Garber says "no" to increased roster size

[Oldtimer]

MLS commissioner Don Garber has essentially slammed the book on any expansion of squad sizes in the imminent future by reasoning that the money needed is simply not in league coffers yet.

Much has been made of poor league showings in international cups, with many observers laying a lion's share of the blame on restrictive senior rosters - but Garber insists enlarging them will come in its own fiscal time.

http://www.soccer365.com/us_news/story_21008150419.php

[Lucky Strike]

Bastard.

EDIT: Garber, not you Oldtimer.

[Cashcleaner]

Cashcleaner says "Balls" to Garber latest comments regarding MLS roster sizes. :(

Seriously ladies and gents, MLS is a business first and foremost and a sports league as a secondary consideration. Garber is doing his best to make money to satisfy short term demands. Looking ahead at the future of the league in five or ten years just isn't in their mandate.

[The Kingpin]

Were is Rudi to again defend the visionary named Garber? This man took the league from the stone ages to the middle ages, maybe. But he is a completely incompetent fool and it's only because no one cares about this forth rate league that it hasn't been exposed in every media channel.

[The Kingpin]

Cashcleaner says "Balls" to Garber latest comments regarding MLS roster sizes. :(

Seriously ladies and gents, MLS is a business first and foremost and a sports league as a secondary consideration. Garber is doing his best to make money to satisfy short term demands. Looking ahead at the future of the league in five or ten years just isn't in their mandate.


Sweaty Balls.

[Cashcleaner]

Actually, I will defend the fact that Garber did do quite a bit to expand the interest of the league and the sport during some pretty tough times,

BUT...

Nowadays, he's become redundant as a commissioner. We don't need to spread the word of MLS in the same manner as he knows because the organisation has already become well-known to the existing soccer crowd in Canada and the USA, and has been somewhat imprinted in the minds of non-soccer fans as well.

Basically, Garber is a salesman. Up until recently, MLS certainly needed one, but now we need an administrator.

[TorCanSoc]

With all but three teams making a profit. When do we start asking about the longevity of this league? When is it going to be all teams make a profit, except for three? This is not sustainable. (assuming they're telling the truth).

[Azerban]

First, they aren't telling the truth, they are only losing money after they write off everything mathematically possible, including the depreciation of players. Second, of course they have the money, I mean if the fucking WOMEN'S LEAGUE, the WPS, has a higher salary cap than the MLS, they have to have the money somewhere!

[Cashcleaner]

^ And the USL has no Salary Cap as far as I'm aware.

[Fort York Redcoat]

This was to be expected. Not hoped for , but expected. For him to say yes to more roster spots before he sits down with the players to discuss salary would compound problems between himself and owners of teams.

On the other hand, he may have instituted more roster spots and pointed to the fact at the negotiations next year (or 2010?)

Anyway he's taken the conservative route here so he doesn't stress the league with more roster spots AND higher salaries.

But I know I'm not alone in wanting both.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

More of the same next year, no schedule change, no roster change, prob no cap change and no salary change.
Miserable miserable miserable.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Thinking small scale.
Putting the fucking Superleague over the CL.
Small time and amateur.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

^ And the USL has no Salary Cap as far as I'm aware.

Actually I think it does, although I'm not sure how high the USL cap is. At any rate, USL rosters have greater depth and are much stronger than MLS teams in international competitions, despite having lower payrolls. If USL teams can have depth with nickel-and-dime budgets, then MLS and Garber have no excuse.

Relating to this roster issue, I'm beginning to wonder whether Montreal and Vancouver should even consider bidding for MLS entry. Aside from greater attendance figures, would the Impact and Whitecaps actually improve on the pitch in MLS?

[Cashcleaner]

^ My bad if I'm wrong about the USL cap. But you make a good point about their rosters. They're actually very professional squads with depth and a staff that knows how to thrive in a continent where soccer is far from the number 1 sport.

[VPjr]

USL does not have a salary cap. As I understand it, the league works with the teams (or at least the one's without billionaire owners) to ensure that they are operating under a realistic budget. Very few (if any) teams in USL are making money on operations but no one is taking a bath either.

the more I read about USL and learn about the league, I'm really impressed and wonder who different the situation would have been here in Toronto if the Lynx were owned by serious people with deep pockets and good soccer business sense, rather than the con artists we were stuck with.

[Roogsy]

Bringing Beckham was a big mistake if the league is not willing to start playing with the big boys. Garber is essentially admitting they are not ready to be a real top league if this is the case. An 18-man roster and a $2million roster size is child's play in the world of soccer, and that would make MLS a junior league.

