tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10099422.post-57023006559104531792006-11-12T12:30:00.000-05:002006-11-12T13:01:51.482-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:z7oQ0j6QCB3q5M:http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/AP_Photo/2006/07/08/1152413150_8746/300h.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:z7oQ0j6QCB3q5M:http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/AP_Photo/2006/07/08/1152413150_8746/300h.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In their annual meeting, the MLS board of governors approved a number of changes to the league aimed at improving the product on the field and strengthening each club. The changes will allow each club to develop a greater individual identity within the single entity system. The two most significant changes for on field performance were the <a href="http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061111&content_id=78445&amp;vkey=mlscup2006&fext=.jsp">adoption</a> of the so-called Beckham rule, allowing for each club to exceed the salary cap, using its own funds, to sign two players. The contracts must still be approved by the league and the players will still be signed by MLS, not he clubs but the any salary amount above $400,00 will be paid by the club. This will allow the Red Bulls, for instance, to go out and spend ridiculous sums on signing Rondaldo or the Galaxy to retain Landon Donovan and then go get Beckham. It is a good rule change and a necessary one to begin to allow MLS to compete on the world market. Let's see how it works in practice and it may be that it can be expanded so more players can be encouraged to stay in MLS rather than sold off at the peak of their careers.<br /><br />The other change was further clarification to the youth development academies announced this summer. Every club will be required to start one and will be granted the rights to one player out of its youth team without subjecting him to the draft. This is very encouraging for the development of youth soccer in the US and I applaud the league for taking this crucial step.<br /><br />The schedule changes <a href="http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061110&amp;content_id=78340&vkey=mlscup2006&amp;fext=.jsp">announced </a>by the league to take the addition of Toronto FC into account were less positive, in my view. MLS botched the chance to do the right thing and eliminate the conferences and adopt a single table, as I suspect an overwhelming majority of its fans would prefer. It kept the conferences and the playoff structure intact, making tweaking changes to playoff qualification that for the most part don't really matter. The problem is that when the playoffs occur, the nation's sporting attention is not focused on MLS. It is focused on the NFL, college football, the opening of the NBA season and perhaps, the World Series. MLS gets lost in the shuffle and loses the fight for media attention. I don't believe the new television contracts will change that much. The problem is in the calendar and in the competition structure. Adopt the world's calendar and quit playing the spring, summer and fall schedule. Adopt a single table and forget about playoffs or if you must have playoff, use a single table and let the top 4 or 6 compete in a playoff. This structure just doesn't work and continuing it, is just ducking the problem. That said, a series with Mexican clubs is a great idea no matter how it has to be structured and I congratulate Garber on getting that done.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/10099422-5702300655910453179?l=thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>SportsBizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07776487964110090116noreply@blogger.com0