Jump to content

Cup vs Shield, for the 1000000th time


  • Please log in to reply
81 replies to this topic

#16
Antonius Block

Antonius Block

    First Team

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,976 posts
  • Supports:RBNY, Sligo Rovers

This team has been trying and failing to win MLS Cup for over 20 years.  The Supporters' Shield didn't even exist when the league started and the team has won it twice recently.  Over the last 5 years, the team has been better than any team in the league at consistently winning regular seasons game.  The fans are used to winning the shield and winning lots of regular season games.  The fans rightfully hunger for that which they have never experienced, MLS Cup glory.  I do not understand how any long time fan of this club could say they would rather win the shield this year than MLS Cup this year.  


"To believe is to suffer. It is like loving someone in the dark who never answers." - Antonius Block on Metro fandom


#17
hurricane1091

hurricane1091

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 3,670 posts
  • Supports:RBNY, USMNT

Soccer fans are an interesting group. I'm going to go rogue and if the Devils win the President's trophy but bomb out in the first round of the playoffs, I'll celebrate anyway and tell everyone that the Devils are the real winners of the league and everyone else is wrong if they think otherwise. I don't care what anyone else thinks, it's what matter to me. Stanley Cup is nothing, it's just whoever got lucky for a couple of weeks in spring.



#18
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,313 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

I do not understand how any long time fan of this club could say they would rather win the shield this year than MLS Cup this year. 


People, including long-time fans, are entitled to their own opinions. Most would like to win every trophy. Some like to denigrate the Shield. I do not. The team with the best record is the best team. How hard is it to understand that?
MLS decided early to ignore the regular season as anything more than a lengthy seeding process for the playoffs. Many other original ideas: no ties, shootouts for a single point, reverse clocks, no injury time, have been abandoned. Fans of the sport did not like the innovations, so they did not stick. Unfortunately, the concept of a worthless regular season has endured, with little recognition and no trophy. Ironically, the season now doubled as a qualifier for the CONCACAF Champions League, again with no award for that achievement.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#19
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,313 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

if the Devils win the President's trophy but bomb out in the first round of the playoffs, I'll celebrate anyway and tell everyone that the Devils are the real winners of the league

You should. But, you will not.

I don't care what anyone else thinks, it's what matter to me.

How is this different from your opinion on every other topic?

Stanley Cup is nothing, it's just whoever got lucky for a couple of weeks in spring.

No one says that the Stanley Cup is worthless. It is overvalued, IMO, while the Presidents Trophy is undervalued.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#20
General Robles

General Robles

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,260 posts
  • Location:Jersey City
  • Supports:Metro & Newcastle


How is this different from your opinion on every other topic?
 

Which then begs the question, why visit a message board if that's your general attitude?



#21
General Robles

General Robles

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,260 posts
  • Location:Jersey City
  • Supports:Metro & Newcastle

Soccer fans are an interesting group. I'm going to go rogue and if the Devils win the President's trophy but bomb out in the first round of the playoffs, I'll celebrate anyway and tell everyone that the Devils are the real winners of the league and everyone else is wrong if they think otherwise. I don't care what anyone else thinks, it's what matter to me. Stanley Cup is nothing, it's just whoever got lucky for a couple of weeks in spring.

Yes, an interesting and unique group. That's a good thing.

 

A segment of fans valuing the Shield over the Cup is really not a hard concept to grasp. Some fans' love of the sport extends abroad and pre-dates MLS. 



#22
hurricane1091

hurricane1091

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 3,670 posts
  • Supports:RBNY, USMNT

Don Garber tells me MLS Cup is where its at so I gotta go with that.



#23
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,313 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

why visit a message board if that's your general attitude?


I have my opinion. You have yours. If you devalue any opinion that differs from yours, why are YOU here? If not, why jump into someone elses conversation?

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#24
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,313 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

A segment of fans valuing the Shield over the Cup is really not a hard concept to grasp.


For some, it is.

Some fans' love of the sport extends abroad and pre-dates MLS. 


Old opinions are meaningless to the young and knowledgeable.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#25
General Robles

General Robles

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,260 posts
  • Location:Jersey City
  • Supports:Metro & Newcastle

I have my opinion. You have yours. If you devalue any opinion that differs from yours, why are YOU here? If not, why jump into someone elses conversation?

I was supporting your argument and my comment was directed at the Hurricane comment you were quoting. Hence why I liked your post. Sorry if I was unclear and neglected to include the prior post in my reply. 



#26
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,313 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

I was supporting your argument and my comment was directed at the Hurricane comment you were quoting. Hence why I liked your post. Sorry if I was unclear and neglected to include the prior post in my reply. 

I realized that, when I read your subsequent post.
No offense intended.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#27
adam22

adam22

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,433 posts
  • Supports:Metro
Logically, a balanced schedule can determine the best team over the course of a season.

It is understood many leagues overseas operate in this fashion. Many MLS fans are also fans of overseas teams. In many cases, they were fans before their city got an MLS team.

It is also understood that American sports typically award the champion based on a playoff system. It is also understood that the MLS schedule is not balanced. It is also the case that many aspects of the game and maturity level are different here (such as Pro/Rel).

There is no doubt that the league officials and majority of fans consider the MLS a cup awardee to be the champion of the league. This is also reinforced by the culture and lack of balanced schedule previously mentioned.

The owners love extra revenue from post season fixtures. The audience largely demands it. The travel and costs (among other things) makes a balanced schedule unlikely. There are many obstacles to overcome before people start to consider the SS the overall champion.

#28
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,313 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

There are many obstacles to overcome before people start to consider the SS the overall champion.


People will decide for themselves what to value. Those following leagues around the world may well see the team with the best record as champion, even with an unbalanced schedule. Many, including the MLS itself, view the MLS Cup winner as the champion. It is certainly a topic for discussion, but I do not understand why some completely devalue either. I also include the USOC in this discussion. Each is rewarded with a CL berth, so each trophy has extra value.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#29
adam22

adam22

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,433 posts
  • Supports:Metro
I dont think people dismiss it entirely. To win the shield means you won a ton of regular season games. Regardless of your opinion on the playoffs, its generally welcomed to rake in the regular season wins.

With that said, there is no parade for a shield win. There is no commercial selling special hats on ESPN. For NY to win the shield but lose the MLS Cup is just heartbreak and another year of not winning when it matters (the post season). Perhaps its undervalued but is that any different than any other American sports league?

The league has set the precedence of importance. The audience and American sports culture echoes in tandem. You can argue we should be in line with leagues like BPL. You can personally value things differently. But in my mind the evidence and majority places MLS Cup above all with zero room for interpretation.

We Americans love the playoffs. Those adrenaline-pumping promos and adverts. The weeks of anticipation for the next knockout game. The dozens of articles debating the possible formations and who will rise to the occasion. Appreciate that something satisfying that comes with an agreed upon final stage. Revel in that crisp autumn day and that tingle of excitement Thursday night after your third beer, chatting about the Eastern Conference final at RBA Saturday night.

So please, win all the trophies. But if you can only win one, let it be that elusive MLS Cup.

#30
hurricane1091

hurricane1091

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 3,670 posts
  • Supports:RBNY, USMNT
Can't even get into CCL via SS anymore. SS literally useless sans the fact it gets you home field advantage to host MLS Cup.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users