MLS CBA teleconference game thread

Maybe I won’t be asking questions. Also, looks like it won’t start for another five minutes. Cohen, Foose and Garber are all going to speak.

Will be on MLSnet.com

Who says no one cares about MLS?

“Never seen a group of players more committed.” Don Garber.

Provides players with more money, more rights, more ability to move.

Allowing more movement

That’s huge

Majority will have guaranteed contracts, improved movement, compensation increased substatinally, increased opportunity to work together

That stuns me. Stuns.

I can’t wait to see the details on that.

75th anniversary of Wagner Act, which made Collective Bargainning go

Bob and Don: One of the main issus is free agency, what are you takes on resolution?
Don: The elephant in the room, players will have greater rights at end of agreements but WON’T be free agents.

Hey, I said that.

won’t have floating waiver process. Will have opportunity to select out-of-contract players. Union apparently came up with idea.

Foose: Don’t get everything you want. We think we made some real improvements. We will be talking about details later. As a whole very pleased. We have some real benefits to players.

Garber: Pressure of deadlines tends to produce results (what a lame question)

The process made for better end result

Garber: Not been to something quite like this. Players got in on Wednesday. Were here til 3 on Thursday, til 6 a.m. yesterday.

Thinking about all players. Not fun. Very productive. Don’t want to do it like this again.
Foose: Leadership by players has been nothing short of extraordinary.

After MLS Cup had 9-hour meeting. Had five players who were in game the night before. No other group of athletes who would have that level of committment (probably true).

Want constructive atmosphere before you address big issues.

In terms of re-entry draft, what improves things for players. What about Int’l situation when players return?

Re-entry draft won’t give details now, will in a few days. Great movement on salary front. No details. (No answer)

Foose: Majority of players will have guaranteed contracts, what are criteria. No details.

What was tipping point? Bob: We on union side never questioned committment of league (really?)

Was there ever a point that you thought it wouldn’t come together?

Don, can you estimate what cost of strike would have been?

We have some momentum. We have new teams. Hard to quantify. Don’t think players wanted to go on strike. Know owners didn’t want them to go on strike. The part of process that is positive is coming together. I’m commish for players, too. Our players have never been viewed as us as employees.

give us idea of how much salary budget has increased? Does new agreement preserve single-entity?

Will release details …. (lots of broad strokes). Single-entity remains. Not system that is important. It’s how we manage business. Think we addressed player concerns.

How many teams operated at profit? Seattle and Toronto.

Hopefully. Don’t think any investor would get involved otherwise. Needed to be able to utilize limited resources. Players recognized that. Need to grow ratings and attendance. Re-entry will help that … hopefully in five years all teams make money.

Van den Bergh’s experience would have been different under this deal.

OK, this is me talking here, but there really are NO details here. Think we’ll have to wait on substantive answers.

Sounds like expansion of developmental players.

SBJ: Players will have greater movement? What’s that mean? Will players have movement at prime of career. Answer: There will be no bidding. At end of agreements will have option of going into re-entry draft.

Almost a detail!

From players perspective. We are a lot more knowledgeable and a lot more appreciative of how difficult process was. Generally speaking, commish’s aren’t invovled. Don has showed great committment and we are appreciative. Wouldn’t have gotten deal without mediators. This can all be a positive. Maybe most important thing. Will have real relationship with league. Having real leadership is real important. A lot of guys accept status quo. Ours don’t. Fight for what they believe.

Any room for changes to designated player rule? Answer: Wasn’t part of CBA. Broadly, our hope is that we can have system to expand the rule. That decision needs to get made, but haven’t done that yet. Our hope is that we can develop business that supports greater revenues. We need to grow our business.

Hopefully we’ll be able to get you some details in the next few days. WE’RE PLAYING SOCCER!!!!

I had lost hope after staying up till about 2am last night scouring the net to see if there was any sign of an agreement. After a short time of sleep when the baby woke up, I got a text from my friend saying a deal was tentatively reached. I’m pumped. I was really, really afraid this would be the beginning of the end of pro soccer in the US.

First kick is going to be in-f’ing-sane!