Pro Sport Leagues in the United States

When looking into the United States, the professional sports world is dominated by four leagues, NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. Each brings their own aspects to the world of sports, whether its strategy, entertainment, energy/aggression, or a combination of the latter. The NFL by far is the most profitable league and the strongest in its following. The NFL has made sure to create a well rounded sport that keeps the spectator entertained year in and year out; with modified drafts, rule upgrades/changes, input from fans, high velocity and attempting to be a standard for the community (Even though they have come under fire in the past several months).

But yet in every other part of the world, the professional sports leagues are dominated by MLS, so why not in the United States? The United States has one league for the entire country, and if we were to travel to Great Britain, they have several of their own; why the discrepancy? Over the years with a fast past American Culture the game of soccer has been to slow for many to pick up and start viewing, various rules that didn’t make sense and the overall lack of entertainment.  After reading several articles, some key points jumped out at me as to why Americans truly hate soccer, way too many turnovers and they happen so quick, the games are very low scoring, it typically takes an entire game to score a goal, and the penalty system seems to strict even for us avid NFL fans. In other words, to grasp the modern American and immerse us within the culture of MLS the leagues most focus on these key attributes, even though ,yes, the younger generation has seen a spike in MLS viewing; how long will that truly last.

MLS should consider their penalty structure and make rules less subjective and more objective, with the ability for reviews from those we never have heard of or seen. The games need to be more fast paced; Americans don’t have the time or patience to devote to a game that is going to drag out for over 2 hours and be so lacking in luster and energy and produce a typical score of 1-0. Overall, MLS has come a long way in the US, but to really break ground and get a concrete fan base, they must revisit some key attributes of the basis of the game itself, if they truly wish to be among the top four leagues in America.

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