It Isn't Always About the Benjamins

It is no secret that the world’s economy is in bad shape. In the U.S., we have been hit hard; unemployment has risen to an all time high of 11% in Michigan. We are in troubled times. Families are focusing their income on necessities and are spending less money outside of their home. The entertainment industry is just one industry that has been hit hard by the crisis. Sporting events have always competed against each other, and various other attractions such as movies, concerts, circuses, and other live attractions. However, the sporting industry is also competing to survive in this financial crisis.

Every team, no matter what sport or league they are affiliated with, are offering discounted tickets, side attractions, ticket and souvenir packages, and other bundles to attract families and fans in order to sustain their business. In an industry where competition thrives, what are some competitors doing? While some teams are promoting cheaper concessions, discounted merchandise, more access to players to stimulate fan turnout, side attractions (like concerts after the game), and cheaper tickets, one team has soared past the competition by offering free…that’s right…FREE season tickets for next years season to their unemployed season ticket holders. What team can possibly afford to do this for their loyal fans? The Yankees? The Red Sox? The Cowboys? The Red Wings? How about Villarreal? Yep, Spanish Premier League (La Liga) club Villarreal will offer their unemployed season ticket holders free tickets for the 2009-10 season to help fans that have been hit hard from the current global economic crisis. Villarreal’s President, Fernando Roig, made this announcement earlier today. He said that the club has an obligation to its supporters who are the base of their organization.

Fans are a major aspect of any sports team. This announcement illustrates how important fans are to Villarreal, and also how important Villarreal is to the fans. Fernando Roig made this announcement because he knew how passionate his fan base was toward the team. It seems like a win-win situation: Villarreal will have a full stadium full of grateful, loyal supporters.

David Who? Beckham When? MLS Now.

I am taking a break from football coverage in England this week to talk more about our home grown league, the MLS. Yes, the United States has a soccer league…

MLS has officially started, and there have been a lot of headlines regarding Major League Soccer this week. The first big announcement came from the new expansion team, the Seattle Sounders. Comedian Drew Carey became a part owner of the Seattle Sounders, and is the celebrity face for the organization. His team went on to win their opener against the New York Red Bull. The opening game was praised by many experts. They went on to say that the game had a feel much like matches similar to European football…a great complement. The MLS has struggled to retain talent and attract new foreign players because of the perceived as having poor competition. Looking at the new U.S. Men’s National Team would support this feeling. Of the 22 men listed, only 5 of them play in the MLS, while 9 play in the United Kingdom, and 8 play in various European leagues. This is staggering. The MLS was founded to prepare the United States for the World Cup tournaments, yet most of the American players do not even play within our borders.

Thursday’s game was a signal that maybe, just maybe, that the MLS may survive in America. Seattle, a brand new market, has already set the record in attendance for a regular season game. The Sounders’ offensive focused style of play makes the game more exciting and allows for more scoring opportunities. Seattle could be the club that changes soccer in America.

In addition to Seattle’s celebrity presence, style and popularity, the Sounders also have one of the biggest sponsors in the business: Microsoft. All of these factors can lead to a very successful club, and hopefully attract more talent to the MLS.

In other MLS news, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Portland were all selected to join MLS in 2011, bringing the total number of teams to 18. David Beckham is still in Italy, and has recently come out and stated that he would like to win a Champions League title with AC Milan. Do we really want/need him? LA opens up their season today without Beckham. The whole situation seems to be more comical as it progresses. ESPN’s MLS page even has a “Beckham Watch” so fans can get up to date information about everything going on in the saga. After this week of impressive matches, maybe the MLS can find another star. Seattle’s Freddy Montero netted 2 goals and had an assist in their electrifying opener win. There is a lot of new talent in the MLS that can help the league establish them in the U.S.

The Thrill of the Race

With the conclusion of last weeks Round 16 of UEFA Champions League, England once again showed its dominance in football. Four English Premier teams have advanced to the next round, which accounts for half of the teams left in the tournament. It is no surprise that those 4 English teams are at the top of the Premier League right now: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. The Champions League could see an all English final.

As the European Theatre heats up, England is red hot. New life has been instilled in Liverpool and Chelsea as they frantically try to catch Manchester United for top spot in the league. With the Reds defeating Man Utd on their own turf this past week and clenching a crucial 3 points, Manchester United’s lead has been cut to 4, but with a game in hand. Chelsea cleaned up Manchester City with a 1-0 win to match Liverpool and move into second place.

The Premier League Title is not the only coveted trophy up for grabs in England though. The FA Cup is still going on with Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal still poised at a chance to collect hardware.

Manchester United has already won the Carling Cup. Many supporters and experts believe that they could sweep all the English championships and claim the Champions League to add 4 trophies to the season’s success.

Liverpool seems to be living up to their hopes of cracking the top 3 in the league and making a run for the Premier League Championship. Liverpool’s future success will be closely tied with the health of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

After all of the controversy at Stamford Bridge regarding managers and the return of Michael Essien, the Blues are showing signs of their earlier swagger. Chelsea has been undefeated in their last 4 outings under new manager Guus Hiddink and has begun to rebuild fans’ confidence in the club. Chelsea showed off their skills by scoring late in Tuesday’s game against Juventus to advance in the Champions League, as well as scoring in the first 17 minutes against Manchester City and hold them off the board in a 1-0 win in the Premiership.

Manchester United will recover from this loss. They are not going to roll over and let any team take any trophy from their grasps. The Red Devils still have a game in hand, and previous to this lost, they were unbeaten for the last 16 games. One of those victories includes a 3-0 win over Chelsea. Expect the Red Army to be in full force on Sunday when they compete against Fulham.

This week has made the Premier League much more interesting, one mistake can and will end the hope for some of these clubs to hoist up a trophy after the smoke clears. This means every game counts. No game can be overlooked. It is still a must win situation for Chelsea and Liverpool. As these two clubs compete against each other to reach to the top, Manchester United is waiting for them. We will see how this will play out…

Great job Reds and Blues