2021 Schedule Thread

[ZYanksRule]

Will MLS owners lock out their players? Where labor negotiations stand

Amid threats of a lockout, labor negotiations between MLS owners and the players' union have grown increasingly tense. How will it all play out?

www.espn.com

You can never tell with labor negotiations. At this point the negotiating logjams that lead to a work stoppage are impossible to differentiate from those that get resolved at the last minute (or slightly beyond last minute).

I have to wonder, is NYCFC betting on a work stoppage by moving so slowly on player acquisitions? We are apparently tied with expansion team Austin for fewest players on the senior roster (21).

I feel like we go through this every winter. NYCFC has never been fast to make roster moves. This winter is going slower than most, but the season is also starting a month later than normal, which means we're still at the equivalent of January 1 in a "normal" offseason. Which means it's still early in the team's signing window. We're still three weeks from the start of camp and two months from Opening Day.

 

[Fantazma]

Will MLS owners lock out their players? Where labor negotiations stand

Amid threats of a lockout, labor negotiations between MLS owners and the players' union have grown increasingly tense. How will it all play out?

www.espn.com

You can never tell with labor negotiations. At this point the negotiating logjams that lead to a work stoppage are impossible to differentiate from those that get resolved at the last minute (or slightly beyond last minute).

I have to wonder, is NYCFC betting on a work stoppage by moving so slowly on player acquisitions? We are apparently tied with expansion team Austin for fewest players on the senior roster (21).

so nycfc FO figured a lockout was going to happen, get the GAM and not use it right way. Then when the lockout is done they have all that GAM to use? i dont know if this is the 4D chess i want the FO playing.

 

[mgarbowski]

I'm neither criticizing the FO, nor giving it credit for 4d chess. I'm just trying to assess the situation. Yes, the club has often had a tendency toward late signings, but never, I think, with so many open roster spots due to departures of both multiple starters and regular bench contributors. We've also never had 2 open DP slots this late, though that's mostly because we've never had 2 open since before starting in 2015. This is, I think, an unprecedented roster situation for the club rather than business as usual. OTOH, I think the combo of Covid (which I previously referred to as unusually bad luck to have it coincide with our roster situation), PLUS a potential work stoppage, make building the roster and signing players much harder than usual. For the club, why pay a multi-million $$ transfer fee when there might be a truncated season and very limited tickets to sell, and, why as a player sign a multi-million $$ contract to come play in America where a limited season can be made to happen by not one but two causes, without significant pay guarantees that the club might understandably be unwilling to give for the same reasons?

 

[LionNYC]

In the unlikely event we're allowed to play at Yankee Stadium (in my opinion based on potential cancellation of games, field turnover, etc.), would NYCFC use the 47,422 or 28,742 capacity?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359560681767514113

 

[413Blue]

In the unlikely event we're allowed to play at Yankee Stadium (in my opinion based on potential cancellation of games, field turnover, etc.), would NYCFC use the 47,422 or 28,742 capacity?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359560681767514113

Test negative OR prove vaccination? Or test no matter what?

 

[ZYanksRule]

In the unlikely event we're allowed to play at Yankee Stadium (in my opinion based on potential cancellation of games, field turnover, etc.), would NYCFC use the 47,422 or 28,742 capacity?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359560681767514113

Depends on whether they open the upper deck for socially distanced fans. You would think NYCFC would want to do that to increase ticket revenue, but who knows exactly how this will work.

 

[ManhattanValley]

I imagine they'll do whatever's cheapest/most cost-effective. I doubt they'll be able to turn much of a profit at those crowd levels so unless it's easy and cheap to open up the upper deck, I doubt they'll do it for the sake of 1700 extra people.

You'd have to think we'd sell out at 'full' capacity though, right?

 

[LionNYC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359580668615876608

 

[Kjbert]

In the unlikely event we're allowed to play at Yankee Stadium (in my opinion based on potential cancellation of games, field turnover, etc.), would NYCFC use the 47,422 or 28,742 capacity?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359560681767514113

this is flat out stupid

 

[mgarbowski]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359580668615876608

Thy should have announced the additional 2 week delay on February 2 with a Don Gerber holding a groundhog.

 

[ZYanksRule]

I imagine they'll do whatever's cheapest/most cost-effective. I doubt they'll be able to turn much of a profit at those crowd levels so unless it's easy and cheap to open up the upper deck, I doubt they'll do it for the sake of 1700 extra people.

You'd have to think we'd sell out at 'full' capacity though, right?

I know that personally, I have absolutely no interest in being at a sporting event right now. Even after vaccination, I'm probably going to want to wait until most people have been vaccinated, or if there is another way to make sure it's not a dangerous activity. Maybe late in the summer I'd be more interested, but for now -- it's just not happening.

 

[Fantazma]

i reallly hope i can push my full year payment for next year or something since i dont think im comfortable going till late in the year.

i also dont know if nycfc FO is sure they will play in YS this year. I mean just based on last year MLB season there were so many cancelations/ postponements etc. so its possible we dont even play in YS.

 

[danger]

Test negative OR prove vaccination? Or test no matter what?

I think your question implicates the distinction between 'effective immunity' and 'sterilizing immunity.' The former is about preventing the symptoms, the latter is about preventing transmission. Many vaccines never get to sterilizing immunity. The good news is that's not required to control infectious disease. But that means that someone who has been vaccinated, who may not be a risk for serious symptoms for themself, can still potentially transmit covid to someone who would suffer bad symptoms

 

[SoupInNYC]

Thy should have announced the additional 2 week delay on February 2 with a Don Gerber holding a groundhog.

I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I'm loving the Gerber nickname.

 

[mgarbowski]

I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I'm loving the Gerber nickname.

Oh man, totally subconscious.

 

[FredMertz]

I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I'm loving the Gerber nickname.

Did I ever tell you guys that in a prior life I worked with Don Garber? He was a very good guy to work for/with and when he told us he was leaving to join MLS, I gifted him a very sweet panorama photo print (an original photo, not a poster) of soldier field during the opening ceremony of the '94 World Cup. I've always wondered/hoped that he has it hanging in his office somewhere.

 

[Shwafta]

Did I ever tell you guys that in a prior life I worked with Don Garber? He was a very good guy to work for/with and when he told us he was leaving to join MLS, I gifted him a very sweet panorama photo print (an original photo, not a poster) of soldier field during the opening ceremony of the '94 World Cup. I've always wondered/hoped that he has it hanging in his office somewhere.

Is this... true? O: Wow.

 

[FredMertz]

Is this... true? O: Wow.

Yep -- he was the head of NFL International and I was working for the NFL's New Media division. Our offices were right near each other (his had a window, mine was internal and windowless) and we worked together on the NFL Europe project.

 

[Shwafta]

Yep -- he was the head of NFL International and I was working for the NFL's New Media division. Our offices were right near each other (his had a window, mine was internal and windowless) and we worked together on the NFL Europe project.

That's pretty awesome. Glad to hear stuff like this! Thanks

 

[LionNYC]

So between April 17 (Opening Day) and November 3 (Decision Day) there's 28 weeks. MLS is having teams play 34 games. So that's 6 midweek games for everyone. Throw in Champions League for at least 4 MLS teams and U.S. Open Cup, it's going to be a busy MLS season. And with international games too, we'll be playing right through them with player absences.