I'm In

The players have voted to strike if a new CBA can't be reached by March 23rd. I'm on the record of saying that is a mistake. I can see a work stoppage killing the league. I'm not alone, Sounders owner Joe Roth has said the same thing. Of course, coming from him, such a statement could be a bargaining chip.

Whatever.

The MLS fan base isn't so large the league can survive a strike. For the most part the fans are fervent in their love of their team, but there aren't enough fans that the league can afford to alienate very many. In short, most people wouldn't notice. The vast majority of the American sports-watching public could give a good God damn about soccer and that is just the way it is. As such, if the MLS were to lose any of its core it wouldn't be able to survive. Currently only a couple of clubs claim to turn a profit, imagine where the rest would be if the few fans they have turned their collective backs.

That won't be me. I've thought long and hard about waving both middle fingers in the general direction of Seattle should the players walk out, but I've decided not to do it. For two reasons. First, I think they're right to be demanding free agency. But more importantly, to me, I want to have pro soccer to watch. I've had a ball going to The T to watch the games and I want to have that opportunity in the future. I'm not a big enough fan to drive to Tukwilla very often for division 2 games, I will admit that, but give me the top league in the country a couple of miles closer and I'll be there cheering my head off in some crazy get-up or another.

So lock-'em-out, grab a picket sign or call in with a vague illness, if they stop the games I'm going to be very pissed-off, but I'll be back. I think the MLS is the best chance the US has had at a top-flight league and I'd like to see it continue to grow. Yes, I'll be annoyed, but I'd rather buy a ticket to help the league survive than ignore it and have it die of apathy.