Friday, September 29, 2006
Super Bowl Stadium
Las Vegas has grown in population recently to the point where it is now considered a potential host to a major league team. I propose that instead of considering the Nevada city for an NFL team, the league build a stadium there as a permanent host for the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl currently travels every year to different warm weather cities or northern cities with covered stadia. This allows the possibility for a team earning a home field advantage for the Super Bowl. (example: Miami is a regular host. If the Dolphins made the Super Bowl, they would have the home field advantage.) With the Super Bowl always in Las Vegas and no team there, we would be sure of a neutral site.
Las Vegas also has plenty of hotel rooms and other amenities to host the big game. All it needs is a stadium.
The Super Bowl currently travels every year to different warm weather cities or northern cities with covered stadia. This allows the possibility for a team earning a home field advantage for the Super Bowl. (example: Miami is a regular host. If the Dolphins made the Super Bowl, they would have the home field advantage.) With the Super Bowl always in Las Vegas and no team there, we would be sure of a neutral site.
Las Vegas also has plenty of hotel rooms and other amenities to host the big game. All it needs is a stadium.
Stupid Soccer Names
Major League Soccer is a great league, but one thing bugs me: the teams names. American professional sports teams are named after the city they play in followed by a pluralized noun nickname. (examples: New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls, Boston Bruins) This is not so in Europe.
The problem I have is the powers-that-be in the MLS have used European team names as inspiration for team names here in the USA. DC United I assume takes its name from Manchester United, the great English team. Real Salt Lake probably takes it name from Real Madrid. The Dallas team renamed itself FC Dallas. Why not Washington Presidents or some other normal plural noun nickname for the team in the capital city?
Only three teams, New York Red Bulls, Colorado Rapids and Kansas City Wizards, have names that follow the traditional formula. The others, such as Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire are not as stupid as Real Salt Lake, but are not nicknames that end with an "-s."
All teams other than New York, Colorado and Kansas City should change their names.
The problem I have is the powers-that-be in the MLS have used European team names as inspiration for team names here in the USA. DC United I assume takes its name from Manchester United, the great English team. Real Salt Lake probably takes it name from Real Madrid. The Dallas team renamed itself FC Dallas. Why not Washington Presidents or some other normal plural noun nickname for the team in the capital city?
Only three teams, New York Red Bulls, Colorado Rapids and Kansas City Wizards, have names that follow the traditional formula. The others, such as Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire are not as stupid as Real Salt Lake, but are not nicknames that end with an "-s."
All teams other than New York, Colorado and Kansas City should change their names.
NFL Proposal
The National Football League should overhaul itself by taking the following steps:
I Eliminate NFL Europe. This minor league has five teams in Germany and one in the Netherlands. The games are played in the spring on a continent where the sport is little understood and not appreciated. Close down this league and bring the talent home.
II Create eight new expansion teams in the USA. Two teams should be created for Los Angeles. LA can handle two teams; the LA metro area already hosts two teams in the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS. Other possible host cities include: San Antonio, Memphis, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Columbia, South Carolina and Oklahoma City.
III Create a NFL second division similar to baseball's AAA level.
IV Place all eight new teams in this league. All teams should begin play in the same season. The season should be in the fall.
V Establish a system where the winner of the second division will advance to the NFL division one the following season. The winner will replace the worst team of the 32 division one teams.
I Eliminate NFL Europe. This minor league has five teams in Germany and one in the Netherlands. The games are played in the spring on a continent where the sport is little understood and not appreciated. Close down this league and bring the talent home.
II Create eight new expansion teams in the USA. Two teams should be created for Los Angeles. LA can handle two teams; the LA metro area already hosts two teams in the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS. Other possible host cities include: San Antonio, Memphis, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Columbia, South Carolina and Oklahoma City.
III Create a NFL second division similar to baseball's AAA level.
IV Place all eight new teams in this league. All teams should begin play in the same season. The season should be in the fall.
V Establish a system where the winner of the second division will advance to the NFL division one the following season. The winner will replace the worst team of the 32 division one teams.
