http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/soccer/02/14/mls.international.schedule.ap/index.html?eref=sircrc Not exactly a surprise especially considering the winters in the Northeast and Canada.
QFT The talk of switching to fall-spring was exactly what we thought it was, a nod to FIFA pre-WC vote.
Garber also mentioned during that interview in Vancouver that he expects 22 teams in MLS by the end of the decade.
The "International Calendar" is NOT the same thing as a fall-spring league. The "International Calendar" refers to respecting official FIFA dates for international friendlies and qualifiers. It's important to make the distinction because following the International Calendar is a worthy if complicated goal for MLS, while following the fall-spring calendar is a foolish one. Secondly, I find it hard to believe that Sepp Blatter actually cares about this stuff. There are dozens and dozens of leagues around the world that play from spring-to-fall (or at least, from the early months of the year to the late months). Blatter says a lot of nonsensical crap; why do people continue to take him at his word? Norway, Sweden, Finland, Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, North Korea, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Senegal, Seychelles, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe The world is a large place and the not every place shares the European climate.
The league already "respects" FIFA dates as all regulations say is that players need to be released by X amount of days, it says nothing about leagues shutting down. Just being pedantic at your pedantics...
While I agree with you i theory, I think he does care when it comes to making the United States do what he says, regardless of how illogical it may seem. He's a power-hungry jackass who just likes to make people squirm. he thought he could get MLS to do it. They acquiesced as little as they could without laughing out loud.
There's a difference between mindless pedantry and distinguishing two different concepts. There's a concept that MLS shouldn't play games on FIFA dates. There's a concept that MLS should play a fall-to-spring schedule. These concepts are different and since BS likes to bitch about both endlessly, let's try to keep them straight. Meanwhile, the issue with "respecting" the calendar has to do with playing meaningful league games without some of the league's best players, which poses a problem to both clubs and fans. (Admittedly, it's far from the most pressing issue facing the league) But I think you knew all that.
I actually think that the winter calendar request was pretty much a smokescreen so when the US lost Sepp could have something to point to, however inconsequential, to say that this is why the US lost.
FIFA can kiss our asses, we play in the summer, that's why they wear shorts, let europe switch to our calendar. soccer is a summer sport.
Is there a link to that entire interview with Garber? Vancouver press mentioned that he discussed the playoffs as well as some other topics (I am sure he simply said a decision is coming soon), but wanted to read the whole thing. Anyone have a link?
FIFA can whine about that right after they root out their organizational corruption, which will be shortly after never.
completely understandable. it's a logical statement, if you're really only looking at this issue with the concern/thought of "playing in Toronto (and many other MLS cities) in January or December." I'd suggest there are other ways that MLS could schedule that wouldn't involve playing league games in Dec/Jan. but, for now, if Garber (or MLS BoG or whomever) views a "winter schedule" as a fall-to-spring schedule that can't/won't have a long winter break, then so be it (as that is a truly reasonable and understandable reality). now, this part of the quote I like. I like it a lot. it's nice to see Garber have confidence that "we probably will be" ready (as a league, and as a larger group of fans supporting the league in the future) for something different (colder weather soccer -- if not a league that has a summer off-season and a long mid-season winter break) in the future. MLS is moving (or has plans to move, it seems) more and more into a broader use of the 12 months. this quote from Graber was with respect to December and January (specifically, it would seem). but that certainly leaves room for MLS to creep toward playing more games in Nov and also early March (if not parts of Feb). again the CCL in the next two weeks will be an interesting "experiment" for the game/crowds in Columbus and Salt Lake. in my view, as MLS potentially expands their window of dates on which it schedules games (into earlier and earlier March, if not then parts of late Feb as well, and into later and later Nov, if not parts of early Dec as well) -- there is a real possibility in the long term that MLS might see that a permanent summer off-season (and not just the type of 2-week mid-season break they took in 2010) might indeed make the most sense for their business.
I actually think that it is much more likely that you will see Europe have a top tier competition that is Spring to Fall, doesn't respect international dates, and doesn't have promotion and relegation than it is to see a US league that is Fall to Spring, schedules around international dates, and has promotion and relegation. At least I hope so for MLS' sake...
If FIFA wants Pro/Reg in America, I would hope Don, Sunil and the rest would tell Blatter to pony up a few billion while we try it out. Until then, who cares? I can't believe people from the US and Canada honestly believe Pro/Reg will and should happen in America. But, as usual, other people's money is always the easiest to spend.
It's not just the temperature, the rest of his statement is completely true: The fact our league is only 16 years old we don't yet have that deep, deep commitment from fans to come through thick and thin. I'm not sure we are ready for that. But at some point I think we probably will be. That is truth. We are too young of a league and sport to do this right now. Maybe I'm old and more conservative when it comes to soccer than some of you, but babysteps , at this moment in US Soccer history means playing in the summer time. 15 years ago, I wouldn't have believed the sport would even be at this level, hell, in 2001 I would've laughed if you claimed MLS would be successful in 2011. We have to give it time. We have to wait. I know this is hard for younger people, who through no fault of their own, have been born into a society that expects the very best , whether sports or whatever. The very best in Basketball play in North America, the very best in Hockey play in our leagues, but not the worlds sport. Thats just how the wind blows. By choosing to support this sport, you WILL learn patience, and there is nothing you can do about it , lol. Don't give up on the sport, and eventually we will all be rewarded. Whether that reward is a hugely succesful league, including one with pro/reg remains to be seen. It certainly doesn't require that system to be successful in America, far from it.
True, This year MLS is going to start mid march (has there been reg season games before March 19th before?) Maybe in the future we will see the MLS final in early December. Mid March to Mid December means about 38-40 weeks for the season, as the league grows, maybe to 36 or 38 reg season games (I doubt it). But playing the Finals in mid December would mean limiting the cup final to warmer cities.
The CBA does have mandates for minimum time off. If I recall, CCC/CCL teams in the past have required waivers to pull players back in early - with the caveat that the players then get a break afterwards. EDIT: It looks like there's a minimum 5 consecutive week layoff. I do, however, remember some team running afoul of this minimum due to CONCACAF play.
FIFA should care more about what color napkins they have in the Zurich HQ cafeteria than about pro/rel in the US.
is this from the old CBA, or from the new CBA that was agreed to in 2010 (but as far as I know is still having it's details finalized and has yet to be released)?
agreed. depending on what the future holds, I do not think MLS Cup finals (played in colder cities but in an enclosed venue) are not out of the question. (although, imo, eventually -- many years from now -- an MLS Cup Final outdoors and anywhere in late May or early June could make a whole lot of sense.)