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Canales Daily: MLS Can Be Big-League In Fan Appreciation
Commissioner Don Garber has noticed empty seats at Yankee Stadium, but will MLS look closely at promotion efforts to reward fervent MLS fans?
Apr 27, 2009 4:14:10 PM
By Andrea Canales
Lost in the kerfluffle of Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber's "empty seat" statements about the New York Yankees is chance for the respective leagues to make clear their priorities.
For those who missed the dustup, Garber was speaking generally about how sporting events have been negatively affected by the difficult current economic climate.
However, he then gave a specific example, the vaunted New York Yankees: "It's incomprehensible that you watch a game, and there will be front-row seats empty," Garber said.
It might have been a compliment of sorts - Garber was essentially saying that it's so bad out there, even the most amazing sports teams are getting affected - but Yankees president Randy Levine wasn't inclined to view the statement charitably.
"Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke," Levine said to the Associated Press. "We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year. If he ever gets Major League Soccer into the same time zone as the Yankees, we might take him seriously."
Levine also added a zinger which seems to boost a point I've made for a while - that the publicity David Beckham generated for MLS wasn't necessarily positive. "Hey Don, worry about Beckham, not the Yankees. Even he wants out of your league."
It's amusing that Levine felt the need to address Garber's remarks, much less take them so personally. Yet his defensiveness is telling - the Yankees are like Abercrombie and Fitch, the upscale clothing brand that doesn't seem to realize that young consumers are now deciding cheaper labels are more chic, because A & F resists budging on price points.
I understand that the Yankees have a shiny new stadium and don't want to discount what they feel is good value for their product. That is their choice and their business, and they can now be known for that conviction and consistency.
MLS also has an opportunity to decide how their league will be viewed in tough times. Will the league merely note that this hard period exists as an excuse for falling revenue or attendance? Or will it seize the opportunity to reach out to the public as a sporting league that wants to support its supporters?
I'm not talking simply about pricing discounts - most MLS teams are now aggressively marking down ticket prices, which are already among the lowest for professional sports. The Galaxy had a recent sale of $75 sideline seats discounted to $14. Chivas USA has been running two-for-one ticket promotions all season long.
What's lacking, though, is more promotion geared to the loyal fan - the ones who are the backbone of any organization. It's time to give the most stalwart supports of MLS teams a bigger break. More incentives should be geared to getting fans to the stadium and letting them know they are appreciated. They can also tie promotions in to the history of the league.
For example, season ticket holders could be offered discounts on purchasing game-day tickets for friends. It would be ideal to recruit the most passionate members to serve as the game's ambassadors.
A jersey promotion could offer a deeply discounted ticket or a seat upgrade to anyone showing up for a match with a jersey from the year the team was founded. That speaks to a team's respect for the past.
Even a small discount, like $1 off every ticket purchase if a fan is wearing the home team's colors, could make a difference. Not only would that make an impact visually, seeing the stands awash in the local hues, but it could also start making the practice a habit.
Fan groups can also work in concert with an organization for specific events, such as a flag-making contest where a ticket package is the grand prize. Other events can also be set up for other ticket prizes, a photo competition, a soccer ball juggling contest, etc.
Little gestures of consideration are important and letting security working MLS games know the range of allowed behavior for actively participating supporters (while still keeping everyone safe) is crucial.
It's not enough to rationalize that other sports or other soccer leagues around the world don't have to make such an effort to reach out to fans. That's apparently been the logic of the Yankees, and yet, no matter how Levine throws brickbats at MLS, there are still empty seats near the action at their stadium.
It's not just the quantity of fans that matter, though, it's the quality. If MLS rewards the fans who are worthy of it, the ones who arrive early and leave late, who know the name of the last sub on the bench, who remember when the coach once wore the uniform, then the league is making clear what is an important priority. Being the impudent squirt to the primary sports leagues of the U.S. shouldn't matter. Antagonizing baseball's most storied team is only worthwhile if one can prove that a lesson was learned along the way - and that is that the fans do matter - they're an essential part of the game experience.
