I, for one, cannot wait for this MLS season to get underway. There are so many compelling storylines…Can Seattle finally climb the mountain? How will Los Angeles handle Landon Donovan’s retirement? Will Orlando and New York FC look more like expansion teams or the superclubs they are hoping to be? What impact will international legends such as Kaka, David Villa, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard (when he gets here), and Italian striker Bernando Corradi have on MLS? And of course there’s the Portland Timbers, who are attempting to rebound from a disappointing 2014 campaign. All in all, March 6 really cannot get here soon enough. But there is a very dark cloud on the horizon, one that threatens to delay the season and possibly set back years of growth for MLS and their players.
MLS and its players union are currently operating without a collective bargaining agreement, as the previous agreement expired on January 31. Players have still been going through training camp and preseason, essentially working on a handshake continuance using the terms of the old agreement under the hope that a new deal can be struck before the beginning of the season. But the sides are still far apart on key issues, and the MLS Players Union has promised that if an agreement is not reached before the start of the season, the players will go on strike.
One needs only to look back to the NHL strike of 2004 to see how devastating a work stoppage can be to a league attempting to gain a foothold. The 2004 work stoppage set hockey back dramatically, and it can be argued that the NHL still has not completely recovered. Any significant work stoppage for MLS could have a similar negative impact on professional soccer in the United States. Between the popularity of last summer’s World Cup and the growing talent level and excitement of MLS teams, professional soccer in the United States is poised to truly break out over the next 5 to 10 years. But fans have long memories and short attention spans, and a significant work stoppage would cause tremendous resentment among fans while also forcing them to look elsewhere for entertainment.
So what are the owners and the players even fighting about? Well, the short answer in any of these owner-player showdowns is always “money,” but more specifically, it is the idea of free agency for the players. Currently, MLS players are extremely limited in their ability to determine where they play, even when their contract expires. When a player’s contract expires, instead of becoming a free agent, that player is placed in a redistribution “draft” where any team can claim the player’s rights, and he would then be tied to that team. It is only after passing through two of these “drafts” unselected that a player is free to sign with whatever team he likes.
Owners argue that this system is necessary, as it helps keep costs down for each of the teams and free agency would lead to out-of-control spending that could sink the league. Players argue that, while the system may have been necessary 15 years ago when teams were being contracted, it is no longer needed with a rich new television deal ($90 million a year, which triples the previous deal) and $100 million dollar expansion fees being paid by multiple new owners to join the league. The players also argue that the minimum salary for players should be increased from the current level of $36,500 a year for players under 25, and $48,500 for senior players. While the salaries for top players such as Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and others reach the multimillion dollar level, most MLS players make dramatically less.
Both sides have valid points. While MLS is undeniably more popular today than it ever has been, it is not ready to compete with the top leagues in the world financially. The owners also correctly point out that the current system has allowed the steady, sustained growth that has led the league to its current level of success. But the players counter that the league is experiencing increased success, and the players responsible for the product on the field should share in the rewards. The players also correctly point out that no other soccer league in the world restricts player choice and movement so completely.
This is a problem with no easy, obvious solutions. Both sides are firmly entrenched in their positions, and have shown little willingness to compromise. While the hiring of a federal mediator is certainly a positive step (and was the impetus for an agreement in the prior round of negotiations), there is real concern on both sides that a work stoppage may be unavoidable at this point.
I can’t wait for the MLS season to start. I want to see how Nat Borchers and Liam Ridgewell pair up in the back, if Darlington Nagbe can regain his 2013 form, and if Diego Valeri can maintain his near-MVP level of play. I want to cheer for the Timbers and smirk at every (admittedly infrequent) Seattle Sounders loss, and I’m sure my Sounders friends are ready to do the same. But if the players and owners can’t resolve their differences soon, Timbers, Sounders, and MLS fans everywhere will miss out on what could be MLS’ best season yet.
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