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View Full Version : The TFC (and MLS) player lifestyle...



mastermixer
06-23-2011, 08:16 AM
Just wondering if anyone has any insight on what the lifestyle of a player is on TFC or any team in MLS for that matter.
Does the team pay for living arrangements? Do they assist them in acclimating to the city? Do players from other countries bring their families to live with them? Do players making low wages live in shared room and board with teammates?

dupont
06-23-2011, 10:51 AM
If you play in MLS then you end up like Saric

Red Skies At Night
06-23-2011, 10:58 AM
A few years back I was contacted by a partner of one of the players, who was looking for work in Toronto. I have experience in recruiting int'l talent to come and work in Toronto, and typically the hiring company has programs in place to assist the settlement of a new employees' family (help finding accommodation, schooling, jobs, etc). However, in discussions with the players partner I discovered that MLSE/TFC FO had no such programs and essentially left the players and their families to figure it out themselves. This was my first inkling that the organization was poorly run. I'm not sure if it has changed since then, or if they only provide this service to particular players, but it wasn't a good experience for this particular player's partner.

jabbronies
06-23-2011, 11:04 AM
A few years back I was contacted by a partner of one of the players, who was looking for work in Toronto. I have experience in recruiting int'l talent to come and work in Toronto, and typically the hiring company has programs in place to assist the settlement of a new employees' family (help finding accommodation, schooling, jobs, etc). However, in discussions with the players partner I discovered that MLSE/TFC FO had no such programs and essentially left the players and their families to figure it out themselves. This was my first inkling that the organization was poorly run. I'm not sure if it has changed since then, or if they only provide this service to particular players, but it wasn't a good experience for this particular player's partner.


Didn't Chris Cummins' family have this problem?

ExiledRed
06-23-2011, 11:21 AM
A few years back I was contacted by a partner of one of the players, who was looking for work in Toronto. I have experience in recruiting int'l talent to come and work in Toronto, and typically the hiring company has programs in place to assist the settlement of a new employees' family (help finding accommodation, schooling, jobs, etc). However, in discussions with the players partner I discovered that MLSE/TFC FO had no such programs and essentially left the players and their families to figure it out themselves. This was my first inkling that the organization was poorly run. I'm not sure if it has changed since then, or if they only provide this service to particular players, but it wasn't a good experience for this particular player's partner.

wow not even a half finished condo to sleep in?

mastermixer
06-23-2011, 11:25 AM
I wonder if there are guidelines in this parity league that prevents owners to subsidize the players living arrangements, cars etc so they don't have an advantage over the poorer teams?

menefreghista
06-23-2011, 11:30 AM
I wonder if there are guidelines in this parity league that prevents owners to subsidize the players living arrangements, cars etc so they don't have an advantage over the poorer teams?

I believe the teams can't help out with that kind of stuff.

Detroit_TFC
06-23-2011, 11:30 AM
Grant Wahl's book on Beckham and LA Galaxy "The Beckham Experiment" has a fair amount of info on this kind of stuff. Subsequent to the events Wahl covered (2008 or so) apparently the league and the FOs improved some of the road accommodation issues and loosed up on the commercial travel requirement but not completely.

IMO requiring a professional team to fly commercial in a league as big geographically as MLS, is the very essence of madness. The league frames it as a competition issue, teams who can afford to have private transport would have an edge on those who don't. Or in other words cheap ass owners don't want to flip the bill for charters.

Davenport
06-23-2011, 11:33 AM
A few years back I was contacted by a partner of one of the players, who was looking for work in Toronto. I have experience in recruiting int'l talent to come and work in Toronto, and typically the hiring company has programs in place to assist the settlement of a new employees' family (help finding accommodation, schooling, jobs, etc). However, in discussions with the players partner I discovered that MLSE/TFC FO had no such programs and essentially left the players and their families to figure it out themselves. This was my first inkling that the organization was poorly run. I'm not sure if it has changed since then, or if they only provide this service to particular players, but it wasn't a good experience for this particular player's partner.

Great way to make new players feel welcome and at home in a strange city MLSE.
Nothing surprises me with this organisation. Pricks.

