November 18, 2009

Real Salt Lake Poised to Become Biggest Loser: If Real Salt Lake defeats the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS title game on Sunday, it will become the first team in an American pro sport to win a championship with a losing record. The team was 11-12-7 during the regular season, squeezing into the eighth and final playoff slot by a single point. "We're a good team when things are on the line and we’ve proven that," said goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

posted by rcade to soccer at 04:54 AM - 9 comments

Another reason not to watch MLS. Stupid playoff system.

posted by scully at 08:19 AM on November 18, 2009

It's the American way - Bleed as many payday games out of the season as you can. In the NBA, a team with a worse record than Real Salt Lake made the playoffs this year. Perhaps we should arrogantly decide that NBA shouldn't be watched either?

posted by Irish627 at 08:58 AM on November 18, 2009

Eight playoff teams for a 15-team league is ridiculous. MLB has twice as many teams and still only eight playoff spots. The regular season has to mean something.

posted by bender at 09:54 AM on November 18, 2009

Yet another reason to go to a single table format.

posted by sbacharach at 11:30 AM on November 18, 2009

Yet another reason to drink during the week.

posted by yerfatma at 12:04 PM on November 18, 2009

Playoffs? In football?

C'mon with that.

Yet another reason not to take that league seriously.


Perhaps we should arrogantly decide that NBA shouldn't be watched either?

That decision was made after Jordan retired. The NBA is nothing but a "product" now.

posted by JButton at 03:37 PM on November 18, 2009

Yet another reason to drink during the week.

So who needs a reason?

posted by Howard_T at 05:23 PM on November 18, 2009

Hey, ease up on MLS. In England they have no playoffs but instead this thing called the League Cup and EVERY team in all the divisions gets to play.

posted by billsaysthis at 05:50 PM on November 18, 2009

"There have been 15 sub-.500 teams that have played in the Stanley Cup Finals." "The 1937-38 Chicago Blackhawks had the worst winning percentage (.385) of all the teams that have ever made it to the Stanley Cup Finals." And they won it. The 83-win Cardinals won the World Series a few years ago.

I think most Americans leagues have too many teams in the playoffs. I don't think there is anything unique about the MLS or something is wrong because of this.

posted by Aardhart at 08:20 PM on November 18, 2009

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