Curios if there's any Americans on here who'd like to see Promotion and Relegation in MLS, rather than the franchise system?
Nearly all fans, don't think that's an exaggeration. And on the flip side,,,,,,,,it'll never happen. The MLS business model is squeeze ownership groups to buy in, with $100million+ expansion fees. They've decided they'd rather have money than competition.
The current MLS playoff format, with the supporters shield (or league title) just an afterthought, is so American it hurts. Don Garber learned from and was shaped by his experience at THE National Football League, where parity (anyone can win it any year) and continuity (you're rooting for all the same teams which do not change year on year, the players do not matter and are laundry) are king.
Look at NYCFC, who have bought in and play their home games at yankee stadium, where the pitch dimensions are so utterly different from any other venue (and there's a fucking baseball diamond buried astride midfield) that it's in effect a different sport. When they first bought into MLS that was a max 3 year arrangement. Now it's indefinite. Not a peep from the league offiice because,,,,,,money.
Look, all the above might be a bit glass half empty. At least we have a semi viable league. But Christ the people running it seem like your typical American sports execs, prioritize taking money out over the game itself. I think part of that is they want to be seen as "footy, with an American twist" so as to try and bring more 'mericans into the tent, though with that appeal in mind it's a fairly physical league already where set pieces usually see guys collide violently. Feels to me like they could organize the competition to make it less NFL/NBA/MLB.........and that they never will because they're stiching themselves up with these franchise fees
After having a moan.....thanks, I feel better! D.C. united new stadium coming, I'll miss the electric excitement of not knowing if the stadium would collapse in a stiff breeze
