and needed to vent in a public forum. Whether or not that’s a good idea, I don’t know. He sounds exactly like what I pictured the owners to be like though – they’re in this for the long haul to bring pro soccer to the US and make it stay. They’re in this because they love the sport and are willing to make thin margins because of that. There is money to be made, but investments would certainly produce more elsewhere.

I think after getting proverbially bitch-slapped by the union, he’s probably blown a fuse and is voicing his frustration.

That would be Galaxy and Dynamo

I’m thinking that many players don’t understand just how bad the Recession hurt MLS.

Though someone did mention to me that Expansion Fees may have meant that MLS turned a profit (though these may just be going to payoff long term AEG/Hunt/Kraft debt).

I’ve said similar things before, albeit for different reasons, but Jason Davis sees a lot of the same things I (and Buzz Carrick, for that matter) do.

Terrible analogies aside, my conviction on this comes from an appreciation of what the Players have done to this point. They knew all along when their drop dead date would come. Butting up as close to the actual start of the season as possible would provide them with their greatest amount of leverage short of an actual walkout. Reasonable people, who appreciate their situation and can think beyond defending principle alone, should realize the martyrdom is a fool’s errand. If there is a worthwhile positive to be gained from a strike, it’s imperceptible to me. The leverage just isn’t enough to move the owners, making it no real leverage at all.

Players, by nature, are a confident bunch. I don’t know that I put quite as much faith in reasonable minds dominating the conversation, especially when it’s the bargaining committee that will make the ultimate call.

1) again, i’ll beat this dead horse… soccer clubs don’t, and really shouldn’t, turn profits… I’m not talking about the USA, I’m talking globally… read Soccernomics
So I don’t really care about the last sentence of his statement. Welcome to the world of soccer club ownership. Soccer clubs are LOUSY businesses (again, I’m talking globally) so I really, really, really, doubt that AEG didn’t know what they were getting into.
2) A fascinating social-economic trend over the last few generations in America is the turning of popular opinion away from unions and towards management. We are essentially a nation of managers now (and you see how well the economy is doing as a result). This statement is a PRIME example of how that’s happened. Now, look, I’m not even trying to compare professional athletes to Joe Punchclock down at the Widget Factory, but let’s set the record straight.
The players aren’t Necessarily asking for more money, they are essentially asking for FIFA rights. What Leiweke wants us to believe is this will somehow bankrupt the league, as if the ill-fated signing of Beckham for a kajillion dollars has nothing to do with such things. Also, AND I CAN’T MAKE THIS CLEAR ENOUGH: read the following sentence from the statement again:
“So when I hear them talk about striking and shutting the league down, I’ve got to tell you, they’re going to lose us when they talk like that.”
Okay, now, the Players’ wishes have been known for MONTHS, the threat of a lockout loomed over the talks, until the League announced they would not lock out the players. But that doesn’t mean anything. That maneuver does NOTHING to further talks or reach an agreement, all it does is push the ball into the Players’ end. It takes two to tango, and the Owners/League can’t sit back and say “it’s the players fault” when THEY AREN’T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT THEMSELVES.

For more on these types of tactics, see the US Congress…

I am loathe to criticize Leiweke because he bought a group of us a round at the bar before the MLS Cup…but he’s just being a first-class douche with this type of statement…