The MLS season will start as scheduled to the relief of all. MLS Commissioner Don Garber, player association head Bob Foose, MLS players and representatives and mediator George Cohen should be commended for being flexible to compromise and get this CBA done. We all knew that any form of league in-activity through a strike, lock-out or work stoppage would have been disastrous for the entire sport in this country and it is clear that those involved studied the past problems of the NHL and MLB.
The momentum gathered by MLS can now continue in a World Cup year.
On a different and a more sobering reminder, Commissioner Garber mentioned that only two teams in MLS last year turned a profit in Seattle and Toronto.
Everyone else operated at a deficit.
Landon Donovan pointed out that in the future the players will be less combative towards the league as both sides have learned that they need to listen to each other.
MLS players apparently impressed Garber with their ideas which should not come as a surprise, relations between the two sides seem to be improved.
A positive day for the sport!!!
Highlights and notes:
*MLS Commissioner Don Garber commends Union representative Bob Foose, players and fans for their patience and effort.
*Garber says it would not have gotten done without mediator George Cohen.
*Five year agreement is solid and ultimately about fans. Foose thanks fans for standing by the league and players.
* Changes needed to be made to make MLS more competitive
* Negotiations were always about player rights according to Foose. Rights were the central them all along. Owner investment always respected.
* Joint role of increasing rights and pay plus keeping an eye on the bottom line
* Players are unified to making the league one of the best in the world
*Guaranteed contracts for most players in league, more free movement, Union and MLS will work as partners in the future.
*Mediator George Cohen stresses that both sides were focused on moving the game forward.
Garber: ” We recognized that free agency was the elephant in the room. Players will have greater rights at the end of their agreements but will not be free agents within the league.
Players out of contract at a certain age will go into re-entry draft. ”
“Best collective bargaining agreements end with compromise”- Bob Foose Players Union
“Pressure of deadlines tends to bring results”. Bob Foose
“Length of time and commitment to issues made for better end result”. Bob Foose
” We have not been through a process quite like this. The players got in Wednesday night and in this building until 2pm Thursday. We were in different rooms. We went article by article. This committee(player association) understood all the details, it was not fun, it was tiring but productive. I look forward to not doing this for five more years.” Don Garber
“The leadership of the players has been extraordinary”. Bob Foose
Five MLS players that were involved in the MLS Cup final were in a room in Seattle the next morning at 8:30 am for nine hours to discuss the CBA.
Compensation has been improved significantly for the players……
Are you relieved?
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YES YES YES YES YES!!!
VERY relieved. The only news that I can think of that would be better than this is to hear that El Franco Lee has actually done something about getting the Dynamo Stadium deal finalized or that the Dynamo have signed Marcus Tracy to a long term DP contract!
Good, now lets get these stadium built!
I am happy the conciliation process that George Cohen mediated between the players and MLS resulted in a new agreement that averted the strike. Maybe now we can get back to focusing on soccer and continue to grow the sport in the United States. We need both a profitable MLS and a strong team to get the new Dynamo stadium built. It may be that Commissioner Lee believes that the downtown site would better serve Precinct 1 residents as a rail facility and I am not sure that he would be wrong. We need the stadium in a place that is good for soccer and wants the stadium to be built. If we want AEG to keep our team in Houston, we had better get a stadium built somewhere in Houston NOW!
YES! thank the powers that be for this agreement. No one wanted a strike. It would hurt the fans and league but most of all it would have been disasterous for the players. Now lets rev up the preseason with more certainty. San Jose loses big tonight! As usual Glenn, thanks for your diligence and love of the game here. We appreciate all you do for our Houston soccer community.
Hey Glenn! Just wanted to say that I’m also very happy about the CBA finally being settled! Especially now that us fans will not have to worry about before the start of the season.
I also wanted to point out the Coca Cola company is now running their products w/ the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. The cup is making a stop in Houston on May 2nd! I’m excited about this since Houston wasn’t part of the tour for the UEFA Cup. If you haven’t heard about this here’s the link (hope it works):
http://www.mycokerewards.com/showLBE.do?type=pillar&id=worldcup_esp&size=3
I just got back from my ‘Spring Break’ holiday to find my Dynamo Season Tickets on my doorstep and news of the new labor agreement on my computer screen. What a great day!!
Thank goodness! This would have been devastating to soccer in the US. It sounds like both sides made concessions, a true negotation.
It is great to read these posts and the enthusiasm and passion put forward.
Time to head to Frisco. Dynamo fans…we need to be tere in strength!
I’ll be honest, I was scared for our league…The fans here in Houston and in other places like those that made a profit (Toronto and Seattle), and the NYRBulls with the new stadium…
All these positive things we as fans had created here in the US seemed almost at the edge of being gone…Im not being dramatic here…
I truly believe that a strike wouldve been the worst thing that could happen to futbol here in the US…
On the other hand I am glad that the players seem to be united and stand up for their ideas…other leagues should learn from our “little” league (FMF anyone?)
but with that weight now being lifted, I truly feel like the Dynamo buzz is back!…Im hoping the Texian Army Caravan bus still has room for me and a couple of crazy dudes for that Frisco game!
Go Dynamo!
Great news for soccer in the USA.
I take the “only 2 teams making money” statement with a grain of salt. We don’t know on what basis, or what revenues are being recognized. Many pro-sports team don’t always cash flow as accounting is best structured for tax purposes. Is the league making money? Is SUM making money? They both might be making more money, and distributing it to the team owners, than the teams are losing. We don’t know different.
We do know this. The value of teams is increasing and that generally does not happen for entities with true deficits.
Donjuego,
Unless we are looking at the balance sheet you are right.
Then again I remember one year Dallas showing that they were profitable yet they factored in concerts and all kinds of other events.
We don’t know. Things we can follow is attendance, media relevancy and community relevancy which also tell a real story.