Red Skies At Night
06-23-2011, 11:38 AM
I believe the teams can't help out with that kind of stuff.

I think you're correct there. But it's one thing to give them accommodation, and most businesses don't do that, but it's another to leave them on their own to figure it out. Companies who recruit overseas talent have liaison staff to help with the process of intergration and settlement. MLSE/TFC had (at that time anyway) none of this, according to the person I dealt with.

Players talk, and if that type of situation becomes known to players outside the league, it gives them less incentive to want to come here.

Might explain why TFC seem to have trouble attracting the good talent.

kodiakTFC
06-23-2011, 12:00 PM
If you play in MLS then you end up like Saric

Coming into this thread I was going to make this joke. Damn you.

Roogsy
06-23-2011, 12:02 PM
I think you're correct there. But it's one thing to give them accommodation, and most businesses don't do that, but it's another to leave them on their own to figure it out. Companies who recruit overseas talent have liaison staff to help with the process of intergration and settlement. MLSE/TFC had (at that time anyway) none of this, according to the person I dealt with.

Players talk, and if that type of situation becomes known to players outside the league, it gives them less incentive to want to come here.

Might explain why TFC seem to have trouble attracting the good talent.

The team does have restrictions as to what they can do (ie. housing). In my opinion, they do try. They're just not very good at it. The staff in charge of this sort of thing try their best. But I don't believe they are given the tools to accomplish these tasks effectively, essentially because their superiors don't make this a priority.

Carefree
06-23-2011, 12:20 PM
Grant Wahl's book on Beckham and LA Galaxy "The Beckham Experiment" has a fair amount of info on this kind of stuff. Subsequent to the events Wahl covered (2008 or so) apparently the league and the FOs improved some of the road accommodation issues and loosed up on the commercial travel requirement but not completely.

IMO requiring a professional team to fly commercial in a league as big geographically as MLS, is the very essence of madness. The league frames it as a competition issue, teams who can afford to have private transport would have an edge on those who don't. Or in other words cheap ass owners don't want to flip the bill for charters.
And I can tell you they don't fly first class. I was in Chicago a few weeks back and ended up at Midway Airport at the same time as the Chicago Fire. the players were all hanging around the food court (read: NOT in the first class lounge) waiting for their flight. I got to say hi to Jon conway, which was nice.

mastermixer
06-23-2011, 12:35 PM
For some reason I don't believe that Beckham is flying coach to games.

Carefree
06-23-2011, 12:46 PM
Wouldn't that hurt team morale though if the whole team flies coach together except for the star player who flies business class (or in his own jet)? I would assume he would be forced to travel with the team.

mastermixer
06-23-2011, 12:49 PM
^ I just think it would be amusing to see "superstar" Beckham sitting beside some stranger with a crying baby lol.

CretanBull
06-23-2011, 12:57 PM
Wouldn't that hurt team morale though if the whole team flies coach together except for the star player who flies business class (or in his own jet)? I would assume he would be forced to travel with the team.

Read "The Beckham Experiment"...he doesn't fly with them (or park his car with theirs) and it does hurt team morale.

brad
06-23-2011, 01:03 PM
Read "The Beckham Experiment"...he doesn't fly with them (or park his car with theirs) and it does hurt team morale.

And I've heard similar stories about JDD pulling up to training in his Lamborghini...

brad
06-23-2011, 01:04 PM
On a tangent, is the Beckham experiment any good?

Carefree
06-23-2011, 01:08 PM
Read "The Beckham Experiment"...he doesn't fly with them (or park his car with theirs) and it does hurt team morale.
I figured there would be something in that book about this.

I've been searching the web to find out if anyone has talked about this but all I found were several pre-2007 articles speculating on whether or not he would fly with the team.

Funny how MLS bends (or re-writes) its own rules whenever it's convenient. What about Thierry Henry? Or anyone else for that matter? I guess they have to pay for their own travel arrangements then?

CretanBull
06-23-2011, 01:14 PM
On a tangent, is the Beckham experiment any good?

