The Answers 10-20

10. Years ago, MLS had a number of well-known international players who were "worth the price of admission": Carlos Valderrama, Roberto Donadoni, Hristo Stoichkov, etc. But today, those types of players are few and far between: Youri Djorkaeff, Paco Palencia, and that's about it. Does MLS have plans to increase the number of high-caliber international players in the league, either via the proposed Beckham exception or by some other means?

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: This subject requires a delicate balance. We’ve had our successes with the likes of Valderrama, Etcheverry and Peter Nowak, and many others in the early years of the League. Lately, we have dedicated much of our spending on developing and keeping U.S. players.

Regarding decisions regarding new international “worth the price of admission” players, it is a subject we are analyzing as part of our 2007 plans. We’ll continue to evaluate the possibility of a “designated player” rule that provides each club the opportunity to secure one player outside the salary cap. We’ll keep you posted.


11. Chivas USA adopts an attacking football philosophy. As a result, many of their games are very entertaining. If all teams play attacking football, the playing field would be level and the number of entertaining games would increase. Should other MLS teams adopt attacking football philosophy? (there is a poll on MLS General Forum and about 75% voted for this adoption).

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: We’re all for attacking soccer, and we believe several of our clubs play a very attractive style. However, the style of play is determined by coach and team management. I was about to write that the attacking philosophy will increase as the talent on the field improves, but then I thought about Italy’s Serie A, one of the best soccer leagues in the world. Serie A is not necessarily known for its attacking style of soccer, despite the number of players in the league that excelled in the 2006 World Cup. And while “attacking” is a fairly straightforward concept, “attractive” is very subjective. Some fans prefer a breakneck, end-to-end pace with lots of one-touch passing; others prefer a more patient approach in which subtle pauses and trickery unlock the defense. Clearly, style of play is not something the League can mandate. We might be able to provide additional incentives, but it will still be up to the players and coaches to dictate their team’s style. Fans can also play a role, just by supporting a team with the style they like.

12. Understanding the need to recoup some of the large losses that MLS owners have incurred, and the amount of cash needed to build soccer-specific stadia, at what point can MLS fans expect owners to shift their focus to significantly improving the on-field talent? Next year? 2010? 2020?

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: Our goal is to provide the resources to the MLS coaches and general managers to improve the product every year. We believe MLS is a very good league, but we also know we must continue to invest in the appropriate resources if we want to show improvement annually. Our technical committee has generated some innovative ideas that could be presented to our Board of Governors next month. We’ll be able to provide an update during the MLS Cup weekend.

13. There is near-unanimous consensus amongst MLS fans and the soccer media alike that having eight teams in the playoffs both cheapens the value of the regular season and makes a mockery of the "prize" of qualifying for the postseason. Why does MLS continue to stick to this system despite the overwhelming opinion that cutting the number of teams in half would increase the quality of the season and the playoffs?

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: One benefit to having eight teams qualify is the playoff race, particularly in a League that does not have a relegation battle for its lower-placed teams. The current playoff race involved all 12 teams until last Saturday, when Columbus became the first team eliminated from contention for the postseason. It is intriguing to have the defending champion still knocking at the door, making the other Western Conference teams sweat; it’s compelling to have Kansas City and New York gearing up for a memorable regular-season finale that will decide the final spot in the East. That said, we are listening to what fans are saying (see research I mentioned in Question #8) and we are considering a number of options moving forward. We expect to have more news on this subject following our Board of Governors meeting at MLS Cup.


14. We have seen MLS clubs move away from some of the original and in my opinion terrible names they started out with (Burn, Clash, Mutiny) to more "classic" soccer names such as DC United, FC Dallas, Toronto FC, CD Chivas USA, and Real Salt Lake. I believe this is a good thing as it helps soccer stand out among a highly competitive and crowded American sport's marketplace and make the league sound more respectable internationally. A name that says soccer, sells soccer. Will we see these classic type names continue with expansion clubs?

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: We also like the traditional soccer names, but they don’t always have to be traditional to Europe or South America. Most soccer fans will agree that the Chicago Fire is an authentic soccer brand. The New England Revolution has evolved into a traditional soccer brand during the last 11 years. A brand is much more than a name, and the Fire and Revs (not classic soccer names) prove that. Also, soccer fans in the Bay Area are very familiar with the name Earthquakes, but I would assume that many skeptics questioned that name when it was unveiled 30 years ago during the NASL days. Finally, we don’t have 100 years of history like the EPL, but we are establishing some of our own traditions.


15. I'm a 25 year old girl who believes more could be done to market some of the hot guys of MLS to women my age. I attended my first MLS match at 14 after my older sister took me to see a match in DC because she had a thing for another team's player. MLS in my opinion is missing out by not having more of a cross media footprint for some of these guys. Why no late night talk shows or cameo appearances in music videos or appearances at music or film awards? Stars are made in this country mostly through exposure as much as or more so than actual performance. If MLS want's "stars" they need not buy Beckham, instead just get Alex Yi, Clint Dempsey, Jamie Moreno, Shavar Thomas, Dwayne DeRosario and Jeff Cunningham's faces out there more. Are there any plans to do this?

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: I realize many BigSoccer members were not supporters of this question, but it is a valid question. We are fortunate that we have many intelligent, charismatic and attractive players in Major League Soccer. And our guys are not hidden by helmets, pads or other types of equipment.


