Alert: Commissioner Don Garber to Discuss MLS Playoffs and League's Future on Fox Football Fone-In‎

This is big news.

 

I've never watched this show, i guess now's a good time to start.

 

I've watched this show a few times and it makes me feel like I live in England, EPL is the majority of the show, I'll wait for a show dedicated to majority MLS.

 

With its production values, it makes me feel like i'm watching high school class projects again.

 

When was the last time you watched it, since Wynalda , the show has been covering a lot more MLS and US Soccer

 

I'm also pretty sure that the theme music is played during terrorist interrogations to force them to talk

 

I've been watching since Cohen and I'll tell you, it's gone from a Public Access level production to down right unwatchable. This show makes the MLS's failed version of the EPL's Fan Zone a total masterpiece.

As much as I love Waldo's no holds barred, pompous, say anything I want at anytime attitude, the chemistry between those two is down right atrocious.

This show has got to be on it's final weeks.

 

I won't go quite that far, but it's got some shortcomings that they need to address, no question.

Not to say anything negative about Webster, but if FSC insists on having Wynalda then Nick needs to be replaced. He and Eric simply don't work together. There's no chemistry at all. Their conversations often come across as painful and forced and watching them be uncomfortable makes the viewer uncomfortable too.

Part of the problem is that Wynalda can't do the Cohen role with Webster as the sidekick. Smartaleck know-it-alls like Waldo can be entertaining but they can't be the lead character.

The show needs a strong top man with Eric shooting from the hip as the seasoning, not the main dish.

 

Having worked in production (albeit radio) for the last 7 years... I literally cannot point to 1 part of the show I would be satisfied with if I was involved.

Intro: terrible
Set dressing: terrible
Chemistry of hosts: terrible
Reading skills of token hot chick: embarrassing
Phone screener: terrible (most callers are AWFUL)

I guess the only thing they have going for it are getting the occasional solid guest. Other than that... the show damn near needs a 100% overhaul.

 

Ya think? This was a great show when Cohen was in Wynalda's place. Now it's downright unwatchable.

 

It doesn't seem like Eric is an easy person to work with.... I haven't watched the show in a while but can imagine the impact that he had when he came. I think it is okay and am glad to hear there is more MLS spin no so I will check it out.

More importantly! This could/should be pretty big news depending on what Don wants to let out.

 

Everyone should be calling in and asking about youth development and how MLS can create more incentives for teams to start proper youth setups comparable to the top European clubs. That's probably the single biggest issue facing MLS right now.

 

It funny. Because everyone always says that "MLS youth and development is crucial to the league" (and I totally agree with you on this point), but if you go over to the MLS youth and development forum, its empty. There's more life on the surface of mars than there is in the MLS Y&D forum.

If this is such an important issue, why are people never discussing it? It has its own forum!

 

Congratulations. The Understatement of the Year award is yours.

It's a good bet that any player who went through eleven clubs in a thirteen-year career is at least a little bit "difficult."

 

They have youth setups- well most of 'em anyway. The problem is with the idiotic restrictions on bringing players in through the youth academies.

 

Most of them don't have proper youth setups. That's the problem. Most MLS clubs are just trying to absorb existing regional youth clubs and stamping their name on them. Basically half-assing it.

I'm talking about a fully integrated youth setup like Barcelona or Arsenal. Those are what MLS clubs should be striving for.

 

Who says they aren't striving for it? The problem is that when people post things like "Those are what MLS clubs should be striving for" they come off as "WHY DON'T THEY HAVE IT NOW, NOW, NOW!!!!!!!"

The development of a youth system is only a few years old. A handful of players have "graduated." The Fire is expanding into other areas and looking at bringing kids from those areas full time to Chicago. The BoG has already made at least one rules adjustment to make it easier for players to move to the senior team.

This stuff doesn't happen over night. So maybe they are working toward what some of those teams have. Maybe they aren't. But they are working on the issue so people sometimes need to back off and actually examine what is happening now instead of criticizing them for not creating a fully developed system in just two years.

 

You are both correct. At the moment, the efforts in most cases has been half assed and a lot of the teams are just rebranded club teams. However, the development of a youth system is going to take years.

I know that nobody wants to hear it, but at the current rate, it will probably take 10-20 years. While they are working on the issue, it's happening with baby steps. The momentum, if any, is very slow.

 

Wonder if he will mention a USL merger or an NCAA/MLS relationship?

 

Actually, MLS has been steadily increasing the value of Youth Academies and Youth Teams tied to the clubs, by ensuring that players developed within those seasons cannot be poached or drafted by other teams.

In addition, this whole process will get a major boost as part of the entry of Vancouver into MLS. Vancouver has had a major youth program for many years that has fed its first team. During the discussions on Vancouver entry into MLS, Vancouver insisted that its approach to youth development should not be torn apart.

As a result, MLS will be adopting many of Vancouver's rules/policies for youth development and promotion to the first team either in 2010 as part of the new CBA or with Vancouver's entry into the league in 2011.

No later than 2011, MLS's Club youth system framework will look very much like the Vancouver model. At this point you should begin to see the road to professional soccer for youth players paved in much the same direction as found in Europe.

The implications from Vancouver's entry are threefold: first, MLS's move to Club Youth Systems feeding the first team is much further along in League thinking than you might realize; second, MLS Clubs will become more of a competitor with the NCAA for some of the best players; and third, MLS will have a mechanism to develop players here rather than see them go to Europe at a very young age.

 

Do you know this for sure or is this your wish? I'm curious the source if this is actual factual information since CBA news has been very hard to come by.

 

Unless I missed the press release, all I've ever heard from the league on this is "we review all aspects of the league after every season and vote on improvements that can be made."

 

I do know the Vancouver entry into MLS will set the model/framework for Youth Academies and for control of players coming up through those ranks, since it was a condition of Vancouver's entry. Vancouver spent a lot of time money and effort in assembling their program and insisted that they would be able to retain their approach to developing players and retaining rights.

Based on those agreements, I am extrapolating that some of the developmental player requirements would have to be accomodated within the context of the CBA. You are absolutely correct in stating that MLS is keeping progress of the new CBA very, very close to their vest.