Garber confirms 2012 season will have unbalanced schedule

[LittleOzzy]

MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced on Thursday that despite the addition of a 19th team, the 2012 regular season will not feature any additional matches. “We will a have a 34-game schedule and it will be unbalanced,” Garber said in his 2011 State of the League teleconference.
Garber insisted that a balanced, 36-game schedule for each team would simply ask too much of the league as it continues to balance the regular-season schedule with international dates and other restrictions unique to the league. The Montreal Impact will debut as the 19th team in the league in March.
"It’s simple math: 389 games would almost be impossible for us to execute with the other competitions we’re required to play, the weather issues we have … the challenges in a handful of markets, the FIFA dates," he said. "All the thing we have to do differently in the United States from a competitive standpoint, just the travel impact that exists in our country."

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...anced-schedule


Not a fan of this decision, makes the supporters shield pretty pointless too.


I wonder what teams we won't be playing next season.

[kodiakTFC]

I'm not shocked because I knew this was an inevitable reality but I'm curious to see how this is executed. If its merely not playing one team at home and another away, i'll live. If its us playing regional teams more than twice and missing out on many western opponents I'll be livid.

[habstfc]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...anced-schedule


Not a fan of this decision, makes the supporters shield pretty pointless too.


I wonder what teams we won't be playing next season.

L.A. will not play a team in the east with great support. That makes us and Philly. My guess is it will be us that won't see them.

[Kooper]

L.A. will not play a team in the east with great support. That makes us and Philly. My guess is it will be us that won't see them.

Except in March in the CCL. But I take your point. Someone is going to lose out.

[Globetrotter]

I think Garber got it spot on. We are not the other leagues. We do things our way. Going from Montreal to Los Angeles is quite different from going from Berlin to Munich, Newcastle to London, or Marseille to Lille. We along with the United States have a massive country, that covers several time zones. We have very different weather systems from place to place, and so many other quirks. I like how we are unique and not copying the old boys simply because of the attitude "that's the way it truly should be". Good for Garber.

[werewolf]

Sad times. Just like when the league wanted to have breakaway shootouts. Top two teams in the league were in the Pacific timezone and amongst the most-traveled. Hard for the world to take MLS seriously when it tries to copy other NA leagues, though at least with those leagues those are the top leagues in the world.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

ill see how its arranged before i make up my mind.
My first instinct is to say its stupid especially if it means playing the same teams 4 times in one year or some stupid shit like that. Curious to see who the 20th team is. How do other leagues of that size deal with it?

[Whoop]

Sad times. Just like when the league wanted to have breakaway shootouts. Top two teams in the league were in the Pacific timezone and amongst the most-traveled. Hard for the world to take MLS seriously when it tries to copy other NA leagues, though at least with those leagues those are the top leagues in the world.

I wouldn't go that far.

I'm sure it's only temporary until they add the 20th team.

And like OMY says, I'll wait and see how it looks.

[prizby]

L.A. will not play a team in the east with great support. That makes us and Philly. My guess is it will be us that won't see them.

i agree it will be us, but for a different reason (because we in fact do see them for CCL)

[Cashcleaner]

L.A. will not play a team in the east with great support. That makes us and Philly. My guess is it will be us that won't see them.

That would not surprise me in the least. Obviously, they'll face off against New York and Chicago, but I think you're right in that the "optics" of a match-up will likely determine who plays who. Which, of course, is fucking shameful if true, but there you have it.

I think Garber got it spot on. We are not the other leagues. We do things our way. Going from Montreal to Los Angeles is quite different from going from Berlin to Munich, Newcastle to London, or Marseille to Lille. We along with the United States have a massive country, that covers several time zones. We have very different weather systems from place to place, and so many other quirks. I like how we are unique and not copying the old boys simply because of the attitude "that's the way it truly should be". Good for Garber.

