When MLS expands in 2005, will there be a balance between east and west? If for example Seattle gets a team, does that automatically put OKC, for example, out of the running in favor for an east of the Mississippi team?
I would assume that they would do East Central West like before where you play the other 3 teams in your conference 4 times and the remaining 8 teams in the other divisions twice save for the two who finished in the same place as you in the other divisions who you would play each once more to equal 30 games. Or if they wanted to be simple, they could go single table, and play every other team in the league 3 times for 33 games. Only problem is the unbalanced home and away.
I think they'll balance it. If they add two teams like Rochester and Philadelphia, then they'll both be in the East and Chicago will move back to the west. If they add two teams like OkC & Houston, it's a bit more of a problem, but basically, one of them might be put into the East until further expansion balances things out. Alternatively, KC could move to the East -- which would probably make more sense because they'd be closer to Chicago and Columbus than OKC or Houston and it would leave the obvious rivalries between Dallas, OKC and Houston in tact. Hopefully, they'll stay with 2 divisions. Ideally, I'd like to see them to go a single table, but I don't see that happening until the table is big enough to have a sufficient number of games having a strictly home and home schedule.
I like the idea of a table format. I doubt however that they will do that unless they expand the regular season to make it so that a team plays everyone the same amount of games.
What the hell are you smokin, OKC is only 5 hours from KC. If they expand, they will expand central and west, and go to three confrences. NY/NJ New England Columbus DC Chicago KC Dallas OKC/Tulsa LA Colorado San Jose Seattle Or they could stay east and west and go with Cleveland or Rochester in the East and OKC/Tulsa in the west. Or they could put to more teams in the East and make it a single table.
Forget MLS ever being a single table. That is one thing that Garber has said with his actions even louder than his words, and his words were pretty direct about how conferences feed rivalries and conferences help his conception of playoffs. Witness that conferences this year have control over playoff spots, not single-table record/points listing. I think Houston will get a team, I think Garber is going to push hard for an owner there, and I think OKC will also be the second expansion city. So there will be a natural fit for KC, Houston, Dallas, and OKC to be one region. Minneapolis seems to find it's way on the list, so they may beat out OKC this round, maybe not. Either way, I agree they will revert to the four team three conference structure.
There's that, and the fact that no one wants to be a 12-th place team. Which is why baseball went to divisions in the first place.
Couldn't the MLS go with an unbalanced schedule and it still work out? Let's work through this... Three Conferences... West 4 teams Central 4 teams East 4 teams A 24 game schedule (12 home, 12 away) could look like... 12 games vs 3 in conference teams (2 home, 2 away) 12 games vs 8 out of conference teams (based on distance) There is really no reason (in a purely economic sense) in having a team in San Jose travel to Boston 2 or three times, and vice versa when San Jose can go on one road trip and vice versa. This will save money and intensify rivalries.
I'm not sure if that schedule would fly. The Revs, Metros, and DC's fans might not enjoy the likely chance that they will not get to see SJ or LA come to the East coast to play against their teams. I think every team should play a home-and-home with the other squads. I think that 28 games is a fine number. 2 games against the 8 non-conference squads, and 3 games against in-conference rivals (home-field would have to be decided in some fair way)
3 conferences 4 games against each confence opponent= 12 home and away with the other 8 teams = 16 an extra home and away from one team in each other conference= 4 32 game schedule.
It won't fly? It only flies in the NHL, NBA, MLB and every other league in the nation. Hell, the rugby leagues here do it for God's sake. MLS is behind the times. Playing an LA/NY game only twice a year will make it more important (ie Lakers/Knicks)... It works in other sports, it will work in MLS. Go Crew. Expand in Oklahoma City.
I created a map of the US/Canada showing possible expansions and current teams. http://www.geocities.com/emg117/mls.html