After a U.S. District Court judge set a September 18
trial date for the lawsuit brought by ten MLS players that
challenges MLS' single-entity structure, MLS Fire President
Bob Sanderman told Tom Bonen of the DAILY SOUTHTOWN the
outcome "could be the end of professional soccer in this
country." Bonen wrote that "a victory by the players could
mean the end of the existence" of MLS. Sanderman: "The
costs of this lawsuit, which are substantial, are not being
directly funded by any of the players in our league. The
cost of this litigation against the MLS is being funded
entirely by the [NFLPA]. ... Our players haven't had to
directly put up a single penny to pursue this issue in the
courts. ... Each individual player ... has indirectly
forfeited $10,000 to $15,000 each year so we could cover the
cost of defending the league against this disastrous
litigation. ... I'm not sure too many of the players have
really considered the ramifications of this lawsuit on the
league, soccer in this country, and their professional
careers in a sport they all love" (DAILY SOUTHTOWN, 2/27).
But MLSPA President John Kerr Sr. said the MLS players "are
fighting for the same rights that people like Curt Flood
fought for 30 years ago [for MLB free agency]. There are
lots of revenues that the players clearly drive and deserve
to access" (Eric Fisher, WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/27).
BIZ BUZZ? In L.A., Grahame Jones wrote that "sooner or
later, there will come an almighty clash" between MLS and
the USSF over "just what the league's mission is supposed to
be. Is MLS here to develop players for the U.S. national
team or is it a business?" Jones wrote that MLS "cannot
survive on a steady diet of American-born and bred players.
There are not enough good ones to make it work." But if MLS
"is a business, the simple way to fill stadiums from coast
to coast would be to scrap the U.S. Soccer-imposed limit on
foreign players -- four this season -- and sign the best
players affordable." Jones: "When MLS' 'investor-operators'
awake to this possibility, fireworks could erupt. If MLS is
willing to go to court on the issue, there is nothing U.S.
Soccer or FIFA can do to stop it" (L.A. TIMES, 2/27).
A SMALL WORLD? Organizers of the int'l soccer event
Gold Cup, who "had expected" a sellout crowd of 91,000 to
watch the U.S. play Mexico, "instead ... got Canada against
Colombia" in the finals in front of 6,197 yesterday at the
L.A. Memorial Coliseum (L.A. TIMES, 2/28).
ONE VIEW: WNBA Shock GM/coach Nancy Lieberman-Cline
wrote an op-ed in the N.Y. TIMES on the development of a
women's pro soccer league, including plans for the Women's
United Soccer Association in 2001. Lieberman-Cline noted
that MLS is exploring its own women's league business model,
but she has concerns about MLS overseeing the project: "A
developing franchise needs a passionate, tireless staff that
is focused on one goal: making the local franchise
successful at the gate. ... Choosing the M.L.S. to start the
league might be a crucial error. You cannot take a staff
that is already struggling to develop the men's league and
tell its members they need to approach a women's product
with the same effort and enthusiasm" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/27).
