MLS Expands Designated Player Rule

If nothing else, the new rule is good for cheap headlines:
http://www.sport1.de/de/sp1at/newspage_220089.html
MLS macht Weg für Superstars frei

 

Well, all I know is that stock for allocation money just went up.

 

Yeah, and Philadelphia's probably sitting on a lot of it. I think they've given up some for Califf (solely because he was considered a returning Nat, but he was a free agent), and some for Torres (but that's a loan with purchase option). And you get a lot for being an expansion team. Seems to me they have a lot of cap room, a lot of allocations, and a lot of options.

 

Lopez was a DP his first year. And Chivas and Colorado at least tried to use the value of the DP slot by trading it. Really only NE, FSL, and Philly have done absolutely nothing with their slot.

 

If they have enough, one could easily see them get 3 DP's for a minor hit of 450,000 on their salary cap. NICE!

Edit: Not saying they WOULD do it but they COULD if they had enough allocation.

 

Later to be known as the 'Henry' rule. I'm sure this is to pave the way for another DP in the larger markets.

 

Well, not necessarily the larger markets.

New England and Dallas are the 4th and 5th largest markets in MLS, but I doubt Hunt or Kraft will "waste" any of their precious money on expensive DP's.

 

Um...Blanco? Ljundberg?

 

I find it tragic that so many soccer fans in this country will only attend games if they can see one of the top 1% of players worldwide on the field. Even Angel isn't good enough.

Really it is only a difference of degree between when the non-soccer fans come out to see a Beckham and the self-proclaimed aficionados come out to see a Raul.

 

Transcript of media teleconference about MLS Designated Player rule
http://www.mlssoccer.com/content/transcript-media-teleconference-about-mls-designated-player-rule#

 

I don't think any of us big MLS fans would disagree with your assertion. I often talk to coworkers and find it astounding that they've seen every (INSERT BIG FOUR EPL TEAM) game over the last 4 years but have never attended a single MLS game, even with one local.

They all would love to see a huge league here, but don't in any way want to put in the time to make that actually happen. Some of these people are even big fans of the US National Team. I always wonder how in the hell they can have any informed opinion about the squad when they've probably never seen half of them play.

So yes, on one hand it sucks having to pander to the Eurosnob (or Mexisnob perhaps), but the reality is that if we get 10 new people to come to a game, MLS might actually manage to hang on to 1-3 of them for the long-term.

 

^This.

 

I don't know if offering less will be enough to get the players, since i do not quite buy the striker shooting and coach kidnapping had a major effect (it did but not as great as one may think)

 

I would probably scream at someone.

Actually I think Tim Lieweke did.

 

Where is the pc4th poll about whether first DP should be exempt

 

tehy got the yellow color part down pat

 

I think that it's kinda working like a modified luxery tax, since the money is to be divvied up amongst the other teams, so it's likely a fee that the team itself pays in cash every season that they choose to use it.

 

I would think so as well. Only plausible way it would work.

 

This is awesome!

So basically 3x335,000 is $1,005,000 dollars. The salary budget is $2,550,000 for 2010, which means, if you use three DPs, you'll have $1,545,000 left to fill out your roster. That could be tough. What are roster sizes? 20 men? Am I wrong? If so, the last 17 men would average $90,882. If you plug in your bench with a bunch of minimum wage guys, your non-DP starters could earn an average of $148,125 each. You should be able to make a pretty solid team out of that, but you'd have no depth.

 

Right now I'd settle for it getting us past the Honduran, Costa Rican, and sometimes Panamanian and Trinidadian teams that seem to upset us and keep most of our teams out of the knockout stages.

 

True. But also remember the cap is going up 5% a year - so in 2011 the cap will be $2,677,500. In 2012 the cap will be $2,811,375. Etc.

3 DPs start making more sense, obviously, the higher the cap number gets...

And if we ever figure out/get transparency about allocation funds, maybe soon that could make having a real strong team - with 3 DPs - and some depth...gasp...possible?

 

And any DPs for this year would only count for $167,000 so it most certainly makes sense for this year.

 

Have you not been watching Freddie Ljungberg in Seattle, my friend?

 

MLS franchises lack depth for the most part anyway so little lost there. Plus you're forgetting the Generation Addidas players. Draft or discover a player like Steve Zakuani and he isn't counted against the cap.

 

We all know success is defined in one year. Let's see if he can do it again this year.