MLS Players' Union between a rock and a hard place

It's all quiet at MLS Headquarters... too quiet. It seems as if the cooler heads are losing their grip as the CBA negotiations between the league and its players are grinding to a halt. Where optimism at a deal existed only a couple of weeks ago, the only words coming from either side this week have been decidedly sour. It is unclear today whether the opposing sides are even in the same room and as more deadlines come and go, the toughest decision is left at the feet of the union.

MLS has taken the upper hand in the PR war by not locking out the players and seeming like the sensible party who wants to negotiate. The truth is closer to the fact that Don Garber and his wily group of owners know that the union doesn't hold a lot of chips in this game. The players are left with very little on the table to negotiate with and will have to decide soon if they are willing to hit the picket lines.

If the union does decide to continue to operate under the expired contract they at least take back some of the public sentiment. Fans will likely side with the players as most supporters realize that MLS players are definitely the poor cousin of worldwide FIFA players, but is PR enough? Sticking with the status quo could lead to the players eventually settling on a watered down agreement not much different than the current one. On the flipside of that however is the fact that at least they will still continue to get paid. For some of the players who are only making slightly better than minimum wage - that's a big issue.

Ironically, if the union chooses the strike option, it may end up creating a result as bad as or much worse than the current climate. Observers can't help but feeling the ownership is actually prepared for a work stoppage. It is definitely a fool's logic but who ever claimed the league was run by geniuses? The league might even welcome the opportunity for a player caused calamity which would give them the chance to fold a couple of money losing franchises - and blame the union at the same time. A long shot, and probably unlikely, thought process… but hardly impossible.

The more realistic fear for the union has the league filling its strike-hit squads with replacement players. Yes the quality would be lower but in a league with little face recognition, bar a few major stars, the current players could find themselves readily replaced. Further, in a worse case scenario, a long work stoppage could damage the league so badly that it doesn't survive in its current form. This result again means massive job losses for the union membership and a PR black eye along with it. A lot of mid-range players could be out of high-level professional football permanently.

Chances are likely that some form of negotiations will continue for the time being. The bright thinkers on both sides (we hope there are a few) will realize that this is a Cold War much like the real one. If either side pulls the big trigger then everyone gets burnt in the end. In that doomsday scenario however, the real losers would be North American supporters who have suffered through decades of ridiculous show "soccer" leagues (sorry original NASL sympathizers) only to have the closest league to the "real thing" face extinction at the hands of two stubborn teams.

Cooler heads agree to keep negotiating new MLS agreement

------------------"I once bargained an agreement thiiiis big!"

Signs of intelligent life indeed exist within the ranks of Major League Soccer's ownership and players' union. The two sides today have agreed to continue negotiating on a new collective bargaining agreement until at least February 12th. Obviously someone in New York got a text that said "Yo Don - dont lockout MLS - U R not NFL dude! LOL" or something along those lines.

In a straightforward but slightly optimistic press release from MLS headquarters, commissioner Don Garber laid out the current state of negotiations. “While we still have areas of disagreement, the talks have been constructive and both parties believe it makes sense to continue to work hard to reach agreement. This extension provides both MLS and the players the opportunity to continue our discussions while clubs are in training camps preparing for the 2010 MLS season.”

Credit is due on both sides for at least having the foresight not to delay training camps and hopefully the 2010 season. As stated here and throughout most of the MLS observing world - a shutdown could be a damaging, if not fatal, blow to the young league. This extension is at the least a promising sign that the two sides are finding some common ground and will work towards a resolution. 2010 is far too important a year for MLS without wasting time on legal mumbo-jumbo.

THE STARTING 11: Ways to survive an MLS lockout

In a little more than a week Major League Soccer and its clubs may take the foolish step of locking out its players. Negotiations on a new CBA are continuing between the league and the players' union but things haven't been too positive yet. If there is a lockout, it could mean a lengthy delay to the 2010 MLS season. The question then becomes - what do supporters do if there's no football?

