Quote Originally Posted by Lyle
Well look at it right now...the MLS is where old players go to end their careers and where US youngsters get good enough to go to Europe.

So therefore we have old farts and young guys looking to move to Europe....how is that helping the MLS in the long run

I understand your point Jim and I am agreeing with you, but you have to admit that it's not really going to help MLS or soccer in the US.

The way to help soccer in the US is to cultivate talent and then ship them to Europe and SHOW THE GAMES ON TV especially the ones that showcase our talent. For the MLS to be big you need a figurehead and that was dropped in their laps when a kid named FREDDY ADU signed on with DC at age 14!!!! Now he's in the no man's land of SALT LAKE CITY....he needs to be the face of the league (along with Becks) and needs to be a New York Red Bull (to make a rivalry with LA)!
Good points, Soccer is a huge industry though... Various tactics need to be used.
TV needs to have a reason to screen matches,

(WAFFLE)*Lets not forget that football is in a market of other sports. I believe that I am right in saying most nations that exhibit a national soccer team, has soccer as its No.1 Sport. So we can see Americas problem. (Samson’s post earlier was a key example of the disinterest in Soccer in the U.S)*

Hence marketing is a must.

So since 'Brand Beckham' is, at the moment, the biggest and best selling soccer brand in the whole of the U.S, id figure it would be wise for TV Networks to invest some extra air-play in Brand Beckham and his affiliates.

This in turn, will be the proverbial Foot in the door in regards to exposure, revenue and growth. The market swells and gains power and so on and so on.

The MLS from grass-roots to top-level is healthy. Mick gets his Real Madrid shirts cheaper. The Stars & Stripes will have a better National team than The Three Lions, and we'll all have David Beckham to blame.