Quote:
Originally Posted by DBurg
MLS with ready made solution to season restart...
Transition to fall through spring schedule beginning August 1st.
Article I wrote in 2014 for a friend's blog, while covering the sport for some online sites and blogs.
https://www.helltownbeer.com/2014/12...cer-crowd.html
This is a follow-up I did to the above, also from 2014.
https://www.helltownbeer.com/2014/12...spring-it.html
For those not reading the blog posts I'm linking to (don't blame you), keep in mind, the MLS playoffs, played at the home of higher ranked team go through November. So games in those northern cities are possible and do take place in November already.
Secondly, the proposal in the blogs is for a couple weeks of December games to take place in the more southerly cities. Fall season ends before christmas as players get a 3 week break. When they come back from break in Mid-January, the teams convene in one two locations, i.e. Miami or L.A. or Phoenix, for a three week NBA League like gathering. Fans get up close. Team fan groups convene to drink, carouse, watch soccer, and get autographs/memorabilia etc.
When the regular season starts back up in second week of February, 2-3 games are played in southern cities. Season already begins March 1st, so this is doable. To balance out the schedule, the first three weeks of the fall portion would be played in the northern tier cities.
Despite the doom and gloomers in regards to weather and changing the schedule, changing is not only doable, it has many other positives: transfer windows, bringing college players in for the MLS Winter League in January, playoffs going up against first few rounds of NBA/NHL instead of college football's most exciting weeks and the heart of the NFL season, summer left for national team competition and summer club competitions.
Anyway, read the damn blog posts! LOL. The disclaimer in the second blog, which is linked in this post, is worth the read all on its own.