How Would you Run the MLS?

Post #1 » by **ICMTM** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:23 pm

This is RealGM so this should be a good discussion. If you were the MLS commissioner what would you do differently?

1st for me:

I HATE the fact the MLS plays in the summer. I know why the MLS doesn't play a tradition schedule and it's because NCAAF, NCAAB, NFL, NHL, NBA all play in the fall/winter/spring. NASCAR and MLB are the only major sports in the spring/summer. I wouldn't change it, but I just don't like it.

What I would change:

1. Instead of bringing in has been players and paying them through the roof I'd look for "just about to be's" and try to get them some run before going to the show (Europe).

2. Introduce relegation! LA Galaxy in the 2nd division wouldn't fly as well as LA not making the playoffs. This forces teams to find better players. If you're in the 2nd division you might as well be in the USL. Your investors would BOLT, and therefore you're guaranteed a better product.

3. I'd like to see the top flight teams in Mexico play against top flight MLS teams more often. MLS is big in places there is a big Hispanic population and I think it would take. The only problem is there seems to be more Mexican Liga fans than MLS fans.

I was talking with a guy who is a big EPL guy and we try to watch MLS and it's hard! The competition level is off. You can watch the Fire v. Revolution, but watching KC and LA Galaxy is hard to do!

Post #2 » by **BlackMamba** » Mon Nov 3, 2008 3:59 pm

well, i don't how much it affects them to play in their own time, but it would be better for them to play at the same time everybody else does.

about the has been players i think it's not a bad strategy to get the attention of more people and specially from the media, because it's going to cost them a lot, and i don't mean in a financial way, to get some about to be players. the mls isn't strong enough to even attract young latinamerican players.

and this last point gets me to the competitive side of the game. i think that only the EPL and spanish la liga because of the money involved have set their mind in always having attractive games and competitive games. the mls right now i think is more focused in surviving and getting the money back than having a good league.

also, relegation, man, that is very very important for a league to have a competitive status. but don't copy mexico's relegation system, that's the most absurd thing to do and doesn't give you a competitive lague.

but the mls needs at least a 2nd division. but having relegation i don't know how much that would scare investors, but the mls has to consider that mexican teams want teams there and that barcelona might be having a team there.

and about playing mexican teams i like the idea of the super liga, but the timing is off. mexican teams are just starting their preseason while mls teams are already on a roll, so the level isn't the same. also some mexican teams see it as a waste of time so they don't give it the proper attention.

Post #3 » by **Slava** » Tue Nov 4, 2008 12:53 am

I really like the idea of spreading the league to Mexico, since thats where the better talent crop seems to come from and head to Europe. The relegation format wouldn't work much well because this is not really as cut throat a league as the ones on Europe and frankly whatever little revenue the clubs are able to make is a big bonus for them when the game is not as popular.

El Turco · Post #4 » by **El Turco** » Tue Nov 4, 2008 3:28 am

yea, you cant really implement relegation in U.S, franchise based league system operates differently than club based league system.

spreading the season over the year instead of playing it over the summer is a good idea but i wonder if operating costs would be too much for teams to handle in an unpopular league.

Andris · Post #5 » by **Andris** » Tue Nov 4, 2008 7:09 pm

The MLS schedule is a joke also.
Why do they play games the same day, when Team USA playes a World Cup Qualifying game?

Post #6 » by **BlackMamba** » Tue Nov 4, 2008 8:05 pm

well, that also happens in the mexican league, it's pretty stupid.

uweblab · Post #7 » by **uweblab** » Tue Nov 4, 2008 8:45 pm

They don't do that in Europe.

blues_man5 · Post #8 » by **blues_man5** » Tue Nov 4, 2008 9:00 pm

Its called International Fifa dates. MLS has said that they will change the schedule for next season so as to avoid these dates. Still, they insist that its impossible to avoid them all. I think they are seriously considering turning the league into a single table format.

Also the primary reason Relegation wouldn't work is because there's just not the soccer infrastructure needed. Division 2 teams would have to build their own stadiums instead of playing in college fields with football lines on it. I can't see a D2 team being promoted and then playing in a small stadium or college field.

Also they need to increase the salary cap. Currently its set at 2.3 mil....thats amazingly low. Increase that and the you have more players wanting to join...popularity picks up....and the league grows overall.

Andris · Post #9 » by **Andris** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 10:58 pm

Anybody watched the MLS Cup on ABC?
Go Frankie Hejduk!

Post #10 » by **ICMTM** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:28 am

Yeah I watched it. I like Hejduk a lot and I hope he gets more run with the National Team.

El Turco · Post #11 » by **El Turco** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:13 am

yay, columbus!

Post #12 » by **damo[23]** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 9:43 pm

I know this isnt technically MLS, but try and maybe involve a couple of competitions with all of south america like the Champs League and then a uefa league style.