They are running out of time to capitalize as much as they can on the Beckham effect.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

USL does not have a salary cap. As I understand it, the league works with the teams (or at least the one's without billionaire owners) to ensure that they are operating under a realistic budget. Very few (if any) teams in USL are making money on operations but no one is taking a bath either.

the more I read about USL and learn about the league, I'm really impressed and wonder who different the situation would have been here in Toronto if the Lynx were owned by serious people with deep pockets and good soccer business sense, rather than the con artists we were stuck with.

I stand corrected. I thought I read somewhere that USL had a cap, but I guess it was a mistake. I guess the USL salary structure only simulates what would be expected under a cap.

[jloome]

Fucking CFL cap is $4.7 million, and it's an eight team, Canada-only league!

[Toronto Ruffrider]

Fucking CFL cap is $4.7 million, and it's an eight team, Canada-only league!

True, but CFL teams 46-player rosters. A maximum payroll of $4.7 million would still be spread thin amongst that group.

[Keyman]

Garber isn't capitalizing on the league's obvious window of expansion. These years are crucial to the development of the league, and Garber seems to be holding the league back from ever becoming more than a afterthought in the world of football. If the league wants to gain respectability around the world, then Garber needs to step down. Sometimes you must take a risk in order for there to be any progression, and Garber seems to be scared to take that risk.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

Garber isn't capitalizing on the league's obvious window of expansion. These years are crucial to the development of the league, and Garber seems to be holding the league back from ever becoming more than a afterthought in the world of football. If the league wants to gain respectability around the world, then Garber needs to step down. Sometimes you must take a risk in order for their to be any progression, and Garber seems to be scared to take that risk.

Agreed. Garber is running MLS as if its 1996. Teams in this league don't need to be coddled any more. So many questionable and archaic rules are holding back progress in this league.

[Keyman]

Agreed. Garber is running MLS as if its 1996. Teams in this league don't need to be coddled any more. So many questionable and archaic rules are holding back progress in this league.
Exactly, I understand where Garber is coming from, but he simply has become too conservative for the league. There still has to be obvious control, however, the amount of restrictions on teams right now is ridiculous and not needed. At some point, there has to be a gap between the rich and the poor. Continued equality in a sports league rarely works.

[Keystone FC]

If Garber were a smart gent he would have used the excuse of '4 expansion clubs in the next 3 years' ploy. That I could swallow for not expanding squads due to the demand for players in the next few years and trying to balance US player development with foreign investments without thinning the talent pool.
But he didn't.

[The Kingpin]

Exactly, I understand where Garber is coming from, but he simply has become too conservative for the league. There still has to be obvious control, however, the amount of restrictions on teams right now is ridiculous and not needed. At some point, there has to be a gap between the rich and the poor. Continued equality in a sports league rarely works.

Actually it has worked extremely successfully with the NFL. I know you said 'rarely' but the NFL model has been a resounding success. And this is the problem, Garber came form NFL Europe and has been trained by that system. The core issue that I have with Garber is the consistent paradoxes in his plans. He professes slow and steady growth, but the creates the "Beckham Rule" when the opportunity transpired. He wants new clubs with SSS and then awards franchises to those who don't have SSS.

He is an exceptionally poor marketer of the league as well. He wasn't able to sell the league on the entertainment value and general football merits, so he did EXACTLY what the NASL did and signed a "Pele" and thus we have the LA "Cosmos". The multimedia elements for the MLS is considerable below par, he simply does not realise that the web is an outstanding sales tool. The MLS website is so poor for a professional league it's baffling. He is proud of the fact that "The league now sells more than it buys in the transfer market" as a way to make it financially viable. So in essence he is running an MLS/US Development league allowing players in low level teams and tier two leagues to be supplied with players. He may have a long term plan, but so did NFL Europe. (RIP in 2007)

He is a dinosaur in the new world of sport. He believes the archaic disciplined approach will build a 'major league'. If this is the case, then it won't be in my lifetime or his as long as he is in charge. Just my thoughts.

[rocker]

At some point, there has to be a gap between the rich and the poor. Continued equality in a sports league rarely works.

explain this statement to me... what league with continued equality hasn't worked?

i agree with removing some of the restrictions that are redundant, but not the salary cap. that is essential. if we allow teams to spend anything, then we become a league like any other -- winning becomes a product of spending capacity, which is uneven (not all markets are equal).