MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke on the Associated Press Sports Editors commissioners tour today on a variety of topics concerning Major League Soccer. Garber answered questions from a variety of topic not limited to transparency, expansion, CBA, pro/rel, David Beckham’s Miami team, new roster rules and more. Some of the highlights include.
CBA
Garber says CBA has NOT been ratified. Abbot says ‘not that long’ before full agreement goes out to players.
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
I honestly don’t think this will happen but hopefully the MLS Players Union doesn’t have second thoughts after all of the sponsorship deals that cropped up right after the CBA was agreed to.
New rules
Abbott says MLS will release allocation rules next week.
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Garber/Abbott: Next week, announcing a “draft order” for international players.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
I don’t know what a “draft order for international players” means and what that entails but we’ll see.
Pro/rel
So I went there. Garber: I believe we can expand and manage a league bigger than this without pro/rel.
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Garber: ‘forever is a long time,’ but given owners’ investments in MLS, pro/rel ‘makes no sense.’
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Yeah, pro/rel isn’t happening for a very long time so I’m not going to spend any more time on the subject. Moving on.
Miami
Garber: League, Beckham, and his partners “optimisitic” about stadium plan. No further details.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
Asked what year Miami would possibly start playing, Garber says only “I can’t answer that.”
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
Garber: Miami will be in MLS by the end of the decade. “There’s your date,” he says with a laugh.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
Garber: No chance that Beckham could choose a city other than Miami.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
I want to see MLS in Miami as well but with the mess that has been David Beckham’s Miami team, sometimes you just need to cut your losses and move on. I understand that they have a deal with David Beckham to own a team and he wants Miami but going back on that can’t possibly be a worse PR disaster than what has taken place the past year or so.
Expansion
Garber: ‘We will expand this league beyond 24 teams. It’s not an if, it’s a when.’
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Garber says MLS needs plan in place ‘in next six months’ for expansion beyond 24 teams.
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
We all know why MLS is expanding past 24 teams. When you’re getting $100 million in expansion fees and that number is likely to rise every year, there could theoretically be no end to expansion. Maybe this leads to a semi pro/rel with MLS 1 and MLS 2 or there will be divisions within conferences but either way, the player pool is going to dry up if MLS expands too much, too quickly.
Demographics
Garber: We feel we are prepared to capitalize on great changes in our country, riding a wave of shifting demographics @APSE_sportmedia
— MikeSherman (@MikeSherman) April 24, 2015
Garber: The “empowered millennial” is the core of our supporter fan base.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
Garber: The rise of the empowered millennial, people growing up with the game, 18-24/24-35: 2nd favorite sport pro soccer @APSE_sportmedia
— MikeSherman (@MikeSherman) April 24, 2015
Garber: We have to make MLS something millennials care about. Cites need to turn love of soccer into love of the MLS @APSE_sportmedia
— MikeSherman (@MikeSherman) April 24, 2015
This is important for the growth of MLS. With MLS and soccer in general skewing far younger than the age of the average fan in other sports. While it may not pay off now, that can pay huge dividends when those kids get older.
US Soccer
Garber: MLS will continue to pursue USMNT players – vital to league, he says – ‘regardless of what our NT coach may want to do.’
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Garber says MLS focus is building system so generic ‘American player’ gets better. Klinsmann focused on case by case. Core of disagreement.
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Garber: We now invest almost as much as we spent on player salaries five years ago just on player development.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
Garber: It’s our view that the league needs to be the driver of player development in America.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
That, I can’t emphasize enough, is a paraphrase.
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
We all know Don Garber and Jurgen Klinsmann differ on what’s best for soccer in America. Quite honestly, I’m not shocked and am glad they have differing opinions. For Garber, he has to do what’s best for MLS because that’s what he’s judged on. For Klinsmann, he has to do what’s best for the USMNT and US Soccer because that’s what he’s judged on. Naturally, they’re going to have a different opinion on the future of soccer in America. The key is to have a compromise between the two and create a system that both can mutually benefit because as much as anyone likes to hear this, Jurgen Klinsmann needs MLS as much as Don Garber needs US Soccer.
Transparency
Garber on weird, sudden roster rules manipulation: “What happened in the past isn’t going to be what happens in the future.”
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) April 24, 2015
Garber: ‘I won’t apologize’ for (sometimes opaque) decisions made in past to help build the league.
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Garber: ‘There will come a time when there will be far more transparency than there is today.’ Presented without comment.
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
Garber said MLS’s lack of transparency in past was b/c of ‘a need for flexibility.’
— Andrew Das (@AndrewDasNYT) April 24, 2015
We have been hearing for a few years now from Commissioner Garber that fans demand more transparency and MLS will give them more transparency and that just hasn’t happened. Maybe it has been fractionally more transparent but we still see things like random rule changes, rules that may not even be published or announced and general things like not talking about the CBA negotiation on mlssoccer.com have made people upset and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. It seems like we’re all in agreement that there needs to be more transparency, it’s time to “put up or shut up.”
Commissioner Garber will be on the FOX Soccer Facebook page for a Q & A with fans at 4 et. We will be awaiting any new info.
Tweets from Andrew Das/@AndrewDasNYT, Alexander Abnos/@AnAbnos and Mike Sherman/@MikeSherman
