What direction do you see the NASL heading?
I’m curious to see what the NASL wants to be because right now I see the Cosmos and potentially now, Fort Lauderdale, having aspirations of having big-name players and really making a splash. But then I see a lot of other teams in the league that as of now don’t appear to have those aspirations and that’s my question about the NASL.
With MLS, when you talk to them about aspirations, it’s fascinating to me because they came out and said they want to be one of the world’s best leagues in 2022. Do I think that’s realistic?
I’m skeptical but whenever it happens, 2022 or 2030, whatever… just to say that MLS has those aspirations makes them different from any leagues in the Americas. Mexico isn’t saying, “We want to be one of the best leagues in the world.” Argentina’s not saying that. Brazil’s not saying that.
Okay MLS, you’re a unique league but how are you going to get from Point A to Point B? That to me is an amazing story and I love following that story, seeing how they are going to go about it.
So is this a preview of a future book you’re planning to write about?
Who knows? I do get tired of hearing people rip MLS and say it’s not the Premier League. Well obviously, it’s not the Premier League. Instead of thinking of this very moment in time, let’s think 5, 10, 15 years down the road and that to me is a heck of a lot more interesting to think about than the obvious point that the Premier League is better than MLS.
Good reading into Grant Wahl’s mind and past.
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As for 104, it makes me wonder what the pro/rel supporters would have done after the NASL folded in the 80′s.
If people want pro/rel to happen, they need to support the NASL and USL PRO. Fan support needs to thrive at every level of the pyramid, not just the top, to make it feasible and show that a 2nd or 3rd division team can survive. A team relegating into a league where teams can barely keep themselves alive as is (Silverbacks immediately comes to mind) is not a prospect investors would stomach easily.