It's these quality fans who will remember that their teams made the effort to stick by them when things seemed bleak, and it's likely that they'll do their best to return the favor.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
Lost in the kerfluffle of Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber's "empty seat" statements about the New York Yankees is chance for the respective leagues to make clear their priorities.
For those who missed the dustup, Garber was speaking generally about how sporting events have been negatively affected by the difficult current economic climate.
However, he then gave a specific example, the vaunted New York Yankees: "It's incomprehensible that you watch a game, and there will be front-row seats empty," Garber said.
It might have been a compliment of sorts - Garber was essentially saying that it's so bad out there, even the most amazing sports teams are getting affected - but Yankees president Randy Levine wasn't inclined to view the statement charitably.
"Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke," Levine said to the Associated Press. "We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year. If he ever gets Major League Soccer into the same time zone as the Yankees, we might take him seriously."
Levine also added a zinger which seems to boost a point I've made for a while - that the publicity David Beckham generated for MLS wasn't necessarily positive. "Hey Don, worry about Beckham, not the Yankees. Even he wants out of your league."
It's amusing that Levine felt the need to address Garber's remarks, much less take them so personally. Yet his defensiveness is telling - the Yankees are like Abercrombie and Fitch, the upscale clothing brand that doesn't seem to realize that young consumers are now deciding cheaper labels are more chic, because A & F resists budging on price points.
I understand that the Yankees have a shiny new stadium and don't want to discount what they feel is good value for their product. That is their choice and their business, and they can now be known for that conviction and consistency.
MLS also has an opportunity to decide how their league will be viewed in tough times. Will the league merely note that this hard period exists as an excuse for falling revenue or attendance? Or will it seize the opportunity to reach out to the public as a sporting league that wants to support its supporters?
I'm not talking simply about pricing discounts - most MLS teams are now aggressively marking down ticket prices, which are already among the lowest for professional sports. The Galaxy had a recent sale of $75 sideline seats discounted to $14. Chivas USA has been running two-for-one ticket promotions all season long.
What's lacking, though, is more promotion geared to the loyal fan - the ones who are the backbone of any organization. It's time to give the most stalwart supports of MLS teams a bigger break. More incentives should be geared to getting fans to the stadium and letting them know they are appreciated. They can also tie promotions in to the history of the league.
For example, season ticket holders could be offered discounts on purchasing game-day tickets for friends. It would be ideal to recruit the most passionate members to serve as the game's ambassadors.
A jersey promotion could offer a deeply discounted ticket or a seat upgrade to anyone showing up for a match with a jersey from the year the team was founded. That speaks to a team's respect for the past.
Even a small discount, like $1 off every ticket purchase if a fan is wearing the home team's colors, could make a difference. Not only would that make an impact visually, seeing the stands awash in the local hues, but it could also start making the practice a habit.
Fan groups can also work in concert with an organization for specific events, such as a flag-making contest where a ticket package is the grand prize. Other events can also be set up for other ticket prizes, a photo competition, a soccer ball juggling contest, etc.
Little gestures of consideration are important and letting security working MLS games know the range of allowed behavior for actively participating supporters (while still keeping everyone safe) is crucial.
It's not enough to rationalize that other sports or other soccer leagues around the world don't have to make such an effort to reach out to fans. That's apparently been the logic of the Yankees, and yet, no matter how Levine throws brickbats at MLS, there are still empty seats near the action at their stadium.
It's not just the quantity of fans that matter, though, it's the quality. If MLS rewards the fans who are worthy of it, the ones who arrive early and leave late, who know the name of the last sub on the bench, who remember when the coach once wore the uniform, then the league is making clear what is an important priority. Being the impudent squirt to the primary sports leagues of the U.S. shouldn't matter. Antagonizing baseball's most storied team is only worthwhile if one can prove that a lesson was learned along the way - and that is that the fans do matter - they're an essential part of the game experience.
It's these quality fans who will remember that their teams made the effort to stick by them when things seemed bleak, and it's likely that they'll do their best to return the favor.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
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