Mark Madden story about McBride

[CrewSchmack]

http://bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3935&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

Just in case you don't browse there.

And yes, this is the same Mark Madden that used to call WCW matches and does sport talk in Pittsburgh.

[hangthadj]

Yeah, I don't browse over there at all anymore. I did hear that guys show on my way through Pittsburgh a couple months back. It made me laugh cause he had a strippers rating/rundown at the end of the show. Quality stuff.
As for the story there, it seems a bit odd really. The Crew PR guy saying that he isn't doing interviews cause he's mad at MLS? That doesn't seem like good PR, if ya ask me. Whether or not he should go to Europe has been discussed here to no end, and most of us believe he should go before he gets hacked to death over here and can't earn a paycheck over there. And, if he would choose not to do interviews or be MLS poster boy in the meantime to hope to get some leverage, I hope it works out for him. He's done enough promoting for this league and this team. There are plenty of other poster boys that can take his place now. Especially if Donovan chooses to stay. In the end 1.5 mil or whatever may be below his actual value, but I hope MLS, if it actually is McBrides wish, sells him...as a thank you for years of service since day 1 if nothing else.

[Chris_Bailey]

Very interesting...


Why do I feel MLS is keeping Brian here till he dies?

[hangthadj]

Soccer365 just had a story on Brian possibly going overseas and mentioned the Rosenburg rumor, i'm too lazy to find the link right now though. Anyhow it was the same typical cordial Brian McBride quotes and nothing that showed any resentment towards MLS. I agree with Bailey though, I think MLS is just keeping him here forever.

[Flyer Fan]

In this morning's Dispatch Bob Hunter wrote in his "Rumblings" column that "according to insiders" McBride was frustrated that a possible move to Europe is being blocked. At least that's what I remember, but it was early. I'll try to get the work copy and post a more "accurate" line.

[WolfGang]

So who's making the "Let Bake Go" banner for the next home game? :)

[hangthadj]

http://www.dispatch.com/crew/crew.php?story=dispatch/news/sports02/aug02/1402449.html

And Merz finally gets a useful quote or two here. Its about time. But if I recall this is the first time McBride has shown any sort of anger towards MLS for the way things are being handled. He complains about lack of direction from MLS in deciding what they want to do, and MLS says that more or less they haven't got the right offer yet.
Merz mentions the offer might need to be around 3-4 million for McBride to go. I really think if they were gonna get an offer that high it woulda happened right after the cup. Now they will be lucky to get one that is 2-3 million. Which of course, is a shame. McBride is worth more than that but I don't see MLS selling him unless the offer just blows their socks off. McBride makes a good point about how the league should treat him as well as he's treated them. He's been a soldier and a great PR piece for this league. He's been with a team that has never won a damn thing but doesn't turn into a headcase like Serna or Diallo. The guy deserves a chance to go abroad. It will be interesting to see if anything comes out of that meeting this weekend.

[Fiero20]

good point. McB has always had a cool temper and never a nutcase. As much as I'd hate to see him leave MLS, I think a move overseas is the best move for his career.

[Own Goal Hat-Trick]

if/when he leaves, i want an amazingly good allocation.

[diablodelsol]

Originally posted by Own Goal Hat-Trick
if/when he leaves, i want an amazingly good allocation.

Then you want him to leave after this year. His contract is up after next year, not sure we'd be due an allocation in that case.

[Dave Han]

I dunno. Why should the league sell McBride for less than he's worth? Because he's brought in a lot of good publicity for the league? That's even more reason to keep him until his contract runs out.

Over on the other thread, a couple of posters wondered who owes whom more between MLS and McBride. Remember that before MLS, he was a part-time player on a 2. Bundesliga team. He really could have been another Jovan Kirovski without MLS.

[diablodelsol]

What makes you believe the league is selling him for less than he's worth. Your transfer worth is based on a variety of factors, including how much longer you are under contract.

Hangthadj,

The article doesn't say that the league hasn't received the right offer....the article states that the league hasn't had ANY offers. Big difference.

[hangthadj]

damn college education...i thought "we haven't recieved any quantifiable offers" meant that they just hadn't recieved any that were of the right value.
my vocab sucks

[diablodelsol]

Originally posted by hangthadj
damn college education...i thought "we haven't recieved any quantifiable offers" meant that they just hadn't recieved any that were of the right value.
my vocab sucks

Based on this:
"We haven't had a single approach on Brian McBride. I can say that unequivocally,'' Gazidis said

I'd say it's your reading comprehension ;)

[Dave Han]

I should have said that the league isn't selling him for less than they think he's worth. That much is obvious because they aren't selling him. :)

I think he has more worth to MLS than his playing ability alone because of his star value in Columbus. Unfortunately for him, other clubs aren't likely to take that into account when offering a transfer fee.

My guess is that if he leaves, it'll be on a free transfer as MLS will figure that they will get more out of having him in the league until the end of his contract than by selling him.

