Can you post a link to that Wohl article--thanks. Also, I'm guessing Wohl is calculating "payroll" but not cap. We lose most of Fred's payroll #, but Metros are likely applying all of their Big 5 to cap.
Here's the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/grant_wahl/07/13/salaries.rankings/index.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/grant_wahl/07/13/salaries.rankings/index.html Yes - Wahl is just summing salaries to show who is getting the most preferential treatment. In order to get cap figures you would need to max at $280k and eliminate developmental and Adidas players.
That min wage should be adjusted with a local bonus. 28k in DC is a lot different than 28k in KC. What is the situation for development players? Some of the wages quoted are just too low for anything like a full time job.
For those wondering about the guys on the lower end of the pay scale, here's a little glimpse from Kuykendall: http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20050713&content_id=36451&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Of course, he's probably living at his folks house, with some friends from school, or K's got some SE money set aside to keep AU Alums from being homeless.
Well, I can't say for sure if you're going crazy or not, but I'm definitely experiencing "Salary thread" Deja Vu... One thing people need to remember about Freddy's salary - it's really not a salary. It's a big part of the MLS marketing budget. Of course, that's my opinion - I really have no idea how this whole byzantine MLSalary program works - but being in the government, I can certainly agree with "Pay for performance!" Oh yeah, these guys also get perdiem when they travel, so the guys at the bottom end are certainly getting little bit more - and I'm pretty sure most of them get fed by the team - nutritional requirements and all that. Didn't I read somewhere that at an after party they said the team would show up after they got done eating? At least they're not eating beans out of a can. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Some kind of locality differential like the government does might work. I think what would work best is if the teams are allowed to pay for some fringes like housing for some players. It wouldn't be that much money for the teams and would help the players out. If a team were to lease out or buy a few condos and just move players in and out of them as they come or leave the team.
We will never know exactly what the annual compensation for any of the players really is. The lower paid players may get money from suppliers (adidas, etc.), they coach on the side and may get other perks. Given that MLS is the "top", if those salaries really were close to actual annual compensation, then the A-League and lower divisions must be paying to play. Nevertheless, these salary figures clearly demonstrate that soccer in America is a "niche" minor league sport. As much as all of us love the game, we are a very small minority.
It is sad that that we have MLS players who are eligible for food stamps and free cheese, but if that's what it takes to keep our league from going bankrupt, so be it.