Did he apply for an MLS HQ job and get turned down? His assessment of MLS and the business model borders on obsessive at this point.
... and the beat goes on. MLS is doomed and a ponzi scheme, just like it was two years ago when we started this thread.
To his credit, Szymanski doesn't call it a Ponzi Scheme like the Deadspin article. To his detriment, he failed to point out that it most definitely is not. (Apologies to those who've already seen me address this...) A Ponzi Scheme is a particular set of circumstances: the finances are secret, not just private; returns are illogically high; and divesting is difficult. MLS owners see the real books, and potential investors can see them and have them reviewed by real auditors before handing over money. Owners have not been overly restricted in divesting their holdings. There's only one aspect of the Ponzi model that may have validity, that perceived value is outstripping actual value. A good deal of MLS value is potential for growth, so there's potentially valid criticism in speculation about a value bubble. But given how the league has been slower to expand than previous startup sports leagues, Providence Equity's reluctance to divest its share of SUM (now a wholly MLS subsidiary), adidas's perception of the league's marketing value in the near future, and other such information, people with information about MLS's inner workings seem uniformly positive.
He doesn't. But his 'MLS must be a Ponzi Scheme' article is the basis for the Deadspin piece. So he is referencing his own material