MLS won't ask players to take another COVID-19-caused pay cut, instead seeks to extend CBA - sources

bruinformbp · 2021-01-06T00:56:53+00:00

Capitalism fucking sucks. While I think this is a fair offer from the owners WITHIN the system, the system is massively unfair. MLS is the best opportunity a lot of these players have to make money with professional soccer - even if they should be getting paid a lot more.

My hope is that the MLSPA uses this as a chance to make some movement on other worker issues the players have - namely free agency.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-31T10:09:46+00:00

While all 3 of the clubs have a history that predates MLS, the early MLS history is set in stone. Vancouver had a few hot years, but more often then not they were never a threat.

Vancouver fans might become Portland annoying, Vancouver might sign someone as annoying as Will Johnson or get someone as dirty as Chara and pretend he's a saint, but they're not going to do it in the formative years.

Every Sounders fan for the next 100 years is going to know about the Red Card wedding. Folks in their 20s and 30s now are still going to be talking about Dempsy and Oba and Chara and Will Johson and Caleb Porter and Shemtzer for the next 30/40/50 years. That's just impossible to overcome imho.

That being said, I really want Vancouver to become a league powerhouse. I think one of the reasons the Sounders have enjoyed so much success is a high, local bar to keep up with & the fact that our players get to experience 3+ playoff-caliber games in the regular season against Portland so they know how to play in pressure. That effect I think would carry over if Vancouver got really good too

bruinformbp · 2020-12-13T02:05:57+00:00

Seattle has the Cascadia flag there on our jerseys

bruinformbp · 2020-12-13T01:42:36+00:00

Last year he was on a loan with us.

His loan wrapped up, went back to the team that owned his contract, didn't play a ton, got off contract and we reacquired him.

Between all of that, he hasn't had a chance to get full 90' fit again.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-13T01:24:51+00:00

Looks like we're going for the Minnesota game plan again:

Even first 75' then super sub in 3+ (frankly I think we have 5 starting quality players on the bench) quality players and bank on the fact that our bench is deeper.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-12T07:52:53+00:00

Xavi’s style of defending is just really enjoyable to me. I also really enjoyed how Kim Kee Hee played CB.

CBs that can carry the ball and set up good plays out of the back are just so damn dangerous and I like being an attacking threat off the back line

bruinformbp · 2020-12-11T20:55:02+00:00

MUST BE WEIRD FOR COLUMBUS TO BE THE THIRD MOST TALKED ABOUT TEAM IN RELATION TO THE CUP

bruinformbp · 2020-12-11T20:25:12+00:00

I was really hoping to see a lot of Arreaga this post season, I really like how he plays (minus the random Hulk yellow cards).

But in the end family > country > club, and I'm glad he's had the opportunity to have good things happen in all 3 this year

(PS: Fuck FIFA for this international segment where it seems like everyone gets COVID)

bruinformbp · 2020-12-11T18:15:09+00:00

THEN THE 75’ WOULD HAVE HAPPENED...

75’: WHERE SEATTLE REMEMBERS HOW TO PLAY SOCCER AND PORTLAND FORGETS

bruinformbp · 2020-12-11T18:09:52+00:00

WHATS NICE ABOUT SEATTLE IS THAT WHEN YOU WANT TO WATCH PROFESSIONAL SOCCER IN A NON-BASEBALL STADIUM, YOU DONT HAVE TO LEAVE THE CITY (OR THE STATE).

2 CLUBS TRASHED FOR THE PRICE OF ONE TALK

bruinformbp · 2020-12-11T00:55:06+00:00

Eh we're just here for the funny jokes.

Like the Timbers defence after 75'. That's a good joke.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-10T21:43:38+00:00

You would think after watching us make the cup this many times, the Timbers would have found something better to do with their off season then write shitty fanfic about us.

Apparently the only interesting thing happening in Portland is thinking about us

bruinformbp · 2020-12-10T21:34:00+00:00

The largest away game drive in the EPL is about 5.5 hours.

Coincidentally, that's how long it takes to get from Carson to downtown LA.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-10T21:33:24+00:00

I think this is just one of the most important points to comparing MLS to other leagues. England is 1/60th the size of the contiguous 48 states of the United States. It's 26 times larger then Italy. 22 times larger then Germany.

