So this may surprise some, but my buddy was in NYC a couple months ago visiting his GF. He saw Queso and another owner at a bar, and he sat next to them. They were talking about how to get rid of Dong Arber and make some other changes. He kinda had to pay attention to his long distance GF, so he couldn't catch everything they were saying
Noted horse thief Anthony Precourt is making moves behind the scenes to pull some nefarious shit?!?!?! Never!!
I completely disagree. (With MLS. Not you.) I wouldn’t be surprised if your theory is correct. But the flip side is that the first Austin match in Columbus will be a purge that has to happen, that will become less and less of an event as time passes and subsequent matches happen. Once the first one happens, it takes a lot of air out of the balloon. And it’s not like everyone has just forgotten about the whole thing simply because we haven’t played much.
It was confirmed by IW a few months ago that every owner gets one scheduling request every year and Precourt uses his every year to exempt his team from coming here. He's a pussy.
Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, Joker and Harley Quinn, Lex Luthor and Brainiac, Sauron and Saruman........ evil partners in crime ultimately turn on each other.
Regarding them playing here, if the Browns hosted Baltimore in their first season back, clearly we'd have no problem with Austin a decade after the fact. AFAIK, we don't really have a problem with their fans (we've had far bigger problems with Chicago fans), only Brad Stuver ever played in Columbus and, yeah, what's the big concern again? It'd be fun to know what, if any, scheduling requests we have, given the lopsided home schedules we've had. It's nice to not have a home game in February though. The last 7:30 regular-season game is October 14th which is also wonderful.
The OSU hockey team used to have a rivarly with Miami University. Miami was a perennial contender, albeit never winning a national championship and they'd bring a lot of fans to Columbus. They'd win a lot in Columbus. When the hockey conferences shifted, Miami's hockey team basically disappeared off the face of the planet. The long-time coach was fired and only recently have they started to become respectable again even though they haven't been .400 cumulative since the 2019-2020 season. OSU still refuses to schedule them. (Jack Roslovic, Sean Kuraly, Kevyn Adams and Trent Vogelhuber, aka the first Columbus product to play in an NHL game all played for Miami at various points.)
Another MLS owner. Given the additional reports since this a few months ago, maybe they were just talking replacements as Garber is gonna be leaving in a year or two.
Not only is it cowardly, but it again exhibits what a horrible owner he is. Most owners specify things that are beneficial for their teams or make no requests at all.
That should not be allowed. Every team should have to travel to every other team on some sort of schedule. Every year for Div foes, everybother for conference, once every 3-4 for others, whatever.
https://bsky.app/profile/jeffreycarlisle.bsky.social/post/3mcfky4hhlc2s Multiple sources tell ESPN that the MLSPA hasn't yet approved MLS's proposed switch to a summer/spring calendar. Talks between the MLSPA and #MLS are "ongoing" I'm told.
With the current CBA schedule to expire in Dec. ‘27, this could be a very complicated approval. They really need a new CBA in place by the time the new 2027-28 season kicks off.
No one get excited. If it doesn't happen in 2027 it'll happen in 2028. And if the players drag their feet on this and overplay their hand and try and get a bunch of shit out if this, there could be a work stoppage. Not ideal.
Itll happen. They are just driving a hard bargain as they should. The cashfer change will increase wages too as players get a bonus (10% of the transfer fee)
If they have such a hard time working out a deal, or if it drags on forever, I actually wouldn't be totally stunned if MLS as we know it ends with MLS Cup 2026, and the Lightning Round of 2027 doesn't wind up happening. I could actually see MLS just going dark until the proposed '27-'28 season starts.
I can't imagine a work-stoppage. It's really the last thing either owners or players want. Owners realize they got most of what they wanted in the Covid-affected CBA; backloading most of the major salary budget increases, extending the CBA 3 years longer than the players wanted, until after the WC, and lots of other concessions (didn't the players agree to a salary cut in 2020 season?). Recall, the original CBA agreed to just before Covid was considered a win for the players. I'm sure the player reps in the negotiations will remind owners that they've enjoyed the better part of a decade of gradual, planned salary growth, retained limits to free agenct salary increases, etc. And wasn't it Jimmy himself who admited recently that if MLS wants to climb in the global soccer league rankings (not that that really exists), owners are going to have to spend more on players. Owners have assumed that a WC hosted in the US will provide for the league a bump, maybe help them gain leverage with better TV and sponsorship deals. The league shutting down for a work stoppage shortly after the WC or having an impasse with player re: their schedule shift would be an ideal way to eliminate any such WC bump.