MLS Deputy Commissioner Sunil Gulati "will be relieved
of his duties" today following accusations of "abusing his
power as keeper of the league's player contracts," according
to sources of ESPN Magazine's Jeff Bradley on ESPN.com. The
center of the controversy is Gulati's decision to renew the
$250,000 per year deal of the MetroStars' Tab Ramos without
the consent of the team. The source said that while there
was "significant support for Gulati" among the 12 members of
the MLS Management Committee, which met yesterday morning in
Dallas, MetroStars investor/operator Stuart Subotnick's
voice "was ultimately the strongest and MLS Commissioner
Doug Logan was swayed to remove Gulati from his position."
It is "anticipated" that Gulati's job will be filled by MLS
Senior VP/Player Programs Ivan Gazidis and MLS Dir of Player
Personnel Todd Durbin (ESPN.com, 2/23). In DC, Steven Goff
writes that two sources "close to MLS management" said that
Gulati "will be removed," although MLS Dir of Communications
Dan Courtemanche said that Logan "did not quite reach a
resolution" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/23). In N.Y., Michael Lewis
writes that Gulati "plays the most vital role in the league
and is respected worldwide" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/23).