While I like the playoff system for basketball, I think that it doesnt work for football [except in promotion cases]. I'd adopt the Euro system of league and league reward, and then cup and cup reward.

As a team owner I'd wouldnt just look to buy 1 "big name", I'd definatly go with the OP's idea of getting in players either early or maybe looking for a chance, theres alot of guys out there who want to be the main man and could quite easily do it.

ForeverTFC · Post #13 » by **ForeverTFC** » Sun Feb 8, 2009 1:00 am

Let the teams keep their transfer money. Soccer cant work with this profit sharing thing North American sports all have. Teams have no incentives to develop young players to make money in order yo sign better players. That's why young talent dosn't come through the league. Let the teams enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Dieselbound&Down · Post #14 » by **Dieselbound&Down** » Mon Feb 9, 2009 11:43 pm

tha-prince wrote:Let the teams keep their transfer money. Soccer cant work with this profit sharing thing North American sports all have. Teams have no incentives to develop young players to make money in order yo sign better players. That's why young talent dosn't come through the league. Let the teams enjoy the fruits of their labour.

I agree with this. I think they share the transfer money because the league is set up where technically the league owns all the players. This gives the league a say in contracts and rosters. The reason this was done originally was to ensure that enough teams survived. Now that the league is 15+ years old, it is unfortunate the salary cap is still only 2.3M and teams haven't invested in youth academies or other developmental teams. However, it is pretty important that franchises have been pretty steady (little team movement to other cities or teams going under) which is a necessity. I wonder at what point owners will come together and decide to go to a more traditional (at least for football leagues) system of ownership/control. I suspect they will wait until there is a better base of talent in MLS, more players are being sold to Europe and there are some true stars coming out of the league. Who knows how long that will take.

Smoove · Post #15 » by **Smoove** » Sat May 2, 2009 9:27 pm

MLS needs to change the name to MLF then I'll watch it. But seriously MLS is a complete joke. Their supporters don't have pride like the supporters in Europe, and if you don't have the supporters to show pride for their city or town then the league is not the same.

But seriously if the MLS wants to be anywhere near close as Europe and their leagues, then they need to start showing more matches on ESPN and other local channels.

Munchlaxatives · Post #16 » by **Munchlaxatives** » Wed May 27, 2009 8:24 am

They need to be more available, have games on the major networks and ESPN.

What they need most, though, is solid players. Players in the MLS are either good or bad, there's no middle ground. The middle ground players play in the USL or elsewhere because the way MLS pay structure goes, you either get a lot or not much. There's players that could be starting for MLS teams that instead go on to the USL.

That's part of the reason many USL teams have beaten both MLS and FMF teams in the CONCACAF games.

El Turco · Post #17 » by **El Turco** » Wed May 27, 2009 2:00 pm

ESPN and other major networks reluctant to take on soccer games since there are far less commercial opportunities comparing to other major sports and the current level of interest is not enough to make up for that, unless it is a major competition like Euros or World Cup.

Illyria-United · Post #18 » by **Illyria-United** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 3:02 pm

I am not a bog fan of American soccer or Mexican Soccer. If you have played the sport for a long time you know that the standards are not the same. Futbol is played differently in Europe (exception Brazil) I agree with one of the points though bringing young European players, bringing European coaches and coaching the youth leagues. Its all about the style of play that attracts people. If that can be successfully changed then you will see an American fan base grow for soccer.

tombo125 · Post #19 » by **tombo125** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 6:37 pm

Each MLS team should work out a partnership with a Euro team similar to what Man U has done with Royal Antwerp. I dont know the MLS work permit rules but the euro team would loan their players who need first team experience for a set amount of time, like a whole season. They would somehow share coaching responsibilities so the americans can learn to coach. The euro team would get first choice of players on the MLS team. This would work best with teams that have a good youth setup like Barca or Ajax.

Basically get a meaningful relationship with a Champions league team and take advantage of it to the fullest. I think the CL team would jump at the chance to cooperate due to the increased fan base and exposure in the US.

Smoove · Post #20 » by **Smoove** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:21 am

tombo125 wrote:Each MLS team should work out a partnership with a Euro team similar to what Man U has done with Royal Antwerp. I dont know the MLS work permit rules but the euro team would loan their players who need first team experience for a set amount of time, like a whole season. They would somehow share coaching responsibilities so the americans can learn to coach. The euro team would get first choice of players on the MLS team. This would work best with teams that have a good youth setup like Barca or Ajax.

Basically get a meaningful relationship with a Champions league team and take advantage of it to the fullest. I think the CL team would jump at the chance to cooperate due to the increased fan base and exposure in the US.

I think this already has been tired. But European clubs weren't impressed with the MLS footballers at all and they just quit on them and also European clubs spent a lot of money on this and they just stopped doing it because they needed money for their own footballers that were worth more and are good enough for real football.