News: Wednesday, Nov 29, 2017

So we've got a $14M transfer fee about to be paid by Atlanta on the one hand, and on the other, we've got a founding team being ripped out of its home in Columbus and sent to a city ambivalent at best about even having a team or parting with precious downtown green space for a stadium, a Miami situation which could poison the South Florida market for anyone wanting to invest in soccer for decades, and now this Sugarman article that reads like terms of surrender in Philly, not an inspirational rallying cry:

“We have some very, very wealthy owners in the league and financially, I can’t keep up with them,” Sugarman said. “I think we invest $5-10 million a year in this club, and that’s all we can ever do. If teams have more resources than us, so be it. We’re going to figure out how to beat them. We’re going to crack the code and figure out what our competitive advantage is. …

Add in the disaster of US Soccer, which can make all the money in the world but can't seem to improve the product on the field or the level of coaching to save its life, and we are at a fissure point in the history of the sport in this country.

It's also notable how the amount of off-field noise has totally overshadowed the playoffs.

 

It's a good thing that there's such a gap between different markets and ownership groups. It puts pressure on the small timers, and makes clear who will eventually have to go.

 

That's depressing to read.

 

Couple of things to also take in account that's $5-10 million that the Philly organization can do on salary in the current TV revenue deal structure. I wonder under a more lucrative deal would they be willing to spend. I think its good to push these teams that lag behind in the league to get going. Either field a competitive unflashy team or sell the team if you aren't willing to do what it takes. $5-10 million on salary was acceptable and got the job done in 2009 (see RSL) $5-10 million without a relative excellent scout team and academy gets you low-mid bottom table now.

 

Point taken about the two things in the middle, but this juxtaposition actually sounds quite a lot like the much-vaunted 'How They Do It in Europe.'

 

Nope, I assure you they won’t.

 

Eventually Sugarman will have to sell to a billionaire or he will never be able to compete.

 

It happened to RSL; the initial owner had to sell off a minority interest, then the entire thing. If Sugarman isn't the least wealthy principal owner in MLS, he's very close to it.

 

Yes, this is certainly a crossroads moment. One that we haven't seen since 2002 IMO, but.....I have never been a negative nelly. I'm the guy who doesn't panic. Didn't in 2007-2008....never in my career when faced with real lows, never in my family and relationships when tough patches or tragedy has hit. I see opportunity, and I see ways to strengthen myself. The reality is that folks like me rarely post on the net. Studies show that the more pessimistic, negative and defeated post the most. It is a dumping ground. I certainly don't like all I am seeing, but.....



......we have teams willing to pay significant amounts for young talent in our league now, when in the past they low balled or laughed. MLS has so much more respect overseas now it's not even funny. That is a fact. One I can personally attest to. Young Americans are clearly being looked at in different ways overseas, and it's only going to get better IMO as more MLS acadamies start copying NY, Dallas and RSL. Sorry, can't cry about that, and it is pretty obvious there is improvement.

Miami....yawn. Seriously....yawn. Poser soccer market. Always has been. Boy, the media and fans have been up in arms!!!!! Crickets from those crazy supporter groups. Sorry, especially with Altanta and Orlando success....yawn.
Non issue. Hell, Becks not getting his discount....poor baby. Again....yawn.
It's also not like MLS is running out of markets. Miami....LOL.

Columbus. Yup, sucks. Enough has been said, I have said my part.

As for Sugarman? Boy, wish we had pro/rel now.....that would be the magic wand that would save him. That and unlimited spending. Yeah...that's the ticket.
TBF....he sounds like the people who always come into my office with every reason why they couldn't/can't succeed....while others in the same position always could. Not an accident. That's right Sug's.....find a way to compete. Talk to RSL, Dallas, Columbus....STF up, stop making excuses and do it. He acts like this is a Manc City versus Burnley scenerio. Joke. Feeling sorry for himself. He should post here more.

As for US Soccer? Been saying it for decades. We have amateurs running what is now a large corporate entity. This is what happens. Transition time. As for the smug self righteousness I have been seeing from our more entitled fans....guess what? We aren't! Ask Italy, Holland and Chile fans. This happens all of the time and lordy, lordy is me....it happened to us!

TV ratings are up, sponserships are up, merch is up, more money is being invested....FN DC, Minny and LA are building new stadiums....Nashville, Sac and Cincy look like they could also.

Yes, this is a rough patch...all of the leagues have gone through them....even the "welp" top five leagues in Europe! Even our big four here! NASCAR, college also!

Time for many of you to grow up. It isn't orange slice time in mommy's van anymore.

Good and bad to all of this but the sky is not falling for all. Not even close.

Just from reading these boards I can tell who I don't want working on anything of importance.....ever. I'm done. Start the whining, wallowing, excuse making, feel sorry for yoursefl bitchfest again.

Take your shots at me so you feel better about yourself. Make excuses. Blah, blah, blah.....s**t happens, and some of it sucks, but stop with the constant whining and trying to create s**t from nothing. There is a reason I refuse to watch FOX and NBC news...it's just like this. Take a molehill and turn it into Everest. My goodness...how can people live like this?

 

Like Checketts, Sugarman being priced out is good for MLS as a whole; it is a reflection of growth. It may suck for him to head out, but he can console himself after the coming divestment with the tens of millions his investment appreciated (if he were the sole owner, it would be a hundred or more) and by finding a new primary with the resources as well as the drive. Until then, the Philadelphia Union will struggle most years. But this isn't a bombshell, their core fans have known the team was on a shoestring for years. The relative poverty of the current ownership is probably the biggest factor in the team being the least valuable one in a large market; its growth is constrained by limited ongoing investment.

 

Dumb, ignorant, arrogant, stupid and proud.

 

I bet we see more MLS 2.0 under funded owners complain in the months ahead. Shit or get off the pot.

 

Some owners don't want to compete (ala Andrew Hauptman) just get all the rewards that come from the other owners that want to.

 

You can also say that about Bob Kraft. The league may be rising in stature, and as a part owner in that, he profits. His under-funded team, however, is in that range of being marginally profitable or losing a little (but not too much) money year over year. That suits Krafty fine, and as long as his team feigns being competitive for a playoff spot and is not Chivas-bad, he's fine with that.

 

For Kraft, though, he's going to stay in. He's steadily increased his spending; a few years ago he spent under a much lower salary budget, now he's over it like everyone else, and even spent more on salary than some. Still near the bottom, but no longer well below the second lowest. He can keep up as much as he chooses to, and will keep doing so until he thinks the team's value has stagnated.

Or he could decide the Revolution would be even more valuable if he really tried. (Unlikely to happen, but possible.)

 

But then, what would his kids do?