EPL (& NHL) Overseas

This is just getting stupid. However, these are the fundamentals of capitalism. The need to expand markets and increase profits are able to trump anything and anyone: governments, environment, health, and even sport fans.

Similar to the NHL, who also this past year was getting its freak on about expanding into Europe with more regular season games and possibly European NHL based teams in the future, English Premier League soccer is trying to capitalize on huge demand in other markets. Man U already go on an Asian exhibition tour every year and their following in huge in countries like China, not that there is many people over there or anything. Other EPL teams visit the US which has increased its appetite for soccer after over a decade now of successful domestically run soccer from the MLS and the success of its Women's team on the world stage. So why not chase the almighty dollar?

The NHL has been in a hurt for quite a while now (or at least the pundits make it seem) with lack of a big US TV contract (they gave NBC rights to broadcast for free I believe). The fanbase in the southern US is not very strong. Hockey is no longer a big 4 sport in the US, if it ever was, thanks to the increased profiles of golf, NASCAR, US College sports, etc. These types of "negatives" make people worried, but where is the immediate danger? I like hockey the way it is now, the former financially struggling teams are now more secure with the salary cap / revenue sharing. The last time something radical was done in the NHL, blue pucks and expansion to the beach, things didn't work out so well, did they?

What about exercising caution?

I've read about how the success of Major League Soccer in the US could be attributed by its slow and steady growth, not pushing to hard to drive the game down peoples throats or take unnecessary risks with the league. Some might view this as invalid now that the Beckham era has begun and teams are now paying big bucks for big players, as opposed to the extremely minimal salaries for domestic players. But the league is still in a good position and continues to build each year. New soccer specific stadiums are being built and expansion has capitalized on the strong footing of the league; Toronto already has trouble keeping up with demand for seats.

However, why can't this approach be taken for the NHL's current situation? Bide your time until you get that big US TV contract. Slowly slide teams north if there is demand (Nashville to Hamilton, Atlanta to Winnipeg, etc.). It doesn't makes sense to me how so many people in the hockey press can think taking the game overseas is a great idea. Players are bitchy about long trips across North America, how is going to Europe going to help? I mean, it's not like anyone attributed the road trip to England for LA or Anaheim's slow starts to the NHL season or anything. If I lived in an NHL city, I wouldn't be too excited about my team playing some of it's home games overseas for these exhibition games either. Shouldn't the game that is made for us be played for us?

At this point it becomes a circus, where people come out for the "big show" to go "ooooh" and "ahhh" and hope to catch a fight. Do they care about the teams and the results? Is it significant to many people in Prague? Will the players play like they would for their domestic fans?

This is where I would be really insulted if I were English and my domestic soccer league were moved elsewhere. Potentially crucial, championship determining games could be played somewhere else where there is no dedicated fan support or atmosphere for the players. All the fans that would normally travel to away games would have to watch on TV across the globe. The players would be playing for a largely apathetic crowd, booing players for diving all over the place and hoping only to see a rare goal.

So, I'm glad to see the press and the fans came down so hard on the idea of playing EPL games overseas. Keep the game for the fans who drive it. Why alienate the very people that ensure it's existence? The almighty dollar is the ultimate paradox. It giveth and it taketh away.