How Damaging Will A Players Strike Be?

Gentile

Registered
If the Orlando and NYCFC first home game are called off with all the promotion of both these games? (fill the bowl aiming for 60k etc).

Thoughts?
 
A strike is bad news for any organization but sometimes you need something publicly embarrassing to the league to get issues addressed.

Ultimately, I think the publicity would be good for Orlando and NYCFC since the bad publicity is going to get mainstream media looking into MLS, Orlando and NYCFC and that means more potential new fans and viewers.
 
A strike is bad news for any organization but sometimes you need something publicly embarrassing to the league to get issues addressed.

Ultimately, I think the publicity would be good for Orlando and NYCFC since the bad publicity is going to get mainstream media looking into MLS, Orlando and NYCFC and that means more potential new fans and viewers.
I disagree. A work stoppage going into what is shaping up to be mls best and most popular season would be devastating. Let's hope for the good of the game in this continent there is no strike and players get real free agency.
 
I disagree. A work stoppage going into what is shaping up to be mls best and most popular season would be devastating. Let's hope for the good of the game in this continent there is no strike and players get real free agency.
Look at the other sports that have weathered a strike. Baseball was limping along until the roided up home run chase. Football took years to come back. Hockey never got back to its prior popularity, and that really opened the door for soccer in the US. I hate to be doom and gloom, but soccer is not strong enough in the US to have a strike. Hard core fans, the type that will watch youtube streams of friendlies aren't going anywhere, but people with a less intense interest will find something else to do.

And over what? Free agency is the standard in every league in every sport in the world. Why does MLS think they can be different? What will happen when Bradley's deal is up and he wants to go to another team in the US? He will go where he wants. Why are they so opposed to allowing the average guy do that? It is a straight power play by the owners, for no reason. As it has been said it's not an economic issue with a salary cap in place.
 
Look at the other sports that have weathered a strike. Baseball was limping along until the roided up home run chase. Football took years to come back. Hockey never got back to its prior popularity, and that really opened the door for soccer in the US. I hate to be doom and gloom, but soccer is not strong enough in the US to have a strike. Hard core fans, the type that will watch youtube streams of friendlies aren't going anywhere, but people with a less intense interest will find something else to do.

And over what? Free agency is the standard in every league in every sport in the world. Why does MLS think they can be different? What will happen when Bradley's deal is up and he wants to go to another team in the US? He will go where he wants. Why are they so opposed to allowing the average guy do that? It is a straight power play by the owners, for no reason. As it has been said it's not an economic issue with a salary cap in place.

It's ridiculous. MLS has to be doing this out of spite and waiting until the very last minute. What else would make sense? Like you mentioned, free agency is in every sport, and it works. With the salary cap, they don't need to worry about crazy contracts.

I think MLS is in a bind here, and they'll have to give in. They can't afford to not let this season to start on time. Too much is at stake.
 
Look at the other sports that have weathered a strike. Baseball was limping along until the roided up home run chase. Football took years to come back. Hockey never got back to its prior popularity, and that really opened the door for soccer in the US. I hate to be doom and gloom, but soccer is not strong enough in the US to have a strike. Hard core fans, the type that will watch youtube streams of friendlies aren't going anywhere, but people with a less intense interest will find something else to do.

And over what? Free agency is the standard in every league in every sport in the world. Why does MLS think they can be different? What will happen when Bradley's deal is up and he wants to go to another team in the US? He will go where he wants. Why are they so opposed to allowing the average guy do that? It is a straight power play by the owners, for no reason. As it has been said it's not an economic issue with a salary cap in place.
Agree on all points. You can't be a serious sports/soccer league without having true free agency for the players. This current system mls has was needed for the first 15-20 years. Now it's time to take that next step if we want to be consider Ed a top league by 2020. We won't get there with the current system. Top players will not come when they hear about the assignment backwards rule this league has. Top players in their prime that is.
 
It's ridiculous. MLS has to be doing this out of spite and waiting until the very last minute. What else would make sense? Like you mentioned, free agency is in every sport, and it works. With the salary cap, they don't need to worry about crazy contracts.

I think MLS is in a bind here, and they'll have to give in. They can't afford to not let this season to start on time. Too much is at stake.
With a salary cap u still give out crazy contracts but that is limited to maybe 1-3. But point taken. With a salary cap the bidding amongst owners won't be there as much as it is in MLB. Free agency is a must for the players and if the owners don't give into that I as a long time fan will be pissed and who knows where I go from there.
 
A strike is bad news for any organization but sometimes you need something publicly embarrassing to the league to get issues addressed.

Ultimately, I think the publicity would be good for Orlando and NYCFC since the bad publicity is going to get mainstream media looking into MLS, Orlando and NYCFC and that means more potential new fans and viewers.
I disagree. A work stoppage going into what is shaping up to be mls best and most popular season would be devastating. Let's hope for the good of the game in this continent there is no strike and players get real free agency.

DISAGREE! That's an understatement! I don't think there's any subject I've disagreed on more since joining this forum. How on earth could the publicity be good? It would completely derail all the work put in by NYCFC players, officials and fans at the WORST possible time. It would be inconvenient enough if it happens next year or later on. That however would be NOTHING compared to the utter disaster this would create. Its the type of thing that would end the interest of some fans because it even gets started. It would be the MLS equivalent of a biblical plague for NYCFC at current timing.

Not to mention the utter havoc it would cause with the Yankee Stadium schedule.
 
