Let me also state that I saw that 24,000 people watched an MLS playoff game. If those numbers are accurate, minor league is a compliment. That's semipro or worse rec league.
I think MLS was being called minor league here because of its lack of penetration in American sports TV. New England gets virtually no local TV or paper coverage so I'm not sure what you are talking about since I live in the area.
Where I totally disagree with this story is the thought that MLS must succeed for soccer to work in the US. Many of us have checked out on the league after trying to support it. The product simply isn't good enough and more and more young American kids go abroad now at a young age so my feeling is if MLS fails it may be for the best. So no I wouldn't pay $40 million for an MLS team.
This is certainly not a eurosnob post because the premise that MLS must succeed is not eurosnobish. It is just plain stupid to think MLS matters in any way.