I'm usually share the exact sentiments, but not in this case. Yes, I think MLS supporters do tend to get hung up over concepts and procedures that take place elsewhere (ie: promotion and relegation), but this is one instance where I think the league totally has it wrong. An unbalanced schedule boils down to inherently flawed or unfair competition.

For anyone interested (and it really is a good read), someone on the MLS page Ozzy linked to put up to a document drafted by a Southsider that sorts out a balanced MLS schedule: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...ysg/edit?pli=1

Again, if you're into scheduling and math porn, take a look.

[Couchy81]

If the NHL and NBA can do it, what's the matter with MLS? Travel can't be an excuse when you play one game a week most weeks.

[menefreghista]

If the NHL and NBA can do it, what's the matter with MLS? Travel can't be an excuse when you play one game a week most weeks.

The NHL actually doesn't do it.

They use to, but they stopped post-lock out to help out the cheapskate Eastern teams that didn't want to travel as often.

---------------

I can live with an unbalanced schedule I always expected it as the number of franchises increased.

But if they were going to do this, why not drop back to a 30 game season if you have a supposed fixture congestion problem? But I guess the owners enjoyed the extra revenue from 2 more home dates, but couldn't push the league to 36 games?

[ag futbol]

I'm not shocked because I knew this was an inevitable reality but I'm curious to see how this is executed. If its merely not playing one team at home and another away, i'll live. If its us playing regional teams more than twice and missing out on many western opponents I'll be livid.

Yeah I agree. If we play each of Vancouver and Mtl three times in league play plus another two times in the V's cup, it starts to get damn repetitive and uninteresting.

I'm also tired of the league contriving the schedule in such a way that disadvantages TFC fans and fans of successful teams but rewards franchises that nobody cares about.

Tell Bob Kraft and the rest of those cunts who won't invest in their teams to get it in gear, because we're not going to be pulling that deadweight.

[LesH]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...anced-schedule

IDIOTS!

[Yohan]

If the NHL and NBA can do it, what's the matter with MLS? Travel can't be an excuse when you play one game a week most weeks.

NCC, USOC, CCL plus weekday MLS games and most games play 2 games a week.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Yeah I agree. If we play each of Vancouver and Mtl three times in league play plus another two times in the V's cup, it starts to get damn repetitive and uninteresting.

me three.
someone did set it up that we only play most people twice then one or two western opponents once or something to make an even 30 game schedule

[Ossington Mental Youth]

i really dont wanna play Montreal more than twice in league and obviously twice in V cup

[Shway]

watered down derbies^
and forced rivalries
coming to a field near you

[james]

I wouldn't go that far.

I'm sure it's only temporary until they add the 20th team.

And like OMY says, I'll wait and see how it looks.

according to garber it wont change anytime soon, the schedule is unbalanced because they do not want to play more then a 34 game season do to travel distance, weather restrictions and World Cup qualifiers. This means the schedule is not going to get balanced out once a 20th team joins, a 20th team joining with a balanced schedule would be 38games, 4 more then they already want.

[james]

I think Garber got it spot on. We are not the other leagues. We do things our way. Going from Montreal to Los Angeles is quite different from going from Berlin to Munich, Newcastle to London, or Marseille to Lille. We along with the United States have a massive country, that covers several time zones. We have very different weather systems from place to place, and so many other quirks. I like how we are unique and not copying the old boys simply because of the attitude "that's the way it truly should be". Good for Garber.

depends how they do it. If we end up playing teams like Montreal/columbus/NY say 3 or 4 times this season and playing teams like Portland/seattle//LA 1 or even 0 times in the season then its not a cool model, we get sick of seeing the same teams playing so often while not even seeing other teams in the League (much like the NHL) , just because its our own "unique" doesnt mean its better.

