Topic retread: PARITY!

Czar Jake · 12-02-2005, 11:08 AM

I know this has been discussed approx. 83 billion times, but how are we feeling about parity these days?

Being here in Italy I have thought about it a lot because as the season is beginning, everyone knows either Juve or Milan is going to win it all, with a couple dark horses in Inter or Roma, possibly Fiorentina.... On one hand it is fun to have these giant clubs, with history and tradition, who are always powerhouses.. then if you are Empoli, and Juve comes to town it's your biggest match! Then again it sucks to be Empoli and never have even a hope of winning the scudetto.

MLS on the other hand has parity, right? I mean there are clubs that seem to be sort of more powerful, but at the beginning of the year it could be any team that ends up hoisting the trophy, am I right? That also is due to the playoffs factor...

So which one is better? Big powerhouse clubs or even parity? Can they both exist, i.e. Major League Baseball, where the Yankees will always be good but there are always teams that show up out of nowhere and win it all (this year's Sox, the two times the Marlins have won, etc..)

Waddya think, RSL fans?

SoccerPrime · 12-02-2005, 11:22 AM

I don't know. I thought LA sucked for most the year, then all of sudden they thumped the Quakes and the Revs.
LA's player budget is WAY higher than Quakes or Revs.

I believe that is not the definition of parity.

In fact, I believe thats what usually happens with the Yankees. Sleep thru most of the season, come alive in the playoffs (well not the last 2 years but you get it...)
MLB doesn't have parity.

BTW Hi Jake, hope all is well in Italy.

Czar Jake · 12-02-2005, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

I don't know. I thought LA sucked for most the year, then all of sudden they thumped the Quakes and the Revs.
LA's player budget is WAY higher than Quakes or Revs.

I believe that is not the definition of parity.

In fact, I believe thats what usually happens with the Yankees. Sleep thru most of the season, come alive in the playoffs (well not the last 2 years but you get it...)
MLB doesn't have parity.

BTW Hi Jake, hope all is well in Italy.

I see what you mean, and nobody has pure parity of course, but in MLS or MLB you can't pick 2 teams at the beginning of the season and say with certainty it will be one of them that wins it... in euro leagues that is commonplace. The Yankees have won the World Series once in the last 5 years. Juve has won the scudetto I think 3 times in the last five years

SoccerPrime · 12-02-2005, 12:01 PM

Yes, but hasn't the MLB Yankees won the World Series like 25 times in the last 100 years?

Where was Chelsea, Juve or Barc 50 years ago?

Czar Jake · 12-02-2005, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

Yes, but hasn't the MLB Yankees won the World Series like 25 times in the last 100 years?

Where was Chelsea, Juve or Barc 50 years ago?

I think Juve has 28 Scudetti... I don't know too much about EPL or La Liga..

But regardless, the current state of soccer in these euro leagues is that there are only a few contenders. That can't be said of MLB or MLS, NFL, even NBA, right?

Merrill · 12-02-2005, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Czar Jake

MLS on the other hand has parity, right? I mean there are clubs that seem to be sort of more powerful, but at the beginning of the year it could be any team that ends up hoisting the trophy, am I right?

Well, we all know that's there's no way that the Columbus Crew will ever make the final.

Czar Jake · 12-03-2005, 07:14 AM

Okay, MLS does not have pure parity, or maybe even not even strong parity, but are you guys really denying that it has more parity than something like the Serie A or other euro leagues?

Section 37 · 12-03-2005, 07:57 AM

Czar Jake, I'm with you on this one.

It's very clear. No matter your budget, no matter your star player(s).

MLS is up for grabs.

That's part of what makes it fun.