But we don't have an antidote.
And the force which is paving the way for a new generation of sports in the U.S. is the United States' own domestic league: Major League Soccer, or MLS. A league which you may have heard of at one point, but you weren't entirely sure if it existed or not is still here. And unlike the ill-fated North American Soccer League which untimely collapsed due to structural disasters, the MLS is still here after 19 seasons of play. And it is on the rise. So before you embarrass yourself in 5-10 years because you still don't know about the L.A. Galaxy or how the offside rule works, let me give you a brief a history of the league.
The MLS was founded in 1994 as part of a promise with FIFA, the world's international government for all things soccer, that the United States would create a domestic league. When the league first kicked off in 1996, ten teams battled for a title, wearing absolutely hideous uniforms and playing in "stadiums" which are usually reserved for collegiate football or minor league baseball. The league enjoyed good attendance in its first couple years, but as the first crop of players began to retire, and the glamour of a "new league" started to fade, the MLS, as all new major sports leagues, had to contract. Two teams from Florida, the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Miami Fusion, were dismissed in 2002 due to administration conflicts. This contraction was the symbol of the "dark ages" of MLS, a time period from about 2000-2005. In this time, the league's best players were either retiring due to old age or leaving for Europe while they still had youth. The attendance levels were setting record lows, and the league decided to play the system much more carefully, so as to avoid the disparities between teams which led to the NASL's demise.
Economists predicted that the league would be extinct by 2007. They were wrong. Instead of the year encrusted on the league's tombstone, 2007 became the first year of "MLS 2.0." And this was because of one factor: Beckham. David Beckham. With his signature, the league began to evolve into its current healthy status. Wherever Beckham played, the game sold out, which brought more money into the league. This money was used to keep players grounded from foreign interest with healthier contracts. Teams began to erect state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadiums to host their games, a bid contrast to the poor quality facilities of yesteryear.The quality of the game improved, to such a degree that the league began to attract interest from other fans outside of the U.S.
Perhaps the biggest example of MLS' recent growth is Sporting Kansas City's move from a minor league ballpark (left) to their own soccer-specific stadium (right).
I'm not saying that the league is there yet, but it is getting better every year. As of 2012, the MLS' average attendance is higher than that of both the NBA and the NHL. The MLS ranks 7th in the world in average attendance, more than both the French and Dutch leagues. And with the emergence of new sports television networks such as NBC Sports Network and FOX Sports 1, MLS television contracts have gotten larger and more lucrative. So we're on our way.
I only became a fan of MLS in 2011, when my father and I went to an Earthquakes game in 2011. The Quakes may have lost 2-1, but I instantly became hooked. I could not stop following soccer. Supporting the Earthquakes in their record-breaking 2012 season was one of the greatest experiences in my life thus far, and I can't wait for the memories which have yet to be had.
Because Major League Soccer is simply something special.
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