Are you sure about that? Its always easier for me to find an MLS game to watch than an NHL game. I honestly can name maybe 5 NHL teams and only found out today that the playoffs were even going on I think there are 3 MAJOR sports with NHL and MLS being in tier 2.
NHL gets way more respect than MLS. Not even close, at all Hockey gets more respect in Houston than the Dynamo.. and the Dynamo have been good. It's rightfully counted as one. Don't say that. You will be ridiculed and accused of having an inferiority complex. Personally, I don't like NASCAR or NHL, but I'm not small minded in recognizing their positive effect on a city.
NHL teams are worth considerably more than MLS teams. That may not be the best metric to judge the leagues by but it's a pretty good one.
I used to downplay Dallas similarly, but it's a weak argument. The entire area counts. It's more rare for a city to feature all teams within its city limits than not.
If you compare NHL to MLS, then yeah, you can say the NHL is worth more than the MLS, but you're comparing a league that is 100 years old to one that is 20 years old. In terms of popularity in the US, hockey is nowhere close to the popularity of soccer.
Uhh... you're wrong. US companies and television networks spend far more on hockey (via advertising or broadcasting) than they do on the MLS... largely based on its increased popularity (vs. MLS) in the US. That also contributes to its increased net worth and the fact that its players pull down sizable salaries in comparison to MLS players.
St. Louis is probably the best baseball city in the country but can't keep a basketball or football team to save its life. I think the lack of hockey in other cities says more about the sport, or it's marketing, than about the towns; especially once owners refused to do it without full arena ownership. Maybe if Gretzky and the Kings had ever won a cup.
I wonder if it's possible to even play football in New York City, 50,000 sq ft is something like, what $75 - 100 million in real estate up there?
Yeah this. Soccer is a major sport but the MLS is a minor league compared to other leagues around the world.
Unless they played in Yankee and/or Citi field, then no there's simply not enough room. Hence why they play in Jersey.
Weather hurts the NHL, but it has as many teams as NBA and NFL. It's a shame though, that Florida has more teams than Texas given the large disparity in population. It's shame the city north has one and we don't.
