GDAWG Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 We all know the Big 4 (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) but is there a fifth major league and if so who? I am not counting NASCAR because I consider them more of a major sports tour like PGA (golf) and ATP (Tennis) than a league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Definitions mean everything. If by "major league" you mean paid athletes (to some degree), big TV contract, nationwide spread, big numbers, big events ... I'd wanna throw college football in there. Before even MLS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDAWG Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 1 minute ago, raz said: Definitions mean everything. If by "major league" you mean paid athletes (to some degree), big TV contract, nationwide spread, big numbers, big events ... I'd wanna throw college football in there. Before even MLS. I can't count college football yet until there's a Super League. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 You might not have long to wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDAWG Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 Right now, I think it's going to be the NWSL, although it could be the WNBA once Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers enter the league. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCall Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 26 minutes ago, raz said: Definitions mean everything. If by "major league" you mean paid athletes (to some degree), big TV contract, nationwide spread, big numbers, big events ... I'd wanna throw college football in there. Before even MLS. College players are paid for endorsements by companies, not paid to play from the universities, so no, it's not a major league. A "major league" is one considered on the highest level of its respective sport. Technically the CFL is because it's the highest level of Canadian football, even still if it is far from the level of the NFL. They're also technically two different sports. What WE consider the 5 major leagues are largely due to them being the 5 most popular sports in the country (4 of which are the pinnacle leagues of their sport in the entire world). Quote https://dribbble.com/MakaioCall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Cesarano Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 1 hour ago, GDAWG said: We all know the Big 5 (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS) but is there a sixth major league and if so whom? There's the WNBA, NWSL and NLL as options. NLL is because its lacrosse and the WNBA and NWSL are women's leagues in basketball and soccer. [Editing note: "who".] 58 minutes ago, raz said: Definitions mean everything. If by "major league" you mean paid athletes (to some degree), big TV contract, nationwide spread, big numbers, big events ... I'd wanna throw college football in there. Before even MLS. The top college football players make money now from name/image/likeness; but they are not paid by the teams for which they play. So in my opinion that doesn't qualify. I'd say that a major league is a league in which players can make their livings solely from playing. While this was not generally true even of Major League Baseball until the reserve clause was toppled, it seems to me to be a good benchmark of "major" status nowadays. That rules out the NLL and the PLL, and also the UFL and the arena/indoor football leagues, as well as the MASL. Regarding the WNBA, a site called Sportsnaut says that the average salary is $147,745, and that the minimum is $64,000. Business Insider puts the average at $113,295 and the minimum at $62,000. Either way, that's enough to live on. So for me that league qualifies as a major league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayJ12 Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I would say NASCAR deserves to be in this conversation as well. NASCAR agreed to a new TV broadcasting deal a few months back with new deals for Amazon and The CW. Pitbull and Michael Jordan investing in teams in the sport is also a hopeful sign. They are starting to attract top-tier international drivers as well. Yes, stock car racing isn't as big as it once was and ratings are still going down, but it still has a sizable base of support. I do think this Netflix series will make progress as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaGrandeOrange Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 At this point it seems like sports have so thoroughly balkanised that this idea is sort of quaint. The NFL (NHL in Canada) rules everything, with the NBA somewhere below but above everyone else, and then every other league has a varied sized fiefdom. Add in international sports (Premier League/Champions League/F1) and it gets even choppier. MLS is probably the last in to the traditional idea if you even consider them part of a big 5. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 2 hours ago, GDAWG said: We all know the Big 5 (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS) How can we group MLS with the other four leagues, when the world's best players don't play there? 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCall Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 6 minutes ago, Cujo said: How can we group MLS with the other four leagues, when the world's best players don't play there? It's the major league in soccer in the U.S. And arguably the greatest player of all-time IS playing here, so... 5 Quote https://dribbble.com/MakaioCall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaGrandeOrange Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 1 minute ago, McCall said: It's the major league in soccer in the U.S. And arguably the greatest player of all-time IS playing here, so... I'm aware this is not a legitimate argument, but this can get into slippery slope territory, at any given time there are a few NPB players who are among the ~100 or so best baseball players in the world, same for the KHL. Euroleague basketball doesn't have quite the same pull, but there are certainly at least a whole teams' worth of NBA level salary cap casualties or young guys who will eventually come over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Just now, McCall said: It's the major league in soccer in the U.S. And arguably the greatest player of all-time IS playing here, so... Messi on a cash grab tour before he retires like Beckham. Like he even cares or is trying to win an MLS title... 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrAstrodome Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I too say NASCAR. It th we only one on the pro level that has TV or that type of prestige. 13 minutes ago, Cujo said: How can we group MLS with the other four leagues, when the world's best players don't play there? 5 minutes ago, McCall said: It's the major league in soccer in the U.S. And arguably the greatest player of all-time IS playing here, so... When they retire. 1 minute ago, Cujo said: Messi on a cash grab tour before he retires like Beckham. Like he even cares or is trying to win an MLS title... Pretty much. Messi just here to live the quiet life of a Florida man. 2 1 Quote All New: NFL RandomWebsite ★ Behance ★ Twitter ★ Geekier Twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 5 minutes ago, MrAstrodome said: Pretty much. Messi just here to live the quiet life of a Florida man. Great point. ZERO chance Messi would agree to play in MLS if he had to play for Kansas City or Cincinnati. 5 minutes ago, MrAstrodome said: I too say NASCAR. It th we only one on the pro level that has TV or that type of prestige. Nascar >>>> MLS if we're going to say there's a "Big 5" 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCall Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 5 minutes ago, LaGrandeOrange said: I'm aware this is not a legitimate argument, but this can get into slippery slope territory, at any given time there are a few NPB players who are among the ~100 or so best baseball players in the world, same for the KHL. Euroleague basketball doesn't have quite the same pull, but there are certainly at least a whole teams' worth of NBA level salary cap casualties or young guys who will eventually come over. Any of those player will make the jump to MLB, NBA and NHL if given the opportunity. There's really no question in the big 4 (of 5) who the top leagues in the world are. 1 Quote https://dribbble.com/MakaioCall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaGrandeOrange Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Just now, Cujo said: Great point. ZERO chance Messi would agree to play in MLS if he had to play for Kansas City or Cincinnati. Eh, this applies everywhere though. He'd never play for Burnley or Wolves but that doesn't make the Prem a small-time league. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Just now, LaGrandeOrange said: Eh, this applies everywhere though. He'd never play for Burnley or Wolves but that doesn't make the Prem a small-time league. Point being: Messi doesn't take the league serious (nor do a lot of us) and is here only for a stack of cash and a warm beach. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 All this is why is say definitions are everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaGrandeOrange Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I feel all of this debate about MLS is too centered around the idea that a league has to be the best in its sport to be a "Big (X)" league, which would thus make NASCAR, WNBA, NLL, PLL, CFL, (among others) all major league sports over MLS, as they are the highest levels of stock car racing, womens' basketball, indoor lacrosse, outdoor lacrosse and Canadian football. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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