talk. Because all those people who are complaining are also the ones who will be on the edge of their seats come game time. The reality is that on a professional level, this sport is still nascent in this country. So excitement is the name of the game. And whether the home team wins or loses is not necessarily the point when you're trying to grow something. Making a fan care about the score, about every shot, every save, every pass. That's how you grow something. Touch by touch.
Think about the Boston Red Sox: They didn't win for more than 80 years yet they have one of the biggest fan bases in American sports. Why? Because their fans care. And their fans care because they've seen the Sox blow it and it hurt. And then they saw them win it all and they realized all the pain was worth it.
So even if the pressure is turned up a notch or two on San Jose and New England, I have faith that they will prevail. And whichever one wins MLS Cup will realize that all the nervousness and backs-against-the-wall attitude makes it all that much better.
Greg Lalas played for the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the New England Revolution in 1996 and 1997. Send e-mail to Greg at cheapseats@g73.org. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
