News: Tuesday, August 05, 2014

FIFA isn't intervening or mandating anything specifically (as to when MLS starts/ends their seasons). It appears that Blatter is just relaying/repeating what he has heard/understood as MLS's long-term operational targets. No big whoop.

Nothing (significant) changes for the next however many years.

And then something changes.

 

FOX and ESPN have paid for summer soccer because during the fall those two networks are all about college football,NFL, and the MLB pennant races and playoffs.

 

MLS plays in the fall as well.

 

Well, it's like this: If the schedule was going to change for next year, I'm pretty sure we'd know about it by now. Instead, we've gotten the same line we always get from MLS: "Yeah, sure, maybe someday. Nothing's off the table forever. But we're not changing anything now."

That means, barring an explosive "surprise" later in the year, next season will be played at the same time as this one. Which means year 1 of the new contract will be played spring-fall. Television networks generally don't pay big bucks for a product that changes its delivery schedule partway through the contract. So, it stands to reason that FOX and ESPN paid for a spring-fall product.

But sure, I suppose there's a 0.01% chance that MLS, ESPN, and FOX are all involved in a conspiracy to hide the surprise schedule change MLS is going to spring on us later in the year.

------RM

 

I get that 2015 will (very, very) likely look like 2014. (Save for the part where MLS likely won't decide to take a summer mini-break to get out of the way of a major FIFA event for 2 weeks.)

But I also recognize that 2020 and 2022 are a ways of (yet still within the range of the 8-year deal that was just signed by SUM/MLS with their national tv partners).

And I've read that tv partners have shown interest (if not a preference) for having some more MLS inventory in the period that has traditionally been the off-season for MLS.

And nobody yet is paying (significantly) "big bucks" for MLS content. It is all a work in progress, and change is likely a part of MLS's growth. The timeline for all of that is certainly what is worthy of discussion and/or at least keeping an eye on (if not "next year" then certainly across some reasonable, or long-term, planning range).

 

Those are my exact thoughts too, that'll be the only way we'll see a shift in scheduling like that.

 

There are other ways that it might/will happen.

But they are all insular business items (for SUM/MLS/USSoccer).

But the "WC-carrot" is certainly something that would/could most accelerate the process (if a change is to occur, in some upcoming or distant season(s) for MLS).

Hey, it "worked" for Russia.

Honestly, I'm also interested in seeing how the 2016 Copa America idea unfolds, and what that means (if anything) for MLS's schedule in 22 months or so.

 

Yeah it works for them in much harsher climatic conditions than North America. Maybe that's why there is great emphasis on establishing the Southeastern United States with expansion teams to add more milder cities to the league.

 

Yeah, but those people who invest in and run MLS are all idiots and don't really know what they're doing.

 

This accurately represents my reaction to that statement and the idea of going 8 rounds again with you on this subject.

 

It doesn't matter how many rounds it goes. It will either continually finish as a no decision with a rematch to be scheduled, or eventually, and as always with futbol, FIFA will be declared the winner.

 

All-Star: Portland Timbers Michael Nanchoff & Thorns FC's Allie Long take over Twitter for MLS All-Star Welcome Party

https://twitter.com/ThornsFC/media
Morgan - Heath - Long


Conradinho

 

There's always "simulated" pro-rel!

 

http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/1974204/mls-mid-season-report-cards

ESPN MLS midseason report card.

I'd say he's pretty much spot on

 

I thought in the future Sepp wanted to Move to a winter world up and move other leagues to an mls schedule

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ounds-fifas-failures-sets-dangerous-precedent

 

Major League Soccer to tour possible stadium sites in Sacramento - Sacramento Bee

 

Okay, so here's my beef with Minnesota right now:

http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/269481961.html

The Vikings have come out publicly and made it very clear what their plans are, which is to have MLS playing in that new statdium with Wilfs owning the team. We still don't REALLY know what Minnesota United are actually trying to or wanting to do. Are they still talking to the Twins? Or the Timberwolves? Or someone else? I'm hoping that Minnesota United will soon be a lot more upfront about what their plans on and how they plan to go about moving up to MLS. Minneapolis are still very much in it, but I feel that Sacramento and Las Vegas are just a little ahead right now.

 

Except that isn't true. Several years ago, maybe a decade ago FIFA tried to mandate league team numbers and some other tidbits if I recall. They had no legal right to interfere with local leagues and their rules the EU said, and that ended that. Sure, they can bully a lot of folks, and many issues....but not rich leagues or local governments.

 

God bless Waldo for blowing the whistle on that shit, then.