Monday, July 15, 2013

The American

A Skills Competition for the MLS?

Would anyone win? Would anyone watch?

Tonight is Major League Baseball's home-run derby, an annual summertime tradition of watching the sport's mashers launch moonshots into the bleachers while listening to ESPN's Chris Berman cackle backbackbackback at every ball hit in the air.

The derby serves as prelude to Tuesday night's it-doesn't-count-but-kinda counts-for-something All-Star Game. This idea has caught on at the other major sports' all-star events. 

The NBA has the dunk contest, three-point contest and a skills competition. The NHL has its own competition featuring the hardest slapshot and most accurate wrist shot. Even the NFL had events leading up to the Pro Bowl and perhaps they still do, but nobody watches the Pro Bowl, so why am I still writing about it? 

But where is the MLS's home-run derby, its slam-dunk contest?!? 

I propose that the MLS hold a similar competition before its All-Star Game On July 31 in Kansas City. Want to get more Americans into this event? Start a skills competition!

Who has the hardest shot in the MLS? How many times can you hit the crossbar? How far can you kick a ball? Thread passes through obstacles or score as many goals as you can from impossible-looking angles.

You know, goofy stuff like that so we Americans can go "Well loogit there! He done kicked that ball 100 miles per hour!!"

-Nick Hatcher

3 comments:

  1. Or you could use goal targets like they do in training? Or better yet, a competition to see how many different ways people hate Landon Donovan.

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  2. I think that is a stellar idea. I think if Americans, so the skill that it takes to play football, they would appreciate it more.

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