Is RSL becoming an afterthought?

I don't know about anyone else, but lately I get the feeling RSL is becoming an afterthought in the Utah sports landscape.

There was a time, back when I was a fan of soccer and RSL, that I felt like RSL held a high rank in Utah sports. That was before all the college football crap, the PAC 10, PAC 12, Big 12, NIL, Cam Rising hullabaloo. 

Recently they announced the season schedule for the Utah Royals and honestly I have to think 99.999% of Utahans asked themselves, "Who are they?"

Now they are pushing to get a NHL and/or a MLB team to come to Utah. 

I remember when Larry H. Miller tried to get the Minnesota Twins to relocate to Utah right around the time RSL started (2005) but famously said in an interview that "we'll have to wait and see how the soccer team does." 

That little quote added a lot of meat on the bone when Dave Checketts blamed Larry H. Miller for trying to sabotage the stadium funding deal for RSL. Miller didn't think there would be enough sports fans in Utah to support two major league teams that play the majority of their games in the summer.

Now, Utah's population has doubled since then so that may not be a concern anymore but still.

I had to chuckle a little when I saw this recent KSL.com article. RSL is mentioned but kind of like an afterthought at the very end.

 Millions requested to attract MLB, NHL, Olympics to Utah

The Utah Sports Commission has requested $4 million from the state to attract and host national and international sporting events.

Utah is currently courting Major League Baseball and National Hockey League franchises and the 2034 Olympics.

As Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission said, "A lot has happened in a year."

Robbins went before the Business, Economic Development and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee Friday morning.

"Have 735 events that were summer events. That's unheard of. The IOC has never seen a legacy program like we have all created here," Robbins said.

He asked for a one-time payment in 2025 for $4 million with more money to follow.

Robbins said Utah is in a coveted position locally, statewide, nationally and globally in sports.

He said the 735 summer events outside of the Olympics are largely unheard of, which sets Utah apart.

Since October, he said, more than 70 events the commission has worked on have made an economic impact of about $600 million and global media value ringing in almost a billion dollars.

Robbins said money now puts Utah at the forefront of attracting the Olympics and other sporting events.

"We're moving in a direction that I think is unprecedented in the history of Utah and sports. And sports has become such a huge economic driver — such a huge image builder — statewide for us," Robbins said. "Positions us in the global marketplace in a way that you almost can't put the dollars on it."

Robbins said this is all about vision.

He mentioned the commission is talking to representatives from FIFA next week about bringing training centers for the World Cup to partner with Real Salt Lake and the University of Utah.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50865685/millions-requested-to-attract-mlb-nhl-olympics-to-utah

Poor RSL, what will become of them?

How the MLS works

RSL Comeback Effort Falls Shy as 2023 Campaign Ends in Houston

I honestly care so little about MLS and RSL that I can't even find the energy to copy and paste an article for historical purposes. Here is a link you can click on if you want, but honestly why would you want to?

https://www.rsl.com/news/rsl-comeback-effort-falls-shy-as-2023-campaign-ends-in-houston

Palio of Siena August 16th, 2023

I remember watching this as a kid on ABC's Wide World of Sports.

It's pretty interesting when you read up on the history of the race and how it involves the different neighborhoods of Siena.

FYI, riderless horses can still win the race.

This is why nobody likes Megan Rapinoe

 

"I mean this is like a sick joke. For me personally, this is dark comedy, that I missed a penalty," Rapinoe told FOX Sports. 

The entire US soccer community is happy to see this woman go away, nobody likes her.

After all the trash talking she has done off the pitch she goes up to take a penalty in the World Cup and chokes. Then she has the audacity to smile.

A dark comedy? No Megan, you suck, nobody likes you, go away. 

There is an old saying that is apropos for Megan and the US Women National team as a whole, "be humble or be humbled".  

Just saying.

Carli Lloyd DID NOT hold back on the USWNT

I held back from posting anything after the Women's World Cup a couple of months ago because I was being lazy and really didn't care. Soccer sucks, especially women's soccer. 

But enough time has gone by and I have a few things saved on the computer so I might as well clear this stuff out and post it. 

I was delighted to see the US women's team get beat, they didn't deserve to play in front of the world.

They suck, US soccer sucks, end of debate.

MLS' new stupid playoff structure - let the clown show continue

 

MLS announces new playoff format for 2023 season

(mlssoccer.com 2-21-23)

Major League Soccer today announced the format and schedule for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup presented by Audi.

Building on the popular single-elimination format, the 2023 MLS postseason will see the addition of a pair of single-elimination Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card matches ahead of an enhanced Round One, which now includes a Best-of-3 series.

After Decision Day on Oct. 21, the playoff schedule will go as follows:

Wild Card matches: Oct. 25-26

Round One Best-of-3 series matches: Oct. 28-Nov. 12

Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals: Nov. 25-Dec. 3

MLS Cup presented by Audi: Dec. 9.

Qualification:

Seeds 1-7 in each conference will automatically qualify for the Round One Best-of-3 series.

Seeds 8-9 in each conference will qualify for the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card matches.

MLS Cup Playoffs Wildcard Matches (2 games)

Two single-game elimination matches hosted by the higher seed.

If the score of a Wild Card game is tied at the end of regulation, no extra time will be played, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

The winner of each Wild Card match will advance to the Round One Best-of-3 series to face the conference No. 1 seed.

Eastern Conference Wild Card Match: No. 8 vs. No. 9

Western Conference Wild Card Match: No. 8 vs. No. 9

Round One Best-of-3 Series (16-24 games)

Every Round One game will have a winner; no ties, no aggregate score.

The matches will be hosted in a home-away-home format:

Match 1: higher seed hosts

Match 2: lower seed hosts

Match 3: higher seed hosts

If a match is tied at the end of regulation, no extra time will be played, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

The first team to win two matches will advance.

Four teams from each conference will advance to the Conference Semifinals.

Eastern Conference Round One Best-of-3 Series

No. 1 vs. No. 8 or 9

No. 2 vs. No. 7

No. 3 vs. No. 6

No. 4 vs. No. 5

Western Conference Round One Best-of-3 Series

No. 1 vs. No. 8 or 9

No. 2 vs. No. 7

No. 3 vs. No. 6

No. 4 vs. No. 5

Conference Semifinals (4 games)

Single-game elimination matches, hosted by the higher seed.

If the score of a Conference Semifinal game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

Conference Semifinal winners will advance to the Conference Final.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

Winner of No. 1 vs. No. 8/9 series vs. winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 series

Winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 series vs. winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7 series

Western Conference Semifinals

Winner of No. 1 vs. No. 8/9 series vs. winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 series

Winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 series vs. winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7 series

Conference Final (2 games)

Single-elimination match hosted by the higher seed.

If the score of a Conference Final game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

The winner of each Conference Final match will advance to MLS Cup presented by Audi.

Eastern Conference Final: highest advancing seed vs. lowest advancing seed

Western Conference Final: highest advancing seed vs. lowest advancing seed

MLS Cup (1 game)

A single match hosted by the higher seed.

If the score of the game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.

MLS Cup presented by Audi: Eastern Conference Champion vs. Western Conference Champion

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-announces-new-playoff-format-for-2023-season