLS.  Including an explanation of the oft-referenced legal issues that somehow don't seem to apply to other sports leagues, or even other Canada-US footy leagues (NASL).

I am a TFC fan, and have cheered for all three of our Canadian MLS teams in the past.  But the more MLS does to treat Canadians like 2nd class citizens (which the recent domestics rule does by not taking the simple road of equality), the more I am inclined to abandon that league in favour of CPL (and yes, BBTB, I know that isn't  an official name sanctioned by the CSA).

This reminds me of Tim Horton's doubling down on the Canadiana in their ads after being bought by a south American food conglomerate.  It doesn't sway me, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Like their shitty coffee. 

Want to play the patriotism card?  Go for it.  Just don't do it while positioning us firmly in the second tier.

[matty]

Kind of bored so looked this up

Blue Jays are closely followed by about 25% of Canadians (outside of Ontario it's under 20%)
CFL is followed by just under the Jays score
Raptors are followed by about 12% of Canadians
MLS is followed by around 9% of Canadians

http://globalnews.ca/news/2626964/toronto-loves-the-blue-jays-but-other-canadians-just-arent-that-into-them/

[Complete Homer]

9 minutes ago, grande said:

So are what's the next date for "real" news? I think the rumour was 60-90 days near the start of January?

There is no real date. McGrane said on January 18th that he expected an announcement within a month and a half to the Spec, but was quoted as within 90 days by CBC the same day, so who knows. He was also the source of the "announcement within 4-6 months" last February, so grain of salt warranted

[matty]

6 minutes ago, Complete Homer said:

There is no real date. McGrane said on January 18th that he expected an announcement within a month and a half to the Spec, but was quoted as within 90 days by CBC the same day, so who knows. He was also the source of the "announcement within 4-6 months" last February, so grain of salt warranted

I'll cut McGrane so lack because it's fully possible the Fury stuff fucked shit up. It does seem the zero hour is approaching for the launch with McGrane and Derek Martin both talking about Spring for announcements. We'll have to wait and see

[Complete Homer]

4 minutes ago, matty said:

I'll cut McGrane so lack because it's fully possible the Fury stuff fucked shit up. It does seem the zero hour is approaching for the launch with McGrane and Derek Martin both talking about Spring for announcements. We'll have to wait and see

Oh I'm definitely not in the "McGrane is full of crap camp", these things are obviously dynamic and hard to predict, just saying that he was willing to put a timeline out there before and was wrong, so no one should look at it being a garauntee there's an announcement by March 1

[matty]

8 minutes ago, Complete Homer said:

Oh I'm definitely not in the "McGrane is full of crap camp", these things are obviously dynamic and hard to predict, just saying that he was willing to put a timeline out there before and was wrong, so no one should look at it being a garauntee there's an announcement by March 1

I agree no one should look to march 1st as the date but think of all the expectations for a launch date we've been told this spring has more weight to it than any before it.

Also since it's mostly been overlooked i look forward to seeing how the tfc-ticats meeting went. Seems like it'll be the next big news we get and it'll give us a better idea of what this is going to be.

[Macksam]

5 hours ago, Dub Narcotic said:

At the Whitecaps town hall event last night Don Garber mentioned that MLS will be looking into setting up a Canadian version of SUM in Canada with, I imagine, bundled rights for the national team and MLS.

 

5 hours ago, matty said:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/mls-soccer-has-big-marketing-plans-for-canada/article33947927/

All these things just scream of MLS loading their proverbial guns.

4 hours ago, Ansem said:

• "MLS will also establish a national marketing group with the goal of drawing coast-to-coast attention to some of the circuit’s marquee events, which include the playoffs, the all-star game and MLS Decision Day – the last day of the regular season, when several games are played at the same time."

Playoffs? Not happening as soon as Canadian Clubs are out. Those strong ratings were actually when they played one another and the MLS Finals.

All-Star Game? . I hope CPL doesn't do that

MLS Decision day? Hard to care about all those American markets... "Can't go out, got to see if Dallas makes the playoffs"

• “We’re looking to figure out ways that we can grow our national television ratings,” Garber said. “In order to do that we need to make the sport, our league, more relevant here and we need to make our clubs more popular in their local markets.”