11. Ask your boss to loan you out to the company's European office

10. Randomly hold up lit flares in crowds

9. Go to church on Sundays... but only for the singing and chanting

8. Drink a case of Red Bull - run naked through your neighbourhood screaming "Call me Juan Pablo!!!"

7. Spray paint stray cats - start your own MLS in backyard

6. Go to supermarket - demand produce manager to "raise the celery cap!"

5. Go to local kids' soccer games - throw streamers at 10 year olds

4. Demand that in the bedroom you are only referred to as "The Designated Player"

3. Start giving your co-workers Brazilian shirt names

2. Ask soccer-moms if they "wanna come over and watch you play"

1. Only drink $9 dollar beers

Editorial: No winners in potential MLS lockout

--------------------"I wonder if Portsmouth got my resume?"

In just under two weeks from now, there is a good possibility that Major League Soccer and its clubs will formally lockout their players. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on January 31st and without a new deal, the ownership and league will likely take the lockout route. While negotiations between MLS and the players' union have been ongoing there has been little in the way of positive news. If the inevitable does become reality, all sides would end up injured - possibly very badly.

The ownership and the league are practically one entity within MLS and are bargaining from the same side. Despite many advances in the last decade, the majority of MLS clubs are still operating at a loss. The individual owners thus would like to see the continuation of very strict control over player wages in order to preserve what they see as the only route to their financial stability. Preserving the status quo would likely please most of the clubs for now.

However, an extended lockout into the regular season could completely blow up in the clubs' faces and the effects could be fatal for more than a few teams. Outside of Toronto, Seattle and DC it is fair to say that the average MLS stadium is only full with about 30% of ardent, die-hard supporters. The rest of the crowd are your casual, suburban "soccer-mom" crowd who will quickly forget that their local club exists. If the long established, traditional American Major League Baseball took an attendance hit after their lockout, you can imagine how the 5th place professional league would suffer. In addition, newcomers Philadelphia Union and the revamped New York Red Bulls (with their new park) may see their massive investments and any momentum lost for good.

On the other side of the table, the players are fighting to gain some respectability and clout especially in the areas of wages and control over their movement within MLS. The league's players for the most part are not making a fair wage in comparison with their International counterparts and their restricted movement due to the league's single entity ownership is definitely unfair but is a remaining after-effect of the league's fear of an NASL spend-crazy meltdown. There is definitely wiggle room in this area but since FIFA officials decided to stay out of the league's labour affairs, the player's union doesn't seem to have much in the way of support.

The stars of the league have much less to worry about in the event of a season disruption. Their wages are somewhat in line with what they could make elsewhere and the DP situation seems to be working, if not a little under utilized. However, the majority of the players deserve more money and an increase to the league's salary cap would help. Sadly for about 60 - 70% of the players, there are few options for them in other leagues and MLS knows this and will bargain against it. The point where some of the league's "star" players may get their noses out of joint is when their lack of play starts to affect their chances of being picked to go this summer's World Cup.

That very World Cup in South Africa is one of the biggest potential missed opportunities for MLS in the event of a lockout. Whenever the World Cup is played, interest in the game soars briefly in the USA. It is a once every four years chance for MLS to capitalize on "soccer fever" - missing 2010 puts the league way back for the next half decade. Even if there is a short lockout, the league's plans to halt play during the World Cup may have to be ditched in order to make-up lost time on the schedule. MLS must think hard whether this opportunity and the other momentum the league had managed to create is worth the risk to continuing the status quo financial growth of the league. Finding this balance is Don Garber's biggest challenge as MLS Commissioner.

There is a fear in some circles that MLS and the players are getting too big for their britches in seeing themselves as a "major league" in comparison to the NFL, NBA or MLB. Make no mistake, as much as supporters love the league, it is not on par with those established leagues and a serious lockout could be a major blow - if not a fatal one. MLS has been North America's best run football league and has provided the continent's fans their best shot at a "real" football league. After so much groundwork it would be horrible to have to see a new league rise from its ashes - likely run by more Nike-esque "soccer clowns". Unless the English Premier League is looking to do a reverse World League of American Football with an EPL USA, football supporters in North America should hope that cooler heads prevail. And sooner.... rather than later.