NASL Files Federal Antitrust Lawsuit Against US Soccer

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Knave, Sep 19, 2017.

  1. BalanceUT

    BalanceUT RSL and THFC!

    Oct 8, 2006
    Appalachia
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hope they have more explanation than mere assertion that they meed the standards.
     
  2. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I would have phrased it “EXCEEDS OR MEETS,” or even better, “EXCEED OUR MEATS.”
     
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  3. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Really though I’ve seen worse antitrust claims. Perhaps that’s not saying much but the district court’s opinion suggested it saw some merit to the claim, even if it wasn’t slam-dunk-enough to grant the preliminary injunction.
     
  4. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Some NASL/USSF lawsuit news:





    Sadly, nothing to see here still. Discovery is so boring! ;)
     
  5. CrazyJ628

    CrazyJ628 Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    The center of the Earth
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nipun Chopra and Jason Davis did this video on NASL 2.0. It's okay but nothing to write home about.

    At the end of the video, Nipun makes the comment that if NASL is successful in its lawsuit that it will change the face of American soccer forever. Dedicated markets will be a thing of the past, MLS won't be the only D1 league, and pro/rel. At least, that's what I gathered.

    Now, I'm not a lawyer but if NASL is successful, that won't really change anything, right? If USSF tries to tell MLS to do away with it's market exclusivity or forces pro/rel then USSF will have another massive lawsuit on its hands. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.
     
  6. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    • There is no market exclusivity.
    • Any league that meets the D1 divisional standards that NASL 2 insisted on will be by definition a D1 league.
    • There is nothing to stop any league introducing pro/rel.
     
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  7. CrazyJ628

    CrazyJ628 Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    The center of the Earth
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    That's exactly what I thought. It might have been Nipun just being a fanboy but I don't see how this lawsuit changes anything win or lose for NASL.
     
  8. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If NASL wins their lawsuit, MLS wouldn't be the only D1 league. Not because NASL would suddenly be classified as a D1 league, but because USSF would not be able to regulate leagues and no league would be classified as D1.

    I have no idea what he's talking about on the rest as already covered by others...
     
  9. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is all crazy.

    'DIVISION 2 PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE TO OPERATE IN 2010
    https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/12/20/division-2-professional-league-to-operate-in-2010
    CHICAGO (Jan. 7, 2009) – The U.S. Soccer Federation, United Soccer Leagues (USL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL) have come to an agreement on the formation and operation of a Division 2 professional soccer league for the 2010 season. Under the agreement, U.S. Soccer will oversee the league for the 2010 season, working with both the USL and NASL on the day-to-day league activities.
    The agreement pertains only to the 2010 season, and during the next year U.S. Soccer will continue to work with USL and NASL to build a long-term solution for the future. U.S. Soccer will also be developing new standards to govern Division 2 professional league applicants to ensure the long term viability and sustainability of the leagues and teams.
    “We are extremely pleased that we were able to come to a solution that ensures we will have Division 2 professional soccer in the United States in 2010,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “This agreement allows us to continue to develop the professional game in many important markets around the country, while at the same time working towards the long-term stability of Division 2 professional soccer. I’d like to thank the representatives from both the USL and NASL for the time spent during our negotiations, especially their efforts in the past seven days.”
    The league will consist of two six-team conferences – the USL Conference and the NASL Conference. The USL Conference will include teams from Austin, Minnesota, Portland, Puerto Rico, Rochester and Tampa Bay. The NASL Conference will consist of teams from Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Montreal, St. Louis and Vancouver.
    In the near future, U.S. Soccer will announce details of the new league, including league rules, a match schedule, television rights and other important operational issues.
    As part of the agreement, all pending claims between the USL and NASL will be dropped.'

    The "stringent" Division II standards introduced meant that at the time, only NASL teams — not USL teams — could meet them.
     
  10. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    That's not entirely true. Some USL teams met the standards, but the chose to remain in the USL for their own reasons.
     
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  11. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    While that may be true, NASL went under a 100% ownership change between the time that those standards were agreed to and the time that USSF yanked their D2 sanction. So even if we accept that NASL was why the 2010 D2 standards were so high, that doesn't mean the owners at the end agreed...
     
  12. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    But it's the same company. The US government can't renege on NAFTA just because it was signed under the Bush 1.0 administration.

    Wait a minute....
     
  13. Gamecock14

    Gamecock14 Member+

    May 27, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
  14. NashSC

    NashSC Member+

    Nashville SC
    United States
    Jan 3, 2018
  15. Darkwing McQuack

    Darkwing McQuack BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 11, 2011
    Morrisville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    But.... but..... pro/rel solves everything. Teams never fold under it let only entire leagues. :sneaky:
     
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  16. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well.... I’m sure those teams “reformed” in the bottom of the Italian pyramid.
     