Our public relations department actually has staff members who focus their efforts on reaching non-sports media. In addition, the local teams pitch non-sports journalists regularly on this topic. We’ve had some success with this in 2006. A few examples:


Boston Globe - Jay Heaps fashion spread - http://www.boston.com/yourlife/fash...on_is_the_goal_for_the_revolutions_jay_heaps/

Elle Girl – Four young MLS players were featured in the June issue

People - Matt Nickell of D.C. United was featured in a recent issue

Vanity Fair – Six members of the Red Bulls appear in the Sept. 2006 issue

Maxim – Fashion spread featuring MLS players in the March issue - http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20060214&content_id=52214&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp


Look for more news in this area next week when an MLS player will be featured in a national magazine targeted toward women. Finally, I’ve been told that the Major Indoor Soccer League used to have a “hot legs’ contest in the early 1980’s. While I don’t think we are going to go quite that far, we do want to continue to have our players transcend the sport into popular culture.


16. David Stern, your NBA counterpart, has suggested that interactive technology will enable the league to provide viewers more options on how the game appears on their television. I'm not sure just what he means, but I wonder if MLS has any dedicated effort or long-term vision to improve the way games are broadcast (e.g., replays, on-screen "chalkboard," cameras that don't just follow the ball, knowledgeable commentators) so that both novice fans and purists can get the most out of the experience.

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: Our national broadcast partners -- ABC/ESPN, Univision/Telefutura, Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Espanol, HDNet -- have all made a big commitment to MLS to produce and air games. These broadcast partners are placing a high priority on advancing the sport of soccer on television and throughout their media outlets. The league is working closely with them by building stadiums that are television friendly with custom camera positions to improve the presentation for the viewer at home. An example of this commitment from our national broadcasters is when representatives from ABC/ESPN, Univision/Telefutura, Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Espanol, HDNet all recently traveled to the new Colorado Rapids stadium in Commerce City to conduct a site survey and meet with the MLS League Broadcast Department along with representatives from the Rapids. This same group is traveling to Toronto later this month. Along with our broadcast partners, we have spent a great deal of time, money and energy in identifying and training soccer producers, directors and technicians who enjoy the sport. In 1996 the league’s network and regional partners were challenged when they needed to crew soccer games. Now, 11 years later after seminars, conference calls and weekly evaluations, we have a very strong foundation in this country for television professionals committed to soccer.

As players retire from MLS the announcer selection becomes easier. Former MLS players are often excellent at presenting the game that they played on the field at the League and international level. These players are well-known soccer names to our audience and elevate the importance of the broadcast. Opinions on broadcast talent are always going to be subjective, but executives at ABC/ESPN thought Eric Wynalda was a breakout star for the network at 2006 World Cup.

17. When do you foresee that each soccer club in MLS will be able to decide which players it buys and sells? And with the club keeping 100% of the income? Also, what is the actual amount of latitude that teams have in signing and transferring players? There have been many rumors or stories about the MLS blocking a transfer or owners blocking a transfer. It is a mutual decision or is there a person with the final say? In the same vein, has there been any discussion of allowing scraping the allocation system and going to a system where individual teams can purchase players on transfer and amortize the transfer fee over the life of the contract in regards to their salary cap number?

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: Our clubs play an integral role in every transfer negotiation, both incoming and outgoing. Players and their agents are also involved in those negotiations. The League’s role is to make sure the negotiations, and any deal, are conducted in accordance within the regulations of both MLS and FIFA. From my response earlier about single entity, you know that an essential component of our success so far as a business has been strategically managing costs in relation to revenue to assure that we build MLS for the long-term. Remember, allocations essentially represent an amount of money that a team can utilize to purchase a player’s contract and pay their salary. No player is ever forced upon an MLS club. On the contrary, the clubs dictate to the League which players they want to pursue. Conversely, no player is lifted from an MLS roster and sold without intense collaboration with the club (which in fact has veto rights over in-season transfers) and factoring in the interests and proper compensation for that player’s club.

18. Will the league ever take control of broadcasting team's matches or at least make it mandatory? I hate the fact some teams can choose not to broadcast their road games.

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: We always encourage our teams to televise as many games on local television as possible, both road and home matches. During the 2006 regular season, nearly 90% (171 of 192 games) of MLS matches were televised either nationally or locally. This means you could watch nearly every MLS game on the Direct Kick package or on the Internet with the MLSLive.tv package. We are working to make sure more games are televised so we are closer to 100% of all games televised in 2007.

19. Is there a plan to add a weekly team bonus for winning games and/or scoring goals? The added incentive may help players push harder for goals and wins in each game and the added intensity may draw more spectators to the games. Thank You.

COMMISSIONER ANSWER: MLS players do currently receive many different bonuses for wins, standing, individual performances, etc. The allocation of bonuses is a negotiated item in our Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Player’s Union. Moving forward, we will look to enhance the process for the distribution of the bonus pool. Players such as the Red Bull’s Chris Henderson and Crew’s Ryan Joiner have told us that the system in Germany (where each played before their MLS careers) where players received weekly bonuses was very effective. MLS players currently receive their bonus at the end of the year.

20. What are your favorite musicians/bands, movies and TV shows?

I am very passionate about music and my tastes range from old school soul (Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Sly and the Family Stone, the O’Jays, etc.) to U2 and the Rolling Stones and new music like Jack Johnson and G Love. With all my traveling, I often have the opportunity to watch a lot of movies (DVDs). My two favorite movies of all time are Casablanca and the Shawshank Redemption. I don’t get a chance to watch much television, but in addition to watching or taping every MLS and Champion’s League game, I try not to miss 24 and Entourage.