MLS Dynamo, Revolution Players Agree To Split SuperLiga Money
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Dynamo, Revolution Players To
Split SuperLiga Bonus Money Evenly |
MLS Dynamo and Revolution players, ahead of tonight's SuperLiga championship match, have "decided they will split evenly the bonus money at stake in the match," according to Bernardo Fallas of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. The MLSPU indicated that the players "made the decision in protest of the league's violation of the [CBA] with respect to the negotiation of bonuses for SuperLiga." MLS caps the "amount of SuperLiga bonus money a team may share with players" at 15%, so only $150,000 of the $1M prize to the SuperLiga winner will be distributed to players. MLSPU Exec Dir Bob Foose said that because teams "earn compensation as they advance in the tournament -- the Dynamo and Revolution each have earned $100,000 in player bonus money -- the bonus amount at stake for the final in essence would have been $50,000." But Fallas notes with the players "deciding to split the money, each side will get $25,000 regardless of the result, with each team splitting $125,000 in player bonus money." MLS Commissioner Don Garber yesterday said of the agreement, "It disappoints me to be in a position, the night before the event, ... to have a media call about, in the words of some, it might have been the union, that it is now just an exhibition." Dynamo G Pat Onstad: "We feel our rights, according to the CBA, have been violated. We feel we needed a bigger voice. We wanted to show that we're united as players." Onstad also "believes the decision by his peers to take the money incentive out of the equation will in no way minimize the match's importance" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/5).
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Garber Says Players' Desire To Share
Money Equally Is Violation Of CBA |
LEAGUE'S TAKE: Garber said of the players' desire to share the money equally, "That's not something that is permitted in the CBA, it's not something we are going to allow and something, should they decide to do, we will have to manage it the way we would manage any other violation of the [CBA]. ... We will pay the prize money as it was [originally] dictated as determined by MLS ownership. If there is something we determine is a violation of the CBA, we will address it." Garber added, "We never, ever implied that the players would get the [$1M]. The winner is the team. The club gets that million-dollar prize, and then we have an agreement as to what that share would be to the players" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/4). Garber said that MLS owners are "at financial risk because they are footing the bill for everything from travel to venues" for the SuperLiga. Garber: "The club is still playing for $1[M] in prize money and the players are getting a pretty darn good payday for five games." Garber added that he is "disappointed that the issue was brought up again before the championship." Garber: "I believe that this league continues to need this kind of competition to prove to those naysayers that don't believe that our teams are as advanced as we in fact know they are" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/5).
NO DREAM MATCHUP: SI.com's Greg Lalas wrote the all-MLS SuperLiga championship match is a "disaster" for marketers. Lalas: "You'd think an all-MLS final would be greeted with champagne and cigars. ... Problem is, the organizers were banking on the drawing power of a Mexican club to pull in a big crowd (and a big TV audience) for the final." SuperLiga "has its flaws." Lalas: "I would love to see some matches played in Mexico next year. The schedule should be shifted back to allow the Mexican teams more time to get match fit. Maybe a Copa Libertadores berth should be at stake. And for sure, the money issues between the tournament and the [MLSPU] need to be solved. But the best way to improve SuperLiga next year is to remind the Mexican teams that they couldn't win it this year" (SI.com, 8/4).
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