1. I think without a doubt that casual fans would rather see a shootout than leave the stadium after watching a draw.

2. All other major sports in the US follow the simple Win/Loss ratio for deciding which teams move on to the playoffs. It is an extremely simple system to follow, unlike the soccer point system. I wouldn't consider dumping the points system as "dumbing down" the game... it would just be adapting the sport of soccer to the location.

3. I think at this point it is quite obvious that strong growth is needed for MLS to survive. Many cities are on the right track, but there are quite a few teams in MLS that are struggling for growth and a consistent fan base. There are also only 19 teams, in a country (+ Canada) that has 4 other major sports leagues with 30+ teams each (NFL 32, NBA/NHL/MLB 30).

4. I personally believe how the world judges US soccer is based upon the number of quality players the country produces, who then play on teams around the world. Obviously a lot of the world judges how well the national teams do as well. If MLS becomes more popular stateside, then in the long run it could greatly increase the number of players America has abroad, due to the increased popularity of the sport across the board. This of course could also greatly increase the play of the national teams.

I am not a soccer purist, but I greatly enjoy the sport. I really want to love soccer with a passion but certain things have always irked me as an "American" fan. The three biggest issues being ties, the points system and dives. I think MLS has done a better job of managing dives, and eliminating ties would get rid of the other two issues.

A lot of my bias on at least the ties and point systems is growing up in the American sports culture. I'm 33, so I played sports long before the "nobody loses" feel good leagues of late. I'm also from the south where football is king, so the lust for victory is almost bred in me (and I know I'm not alone). While most soccer purists will agree that a 0-0 tie can be a fantastic game, average American fans can feel "robbed" for not getting a finite outcome.

I try to spread the love of soccer with many of the people I know, and most of the casual fans who have given MLS a chance have these same sort of concerns. Again, I know that to the purists even discussing this is sacrilege, but I love soccer, I love the MLS and I want both to succeed beyond our wildest dreams over the coming decades... and in my opinion, these simple changes could greatly help with that.

To the soccer purists I pose this final question: If it was guaranteed that due to these changes MLS would grow to the level of the other "big four" within the next 10 years, would you do it? Or would it be like selling your soul to the devil for success?