From the AP:
Ticket prices are soaring. Crowd figures are falling. Goals are plummeting.
Answer after the jump.
It's the English Premier League:
Maybe it's all Jose Mourinho's fault. Mourinho's Chelsea has won its first six league games this season without conceding a goal, but hasn't won many admirers with its sterile playing style. Chelsea's opponents, meanwhile, have resorted to defensive tactics to try to stop the Blues.Goals are dwindling in comparison to the start of previous seasons and thousands of empty seats suggest that fans are losing interest at a time when attendance figures in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany are either stable or on the way up.
Not mentioned in the article were some comments from Michael Owen, the former Liverpool striker that was just signed by Newcastle United after a short stint with Real Madrid:
Owen, 25, found the net in Sunday's win over Blackburn but said: "It is quite tight, there is not as much attacking and it is difficult to score a goal."It is a slightly different Premiership I have come back to from Spain.
"Early indications this year are that there have not been so many Premiership goals - maybe that is of some concern."
There was no better example of what Owen is talking about than the 0-0 draw on Sunday between Liverpool and Manchester United from Anfield. About 10 minutes into my TiVo recording of the match, I moved the FFWD control to its highest setting, and then simply trained my eye at the top left hand corner of the screen where the score was posted. If it ever changed, I'd simply hit replay, the recording would rewind, and I'd get to see the goal I missed.
Of course on Sunday, that never happened. That's not a good sign.
One year ago, I turned to the EPL to fill the gap left by the NHL lockout. But with the NHL back, and the 0-0 draws piling up, I wonder just what share of my sports viewing the league will be taking up this year -- especially since it appears that Chelsea is running away with the title once again.
Mourinho’s found immense success with the 4-5-1, and so the whole league is grabbing at the fashionable alignment. But the tactical balance will shift, as teams learn to deal with it. The season’s just started, and things will change. They always do. Chelsea will come back to earth.
Meanwhile, some teams actually decide to go hunting for goals. Look for matches with Arsenal, or West Ham, or Aston Villa, or West Brom. Or watch teams with exciting Americans, like Claudio Reyna at Man City (off to a great start) or Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra at Fulham. (Or heck, watch Brad Friedel at Blackburn. He won’t score many goals, but with such a porous defense in front of him, he’ll get plenty of save opportunities.)
Keep in mind, Eric, that if you have EPL you also probably have regular live Bundesliga, with its above average scoring and incredibly hot crowds. AND if you have GolTV you have the other best league in the world, La Liga.