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

So in other words, you have no clue if what you're saying is correct, yes?

 

The show right down SUCKS without Cohen to push it along. It used to be my favorite show on FSC I mean I would actually plan my day around it.

Its just so bad now.

 

For real. Wynalda is clueless.

 

Show has always sucked. Cohen and Wynalda are both bad.

 

Couldn't agree more. Wynalda is a disaster. (He's so egotistical it hurts.) Thank God he's not doing the ESPN broadcasts anymore.

 

Question: Mr. Garber, over the last several years, you've continued to tinker with the playoff format, and have done so almost continuously over the history of the league. Last year, New York won the "Western Conference," despite not being a member. And the Supporter's Shield winner often does not get rewarded by having the worst seed as a first round opponent, or the second seed. This year, 2-5 could be in one bracket.

Additionally, there has been discussion about how to better reward regular season success in the playoffs.

Mr. Garber, with schedules balanced (or nearly so), why not simply drop these fake conference setups in the playoffs and take the top 8 teams based on points, and seed them 1-8. This was the setup in 2000-2002, and I thought it worked much better. This way, the teams with the better regular season records get rewarded with the easier path, and the chances of getting a marquee matchup in the finals increases. Further, if the MLS Cup runner up continues to get a CCL spot (which I would switch to the #2 regular season record) you want the higher quality team in that spot.

Please, Mr. Garber, switch to single table (with playoffs). It more just, its more fair. Oh, and switch the 1st tie-breaker to GD, this year was a mess.

 

I cant believe that people dont enjoy the trainwreck that the show is. Wynalda's ego and his insights are fantastic, and watching Nick develop an ulcer from trying to talk to Wynalda is just downright entertaining. The thing that hurts the show the most is that they try to be professional but dont pull it off (and also the geared toward soccer newb slant that the show has never gotten out of).

Just let go of the controls and the switch the tracks with a blindfold on, and the let the emotions fly. That will make for some compelling viewing.

 

Well actually that is the one thing that I thought Wynalda did pretty well in. I thought that as a color commentator he was good.

If anything that is the one thing he should be doing for FSC instead of trying to formulate arguments which he clearly can't do.

 

First and foremost I dont see FFF lasting past this season(european season). With or without Cohen. I hope Garber doesnt stoop to the eurosnob wishes of a single table, which could led to elimination of the only true championship soccer has had in the country which is MLS Cup... Its too bad that the league is kinda relying on people who have no or very little interest in them. then you have so called supporters of the league who want MLS to be european league thinnking it would be alot more exciting... All i can say is wait and see, maybe hell say something about the DCU stadium situation?? who know ... maybe Montreal will get in too they deserve it..

 

Mr Garber: Because the Board of Governors and the Competition committee are the ones who vote for these things. I'll pass on your concerns.

He's a commissioner, not a dictator.

 

What does going to single table have to do with doing away with MLS Cup? One table with playoffs is doable. I think what people have issues with is the conference setup, especially after the farce of RedBulls being the "Western" Conference champion. This year could be even worse. The possibility exists that we could have six playoff teams from one conference and only two from the other. One table, top eight make the playoffs. What is so "European" about that??

 

I'm at a loss to understand the lack of chemistry on-air, as I've seen Nick and Eric hanging-out socially together on a couple of occassions and they seemed to be getting along quite well. Granted, they were in the midst of enjoying a few pints at an Irish pub, but there was nothing in their demeanor that would indicate that they don't enjoy one another's company, let alone that they're incapable of co-hosting a broadcast together. Maybe they should down a six-pack of Guinness before each show.

As for the technical aspects of the show (sets, graphics, theme music, quality of callers getting through the call-screeners, etc)... well, it is strictly "amateur hour".

 

single table devaules the structure of the league and its sint necessary, , I beleieve the people who want to complain about the great effort the Redbulls did last yr cause they hate the way american sports are done.. Plus single table is not exciting who in the hell is gonna to follow a team at 17th place all season long ?? when that team aint going now where.. Plus it devalues the league structure even more cause it does allow the regional bragging rights the placed East west set up is.. who cares if you got a CCL spot if you dont play those games until August the next yr... only eurosnobs wants this stupid single table crap....

 

Like American Soccer that use to air on GOLTV. Now I hardly watch GOLTV and it was my favorite Chanel.

 

If there was relegation promotion I could see a single table but if not I doubt we will ever see it.............

 

there is still no point to single table??? people arent gonna see no relegation
battle when fighting for a playoff spot is much more worthy

 

Either way, I can not see that there will ever be an elimination of the playoffs and for that matter, a single table iin the MLS.......

I'll believe it when I see it!

 

I think the point is that there currently isn't truly an Eastern and Western Conference since the top 8 make the playoffs regardless. What's the point?

 

Because it is almost certainly short-term only to accommodate the imbalance in number of teams and expansion teams. I'm sure within 2 years it will be back to a straight 4/4 east/west split.

 

+1.

 

+2, there is no need for conferences, it is meaningless!!

Words of a interested soccer fan: Oh yea, the New York red bulls won the western conference? what?? Is New York in California?
me:No...
him:EFF MLS too complicated"

Just bring single table!! much easier, seed 1-8 in the play-offs, believe me it is fun because you actually see your team move up or down every game!! instead having to freaking calculate the east and then the west to then see that you are overall 10th place in a 15 team league!! Hell Naw just go to single table!!

-from a non-EUROSNOB!! I hate european soccer!! Im pro new world soccer.. Copa libertadores, sudamericana, colombian league, argentinian league, MLS

 

My vision:

- 24 clubs total in the top flight with hint of pro/rel in the distant future.
- East and West 2 tables, 12 clubs in each.
- Home/Away in conference and 1 game out of conference = 34 games.
(Regular season top performers in each table = conference champions. Get CCL Berth. It replaces the SS)
- 4 top clubs from each table go to MLS Cup playoffs.

 

Lets not scare all the Euro snobs away LOL

 

Yes, New York winning the western conference playoffs - a silly concept for so many reasons, but let's ignore the silliness and focus on the reality - is way too confusing for someone who follows Argentina, which has such a simple process of relegation.

The regular-season conference champs are the ones who get the financial bonus in the CBA. The playoff conference thing is window-dressing and a little silly, but if people are saying that fact makes it too complicated to enjoy the game on the field, they're just looking for reasons to not follow the league.

 

any time a league has to change its standings to make things more understandable to the average fan ... well the league has issues. the fact that MLS execs feel they have to convert their standings to a single table to make the playoff selections make sense should tell you all you need to know:

http://web.mlsnet.com/standings/index.jsp?standings=playoff
****

We all know single table makes more sense for MLS right now. hell, EVEN THEY KNOW IT. they keep the conferences for two reasons:

1. for 'idiot' fans: MLS insults your intelligence by assuming you can be hoodwinked by the conference idea. random example: "Hey, my Columbus Crew are in third place in the Eastern Conference, this is cause for excitement!" (when in actuality, Columbus is in 11th place in the playoff standings). MLS insults your intelligence by thinking they can cover that fact up with the conferences. Then they rub your faces in it by going to a single table in their OFFICIAL end of the year standings. what a joke.

2. for owners like Bob Kraft: he wants MLS to continue to reward mediocrity. he thinks things like "our Revolution finished 4th in the Eastern Conference this year" hit the ear better than "our Revolution finished 10th in the league." when again ... this might convincee a 6-year old. but anyone with any remedial level of intelligence knows better. hell, I would like to think that when I was six I would have seen right through this thinly veiled marketing ploy.



****yes I know the link isn't a true single table, but criminy, you see the direction I'm going with this