Because they are conditioned to? Because allowing players to shop their services around is dangerous. Thats how Guppy got 120k for christsakes. /end smartass
You know the history of soccer in the US. You want the PLAYERS to have more leverage in salary negotiation? In a sport which has a worse business track record than (airlines minus Southwest). I bet if you polled players, more than 1/2 believe they should be making more and much more. When MLS (almost all the teams) start making a profit, then I'm in favor of players having more leverage. Until then, I am worried about survival of the league. The players knowing this info is detrimental to the league's survival.
Why is MLS unlike any other buisness? If they exercise cost discipline I don't see what the problem is. Thi is not baseball where players can jack up the league because there is nowhere else to find talent. The history of the league has been that if the owners don't want to pay the players the players will have to go elsewhere or take whatever offer they get. You need to stop hammering this point because it is going nowhere. This league exists for no other reason that the people who own it want to fund it. The only reason it will go away is if they get tired of doing so.
Did the NASL not strike in 1979? (or was it 1980?). What's the difference (to MLS?) Look, I just think MLS needs a lot of things to STILL go right to really make it. Why do want one more potential difficulty. As KC (just one example- maybe Columbus #2) it doesn't take much to ruin years of hard work..practically overnight. I mostly agree with your last statement- but even billionaires have their 'tipping points'
MLS teams have revenues comparable to minor league baseball teams- not major league baseball teams. You have to pay according to value within your sport (within your country), and not other sports (and definently not in other countries). Each sports' athletes have their own value. It has nothing to do with how hard they work, or in some respect how unique their skill is. The Jack Jewsbury equivelent is probably Ruben Gotay (uniqueness of skills)- but you can't pay them the same because they are in different businesses
How would having unhappy players leaving help? For the love of god you need to get over this "I will never forget the 80's." line you live by. The players are not stupid enough to cut their own throats unless they are really being screwed. The players are more likely to strike when they are in the dark than when they have an idea of what is going on. And it is all the doing of the owner. That team was doing fine in a small market without any attendance inflating fixtures until the owner pulled the rug out. Yes and that is all that matters.
And I disagree. To the casual soccer fan, Donovan is a name they recognize. He gives the league recognition - though you may disagree as to whether it's enough to warrant that type of salary. I think it does. The league was held up for ridicule, basically, for making Adu the highest paid player as a 14 year old - an unproven 14 year old. Donovan gives the league more legitimacy. Plus, his past accomplishments should count for something: 2 MLS Championships, scoring in WC, 2-time Chevy player of the year, youngest player to do a bunch of stuff. In short, accomplishments should be rewarded. People in all walks of life and business are rewarded for what they have accoomplished...as well as the promise of what's yet to come.
I agree. LD is getting what he would get on the world market, just as most other players in MLS are. If they had alternatives that drive up their salaries, then they'd see their salaries increase.
OK Jacknut, its pretty obvious you dont like the guy, thats fine, but because you dont liek him doesnt mean that the midfield of our US national doesnt deserve to make the kind of bread hea does. Stop being such a jealous little bitch and be happy that US soccer players and MLS can finally afford to finally pay a few guys some decent coin!!
Thats incorrect. No one gets paid what they are worth. They are paid what people are willing to pay them when contracts are signed.. Josh Wolff is not worth 400k and Clint Dempsey is worth more than 40k.
Either way I get to rub it in the faces of all the people who were making A BIG DEAL about how Youri should not get a deal in this league because this is not a league for old retreads. The fact that I get call all those people who now choose to remain quiet now hypocrites (because the offending player is no longer a metro) is just icing on the cake.
Thats basically what it comes down to for me. I am not advocating irresponsible spending but more moeny being made by the people who play it does nothing to hurt the legitimacy of the sport.
$11,700 dev contract? Who could live on that? Would be interesting if we could see more of these. Pat Noonan is woefully underpaid, he's only a couple of notches below EJ and earnes 1/10th his salary. That said, Gerrard's new deal at Liverpool is $9.36m a year - equivalent to more than the total of 4 entire MLS team's salaries! The top 1% of the players really can make HUGE money abroad, as Gerrard isn't even the top paid player in England, let alone the world. (I remember SOl Campbell being offered double that to go to Inter, before he signed with the Arse....but I digress.....)
I don't know about the rest of the league but i know San Jose basicly pays for the dev players room and board. They roommate up in an apartment like around 3 people per unit, so the money they do make is pretty much pocket cash. Obviously MLS doesn't expect dev players to be able to afford to live in big cities like NY or LA on that wage so they do suplement it a little.
I have nothing against US players. I just like a healthy business model, that's all. I don't think MLS had to pay Donavon almost a million a year to get him back here- nor do I think he is worth it in the 'economic' sense. Doesn't mean he isn't a fine player, a hard worker, etc.
Didn't someone famous once said, "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it?" Ahem... And that's my point. MLS survives on the goodwill of a few guys. How about letting them become profitable before we start disrupting things in any fashion. Why not let them get the 'pleasure'- after tens of millions (maybe more) of losses of seeing their kid grow to adulthood (being able to stand on 2 feet) vs. being the endless whiny kid that lives at home (which MLS is now ) Look, let's just agree to disagree. I bet 70-80% of BS skews to the players, and despite their billions- I skew to the owners. Since I think they are the only ones who are keeping men's pro soccer (at this level) alive in this country, and a collapse would be a black hole for 20 years+. I think that's worth a little caution and defending, and since BS is a debate forum- I think its proper someone support the owners' (likely) position.
if I was a dev player I would pray to be drafted by one of the cheaper cities to live in like Columbus or KC. Imagine trying to live in NY or SJ on that money. Forget it.
While I wouldn't call it even, there were more than a few people that thought Guppy was a bad move as well-- and it's at least arguable that the reason that Youri made a bigger splash is because, well, Youri's a bigger player. Or do you not recall all of the "Guppy sucks" talk at all?
I would expect MLS to do a similar deal with Noonan (or any other of its "assets") just as soon as it becomes evident that foreign clubs are willing to pay large transfer fees to acquire his services. The point is that this deal is less about compensating EJ for his FCD performances, but more about MLS avoiding losing EJ on a free transfer. To simply look at player statistics in MLS and try to draw direct links to player salaries is misguided.
So what has happened to terms like "Salary Cap" & "Maximum Salary" that used to exist in MLS? I am not saying Donovan & GAM are not deserving of their salaries but shouldnt all teams be given equal resources in this league?