I was a fan as a kid, and it was true. But the Cosmos had Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinalia, etc and the LA Aztecs had George Best, Johan Cruyff etc, and the other teams couldn't compete.
I hope it doesn't turn out that way. If they limit it to one franchise player per team, perhaps it won't be a repeat of history.
I lived in Fort Lauderdale when Best came to play for the Strikers. Crazy days they were. It was a lot of fun, especially when we played Rodney Marsh and the hated Rowdies. The "Yankees vs Red Sox" of the NASL.