Four Star Daily: Mad Men returns, MLS on TV earns ratings

Some Mad Men themed links to celebrate the return of the best show on television

• "As far as I'm concerned, as long as men look at me that way, I'm earning my keep" Noah Davis has a piece in Grantland today, discussing local MLS TV ratings and asking the question if more people watch MLS in person or on TV. When the LA Galaxy deal with Time Warner was announced he Times reported the Galaxy had never had more than 16,000 viewers with Fox Sports or a 0.28 rating.
• "If you don't like what's being said, change the conversation" Yet elsewhere Don Garber is quoted as saying LA and the Sounders have the highest local ratings in MLS. The Grantland article pegs the Sounders average at 33k viewers and the Red Bulls at 25k, so there's some confusion there. With the Galaxy averaging 23,136 in attendance last year, so they'd need a 0.41 local rating to outdraw their live attendance.
• "It wasn't a lie, it was ineptitude with an insufficient cover" For comparison's sake, last year Chivas were averaging 5,500 households and paid a million dollars in rent to the LA Galaxy. So, that can't be awesome.
• "I guess what I'm saying is at some point, we're all parked in the wrong garage" The LA Galaxy were off this weekend, but the rest of MLS played on and those battles create story lines. The Crew must pick up intensity, Whitecaps are difficult to define, and the Timbers are looking to continue momentum. In other words, it's April.
• "But that's life. One minute you're on top of the world, the next minute some secretary's running you over with a lawn mower." Herculez Gomez was one a member of the USL First Division version of the Seattle Sounders (love the orca in the logo), but now has developed an antagonistic relationship with Sounders fans. Especially with Herc likely to feature for the national team when Seattle hosts a World Cup Qualifier, is Gomez friend or foe?
• "A wooden leg. They're so cheap they can't even afford a whole reporter" It's Derby Day in Manchester, but unfortunately there's little more than pride on the line this afternoon (Pacific Time). Bitter and Blue thinks Samir Nasri might get punched in the face, while The Busby Base thinks this is Wayne Rooney's time to shine. Right, because if there's one player who hasn't gotten enough time in the spotlight it's Wayne freakin' Rooney.
• "Well, I've got to learn a load of people's names before I fire them" The Goat Parade has been trying to figure out how to evaluate defenses. I'm sure I'll borrow that metric at some point, so go ahead and read up.