[james]

my question....going from 34 games to 36 to keep a balanced schedule is that really that big of a problem??? other sports in this country play way more games. Also many teams in MLS have played friendlies over the years, why dont they just not have them anymore (i know MLS teams probably want to keep it so its a chance to grab fast cash)

[Roogsy]

my question....going from 34 games to 36 to keep a balanced schedule is that really that big of a problem??? other sports in this country play way more games. Also many teams in MLS have played friendlies over the years, why dont they just not have them anymore (i know MLS teams probably want to keep it so its a chance to grab fast cash)

Other leagues play 38 games don't they? I would've thought boosting games to 36 would be something the league would like considering the extra revenue. I guess the distance really is a drag and the weather does not cooperate. Still...I'd prefer a balanced schedule. If you eliminate the stupid mid-season "friendlies" that TFC and other teams embark on and make the games meaningful league games, does it change much?

[Cashcleaner]

Other leagues play 38 games don't they? I would've thought boosting games to 36 would be something the league would like considering the extra revenue. I guess the distance really is a drag and the weather does not cooperate. Still...I'd prefer a balanced schedule. If you eliminate the stupid mid-season "friendlies" that TFC and other teams embark on and make the games meaningful league games, does it change much?

Exactly. And this is what bothers me the most about the whole thing. The league is still going to go the distance to continue playing friendlies and have no intention to reduce the number of post-season matches. A balanced schedule is actually quite achievable, if MLS motivated to do so, of course.

[sidvan]

lose the mid season all star game

[NBS]

If it just means losing one game vs two different opponents, I really don't care at all. I understand the league's challenges.

[james]

i guess the only bad side about having more season games for me is seasons tickets would go up then. And to be honest ive paid enough as it is.

[Gazza_55]

That would not surprise me in the least. Obviously, they'll face off against New York and Chicago, but I think you're right in that the "optics" of a match-up will likely determine who plays who. Which, of course, is fucking shameful if true, but there you have it.



I'm usually share the exact sentiments, but not in this case. Yes, I think MLS supporters do tend to get hung up over concepts and procedures that take place elsewhere (ie: promotion and relegation), but this is one instance where I think the league totally has it wrong. An unbalanced schedule boils down to inherently flawed or unfair competition.

For anyone interested (and it really is a good read), someone on the MLS page Ozzy linked to put up to a document drafted by a Southsider that sorts out a balanced MLS schedule: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...ysg/edit?pli=1

Again, if you're into scheduling and math porn, take a look.

How is it inherently flawed? Are you saying the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and UEFA Champions League are all unfair competitions?

Good research on the Southsider's part. However, he has the season ending on Nov 3rd. With the FIFA date in mid-November the MLS Cup Final would be December 3rd. Given that the team with the most points will host the Cup Final in 2012 that could pose a problem in many cities.

[Fort York Redcoat]

I think Garber got it spot on. We are not the other leagues. We do things our way. Going from Montreal to Los Angeles is quite different from going from Berlin to Munich, Newcastle to London, or Marseille to Lille. We along with the United States have a massive country, that covers several time zones. We have very different weather systems from place to place, and so many other quirks. I like how we are unique and not copying the old boys simply because of the attitude "that's the way it truly should be". Good for Garber.

No we're copying the rest of NA sports. I see why but tough cookies, supporters don't like the unbalanced schedule. It means an untrue regular season of competition as mentioned early on above and more trivializing the league by pimping fake rivalries. Just because it mirrors our ridiculous playoffs of "East" and "West" doesn't make it alright.

Try harder Garber.

[Stugatzo]

I'm pissed but I also totally get it.
Look at it this way, when the league continued play during international comps (Euros, World Cup) and the top players go missing, people get pissed.
If they take the breaks and let those players compete for their country, people get pissed and it also backs up the schedule into early spring and late fall. We are not Europe and have unique challenges with weather (meaning we can't play in the winter) and distance.
If it means breaking the backs of the less revenue-rich teams to play two extra games, it could be bad for the league overall.
Plus the CDN teams have to leave room for the NCC and (potentially) CCL games so...
I TOTALLY agree with the sentiments that suggest ditching the "all-star" game to open up the schedule a bit.

[London]

I realy dont care, win the games put in front of you