Would an MLS Strike Impact the USMNT's Presence?

Well, we're just a little over a week away from an MLS strike, and many across the internet more versed in the ways of the CBA have given good insight and opinionated pieces on what such a decision would mean for the league and soccer in America as a whole.  From the USMNT a perspective, I took a look not too long ago at what a potential strike would mean in terms of the 2010 World Cup (this post).

Revisiting that isn't really something I'd like to do at this point, particularly considering the main jist of that post still holds true: the USMNT roster (final 23 prediction here) is Euro-heavy, so an MLS strike will not be devestating.  With Heath Pearce and Jonathan Bornstein unlikely to start at this point, only Brian Ching and Landon Donovan become serious points of concern (assuming my roster is more or less correct).  Granted, Landon Donovan is the engine of this team and his predicament would weigh a lot heavier than that of a typical player.  At this time, though, I'm not exactly sure what the terms are between Donovan, the Galaxy, and Everton regarding a strike now that his loan has officially ended.  Perhaps they could work something out in the event of a strike (and I assume that Landon made sure that some sort of plan would be in place), though I'm not quite certain on how that would work in terms of EPL rules and what not.  Since I'm not really in a spot to speculate on that, I'll take this look at how the MLS strike will affect the USMNT in a different direction: how would it affect the USMNT's presence in the American sporting landscape?

One of the big things that many writers and fans alike have brought up throughout this saga is that such a decision would bring the league several steps back, countering a lot of the progress that has been made over the past couple of years to bring it into the periphery of American sports enthusiasts and the media.  Television deals, David Beckham, and successful expansion have helped increase MLS' profile to an all-time high.  While it is still a far cry from that of the NBA or NFL, few will deny that the league is making good strides towards mainstream relevance (how soon that day will come is a whole 'nother conversation).  The strike would nullify a lot of that progress, in the minds of many, pushing MLS back into even deeper obscurity.  But would the strike have any kind of residual impact on the USMNT and their presence in the mind of the average sports fan?  I'm going to say not at all.

In this cycle, unlike any other, the USMNT has vaulted itself into the mind of the average sports fan before the World Cup.  ESPN (love 'em or hate 'em) and their concerted effort to cover the national team (see: sending a studio team to Mexico City for a pregame show of a match not even aired on the ESPN family of networks) has helped enormously, while the team's dramatic Confederations Cup and World Cup qualifying runs only further raised the team's profile.  Nowadays, names like Landon Donovan and Jozy Altidore aren't restricted to soccer circles, and national team games get significant coverage both in the press and on TV.  With increased relevance comes dollars and cents in the form of merchandise sales, ticket sales, and sponsorship, and that money then gets funneled back into the national team set up for improvements at all levels.  So while "relevance" hardly seems as important as "success" in the short run, the two are intertwined in the long run.

As much as the sports dinosaurs (i.e. 95% of sports talk radio hosts, at least in the Philadelphia area) and the self-deprecating soccer fans will not want to admit, the national team now has a spot at the table when it comes to coverage and fanship in the States, and an MLS strike will not take that away.  There's a reason why Americans have purchased the most World Cup tickets, there's a reason why shows like Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption dedicate a chunk of time when a USMNT story comes about, and there's a reason why popular general sports writers like Bill Simmons have been discussing the national team with far more frequency.  Of course, all of this still pales in comparison to the Big Four leagues, but it's there nonetheless and reflects a growing demand.

American sports fans love to throw their support behind any team wearing the Red, White, and Blue; look no further than last month's US Hockey craze for evidence of that.  But with only a few weeks of Olympics every four years (and, to a lesser extent, the World Baseball Classic), patriotic fans lack opportunities to channel their inner sports jingoism.  I think the triumphs of the current cycle have opened the eyes to many of the aforementioned sports fans who love supporting their country, revealing to them a successful team wearing the nation's colors that plays 15-20 times a year.  Making it even further palatable to the casual soccer fan is the fact that the games are often a month or so apart, eliminating the need for a hardcore day-to-day following.  Unless, somehow, the MLS strike leads to a severe dip in patriotism amongst American sports fans, I just don't see how it will affect the USMNT's popularity.

If anything, a strike could increase the national team's profile if Landon Donovan is left in limbo.  Having the USMNT's marquee player stuck in situation might attract the kind of repeated coverage from ESPN that irks so many of us (the biggest example would be the Brett Favre retirement drama, parts I and II), but it'd be added coverage regardless.

So no, I don't think an MLS strike would affect the USMNT's presence in the American sports landscape.  Only the national team can do that.  A great run in South Africa or an abysmal three-and-out will have an impact, but a lack of FC Dallas or Seattle Sounders games will not, in my opinion.