I liked it, beyond the whole Beckham thing there's lots of insights into the MLS itself that would interest anyone who's a fan of this league. Fair warning, after reading it you probably won't hate Donovan anymore - he comes across as a pretty sympathetic character.

Alan Gordon is featured in it quite a bit too.

MG42
06-23-2011, 01:18 PM
This is all you need to see, it's from 2007, done kind of like "cribs"

Ik5i8oWLXaU

prizby
06-23-2011, 01:22 PM
A few years back I was contacted by a partner of one of the players, who was looking for work in Toronto. I have experience in recruiting int'l talent to come and work in Toronto, and typically the hiring company has programs in place to assist the settlement of a new employees' family (help finding accommodation, schooling, jobs, etc). However, in discussions with the players partner I discovered that MLSE/TFC FO had no such programs and essentially left the players and their families to figure it out themselves. This was my first inkling that the organization was poorly run. I'm not sure if it has changed since then, or if they only provide this service to particular players, but it wasn't a good experience for this particular player's partner.

part of the issue is the salary cap and mls rules that restrict this.

I am sure MLSE wouldn't have a problem finding 10-20 condos in its new condominium for its players, but it would circumvent rules

Carefree
06-23-2011, 01:38 PM
part of the issue is the salary cap and mls rules that restrict this.

I am sure MLSE wouldn't have a problem finding 10-20 condos in its new condominium for its players, but it would circumvent rules
Plus I would assume MLSE already has this infrastructure in place for its NHL or NBA players who come from overseas. It would be weird if the Leafs drafted an 18-year-old Russian player and then left him on his own to move to Toronto and settle in.

This is an interesting topic. Lots of stuff I normally wouldn't think of.

Roogsy
06-23-2011, 01:41 PM
Except there is very little overlap between teams and their operations. Other than ticketing, each team manages it's own operation, most importantly player personnel issues. Especially with TFC, where the players aren't even employees or contractors to TFC, but rather MLS.

brad
06-23-2011, 01:55 PM
Also worth noting there is bound to be a wide swing on lifestyle due to the range of salaries. A player making 50k/year will likely have a different lifestyle than one making 200k/year. DP's are bound to be different again.

This is were I don't like the way the rules are setup in this regard to assisting with re-location. A player making a league minimum is going to have a very different experience than one making a decent 6 figure salary.

habstfc
06-23-2011, 02:28 PM
I don't think it's fair not to have some sort of subsidy for housing etc. It costs alot more to live in places like N.Y. or L.A. and even Toronto and Vancouver than it does in Columbus or K.C. $90,000 would go much further there than the big metropolisis of mls.

Beach_Red
06-23-2011, 02:57 PM
The team does have restrictions as to what they can do (ie. housing). In my opinion, they do try. They're just not very good at it. The staff in charge of this sort of thing try their best. But I don't believe they are given the tools to accomplish these tasks effectively, essentially because their superiors don't make this a priority.

Well that pretty much describes TFC, doesn't it. Now all you have to do is decide where the line between "superiors" starts and those not getting the tools necessary ends. Are Mariner/Winter superiors or are they not getting the tools necessary? (movie budgets are divided between "Above the line" and "below the line" to make this easier ;)).

As for the housing and the league rules, do we think NY and LA don't bend those rules when they need to? Could MLSE bend them more and get a little creative with the rules if they wanted to?

Red Skies At Night
06-23-2011, 03:00 PM
It wasn't about being financially helped out with accommodation or the like, it was about being given assistance in where to look, etc... Essentially the player's partner believed there was no one at the club who could even give advice on areas of the city to look in, etc. In fact, until I explained the "working spouse" rule for int'l employees she wasn't even sure if she could take a job in Canada. No one at the club gave them any advice/help in sorting these things out. Advice and insight for the players' families doesn't cost MLSE anything, but goes along way in creating a good atmosphere for the player.

cmonyoureds
06-23-2011, 07:21 PM
Didn't Mero take shots at the organization on his way out over things like this? I don't have the link but didn't he quote about a player driving in from Niagara Falls every day, and no help to find housing etc when new guys are brought in?