http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070116&content_id=81949&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp hear me out before you go nuts. You have to trade for another DP spot to keep him past this season. Everyone knows this so the price will be steep. PLUS with Sal Jose back in the picture may he go back to No Cal ?
Re: Landons last year with LA 1) He never wanted to go to San Jose in the first place 2) I don't think San Jose fans would actually welcome him with open arms 3) San Jose hasn't exactly nailed down it's expansion yet (not saying it won't happen, but it's far from a for gone conclusion). 4) In the crazy world of MLS, it could happen.
Re: Landons last year with LA If the DP experiment goes well I could see the salary cap being increased significantly to somwhere between 4-5 million per team plus the DP spot. In reality 4-5 million per team is nothing for billionaires.
Re: Landons last year with LA Not going to happen - AEG had to pull teeth to get the DP approved this year. Part of the basis they used to getting it approved was all the "outside" deals previously approved were going to fall under the new DP rule so the number of new deals was going to be limited (after LD, EJ, Adu, Ruiz, and others were grandfathered). If LA wants to keep Landon they are going to pay through the nose next year to get that extra DP slot.
Re: Landons last year with LA Yes and no. I don't buy the argument that Guevara sets the price. Two years ago I saw an allocation go for a second round pick. This year, a first round pick got you a partial allocation. Different drafts, different teams, different times. The market is too "thin" for one exchange to determine anything. Let's see how it shakes out after the transfer window closes. Who is NY going to get for their DP spots? Reyna and Tin-Tin? The question in my mind is whether teams are willing to bring in players for about $1m per year who will improve the competitiveness of the team but do little for marketing. If so, then the demand for DP spots increases. If not, there could be a lot of teams looking to trade. The other argument I've seen is that the other teams will collude to force up the price. Possible, although if the goal of the other teams is to screw us, I could see Uncle Phil having a little talk with Houston.
Re: Landons last year with LA 4-5 million is good enought to start paying decent salaries for current players, and hopefully keep them around. My bet is that the sallary cap will get increased, but not by that much, and MLS will come up with some rule change that allows us the keep LD.
Re: Landons last year with LA I'm not sure how it works exactly, but LA has been accumulating allocations. Could they be used to cover the excess in Landon's salary ??
Re: Landons last year with LA If a Beckham/Donovan teaming becomes huge success, like it might, MLS will find a way to keep it going..
Re: Landons last year with LA Like they did with DC's magic triangle? Or the 1998 DC team that won the CCC and Interamerica Cup? MLS has never liked a lasting "dynasty" No offense to Landon but he doesn't put asses in seats like Beckham. LA will have a sell-out every game with or without LD. He is a great player and LA will most likely have a lot of success but AEG doesn't control half the league anymore - there are 10 other owners who aren't exactly ready to roll over and let LA win the league each year.
Re: Landons last year with LA I have a hard time believing a second DP slot won't be arriving at LA. Not saying it'll arrive ethically, but it'll happen.
Re: Landons last year with LA Interesting. So this is the attitude on the DC boards - that you have no chance now? I'm glad you finally accepted that! If the Galaxy and Red Bull do become than dominant, then yes, I would expect changes to the DP rule. But I expect the games to be more competitive than you think.
Re: Landons last year with LA Hell no - I would much rather build the way DC is and has. When was the last time a heralded signing actually produced results on the field - Hermisillo, Hernandez, Mattheus, Adu??????? I was responding to the person who said they won't break the team up if they prove a success - which is simply wishful thinking. The DP was approved with guidelines in place - the cap being one and the liminted number of "net new" signings being the other. If New England has proven anything in MLS - it is that you can succeed being total cheap asses.
Re: Landons last year with LA Thread title changed. Please folks, don't state something as a fact if it is not a fact. Question mark added. Thanks, Topper
Re: Landons last year with LA I'll give DC their due as the most successful MLS franchise on the field, but they are still only #2 (to sanjosefans) as 'conspiracy theorists'.
Re: Landons last year with LA dc's magic triangle didn't sell tickets, nor were they the face of american soccer. come next year if landon and beckham want to stay and the rules will be changed to accommodate them. there will be a gnashing of teeth, but ultimately we will get what we want because LA, backham and donovan are too important to this league. besides we're the only team that actually turns a profit, maybe we actually know what we're talking about. i think we'll just get the second DP spot, i just hope lalas/yallop don't bend over like we did for the hernandez deal.
Re: Landons last year with LA Depends on your definition of 'success'--I took it to mean financial success. For the record, I am pretty worried about the Gals. They seem to me a team well-equipped to play around Becks. That's up to and including Donovan, who will probably relish the Scottie Pippen role. Of course some of it depends on when he shows up.
Re: Landons last year with LA Except that, right or wrong, he's asserting a nonconspiracy, that the salary cap worked (and will work again) on the level, just like they advertised that it would.
Didn't someone already make a thread in this forum regarding the necessity of the 2nd DP? Regardless, like I have been saying and history seemingly proves, AEG will make it work. Even if that means the other AEG teams have to "suffer".
Re: Landons last year with LA A lot depends on how Beckham reacts to playing with a bunch of guys who are not close to the standard that he is accustomed to seeing in team-mates. On the one hand, I think he does understand this going in. But, on the other hand, I can also see a level of frustrations setting in over time. Particularly given how hard hit the team will be with player absenses for Gold Cup etc., I hardly expect LAG to be a dominant team this year, even with Beckham. They will make the playoffs and will be dangerous then, but they would not be top of my list of candidates to take the Supporters Shield.
I think the value of the DP could be lower than some think. If only one team is willing to give their's up, and LA is the only buyer or has to bid against someone else, then, yes the value will skyrocket. But what if there are multiple teams that don't plan to use their DP? And it can be purchased for only one year, as opposed to the Guevara trade, which was made for a DP through the end of the program (2009?). So, say Toronto, RSL, Houston and Kansas City have no plans to use their DP in 2008. Would one of them trade it for an allocation or for one decent player they can use? I'll bet they would. Chivas would have been one of the 4 teams least likely, in my view, to give up their DP, and look what they traded it for! And no one has used their DP yet, except for LA. That's 12 DP's up for grabs.
You know what? I've decided that I will worry about next year...next year. We've got plenty to be concerned with right now. Or as Anthony Trollope would say, "Sufficient unto the day are the evils therof." (And when was the last time you saw Trollope quoted on BigSoccer?)