Not Your Older Brother's MLS: Soccer Matters America [View all]

[HuckleB]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-grill/major-league-soccer_b_1443011.html

"First things first. We're talking about Major League Soccer not Multiple Listing Service here. However, soccer in America is taking up major real estate as it is a league and a sport that is on the rise. A recent report shows that Major League Soccer's attendance is skyrocketing and has passed both the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association in average attendance. CBS News reports that it appears that soccer is well on the road to becoming America's third favorite sport, after American football and baseball.

So why is MLS and the sport of soccer having so much recent success? Many factors contribute to this formula. Soccer is no longer just for "hipsters" or people who like to be different in the America sports culture. I have seen this up close with the growth of Kansas City's soccer franchise Sporting KC. A re-brand from the KC Wizards to Sporting KC, as well as the opening of the state of the art, soccer-specific Livestrong Sporting Park has taking soccer in Kansas City to the next level. This is happening all over the country with the number of soccer-specific stadiums being built. Currently 13 of the 19 MLS franchises have soccer-specific stadiums with one more on the way and one being proposed. This has changed the all-around fan experience and made the in stadium intimacy unlike any other in American sport. Throw in supporter and member sections like the Kansas City Cauldron and you have a recipe for a lively experience at every match. The members section in Kansas City is comparable, if not better than, the bleachers at Wrigley Field or the student section at a major college football or basketball game. Brett Bates, a founding member of Sporting KC's Brookside Elite supporters club believes, "No other sports league in America has the supporters culture that MLS does and that's what sets it apart. The individuals at the top know how important the average Joe is to building a passionate fan base in the city and region." Not only is this happening in the Midwest, it is also happening in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have formed a great rivalry very quickly and their supporters sections are incredible. The Seattle Sounders are number one in MLS merchandise sales by a large margin and their attendance is setting records.

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Does the author overstate his case? Yes. Is the trend he describes becoming more and more clear? Yes.