Ok, I've been following some discussions about the new MLS team that will play in Toronto next year and I learned of a new term "Eurosnob" that MLS fans use towards those that wouldn't support an MLS team as this would be beneath them to do so since the MLS isn't the big leagues of soccer. So I'd like to coin a new term - NFLsnob for those that think the same way about the CFL. Anyone ever heard of this term used before? Did a googly search and I did notice one hit from a poster on a soccer site who used NFLsnob.
Hey Earl,
I absolutely agree with using NFLsnob the same way American MLS fans use Eurosnob ... it's almost identical.
(although in comparing MLS to, say, English Premier League soccer, the games are identical ... so it's much easier to say one leauge (Englands) has more talent than the other. The CFL game is so different from the NFL game that you really can't compare)
Anyway, NFLsnob. Good word!
It's been reported in the British Tabloids the MLS' LA Galaxy are trying to lure David Beckham to play for the with lots of dough, like when Pele played for Toronto only Becks is still in his prime, that would be a pretty big coup. I watched a little of the MLS playoffs over the weekend I have to admit I liked the fact that the action was more back and forth and more fast paced. Probably was because it was a playoff game...all the more reason why I dislike the no playoffs format of the EPL.
What do you mean Esq no playoffs format for the EPL? They don't have playoffs?
No they don't. Whichever team is first in the standings at the end of the season wins the championship.
Yeah. It's basically like giving the Stanley cup to the winner of the Presidents trophy. Makes for some pretty anti-climactic sporting scenerios
Sounds like they need some marketing people over there, they are missing out on having more games it seems to me.
Prob. just tradition. Never had playoffs and so would probably be an uprising if they started now. That's what all those tournements are for anyhoo. FA cup, champions league, etc...
There's an esteemed tradition in finishing atop the table in a soccer federation in Europe. Each federation also has a Cup elimination tournament thats usually determined by a draw. The winners of each competition are pitted together in whats often called the SuperCup...
In England there are Cup competionions for the entire FA... another for the Premiership teams and then there's the premiership itself. Add this to European tournaments including the Champion's League & the lower level UEFA Cup, the winners of which play in the UEFA SuperCup and you have MORE than enough entertaining games.
Soccer has its fair share of playoff action... especially in international cup tournaments. The fact of the matter is that 'the best' of a given sport can undoubtedly best decided by a balanced & drawn out season. I'll conceed playoff formats like the Stanley Cup finals are also a great way of determining 'the best' since you don't really get questions in 7 game series...
Its unfortunate that its logistically and physically impossible to have any more than an agregate system in football. I can't quite reconcile that the 8-10 Lions & Stamps teams that won the 2000 & 2001 Grey Cups respectively were 'the best'.
Entertaining? Yes. The best? No.
I asked a Londoner which he'd rather have Chelsea (how I hate Chelsea) win: the Premiership, FA Cup or Champion's League. He said, in order: Premiership, Champions League, FA Cup.
His reasoning being, to win the Premiership you have to be consistently good all season. It's the hardest to win. He also said there was a nice ring to being the "Champions of Europe", and that the FA Cup provided lots of flukes - occasionally (not rarely), a 2nd-Div team will make it to the quarter- or semi-finals. A couple of years ago, I think Millwall - definitely not in the Premiership - made it to the FA Cup final.
The Stanley Cup playoffs are less fluky than playoffs that have shorter series (or none at all), but you can still have a team get hot ... for example, the Oilers (how I hate the Oilers), Flames, Ducks (how I hate the Ducks), Hurricanes, Capitals, Panthers, Canucks, Kings, North Stars ... I could go on.
On a side note, it's starting to annoy me how many fluke teams are showing up in the Stanley Cup finals (unless they're the Flames!). (And hey, at least the Flames followed it up by winning the hardest division in hockey ... after 82 games ... see above.)
As long as it's your team then it's ok eh Canuc? Hey, I'm with you, I couldn't care less if the Cats win the GC winning every game ugly 1-0, just win baby, as the saying goes.
That’s how it would seem to people like us who like playoff games. But…since soccer is the worlds #1 spectator sport they are probably happy with this system.
And let’s not forget that each “English Premier League” club plays on top of their 42 home and away games in a 7 month season, upto 5 “FA Cup” games, 5+ “League Cup” games, and many “EUAFA Cup” and “Champions League” games. If a European team one ALL the silver ware on offer they could play as many 60 approx games in a season.