Maybe create a new thread for this discussion. Back on topic, I'd love to see Pirlo rocking a "Why Always Me?" shirt after drilling a free kick next year as he's mobbed by Balo.
how do you supposed to change that? wouldn't a league with better players have better chance to attract viewership than a leagues with lesser players? think your argument enhances my point. you hit a key point...US media market and view ship. I assert higher paid and better quality stars in the league have a better chance to solve the media market problem, what do you say? Give you an anecdotal point (by no ways scientific or meant to be representative, but nevertheless a data point), my mom does not watch soccer. But the other day, she heard Messi is playing on TV and and she has heard Messi is an amazing world star. So she actually turned on the TV and watched a Copa America game (and she liked Messi' play). star power counts and only big money brings that. you are right we need to solve the media market / view ship problem. Part of the solution is to offer better product with higher name recognition to get the base viewer to begin with. that requires money, lots of it. the current media market won't grow, no matter how even the club levels are. It will only grow if a few of the clubs start to offer great entertainment and the rest can follow.The last part of your argument is the problem. Without the TV & Sponsorship revenue that exists in Europe, the big players would not invest in MLS. It's one thing to have an expensive toy like Man City and maybe lose tens of millions a season to win it all. It's another to spend the same as Man City with no TV or Sponsorship revenue to back it up, thats HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in the toilet each season. No one is that crazy. And if the US poached all the best stars in the world, we still wouldn't watch it here like American Football. Yes the rights would be worth more in Europe, but with the time difference only afternoon matches here (night matches there) would be marketable.
how do you supposed to change that? wouldn't a league with better players have better chance to attract viewership than a leagues with lesser players? think your argument enhances my point. you hit a key point...US media market and view ship. I assert higher paid and better quality stars in the league have a better chance to solve the media market problem, what do you say? Give you an anecdotal point (by no ways scientific or meant to be representative, but nevertheless a data point), my mom does not watch soccer. But the other day, she heard Messi is playing on TV and and she has heard Messi is an amazing world star. So she actually turned on the TV and watched a Copa America game (and she liked Messi' play). star power counts and only big money brings that. you are right we need to solve the media market / view ship problem. Part of the solution is to offer better product with higher name recognition to get the base viewer to begin with. that requires money, lots of it. the current media market won't grow, no matter how even the club levels are. It will only grow if a few of the clubs start to offer great entertainment and the rest can follow.
The way you do it is with a luxury tax. Let the deep pockets spend freely and tax the spending that then is distributed to the frugal teams -(but must be spent on players, not pocketed). Then when play increases, so too will the tv and sponsorship dollars. At a certain point, it'll be enough that teams aren't hitting the luxury tax as much unless they see a special rainy-day transfer they can't live without.The only way I could see that work (using our current 20 teams) is to say NY and LA, sign whomever the hell you want and you split 75% of the TV revenue between the two of you. The other 18 teams split the 25% remaining. But then there's no parity and that also turns off US viewers... And I'm not sure you could even sell the rights for that much when you get games like NY vs Columbus, if it's a sure blowout, just to watch the stars perform their soccer version of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Although it is funding needed for players wanted. Sorta relevantMods, can you please move this conversation to a new thread? This is nowhere near NYCFC players wanted.
From what I've been reading (and of course you have to take anything you read on the 'net with an ocean of salt) there doesn't seem to be much of a market.Wonder what the market really is on Balo. I would have to believe that the team has at least entertained the thought of it.
I disagree. Kraft has gone on the record that he would double the cap if he could. Revs are one of those teams that need the cap to be raised in order to force them to spend more money to be competitive.The league will never fully realize its potential as long as Kraft is heavily involved. I respect that he has sunk millions of dollars into a floundering team - and he probably loses money ever year with the current arrangement. That drags down the rest of the league.
What Garber has done that is brilliant is bring in billionaire owners in CFG, Arthur Blank and the LAFC consortium. Coupled with a passionate fanbase/owner in Portland, the Seattle ownership group, a crazy spending owner in Orlando (I wonder how long he is in this for), the league is moving away from the New England and DC power base. That is good in the long run.
A note of minor relevance - Zlatan is spending this offseason in LA, and seems to be enjoying the beach. Once he is done fulfilling his promise of becoming the God of Manchester, I wonder if a final hurrah in the MLS would lead him back to the beach.
I disagree. Kraft has gone on the record that he would double the cap if he could. Revs are one of those teams that need the cap to be raised in order to force them to spend more money to be competitive.
Kraft is playing the long con with a SSS in Boston because he already has a 100% build facility in Foxboro and doesn't want to build a SSS and spend money.
Why would he go to Middlesborough to be a backup?
You may want to read this next and then reread the tweet about Guzan & Middlesborough:Why would he go to Middlesborough to be a backup?
Thanks. I had no idea transfer rumors were made up, often self-serving twaddle.You may want to read this next and then reread the tweet about Guzan & Middlesborough:
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/truth-behind-transfer-window-rumour-mill-those-itk?page=0,1
I happen to think this one is true or at least has a lot of truth behind it. Not many teams can pay a starting keeper what an epl team can pay a backup.Thanks. I had no idea transfer rumors were made up, often self-serving twaddle.