[Bill Archer]

Originally posted by Dave Han
Remember that before MLS, he was a part-time player on a 2. Bundesliga team. He really could have been another Jovan Kirovski without MLS.

With all due respect Dave, you may be understating this a bit.

Yes, he spent the 94 season with Vfl Wolfsburg, where he WAS in fact working his way into the lineup and had become a "fan favorite".

Claudio Reyna started out with the same club, IIRC, and, as is usually the case, had to work his way gradually into the lineup. Isn't that how it usually works with first year players?

To say that he "might have been another Jovan Kirovski" is true, but it is equally true that he might have been "another Claudio Reyna". Nobody knows for sure how it would have turned out.

I'm sorry, I seem to be lecturing a lot lately; somebody tell me to shut up if you want, I won't mind, BUT:

An interesting (I can hear the yawns already) side note to his career at Wolfsburg is this:

McBride went to Germany after his JUNIOR year. He was not particularly happy there for a number of reasons, most of them apparently social, and even though he was on a three year contract he asked them to release him so he could return to St Louis for his Senior year.

(Hey...you! Yeah, YOU! Wake up there, dammit!!)

Wolfsburg agreed, and he was an All American, won the Herrmann and all that jazz. Then came the MLS draft and he was the first player selected and off he packed to play for the Crew.

Vfl Wolfsburg cried foul and filed an objection with FIFA and MLS. They said that they had released him to go back to college, not to play professional soccer and they felt they were due a transfer fee.

(Quit that goddam snoring and pay attention)

MLS, meanwhile, had (and have) a standing policy that they won't pay for transfers. So when Wolfsburg came calling, they were basically told to pound sand; if they wanted some money they'd have to sue them (in a US Court) to get it.

(Look, I'll take all this wisdom elsewhere if I'm gonna be treated like this. No that's not a promise, it's supposed to be a threat)

[diablodelsol]

Bill,

I'd never heard that. How did he get around the NCAA is senior year if he'd played professionally in Germany?

[Bill Archer]

Honestly, I have no idea.

I went to double check my facts and found this from Bob Wagman at Soccertimes:

...There is an interesting side issue that has paralleled this lawsuit. It was alleged in the original suit that as proof of their anti-competitive collusion, FIFA, the USSF and MLS would require a transfer fee to be paid even after a player's MLS contract had expired. MLS categorically denied such was the case and strongly vowed never to pay or to collect a transfer fee for an out-of-contract player.

So far MLS has not. Which brings us to the Brian McBride situation. McBride left Saint Louis University after his junior year to sign an development contract with VfL Wolfsburg, then in the German Bundesliga second division. After a year playing with the Wolfsburg reserves, he got homesick and asked that he be let out of his contract so he could return to Saint Louis U. Wolfsburg agreed.

Then after graduating he signed with MLS. Wait a minute, said Wolfsburg. We agreed he could go back to college, not sign an American professional contract. We are owed a transfer fee.

MLS said no. Wolfsburg took the issue to FIFA who said a transfer fee is owed. FIFA sent a payment demand to MLS through the USSF. MLS's response has been "sue us in U.S. federal court if you want to collect."

[DGA57]

Originally posted by diablodelsol
Bill,

I'd never heard that. How did he get around the NCAA is senior year if he'd played professionally in Germany?

Something smells funny because we know that NCAA is very strict with people getting paid to play their sport and then playing it in college. Ohio State had a basketball player from Yugoslavia (or nearby) disqualified because he played semi-pro.

The only think that may have been different here is that McBride signed a development contract (which may hint at no actual compensation except for lodging and food) and played on the reserves, which is considered non-professional. Which may have been the reason that Wolfsburg didn't pursue it further. It would have been interesting as the contract was executed in Germany so it would have been in the Eurpean courts AND, if that didn't work, they could have appealed to FIFA who usually doesn't take to kindly on these type of disputes (specifically with a member from their "top" federation, UEFA, against someone from this CONCACAF place).

Damn, now my head hurts from trying to overthink this.

[Dave Han]

Strange. the Saint Louis University website (http://slubillikens.ocsn.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/mcbride_brian00.html) has a bio of Bake. It repeatedly calls the 1993 season his senior season, and lists his stats for four years: 1990, '91, '92, '93.

Here's the thing: after graduating, Bake played for the Milwaukee Rampage in the summer of 1994. Then he went to Wolfsburg for the balance of the '94/'95 season. Then he signed with MLS and the Crew.

So why the hell was Wolfsburg bitching to MLS in 1996? Say Bake went there after his junior year in the fall of '92, then came back for his senior year in '93. His first pro team was the Rampage! Then he played for Wolfsburg's first team for half a year!

Did Bake pull a fast one on them and tell them in 1995 that he wanted to go back to school? They must be the world's biggest suckers to fall for that, plus I can't see McBride lying like that.

So again, why were they bitching at MLS in 1996? Doesn't make sense.