Lol, 9 years later... Thanks for the thought Garber. In the status quo, yes that's totally doable.

 

• But there are no expansion plans in Canada. Instead, MLS wants to make Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver more popular in their regions – and across the country.

...Good luck with that. Can't see places outside the immediate markets to get into those teams. Going back to Montreal Metro area, getting people in the 450 suburb is very hard by Joey Saputo's own admission...Good luck getting Rimouski, Saguenay, Quebec City or Trois-Rivieres into it. Not happening. Let alone the Prairies or the Maritimes...

No expansion? Oh well, that's good news to CPL

 

• “Our task,” Garber said, “is to connect the dots between those three and create a national fan base.”

Outside of hockey, only the Blue Jays has done it. National base cheering American Teams full of American players....Yeah good F'n luck!

 

 

The Blue Jays managed to do it because MLB is actually major league and because baseball commands a casual, passive, TV dwelling, fan base. A Canadian calling him or herself a "baseball" fan doesn't need a local team to support. To a much less degree, basketball commands similar kind of power. Soccer would achieve this to a much higher degree than baseball if MLS was a big budget league with TFC having a team salary on the same level as Chelsea or Manchester City, but it doesn't. However, soccer has that hardcore culture, supporters culture that even if North America was home to the best league in the world, cities within this continent who did not have teams in the best league would still have a pro team of a fairly large capacity.

[Diamondium]

25 minutes ago, Macksam said:

 

All these things just scream of MLS loading their proverbial guns.

The Blue Jays managed to do it because MLB is actually major league and because baseball commands a casual, passive, TV dwelling, fan base. A Canadian calling him or herself a "baseball" fan doesn't need a local team to support. To a much less degree, basketball commands similar kind of power. Soccer would achieve this to a much higher degree than baseball if MLS was a big budget league with TFC having a team salary on the same level as Chelsea or Manchester City, but it doesn't. However, soccer has that hardcore culture, supporters culture that even if North America was home to the best league in the world, cities within this continent who did not have teams in the best league would still have a pro team of a fairly large capacity.

It's also worth noting for Blue Jays and Raptors that they get to funnel the entire country's fans to themself. The MLS' strategy of rallying Canada around these 3 teams falls apart a bit because with 3 Canadian teams, a casual Canadian fan in Saskatchewan or Alberta does not see any of them as "Canada's Team". Sure, when it was just TFC, they could have that benefit, but now that there's other competition for that title, nobody comes away with it. 

 

As a perspective of a casual fan who recently (a couple of years back) decided to arbitrarily choose a team to support, here is the thought process that goes through someone from the prairies who doesn't know soccer thinking about supporting a team.

Toronto? Same city as Maple Leafs. Ew.

Montreal? French. Ew

Vancouver? Same city as Canucks. Ew.

Seattle? North enough, big stadium, financially stable, star players, yeah why not.

In this scenario the people think about the cities regionally and their biases come through.

 

Whereas if it was just Toronto:

Toronto? Canada's team. Doesn't matter the city. Yep.

 

A bit of hyperbole into the simplicity of the thought processes here but you get where I'm going.

[baulderdash77]

The 2016 Census came out today.  Interesting taking a look at the top 15 urban Centers in Canada (all in '000's)

Toronto 5,928k

Montreal 4,099k

Vancouver 2,463k

Calgary 1,393k

Ottawa 1,324k

Edmonton 1,321k

Quebec City 800k

Winnipeg 779k

Hamilton 748k

Kitchener-Waterloo 523k

London 494k

St Catherine's 406k

Halifax 403k

Oshawa 379k

Victoria 368k

There are some decent sized markets with no CPL rumours out there and it's easy to remember how big Montreal and Toronto are.  They should be able to support 2 pro soccer teams. 

 

[baulderdash77]

Toronto is as big as #5 Edmonton to #14 Oshawa combined.  It's a massive market for TFC to have all to themselves.