It's not useful in the context that the Revs almost never use it (apparently). The only transactions I can remember where allocation was specifically mentioned as used were: Paying down Joseph's (pre-DP) contract Lekic signing Feilhaber signing Meanwhile the Revs' highest paid player is now Juan Toja at $200k and SKC get a Feilhaber/Zusi midfield. The talent-rich get richer and the cash-rich save more money.
The might have used some for Bengtson as well now that I think about it - but under what mechanics would a DP signing ALSO require allocation money? The DP tag gives them a pre-determined cap hit...unless they're paying down a DP cap hit with allocation money, in which case they would be even MORE under the cap than we all assumed. (I have no idea if that's allowed under MLS rules). If that's the case, how were they "too close to the cap" ever? Thanks for reminding me again about Milton btw, just as the wound was healing! The 1-2 combo of losing Milton and replacing him with Moreno would have gotten Burns fired immediately by any other sports team. I miss you Milton!
This is a very simple view of the transaction. Allocation $ and draft picks can be flipped for players as well, they're not necessarily what they are to begin with.
We use allocation every year. We used it last year to pay down Benny's salary. Before that, we were using it every year on Josephs salary. Most team last year (including the revs) had over 3.0 million in non DP salary on the books. The balance of the salary over the budget comes from allocation money. The issues here are: 1. we couldnt figure out a way to utlize Benny 2. We dont have the facilities or the fan base to attract and keep star players
I think this is a great trade. Benny is a player with a bad attitude if things were not going his way--which there were not. He needed to go. He was going to go. We got two good picks and marbles that can be used to bring in an established player for a player were needed to get rid of. Yup, I like this trade.
Saying it's good or bad is difficult. The allocation money could be peanuts. It could also be enough to trade for an international slot or an established MLS starter. We simply don't know. The idea that this is a "great trade" seems hyperbolic to me, as do the claims "we never use allocation money because Kraft is cheap" (allocation money comes from the league, I believe it carries over year to year; you can't just pocket it, you have to spend it). The reality of the situation is that this trade is 50/50. We got something, perhaps something significant, in return for a player that was gone anyway, but this organization was the entity that pushed that player away to begin with.
This actually has the potential to be a "win-win" trade. SKC obviously gets a very good player. But the Revs "win" by clearing $300,000+ off their cap along with whatever they received in return. They don't need Benny. They need help in other places. It's useless if the Revs don't use the money, but I'd now expect them to invest significantly in the defense and possibly in another forward.
The problem for the New England Revolution is that rebuilding of the franchise should start with finding a new GM that can be trusted to use the "allocation $ and draft picks" wisely. Hmmmmmmmm... do you think we could acquire another team's GM in exchange for Burns, "allocation $ and draft picks"? Better yet, can you pay for soccer-specific stadium site acquisition and construction with "allocation $"?
By this point, let's hope so. Because if they're close to the cap without addressing the defense, Blooter's a worse GM than I think he is.
The impatient cynic in me wants more immediate help in this trade. I would have thought Benny was worth an experienced CB from some MLS team.
If you need a centre back, I know one you can get on a free transfer, who actually also recently has said that he would like to play MLS... Mark Howard ... I guess his wage demands will be around $260k a year... .
In an ideal world, he's happy here, plays well and is surrounded by capable players that a competent GM has secured, but obviously that didn't happen. I basically want something tangible for him - as I said in another thread draft picks mean nothing to me. A huge percentage of players in the SuperDraft are busts, even within the top 10, and the SKC first-rounder will definitely not be a top 10 pick. The Revs, for example have zero players from their 2010 draft class still on the roster. Allocation money means nothing unless it's used. If the Revs flip their haul from SKC and/or Chivas to land a player like Kenny Cooper (who I'm not a fan of personally but you can't argue with production) I'd be satisfied with how the Revs handled this part of the offseason. If they're just (more than likely worthless) assets that will be used as such I'll be very disappointed.
I hate to seem like i wasn't paying attention but how did he prove he had a bad attitude? I know he didn't score or assist well but I don't recall hearing he was a poison in the locker room. Did he take any teammates out to get drunk and arrested? Did he smoke pot and get suspended for 6 games? Maybe he seemed reluctant to be subbed... I don't think he was going to work out here but think it is harsh (negative?) to say he had a bad attitude. For the sake of depth to the National Team pool ( stress depth), i hope things work out much better in KC.
People need a scapegoat. All will be well now that Benny is gone! We just lost our most talented player because our coach/FO is awful and people are celebrating. We still are left with the same underlying problem.
It again comes down to timing--I don't want some promised arrival in July or August, I want somebody NOW who will be ready to go March 2nd the way SKC's new forward Claudio Bieler will be. Watching the way SKC operates--everything about them is total professionalism--compared to the two-bit Revs operation it's nauseating. We're the ones with the billionaire owner, not them, but you'd never know it....
There's no smoking gun proof per se but you don't necessarily need it. It was pretty obvious (well, to me anyway) both on the field and in his interactions with Heaps towards the end of the season that he clearly didn't want to be here. Benching your arguably most talented player means there's stuff that took place behind closed doors that has to be substantial enough to justify the decision. That said, Heaps has some culpability for moving him around so much, which probably exacerbated the situation. Besides, I don't think Benny wanted to be a leader either which makes sense - his whole non-MLS career he had been surrounded by good talent and never had to do more than show up and play. Now he can go a team with more talent in SKC and do exactly that. Good luck to him - it will be interesting to see whether he fits in with SKC and produces on a clearly more talented team.
This, x 1,000. I expect Bengtson to underperform here, as well, despite banging in goals for Honduras in higher caliber games than MLS. When an ORGANIZATION isn't fully committed to winning, from the top down, it shows. You get a bunch of guys playing for their own paychecks and that's it.
There's no question this is a good trade for Benny. When you have trouble getting on the field for one of the worst teams in the league, it's time to move. There's also no question this will help KC, who should be in full flower next season. The draft picks lower than #1-5 are increasingly chump change. $ is $, but we have an amazing gift for turning wine into water when it comes to allocation money. Doesn't that make Burns the anti-Christ?
Happens with pretty much every player that leaves here. "They weren't that good anyway." Sometimes that's true. Not every single time. But then again, we win every single trade we've ever participated in, so obviously our GM is doing a great job.
Benny was damn near the best midfielder in the league in 2011. Have no idea what went so wrong last year.
No idea? I have one. We went from having a boring but professional experienced head coach to a guy who decent colleges probably wouldn't hire.