Bit of an update from Jeff Carlisle at ESPN FC:
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-s...6-season-start
Bit of an update from Jeff Carlisle at ESPN FC:
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-s...6-season-start
Average Liga MX salary is double MLS. Pretty crazy, especially when you consider the skew in the MLS number with DP salaries.
That is a potent stat. MLSPU need to press on that until it bleeds.
Here's the thing though.. Increase an average number while the subtance remains the same doesn't make the league any better. Granted having higher salaries will attract more kids into wanting to play soccer in the future, it doesn't improve the current status of the league. Other than new players coming in of course. But that's why you just need to increase the salary cap space and not the minimum contract amount. If you want to get paid you need to earn it.Originally Posted by Detroit_TFC
True, have to move the whole pay structure up. In terms of framing the arguments though, the union would do well to focus on MLS's desire to better compete with Liga MX. All that hooey about being a top league in the world is irritating when the more important target is right in front of their faces.
Short run this holds (somewhat), but long run market will adjust. Kids still quit Socccer or bypass MLS because of the pay packet. We have slippage to Europe as well.
We'll also benefit from better internationals right away. So it's not just an inflationary wage scenario.
Plenty of stories of teams playing poorly when guys feel unsettled / can't focus on their career as well. We don't always get the most out of the players we have. Easy to forget that.
There's the other side of the coin too where players get paid insane amounts of many.. looking at you NHL.. and they don't show up for work at all.
If you were to valuate the talent though, you cannot put an MLS club against a Liga MX club and argue they should be equal pay if the quality is not on par - should be higher, i think we can all agree, but it would be hard to argue it as near equal value - honestly, the union should probably steer clear of that argument, and focus on the incentive to hone craft here, adding future-value with the development of players domestically, keeping known domestic stars here adds quality to the brand of MLS, etc.
The article is a little strange though - they give different fugures for the mean salary and the average salary - aren't they the same thing?? Unless someone confused mean for median in one of those values, i'm pretty sure mean is the average
The author, Jeff Carlisle, tweeted out afterwards that he meant Median, not mean... apparently the editors of the site just haven't fixed it yet.
I think we're a ways away from that at this point
... Really??? Looking at you Defoe. Ever since his injury at RSL he looked disinterested.I think we're a ways away from that at this point
In the short term, yes a substantial increase in the pay structure would reward current talent which is not at the same level on average as Liga MX but the assumption is that it would over time drive increased quality (better foreign players coming in, the better domestic players staying rather than going to Europe,etc).
Well yeah, but that's a small percentage of MLS players.
Personally I'd have no problem capping DP salaries at a few million and giving more back to the regular roster guys, so we don't have to watch part timers scrap it out as soon as a few injuries happen.
Dont' get me wrong I'm fine with increasing the floor so that the MLS can attract new good young talent and not miss out on them to European leagues. But there needs to be a subtantial increase in the cap so that the current players which really don't cut it will see what it takes to make the big money when the new players come in.
I thought that, ever since his injury, he looked injured...
He also stated that he was fully fit.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle20761501/
And was basically absent on the pitch. Unacceptable.
Yeah I agree, makes things simpler. Sad fact is that on the low end MLS is not paying enough to have a full time committed and talented professional. Some guys intern elsewjere in the off season to prepare for life after football, when ideally you'd have a full rest / prep for the following season.
I'm not saying throw stupid money at anyone, just that they should have enough stability to focus on their career while they are footballers.
The thing is though.. the median salary is what 90k a year. That's nothing to sneeze at. That's above the household income average in Canada. These guys aren't living in a shack unable to buy food. They get paid a good salary, and on top of that they get great treatment and food from their club. Let's not pretend that it's a horrible life.
Even if some are just making 50k.. guess what.. that is what a lot of people in this Country and USA make.
Depends on the industry though... If i work a simple office job that starts me at 40k at 22-23 years old, but i stay with that job taking minimal annual raises of every year, but i get to work in that job pretty securely until i'm 65 years old, not that bad.
I work as an athlete, where there is only a limited number of viable years i work at that professionally, all the while not building really any other skills once i do retire (in my mid-30's) but i only make 50-70k a year, that's a much bleaker outlook for the future.
But that's not the point really. We're not talking about the average person. We're talking about 1) a-type personalities needed to succeed in pro sports 2). Guys who have to make a career change at some time given a short career.
I can break it down further but suffice to say given all the hurdles / risks involved sub 100k comp isn't enough for anyone in pro sports who has "made it" playing in MLS.
