Dear Average American Sports Fan

From LA Sports Blog - lasportsblog.bravehost.com

By: Nathaniel Gordon

E-mail: LASportsblog@gmail.com

Dear "Average American Sports Fan",
We haven't talked in a long time, mainly because You resent my love and I despise your ignorance. But I've come to extend an olive branch, to save You from yourself; I take that back, that's impossible, basically because You "average American sports fan" are very narcissistic. You think that everything is about You, everything in sports is for You, and that the world revolves around You. However, Friday July 13, 2007 was your Black Friday, and You blindly enjoyed it thinking You were unharmed. From Scott Van Pelt to D'Marco Farr You all thought that Black Friday was a day for You to praise. David Beckham arrived in Los Angeles and You cheered the fact that You could "not give a rats ass" about Becks joining LA Galaxy. What You failed to understand, much like You fail to understand the game of Football, is that this isn't about You; and it isn't FOR You in any way, shape or form.

Over the last few months since the "Beckham Exception" was put into the MLS Salary Cap other MLS teams have been buying players from overseas. But unlike the NASL before them they haven't been spending millions upon millions for random stars from the previous World Cup. Instead each buy has been very calculated; Barros Schelotto the Boca Juniors superstar to Columbus; Cuauhtemoc Blanco of Club America fame to Chicago; Able Xavier of the Portugal National team to LA; and former Colombian National player and Aston Villa star Juan Pablo Angel in New York. Each of these players represent a fan base already in America, millions of people following other leagues and teams outside of the United States. The final, and largest fan base, English Football fans are being attracted by one David Beckham. The point of each players signing is to bring their fans from their previous teams already living in the United States to MLS, hoping that they become attached to their favorite players new teams and establish new fan/club relationships. We won't know if this has worked for about 3 or 4 years, but if the 1-2 year results are positive then more players from overseas will want to come and in turn their fans will come to MLS and the circle continues.

The buzz around the soccer community to this point has already confirmed what I intitally stated, David Beckham isn't for the average American; he is for people like me, people who get up at 4am to watch Arsenal play live on Fox Soccer Channel, but won't sit down to watch a whole MLS game in the middle of the day. If average Americans end up coming to MLS because of Beckham that's extra credit, but otherwise we could give a rats ass about You. Moreover, we don't want to hear You complain about how our Footballers don't score enough, how You actually have to sit for 45 minutes straight to watch a half or how our Footballers aren't tough. You bitch and wine like a 12 year old girl who can't explain why she can't come to the board because there's blood half way down her leg in the middle of math class. Us soccer fans don't have to justify our sport or our passion for it to You, your attention span is too short for the argument anyway... I think I've already lost You to a beer or bong toke, i should of taken a commercial break after paragraph one.

Do I have your attention again? It's okay the hot dog eating contest is over You can listen to me again... shit, there is a Yankees/Sox replay on ESPN 4, I'll wait until your finished watching. Done yet? College beer pong tournament on ESPN6?!?! Okay go ahead I'll be patient but I'm not waiting through the spelling bee to finish my point...

While You were watching College Water Polo on Fox Sports Central I was watching Entourage and although I feel the same way about You at this point as Billy Walsh feels about Eric, I will never ask you admit to the fact that your a 'traitorous f*ck and You like to suck cock!' never, ever... I just want You to admit that my Football is as legit as your Football. Oh, and stop feeling so damn threatened, the NFL isn't going anywhere, we're not replacing anything. Soccer already has 3 Cable channels that are 24-hour dedicated to the beautiful game, plus a satellite radio station, we already have our own broadcast outlets.

So at this point You most likely feel the same about me as I've felt about You Jim Rome, Bill Plaschke, Jay Mariotti, Scott Van Pelt, D'Marco Farr and those of your same thinking. But here's the thing, I don't care about what You have to say, because what You have to say doesn't matter. I care about what Club America fans, Boca Jr. fans, Aston Villa fans, Portuguese fans, Manchester and Real Madrid fans have to say. Because if those fans here in America become fans of MLS teams across America in the next 3-5 years then this has all been a success. The attendances will go from 15-20 thousand a game to 25-35 thousand a game and the passion for the clubs will rise. We don't need You to succeed, so keep your NFL, we're happy with the Football we have.

Sincerely Yours,
Voice of American Soccer Fan

E-mail: LASportsblog@gmail.com