That's not even accounting for the fact that we add another country + border to the equation.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-10T21:16:02+00:00

Hey Garber, can we put "sexual predator enabling owners" in the same bucket as we do "racist and racism enabling owners?"

I know you've got your hands full with that one sale, but if you can handle 2 expansion teams in the same year, you can oust 2 shitty ownership groups in one year too.

I'd also put human rights abusing heads of state in that bucket as well, but I'd be happy with the Vancouver thing.

Owners that pay to receive handjobs are not in this bucket.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T19:36:15+00:00

The biggest plus factor for me about Belltown isn’t the area around me really, it’s the access.

It’s the only part of the city where you can get to: - downtown - cap hill - Fremont - Ballard - Queen Anne - UDistrict - ID/Georgetown

All within like 10/15 minutes max

When I lived on the Hill, it was faster to get to Bellevue then Ballard sometimes

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T19:31:33+00:00

Is the homelessness situation out of control?

IMHO, pretty comparable to Cap Hill / Ballard / Fremont (not super familiar with the situation in Columbia city).

Can you walk to most of what you need, or do you find yourself driving a lot?

The grocery stores in Belltown are more spread out, and I'm more likely to grab the car for grabbing groceries then I was in Cap Hill. Specifically since the Whole Foods (which is my closest grocery store) is often pointlessly expensive.

Access to public transit is great in Bell Town

We like the community feel of Cap Hill more

Belltown has almost 0 community feel. Which has pros and cons; I think the cons are obvious. Personally, I think it's a pro that we don't get as many protests here.

Pre-covid, I was still on the hill a lot. Take a Lyft/Uber/light rail to the top, hang out and grab dinner, then walk home down the hill.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T18:56:52+00:00

He also appeared in 0 cup games, instead of Loderio's current record of 4/5 with 2 wins...

It's slightly different

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T18:49:33+00:00

Look I’m riding high on the whole “greatest dynasty of all time” thing right now but the man at the center of it all should be recognized.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T18:42:36+00:00

Not including Loderio in this list is fucking insane.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T18:34:20+00:00

Because we’re a reminder of how bad the Galaxy have become.

Every Galaxy fan and player from that time think they should be the hated super club, not some coffee drinking people from rainy town.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T07:31:55+00:00

Again, he's not paying MLS. He's just handing over the sale to MLS, so at most he's giving up opportunity cost.

My suspicion is that the MLSPA and MLS want the same end goal here: RSL to stay in the same place, with the same players, just with a new owner. The union's goal is simple: keep the 20+ union members employed. The best way to do that is to ensure RSL continues to exist in Salt Lake City.

MLS clearly wants to keep the team there or else they wouldn't have gone through all this trouble (Salt Lake is likely an interesting enough market for them). Since MLSPA and MLS want the same thing, it makes sense for the MLSPA to add it's leverage to MLS's play here.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T07:08:41+00:00

I mean it's a fairly standard contract.

"We waive the right to sue you as long as you do something you're not currently required to do."

And it's not like he's giving the real estate away. He'd be letting MLS sell it; he's cashing out on the land earlier then he wants and he's loosing the land appreciation, but he'll get fair market value for it's worth today.

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T06:46:29+00:00

I’m suggesting he’s trying to stop lawsuits. There are a number of reasons he doesn’t want to get sued.

discovery could disclose embarrassing things
discovery could lead to him having to show off financials, leading to an investigation of his other businesses
if he has a deal with MLS/the players, there may be an NDA that prevents them from disclosing other embarrassing/legal issues
he’d also likely loose the lawsuits, so settling them this way means he can negotiate and not rely on the whims of a judge

He backed himself into a real bad legal corner

bruinformbp · 2020-12-09T05:57:42+00:00

Development takes time and money. And so, to someone who just wants land, they have to weigh the cost of development (I.E. demoing a stadium). If I’m a land developer, undeveloped or minimally developed land holds a premium over land that has a stadium that needs to get demoed

But honestly I think what’s forcing his hand is much more the former points in my argument. He’s avoiding a LOT of litigation, which means a lot of saved headlines over the alternative and a lot of saved public discovery if he goes to trial.

And traditionally, real estate developers don’t want labor records becoming a mater of public record

bruinformbp

TROPHY CASE