I know that NYC didn't give out refunds due to the Lampard fiasco, which I understand because it says they don't give refunds right on the site where tickets are purchased. But I am wondering if they will give refunds in the case of a player strike.
 
I know that NYC didn't give out refunds due to the Lampard fiasco, which I understand because it says they don't give refunds right on the site where tickets are purchased. But I am wondering if they will give refunds in the case of a player strike.
If they don't play 17 home games they will have to give game-by-game refunds. If they reschedule they probably will not especially for season ticket holders. Purchasers of individual game tickets probably should get refunds as an option if the game is rescheduled, but I would wait on an announcement to be sure because I can imagine them taking a harder line. For example, they might not offer a refund, while giving you the option to switch to any other game for which tickets are available. In fact I expect that's the most likely decision.
But as has been pointed out, sharing with the Yankees will make it very hard for NYCFC to make up lost home games. And again, if they deliver fewer than 17 home games I cannot imagine them not giving refunds for those games.
 
If they don't play 17 home games they will have to give game-by-game refunds. If they reschedule they probably will not especially for season ticket holders. Purchasers of individual game tickets probably should get refunds as an option if the game is rescheduled, but I would wait on an announcement to be sure because I can imagine them taking a harder line. For example, they might not offer a refund, while giving you the option to switch to any other game for which tickets are available. In fact I expect that's the most likely decision.
But as has been pointed out, sharing with the Yankees will make it very hard for NYCFC to make up lost home games. And again, if they deliver fewer than 17 home games I cannot imagine them not giving refunds for those games.
Thanks! That's kind of what I figured. Hopefully there is no strike though. My summer schedule is kind of set around the games, so if there is any delay I will probably only be able to make one or of them :(
 
A player's strike would absolutely cripple the league, especially at this juncture. In the event of a strike I honestly think the league would eventually fold. It takes well established and popular leagues years to recover, I can't imagine what it would do to MLS. The players have all the leverage at the moment and MLS knows going into this extremely important 20th season is a huge turning point for the league in terms of expansion and greater exposure at home and around the world. There won't be a strike, although it might go down to the wire. I honestly wouldn't worry about it.
 
A player's strike would absolutely cripple the league, especially at this juncture. In the event of a strike I honestly think the league would eventually fold. It takes well established and popular leagues years to recover, I can't imagine what it would do to MLS. The players have all the leverage at the moment and MLS knows going into this extremely important 20th season is a huge turning point for the league in terms of expansion and greater exposure at home and around the world. There won't be a strike, although it might go down to the wire. I honestly wouldn't worry about it.
Never underestimate the potential for billionaires to self destruct
 
CBA issues makes me question how cozy USL is with MLS these days (and the perception of the weaker position of NASL now). If the players cant negotiate a better deal with MLS, what are the options for players for better pay and work "conditions " in the US?

The new USL is going to follow the lead of MLS so the only other U.S. league to turn to before going outside the US is NASL.

So do the CBA issues in MLS help NASL attract non-DP talent?
 
CBA issues makes me question how cozy USL is with MLS these days (and the perception of the weaker position of NASL now). If the players cant negotiate a better deal with MLS, what are the options for players for better pay and work "conditions " in the US?

The new USL is going to follow the lead of MLS so the only other U.S. league to turn to before going outside the US is NASL.

So do the CBA issues in MLS help NASL attract non-DP talent?
The nasl is a league not worth even discussing for a second. Like I said previously, the nasl is as important and recognizable as my semi pro league here in tampa in the north american soccer world let alone the global soccer landscape. Think about how hard mls has had to work in the last 20 years to get to this point. The Nasl and usl are absolutely nowhere. They are not now and never will be a destination for any real talent. If mls folds which will not happen but lets just say the players strike and mls folds down the line, that will be the end of any major soccer league that is as respected in the global football world. Soccer honestly would be even mire irrelevant and all of the hard work done to get to this point would be down the drain.

Usl is smart. They know there is never going to be a chance for them to be at the mls level because you need time and major money investors and again yearsssssssss to get to this point. Usl is smart and they are hoping to be a partner of mls and help with player development. On the other hand you have the nasl and teams like the cosmos who have no end game whatsoever. They have decided to market themselves as a top league which is laughable and a league that is a competitor to mls which was a very bad decision by them. If and that is a big if, we ever get relegation and promotion in mls, I believe that has a better chance of including a league like the usl that is looked at by mls to be a potential partner rather then a league that has illusions of grandeur.

In short both the usl and nasl are worthless at the current time. So no there wont be other options for players. However mls players have leverage because of the growth the league has achieved and like I said they are entering their most popular best season to date with a new tv contract new tv partners. If a league wants to thrive, you do not piss off your tv partners especially espn. Espn almost single handedly killed the nhl over a decade ago. Lets hope for the good of mls and soccer in this continent mls players and owners can get a deal done without a work stoppage. In an ideal world true free agency for players would be included. However i think we will see the dp slots increased to 4 or 5 and the minimum wage of players increasing quite a bit. With dp slots you have a form of free agency that allows owners to spend alot on players and the bottom and middle tier players get increases. A somewhat win win, but as a fan i want to see true free agency.

It would be very interesting to see and track player movements and it would remove the stupid player acquisition rules that mls which everyone in the global soccer landscape still laughs at mls about. We need to take that next step. I hope it is now. You cant be a top league in the soccer world without true free agency. It cant happen! Lets hope garber and the owners realize this.
 
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