So I got some good feedback from some of you folks last week after my little rant about giving a little love back to our friends in Florida who run the League. After reading many of your insightful comments I figured it would be good to run some of the ideas I heard through the mill and see what comes out. Besides it makes my job easier if I just riff on your ideas for a bit doesn't it? Oh wait, was I not supposed to reveal why so many of us writers like to have reader responses in our columns? Oh well.
Anyway, a reader in Seattle raised the question of who exactly the League is and why they should try to increase the profile of the League by selling specific gear with the USL and/or A-League logo like other sports do. That's a good idea and really it's one that you could bring up to some teams around the league. We all know that the clubs in the A-League sell merchandise to promote their team and a lot of those clubs are moving merchandise online but how much is this stuff being advertised? One of the things we tend to lose sight of for those of us among the "hardcore" fan-base is that there genuinely is a perception problem out there for the A-League and soccer in general.
There is a perception that the League lacks a coherent identity. In baseball there's Bud Selig, basketball has David Stern, MLS has Don Garber; so how many casual fans know the names Francisco Marcos, Dave Askinas, or Tim Holt? How many A-League fans realize that there are about 14 people running the entire USL that includes the A-League, PSL, PDL, W-League, and Super Y League? Heck, I wouldn't know it if I wasn't able to get my hands on a media guide at the start of each new season.
You think the league doesn't have a perception problem? How about you go talk to the U.S. Department of Immigration and Naturalization in the Midwest or West Coast. They seemed to have finally gotten it through their skulls that, yes, Virginia, A-League players are professional athletes too. You see, if you're a guy from another country playing in the A-League and you needed to get your visa this year to play in the States good luck and if you left the country you'd better plan on staying wherever you went because only professional athletes are granted the visas that apparently let the players cross the border freely. Apparently heightened security or whatever you choose to call it dictated that it would be more difficult for foreign players to come into this country. If you want to know more about this kind of thing talk to Seattle fans about Danny Jackson or Charlotte fans about the man who would be keeper back at the start of the year.
Anyway, to make that long story short (too late), the U.S. government refused to acknowledge that our players in the A-League were professionals. Somehow I don't think the idea that these players aren't pros is limited to the government either. After all, I don't know about you but I see that faint glimmer in a new fan's eye when I talk to them about the A-League and I tell them it's the second division of U.S. pro soccer. "So it's minor league soccer?" Yes. "So they don't get paid?" Depends on what city you're playing in. "So it's not pro soccer?" Yes, it is pro soccer and yes, this is a veritable transcript of a conversation I've had with people new to the League (but not new to soccer) more times than I can count. These guys are professional players who are trying to earn their livelihood playing this game. Now, do you think some people still aren't exactly clear on what and who the A-League is?
So how can we change things? I still advocate writing to your local papers to tell them "nice work" when they cover your local team. Write them and ask why they don't cover your local team when stories don't appear. Bring up questions and suggestions to the writers and media that do cover your team to improve their thought process about their coverage if not the coverage itself.
As for the League, maybe there should be a stronger insistence and presence that when, say, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds do something it is as a USL/A-League team going out into the community and not just the local, minor league soccer team. Plaster the League's logo wherever possible and get more publicity where it is possible. It's only recently, really, that there's been as much media attention on soccer in general as there currently is so all of us; league officials, team officials, players, coaches, writers, and even fans, are still figuring things out. There's a learning process as we all try to help our sport leave an imprint.
Anyway, speaking of leaving an imprint, how about the Sounders somehow withstanding the San Jose Earthquakes' barrage last night to win through to the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup? Kyle Smith scores on one of only four Sounders shots and Seattle's defense somehow takes care of the rest in their clash with San Jose. This match had to be a treat to watch at UW's Husky Field for the 2,500 or so that showed up. Next up the Sounders get to play either the Fresno Fuego or the LA Galaxy who meet tonight at the Home Depot Center.
Due to all of the action I'll be back in a few days with a report on the season as we near the playoffs and the rest of the Open Cup matches. Thanks to Paul in Seattle for his thoughts and everyone else who wrote in about the last column. In the meantime keep sending me your questions and comments.
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