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  17. DanGerman

    DanGerman Member+

    Aug 28, 2014
    New York City
    Club:
    New York City FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is what I think the Pro/Rel people seem to forget about the lawsuit it creates more chaos in the lower levels. MLS is set, they have the SSS, better talent on average and the most media coverage. Not having that D1 label does very little to the bottom line for MLS IMO. But claiming to be on par with MLS when you play in H.S or College fields, have MLS cast offs or Amateur players and almost zero media coverage doesn't pass the sniff test unless you've been sniffing a lot of glue. IF NASL wins I honestly think Pro/Rel in this country would become more difficult.
     
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  18. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My issue with the NASL guys is the way they drone on about the how the MLS "model" is so restrictive, limiting who you can sign and for how much and the drafting and salary budget and all the rest. Under the NASL formula, which is "like the rest of the world" (according to them) clubs can spend what they want and sign whomever they like and build teams which are infinitely better than MLS teams.

    The only problem is, they never do. They hire, as you point out, MLS castoffs, eligibilty-bankrupt college players, third division South Americans and whatever other flotsam and jetsam of the soccer world can be had on the cheap. The neo-Cosmos were great at this game: they loudly proclaimed that while they certainly could join MLS, they'd rather spend that expansion fee money "building a world class club".

    Then they'd go out and sign Danny Szetela.

    But we're supposed to believe that as soon as USSF is smote hip and thigh by the sword of justice, they're going to suddenly have deep pockets and fancy stadiums instead of threadbare wallets and portable bleachers.

    The whole thing is a massive con.
     
  19. Beau Dure

    Beau Dure Member+

    May 31, 2000
    Vienna, VA
    Here's the funny thing about that ...

    The Cosmos narrative is that their oh-so-vital club has been destroyed. What about the poor kids of Coney Island who no longer have a team? (Even though the team would surely move from Coney Island if they can find a better option elsewhere.) And let's all weep for Danny Szetela, who has had as many chances at pro soccer as his fellow early-2000s phenom Freddy Adu, who can no longer get more money than, say, any soccer journalist to kick around in the lower divisions.

    And then if you mention to pro/rel zealots that the effects will be exactly the same when a club is relegated out of the Premier League or out of the fully professional ranks -- staffers laid off, players either taking massive pay cuts or being forced to look elsewhere -- they all turn into harrumphing libertarians, insisting that the free market will take care of them all.
     
  20. DanGerman

    DanGerman Member+

    Aug 28, 2014
    New York City
    Club:
    New York City FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Honestly this is the bit that always gets me, I remember the NASL FO and fanboys saying "all we want is the free market to decide" welp it did and it didn't choose NASL by and large. There was never enough infrastructure and fanbase building in NASL in my opinion (look at all those friendlies the Cosmos did in the preseason and mid season that either disregarded their fan base. I consider myself a Cosmos fan but they messed up so much that they really have no one to blame but themselves.
     
  21. GunnerJacket

    GunnerJacket Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 18, 2003
    Gainesville, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    The disconnect appears, to me, with those touting the "club > league" line. Unless you're the Harlem Globetrotters teams need opponents in order to play games and leagues or cups in order to win trophies. Note especially that national media attention and money is based on the calibre of the league. True enough the league is made up of teams but the appeal and growth potential for each team is intrinsically tied to the level of competition involved. Witness the difference between Glasgow Celtic and Real Madrid, for instance.

    To wit, in an American sporting landscape where pro soccer had only scraps with which to work, an MLS-like model was necessary in order to create sustainable teams that could exceed the level of play seen @ the D2 level or below. ie: The investment that flowed into the league to create this higher standard did so because of the financial prudence measures. It may not be perfect and it can and will evolve someday soon, but the MLS model isn't the obstacle to success but rather a contributing factor.
     
  22. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    SEM - It's not a bug, it's a feature.

    The steady stream of noobs coming in thinking that all the expansion new money owners will fill up the MLS BoG and throw off the shackles of single entity allowing teams like Toronto, Seattle, (and now presumably Atlanta) to take all that huge attendance filthy lucre and sink into their playing roster, thereby forcing the rest of the league to "step up their game" (or spend themselves into oblivion, depends on your perspective) never seems to end.

    The fact is - all those expansion groups know all of this going in. SEM is the golden handcuffs. Free market MLB owners get sued (and usually lose) by their players every decade for collusion. With SEM, there is no collusion, there is only MLS. SEM is the secret sauce that keeps the owners from ruining each others business.

    And as someone pointed out, even Seattle and Atlanta know that they've got to have opponents. If you run all your competition out of business, you fail.
     
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  23. Stuart95

    Stuart95 Member+

    Mar 11, 2012
    NoVA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  24. An Unpaved Road

    An Unpaved Road Member+

    Mar 22, 2006
    Club:
    --other--
    Yep. Instead of $4 billion TV deal "offers" take a portion of that money and build a NASL super club capable of winning the Open Cup and CCL. Seems simple enough!
     
  25. RafaLarios

    RafaLarios Member+

    Oct 2, 2009
    Medellín
    Club:
    Atletico Nacional
    Nat'l Team:
    Colombia
    Never Forget
    [​IMG]
     
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