I meant what I said and I said what I meant. MLS will be a top league in the World by 2022 one-hund

Honestly, would you classify USSF's World Cup 2010 goal a failure? I'd say that on paper it was but really it was a success. I look at MLS' goal in the same way.

 

In THIS thread, I'd say no, we don't.

Besides, IMHO, if you look at the last ~6 months or so, MLS has brought in Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Defoe, and Michael Bradley. If they bring in 6 players of that caliber every year, I would judge that as, well, doing serious budgetary work on how much a spaceship would cost. Still a hell of a long way to go, and realistically, not something that can be done by 2022, but looks suspiciously like a plan to get there by 2025 to 2030.

 

Because the American player isn't good enough to fulfill this vision by 2022.

 

To be A top league? I'd argue against the statement that American players aren't good enough to get MLS to a too league.

If MLS were trying to be THE top league by 2022, you'd have a point.

 

You obviously dont follow Roma.

 

Sometimes, somewhere, didn't Garber specifically say "top 4 or 5"? If so, then no, the American player, even projecting the current arc of improvement out to 2022, isn't good enough to be the backbone of a top 4 or 5 league. I'd argue that only Italy, Germany and Spain (if RM and Barca's best Spanish players were spread out more) could do so. Oh, and probably France, but too many of the best French players play outside France, so I don't know how to assess that.

 

I'm not sure he said top 4 or 5.. Or, at least, I don't remember him saying it. I think a lot of people have interpreted his comment to mean that, but I'm not sure he came out and said it directly.

 

don't embarrass yourself, son.

 

He did say this earlier this year (may 28th)

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/866?cc=5901

That to me would mean better than League 1 / maybe on par with Serie A.

 

this is debatable too.
but the funny thing, imo, is how much the goalposts keep moving, as triplet1 basically said in his 'name that tune' post.
{while we're not even supposed to mention that the mls 'life style' edge might not work wonders, because that would 'move the goalposts!' btw, queretaro over vancouver. who'd have thunk it.}

 

MLS commissioner Don Garber: Expect MLS to be one of world's top soccer leagues within 10 years
By Frank Giase
on July 27, 2011

Edit:I think he will keep saying the same thing until he feel it's doable, then we will see the number start decreasing...

 

Its possible. He did not say it will be the best but one of the best. Getting to Ligue 1 quality is 100% attainable.

 

well, we don't know for a fact that the bog has set '2022 or bust' as a strategic goal, do we?
'i said what i meant and i meant what i said' says 'i' a bunch of times.
forbes too only talks about 'the commissioner.'
so i think there's the possibility of dismissing all this as a marketing guy (which garber is) being a marketing guy.
again, it's like the 'distributed tix' they all love on attendance analysis.
and i mention distributed tix again because of the point about stadium financing bonds. if you're a bank you want actual ticket revenues, not this other nonsense. i still would hope that, likewise, the bog hasn't focused on 'top league 2022.'

yes, i meant in our discussions, as i referenced the 'move the goalposts' objection put forth when i mentioned my doubts about the 'quality of life' claims that are supposed to favor mls, and your own post.

 

No, my point was that after a year and almost 50 pages of analyzing the comment it might be time to move on and accept that it was a marketing comment that they may not achieve, but that in 2022 most people won't remember either so it doesn't really matter.

 

ok. i guess there's the well-known wiggle room in the description 'among the best leagues' (by some 'measures' they're there already!). and tasking someone with 'finding out what has to be done to accomplish that audacious and lofty goal' leaves it at a preliminary stage, i suppose.
it's a silly goal, taken literally. and the bog members must know that... surely... ??

 

If you look at a prior link I posted, they repeated this year and even specified that they mean top 4 league.

Now, is cool to set high goals even if you do not meet them.

So what if MLS is not "better" than the Italian league by 2020.

If the league is better in 2020 than what it was in 2010 that is a good thing right?

Now what if Liga MX is still kicking ass in the CCL by 2020 like they do now? would that mean the league failed bad on their goal?

I wounder if regardless of what happens by 2020, the league (and who ever the Comoshioner is by then) will just borrow Bush's banner and declare mission accomplished.

 

There is a really good reason for that: many fans are immature and unrealistic.

Those of us who remember when there weren't much in the way of expectations, only hopes (with the big one being that the league wouldn't fold) laugh at the people who whine because something that would have been unthinkably good even ten years ago just isn't awesome enough for them anymore.

I know it's hard when you hit 30 and not everything in life and the sports you follow has been fully realized yet, but you'll just have to buck up and try to persevere, folks.

 

Well then... there goes my hopes and dreams.

 

Wait, so it's the fans who are at fault and unrealistic for considering how the league will attempt to meet it's own publicly stated expectations, not the suits who are making and stating the unrealistic expectations?

And you mention those of us who remember what the league was like years ago, as if Garber and his colleagues don't recognize what the league was like 10 years ago.

There's a bad habit around here to constantly blame fans.

BTW, growing expectations are the sign of a growing league. It comes with the territory. I could also throw out that a few should show some perspective and remember the days when many didn't care at all about MLS or the viability of footy in this country and the increased expectations/opinions are due to their being more fans and more passion. It goes both ways.

Always amazing to me how some fans want more supporters of MLS and want more eyes on the league to boost ratings, and then turn around and constantly whine about the opinions of a number of those fans. It's as if some diehards want more fans, but only as long as those fans support the league in a certain manner and live up to the expectations of those diehards, basically fall in line and support the league the way in which they see fit. We see it all the time with a few around here constantly wanting to close threads and silence varying viewpoints. That's what slightly amusing, the expectations some MLS diehards have of what fans should be, how they should follow the league, then turn around and whine about the expectations of others. It's now turned into, as a diehard MLS fan I have a expectations of what an MLS fan should look like and if you don't meet those expectations, then your expectations are the problem.

It's an inferiority complex. You don't see NFL or NBA fans spending so much time and energy telling others how to support their league. They don't care. Watch or don't watch. Support it however it works for you. That's how sports goes.

 

we can always start another one later. 'let's discuss i-meant-what-i-said some more.'
we have till 2022.

 

It's hard to take some fans seriuosly however.

You know, the types who tell a Stoke supporter that Brek Shea could be a 20 mill transfer to a CL team in the EPL by years end.

If that isn't being unrealistic, and not understanding something to the point of delsuion I don't know what is.

While I don't dislike, or disagree with many of your posts and points u make, u do stuff like that wayyyyyyyyyy to often to be an accident...and easily embody what kenn was pointing out.

There is honest pragmatic analysis and questioning, but if your basis of reality is so warped, how reasonable and realistic can it be?