Except these are not supposed to be average people. They are supposed to be highly specialized, elite workers!
Realistically, there are only 60 people living in Canada who can do what they do (play top-level professional soccer in this country).
Not to mention the fact that most people who make that salary don't have the time or travel demands of a North American Pro Athlete.
Makes it much harder for those players with families and kids.
I always think about a guy like Milos Kocic when these discussions come up.
How was he able to raise triplets living in TO making only $46k a year?
With the travel and time demands of a Pro Athlete, and the costs of child care, it must have been hard for his wife to try and have much of a career to help boost their household income...
I don't know if that had anything to do with his early retirement as an MLS soccer player, but I wouldn't be surprised!
Last edited by gdg_9; 01-07-2015 at 05:13 PM.
I get your point but here's my argument.. (though it has it's problems due to work permits).
Yes these people are elite at what they do. And if they are truely that elite there are places all around the globe searching for their talent. They are free to try and get jobs in other locations, they are not being forced to stay in North America, technically speaking. Your Example of Milos Koscic is a perfect example. He's from Serbia, has the ability to play for a club there or here. He CHOSE to play in the USA of the Salary that he's making. You can't complain that your salary is too low when you chose to sign the contract. If he was truly elite he'd get the money he thinks he is worth. If not, then he signs where he can play. BTW he is now in Hungary playing for a team there in their first division.
This argument just doesn't fly with me. Most people specialize in a specific skill and then continue to improve on it and grow in their positions. We generally call these people professionals at their skill too, but as we all know the majority of people are not elite. That is why so many of us sign off to work for the 91k a year jobs, and there are so few that get big fat contracts.
We shouldn't be overvaluing people's skill just because it is sport. A lot of people are being underpaid and their primary skill is using their brain over their physical ability.
This is moralistic though, an entirely different argument. Yes I agree as a society we over value sport. However, we won't be able I obtain players based on morals, only market prices.
It's easy to say they shouldn't sign the contract (many of them don't), but that really doesn't help us achieve the end goal of getting better players on the field.
Um, and then had surgery on the pre existing injury. Actually tried to play through it. He should get some acknowledgement for that.
Last edited by MightyDM; 01-07-2015 at 09:22 PM.
You can't make that argument when the domestic league has a salary cap and is otherwise anti competitive.
That's just it though, people will choose to either play abroad or not play at all.
Which is why it is bad for the growth of the game here, and more importantly, with relation to the CBA Negotiations, bad for the league long-term.
You're right, the global market is pretty much open to pro-athletes to be able to play wherever their skills are valued most (with the caveat of being able to obtain a work permit).
But that is exactly why placing such harsh restrictions on the North American market (i.e. a salary cap in MLS) makes no sense if their ambition is to compete with the rest of the open global market.
Sure I can. Look at the GA class this year. Those are the true higher end talents and they are negotiating deals that they feel are fair. If they think otherwise then they don't sign and go elsewhere. The league may be not be competitive due to a lack of free agency, but nothing is tying those players down and forcing them to sign their contracts.
Why should the league pay someone more money than they are worth though? We're talking about the lowest end talent in the league. If they don't rise up and play better why should their salaries just arbitrarily rise?? Players who are good enough will earn their money.
Bendik came into the league as a backup goalie.. an area that is truely difficult to make a living in, but he impressed. He went from his $44k salary in 2012 to $140k in 2014. If Bendik thinks he is still underpaid for his talent level he's now got a few years under his belt that he can use as leverage to go and find a job somewhere else in the world. Say Bendik never did end up playing any better or earning a larger salary. Say he was still the 2nd string keeper and he was now making $60k. Should he just be paid more now for no performance based reason at all?
Konopka is getting paid 60K a year and all he does is train with the team. He hasn't stood out in training to be given a shot at the keeper position. That tells me his skill level is just not good enough.
I like that there are so many who want these players to get what they are worth. The problem is their worth skill-wise does not directly compare to what the league makes from their skill. Many want the min wage up- so do I. I'm also extremely cautious concerning overspending and killing momentum this sport has made.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
In a lot of cases we'd start seeing different players or more committed players than are currently on the books.
There is talent leakage and wage bump-ups would reduce that and draw better players in the future.
I used to work with a guy who trailed with TFC in year one. They offered him one of those 12k "development" deals. He walked. Most of those players never made the league or contributed anything. Once they raised the minimum to 35k it got better. When they pump it up again a similar dynamic will take place.
Wages draw talent. It's that simple.
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