So like: "I don't like cheating or unfair competition rules in MLS!" "We're giving special dispensation to LA so that they can sign Beckham" "OK."
Compensating Messi through third-party league sponsors may be profitable to all the league's owners, but it is inconsistent with sporting competition that is equitable to each participant -- and their respective fans. The Messi deal unfairly rigs the competition. People may choose to overlook it or rationalize it, but it is unfair. The same sponsor-subsidy Messi received should be added to every other team's payroll.
My first reaction was to be queasy about it. But I'm not sure how these deals came about or were constructed. Let's take Adidas. I'm guessing when Adidas sells a shirt, there's a share of the profit between MLS and Adidas? Now if Messi gets a cut, does that come out of Adidas share of the profit or MLS's or both?
I'm guessing it comes out of MLS' profits, and the single-entity is thereby obscuring the inequitable subsidy its collective ownership (including Fisher) is paying to a single competitor (Miami).
The problem with signing 36 year old superstars is their star power is short lived. In 2 years Messi will be 38 years old and unless father time stops, it’s unlikely he can continue playing beyond that point. Even if he does, who really wants to see an aging 38, 39 or 40 year old superstar, earning loads of money? Tom Brady notwithstanding, I don’t think there are many serious sports leagues in the world who would pay to see a player that old. If there were, why aren’t there more 39 & 40 year old’s signing with teams? Sooner rather than later, the novelty of his signing will wear off and Messi will be gone or retired. The next goal for MLS owners should be to go out and sign a 23 year old Erling Haaland or a 24 year old Kylian Mbappé. These are the types of players most fans of the game want to see. Signing a younger player, will give you more than 2-3 years production and he can always be sold at 25-27 years of age for a profit. You can’t do that by signing a 36 year old though. Maybe it won't happen any time soon or right away but this is the goal the league and their clubs should strive to achieve in the next 5-10 years.
Have you considered that Messi is so far ahead of Ronaldo on the best soccer players (both current and all time) list that a mere counting stat like that is totally irrelevant to his legacy? Ronaldo is now toiling away in obscurity somewhere in the middle east like Don Revie while Messi literally just turned down 1.4 billion to not suffer the same fate.
Yes, but Ronaldo was on the Simpsons, so he's more famous! I had mom and sis over to dinner last night, so I asked them if they had heard of Lionel Messi. They weren't initially aware that was someone's name. So then I asked if they had heard of David Beckham. My sister said "oh yes, the actor" though she couldn't tell me what he'd been in.
Bruce spent over 5 minutes talking about Messi and roster rules last night. This is a must watch. #InterMiamiCF #NERevs #MLSSeasonPass #NESW pic.twitter.com/2vaf5WvQkN— Tommy Quinlan (@TommyQuinlan_IV) June 11, 2023
Bruce Arena simply fails to address the third-party sponsor subsidies which are not available to other teams. He’s either stupid or disingenuous.
And of course he can't come out against the Messi deal after being more than happy to coach Beckham. He'd be a hypocrite. And basically he's saying that he doesn't care if Miami got to break the rules to get Messi (e.g. a 4th DP). It's ends justifies the means all the way for him.
Yeah, he says they didn’t break rules but would not care if they did — exactly same line as all the Messi fanboys on the internet. Arena also casually admitted the league was “sketchy” in its early years. The lack of respect for the rule-of-law is disheartening.
He also mentioned how much the league has grown. Most of the growth has been organic and has not been the result of the Great Man one-off deals that MLS has done. So I think it boils down to 2 groups of thought: 1) Go ahead and break the rules or make up new ones because we want to hurry up and try to compete with and emulate the big 5 euro leagues as fast as we can, and the rules be damned. 2) Measured organic growth with consistent, equitable, enforced rules for all teams is the best way to grow a league with "good bones". Build the league by developing young domestic and international talent.
People have very strong opinions about a deal that isn’t even finalized yet and details that haven’t even come out yet! Or… “Messi’s camp approached Apple; Adidas component separate from MLS contract” Latest on Lionel Messi signing:-MLS, Inter Miami blindsided by Messi’s announcement -Deal could be finalized this week -Messi’s camp approached Apple; Adidas component separate from MLS contract-Inter Miami, Hard Rock Stadium in discussions to play some games there https://t.co/HptpVrZIJ2— Doug McIntyre (@ByDougMcIntyre) June 11, 2023 Corporate sponsorships, a completely new thing that no athlete has ever had before, totally unprecedented… never knew we had so many commies on this board so I didn’t expect “if a company offers a deal to one player they must offer it to all players, if Adidas is signing Messi they must also sign Judson!”
If Adidas is signing Messi, MLS can hold a lottery for his allocation. Don’t believe every lie you read on the internet.
MLS is clearly unfairly favoring Miami by somehow* making it an attractive location for Latin Americans Two years ago… 🔮 pic.twitter.com/SbAowTixsQ— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 11, 2023 *by having a temporary erector set 18k stadium on Ft Lauderdale next to an airport?
That doesn’t even make sense… Messi falls under discovery rights (which can be purchased for like $50-100k if a player and team have mutual interest), and the allocation order literally went away already… But sure MLS and Garber are clearly lying because they need a cover story. Sure 99.999% of the coverage has been positive but four cranky old dudes on some irrelevant internet forum are slightly upset!
Ah yes the very fine “Many People Are Saying” logical axiom. “Many people believe X therefore it’s true and everyone must align to X and no one should have a difference of opinion!”
MLS should not be “blindsided” by any player’s compensation, and if they are, the offending team should be penalized for instigating tortious interference with an MLS player contract. MLS was not blindsided. John Fisher is paying Messi’s compensation, in part. You oughta be cranky about that.