Rick Meisemann Lilburn, Ga. Why does the United States not have the same league relegation system as most other soccer playing countries? Mike Woitalla: Anyone familiar with the promotion-relegation system knows how much more exciting that format is compared to a league where only the race at the top provides drama. With a month left in the MLS season, the Western Division’s four playoff entries have been settled. Who cares about San Jose’s and Kansas City’s games anymore? With a relegation system, they would be battling for their first-division lives. Crowds would rise as fans cheer for their teams’ survival. Plus, the promotion system means that minor division teams and their fans can dream of reaching the big time. Third and Fourth Division teams in Europe have climbed up to the first division. Now to your question, Rick. In the United States, sports major league survival is only a matter of money. And reaching major league status is accomplished by buying a team, not strengthening a lower-division team that can reach the top on merit. We will never see a promotion-relegation system because no one will invest in a team that may be minor-league in the future. Perhaps the Rochester Rhinos deserve to replace the MetroStars, but would investor-owners John Kluge and Stuart Subotnick keep their cash in an A-League team? Would MLS want to lose a team in a major market? Certainly not. A relegation system would be too risky in a country where pro soccer has barely penetrated the mainstream. Would Lamar Hunt have built a stadium in Columbus if he knew the Crew could drop to minor league? I doubt it. In other nations, clubs often have enough traditional support to survive a division drop. In the United States, sponsors would jump ship of any team that dropped out of the spotlight, media coverage would decrease significantly, and fans would be quick to desert something that isn’t major league. It’s too bad, but promotion-relegation can’t happen here.