The Lessons of the Superbowl
By: Ben | February 7th, 2011
I don’t hate football anymore. That’s a big step for me; I used to actively loathe the game, and would be vocal about that whenever possible. In my mind, a man could only be a fan of one football, and I was an adamant supporter of what was clearly the farer game. Now, of course, things are slightly different, as while it would take a strong effort to care any less about football, my feelings have shifted more towards a content indifference.
Thus, the Superbowl may still be chiefly an opportunity to wear my Red Bulls jersey in the offseason and piss off as many people as possible by doing so, cook, and in turn be fed, but I may still watch a bit of the game itself. While I don’t think many reading would disagree that the vast majority of viewers care barely more about the game than I do, sitting around the TV and watching the pomp of what has become an event as American as apple pie is good fun.
Of course, it’s impossible for me to turn off my MLS- Improvement mind. As the championship of our most popular game, the Superbowl is essentially the pinnacle of American sporting events. The MLS cup (and MLS as a whole) may still only hope to have the honor of dreaming to one day become a fraction as big as it is, but there is still a lot we can learn from the Superbowl.
It’s clear from watching that production value is the key to success. As MLS games’ TV ratings continue to dwindle, their production value has been called into question. Frankly, watching a game at home has a strange way of making any game, even a better one, pretty boring. We can’t expect to be reeling in new fans when even established ones such as I are have trouble staying interested through the whole of the broadcast. The Superbowl seems to have just the opposite effect; it turns a game composed of as little playing as is possible into something exciting to watch, even for those who really don’t like football. I’m not saying that each MLS game has to be an extravaganza, as we all know that that would be ridiculous. However, little things such as showing games in higher definition and more clever use of editing can make a big difference in the viewing experience.
For games to be better to watch, we also need more pre- and post- game coverage. This already exists with games covered by FSC and the few on ESPN2, but are rare for the local broadcasts which cover the majority of the schedule. In fact, many such games end and begin almost matter- of- factly, sliding in and out of the game and on to further programming without any comments. With movie length pre and post game shows including endless montages, interviews, predictions and discussions, the Superbowl takes such commentary to new levels. This builds the excitement surrounding the game up to a fever pitch and gives it continuity after it ends, leaving the viewer much more contented. MLS may not need to go to such lengths for even its own championship, but a bit of show before and after the game would up its event status and build it as entertainment- worthy.
As soccer fans, we should look at the Superbowl with an irreverent envy. We all wish that the beautiful game could be that big in America, and each believe in some way that it can. Until then, however, we need to build while remembering football’s lessons.
What do you think?
Category: MLS
Comments
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I actually like the NFL. I used to be a football broadcaster. I enjoy the game greatly. There are many properties in football as there are in soccer.
One of the biggest problems I see from MLS is that they’re trying too hard to be the NFL when a great majority of Americans don’t really care about soccer. What makes the Super Bowl unique is that the NFL and the networks have marketed it to be a grand event. It wasn’t a grand event when it first started. It developed into one through smart marketing on both sides of the table (the NFL and television executives).
I agree that even the most exciting MLS games seem boring on TV. The problem is that there’s a significant lack of atmosphere being shown on the national broadcasts. Focus on the fans more and what they add to the game. After all, being at a live sporting event is better than watching it on TV because of the atmosphere, and the biggest part of that atmosphere is the energy being generated from the crowd. When you watch an MLS game on TV, you don’t feel like part of the crowd. You feel like you’re at home watching TV. After all, isn’t that what makes watching a game from Italy, England, and Germany better? You feel like you’re part of the atmosphere. I say, put more mics near the crowds and the supporters groups. Let those at home hear the singing and the chants.
With regards to TV production, having a pregame and postgame show doesn’t make as much of a difference as you would think. All local Union games have a pregame and postgame show. There’s really nothing but fluff involved in those, and most people just want to get on with the game. If you’re going to have a pregame/postgame show, make it 10 minutes, tops. Also, having EVERY nationally broadcasted game available in high definition is huge. Most of America not having FSC in HD is a problem. It’s also a problem that FSC every 5 minutes has to flash something on screen to promote games from other leagues. That, and their announcers are bad. FSC has a lot of problems. I think many MLS fans are really hoping that MLS goes to Versus for a few reasons: (1) Their HD production is outstanding, and is available nationwide (2) They actually really care about the games they’re showing on their network (3) Judging by their NHL coverage, they would promote the hell out of it. I am a big proponent of MLS going to Versus.
Finally, you need to promote each national telecast like it’s an event, not a regular season game. When I watch NFL games, it feels like an event. It doesn’t feel like a regular season game where everyone’s going through the motions. That’s what watching a game on FSC or ESPN feels like. There’s no real hype surrounding it. The hype has to be created beforehand to keep you interested. Yes, FSC would have a studio at the stadium where the match was, but there wasn’t any real incentive to keep you tuned in.
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Jerry is absolutely right in his points. FSC is terrible in their coverage of MLS, the league needs to ditch them as soon as possible in favor of a partner who will promote them to a larger audience and with some enthusiasm. And don’t even get em started on FSC HD coverage and availability. Another point he hit on was the fact that national broadcasts are not hyped as they should be. I love the league, but I have to admit, I rarely know when a national match will be on air. I truly think that finding the right broadcast partner is the key to MLS being able to capitalize on their increasing popularity and success in the future.
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I wouldn’t say FSC is all that bad, Fox Soccer Report is pretty good.
The one area they are bad, are showing games themselves. The Premier League matches they show (I believe) have production and commentary from other networks (Sky?) that is given to them. MLS games, though do seem boring on FSC. It’s not just MLS, though- have you ever watched a Serie A game on FSC? They always put me to sleep.
I think FSC can learn from GolTV. Their coverage of La Liga is not the best production-wise, but Ray Hudson is the most English-language commentator ever.
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Let me elaborate a bit on the last comment: Even though the production value of La Liga matches on GolTV isn’t wonderful, the commentary makes up for it a lot. It is the same on most Spanish-laguage networks (GolTV’s Spanish network included). The production on Spanish TV is pretty poor, but they have very good commentators.
On FSC, their commentators not only make lots of mistakes, but turn games into snoozers.
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There are some good points here. The nationally televised games for the MLS should be made an event. Think of Monday Night Football or Sunday Night Football. These shows are pumped up and promoted as soon as the schedule is released and up to the kick-off. Also, production value of the games must improve. There needs to be smarter choices of replays, and when to show a replay and when to wait. Since there isn’t really any downtime in a soccer game it is important for replays to be used smartly. Also, there shouldn’t be a reason for a replay not to show a missed call, or a controversial call. Offside calls are almost always shown on replay, but very rarely are fouls, or any dramatic call the ref screwed up on.
Also, more experienced commentators will help games from becoming boring. They will know how to cover the slower parts of the game without going on a discussion of players personal lives or the commentators person life. John Harkes is really bad about this.
Lastly, get the players out there nationally. A lot of fans can name players on their own team, but not on any other team. But, if you talk to football fans they can name the key positions from every team in the NFL. If you want a soccer newbie to turn on a game they need to know not only the players on their team but some of the key players on the other team too.
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