Fire GM Nelson Rodriguez said that it is "difficult to adopt more" than a three-year plan for his franchise "without knowing the direction" of MLS in terms of long-term funding. SOCCER AMERICA's Paul Kennedy noted at yesterday's MLS BOG meeting, "allocation funding in years ahead" was discussed. Rodriguez: "Hopefully, we will have these figures with more lead time so we can build and execute plans across the league." As for his club's local standing, Rodriguez said the "special part of the Chicago sports fan is how supportive they are of the team." He said, "They can be critical of me and the decisions I make, and I accept that. They can be critical of ownership for things that happen. But always they support the team and the players" (SOCCERAMERICA.com, 8/2).
GO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE: In DC, Chelsea Janes notes for the "first time in their history, the Nationals are past" the $195M collective bargaining tax threshold, and "because they are first-time offenders, this will cost them" 20% of their overage. That the Nationals are over the threshold at all "signals unprecedented spending and likely means they will not be able to shoulder the kind of massive contracts that get traded this time of year, even if they did have interest." This means the Nationals roster "likely is what it will be by the time October rolls around" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/3).
NOT THE TIME: In Arizona, Dan Bickley notes with yesterday's news that the team could be forced to leave Phoenix, the D-backs are "facing a public relations nightmare." They "field a winning team" but are "stuck inside a losing battle." They are "one of the most generous organizations in sports yet risk looking like a bunch of greedy ingrates." At a time when their future has "rarely looked brighter," D-backs attorney Leo Beus "just ruined the mood" by suggesting MLB could force the club out of the city. Bickley: "Get this resolved behind closed doors, allowing the rest of us to enjoy a rare occurence in the Valley" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 8/3).
