Donovan Not yer Avg Loaner Slopehead

[pettyfog]

As seen in USAToday/AP- Donovan: MLS agreement came together quickly

Landon Donovan says negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement in Major League Soccer went quickly once the league's officials understood the rationale behind the players' positions.

"The overall tone was that if things were unfair, they made concessions immediately," the Los Angeles Galaxy star said Sunday. "When we explained things or explained situations, and when they could see that they didn't make sense or were unfair, they made concessions.

"When we saw that, we knew that there was going to be a deal done."

Donovan, a member of the union's executive board, attended the meetings in Washington, D.C. with the Galaxy's two other player representatives, Chris Klein and Todd Dunivant.

Despite only attending IMG Academy, never college, the guy's no fool.

 

[MLS is not quite EPL]

Despite only attending IMG Academy, never college, the guy's no fool.

Sadly he's one of few, then.

The players were apparently thinking that the reluctance of the MLS to move on some issues was due to greed, when it was in fact due to legal issues within our country (single entity/free agency). I only say this because of the "rights" arguments that kept coming up.

The MLS would offer more money, guaranteed contracts for many players, and other concessions but for awhile the players weren't budging as long as there was no free agency. In the 11th hour this weekend, a mediator helped them get the deal done. The terms appear to be exactly what the MLS was conceding in earlier negotiations, however.

Perhaps the mediator just better explained to the players why they can't have free agency just yet.

 

[davek]

Obama first African American president

Landon first ex-Everton player in the Oval office

 

[pettyfog]

Sadly he's one of few, then.

The players were apparently thinking that the reluctance of the MLS to move on some issues was due to greed, when it was in fact due to legal issues within our country (single entity/free agency). I only say this because of the "rights" arguments that kept coming up.

The MLS would offer more money, guaranteed contracts for many players, and other concessions but for awhile the players weren't budging as long as there was no free agency. In the 11th hour this weekend, a mediator helped them get the deal done. The terms appear to be exactly what the MLS was conceding in earlier negotiations, however.

Perhaps the mediator just better explained to the players why they can't have free agency just yet.

Yes, and no. The players set the bar high but all they wanted was some freedom against 'Locked' rights. The MLS never wanted it either, in fact they are -and always have been- very proactive in putting players where they want to play. The effect of a locker room cancer isnt lost on them.

So since the ownership group Employs them all, the pressure to move a misfitted player is always there.

Start with Paul Caligiuri numerous others interim, then McBride to Chicago.
A REAL germane instance was NY locking up Eric Brunner's rights to keep him from Columbus, though they didnt want to play OR pay him. It was eventually worked out.
He went to a better team, and began to play immediately.. so you can judge for yourself who was the villain.
Basically no one with real skills goes without playing for long.

 

[chicoazul]

He's defo Partisan Walton is Donovan.

IN YOUR EYE TX BILL.

 

[MLS is not quite EPL]

Start with Paul Caligiuri numerous others interim, then McBride to Chicago.
A REAL germane instance was NY locking up Eric Brunner's rights to keep him from Columbus, though they didnt want to play OR pay him. It was eventually worked out.
He went to a better team, and began to play immediately.. so you can judge for yourself who was the villain.
Basically no one with real skills goes without playing for long.

My point was the MLS & Don Garber were being painted as evil and treating the players unfairly in the name of greed when that wasn't the case.

Your Brunner story is a good example, as is the Kevin Hartmann story. Of course, all of these situations the players pointed to as problems have all been worked out. Even Hartmann was traded and got a contract.

Currently only ONE "starting-caliber" player in the MLS is not under contract AND handcuffed to a team that doesn't want him, and that's Vandenberg(sp) of Dallas FC. He's 33, and upon his contract expiring this last year, was seeking other suitors since Dallas wasn't planning on keeping him. Dallas holds his rights, and was entertaining offers. Granted the asking price was high, but arguably fair and easily attainable.

Two teams tendered offers to Vandenberg. Vandenberg didn't like the offers, turned both down, so now he has no team and no contract. He's complaining and wishes they had FA, but the reality is he had two job offers, and you're only worth what people are willing to pay. At this point it's hard to empathize with him when he had offers and declined them. Now he can sit home and not play and not earn a wage.

I think there should be some sort of free agency, but our legal system won't allow it under the way the league is set up. If the MLS allows free agency, the single-entity model is attacked and broken up by our legal system. Teams become independent. The league would hold no rights. Players would have their freedoms.

Then 14 MLS teams would go bankrupt and the league would fold. We know this because only Seattle & Toronto turned profits last year.

I'm not on the MLS side here; i'm just for soccer in this country. the league is too infantile to worry about independent clubs & free agency. the players are wanting more than we can offer at this time, at the risk of the league folding. baby steps.

 

[pettyfog]

Well, we're saying the same thing from a little different angle.

someone wrote the other day that MLs needs to do more to keep the MLSPA in the loop.

ALL teams cant be like Columbus where a journeyman will take a cut to Walmart wages rather than move back 'home' and for almost certain play in the A-League {Duncan Oughton - NZ} And hold the allegiance of 'Surfer Dudes'.
GBS got sniffs from other clubs when his contract ran out... guess what he told 'em!

We need the 'Hunt Club Loyalty' spread around and/or guys like Brian Bliss who have been around long time and can relate to both sides.

 

[davek]

These modern American players are losing touch. Years ago fans could get on a tram to the match with Pele, Bobby Moore and Rodney Marsh and share a cup of Bovril with them.

 

[pettyfog]

These modern American players are losing touch. Years ago fans could get on a tram to the match with Pele, Bobby Moore and Rodney Marsh and share a cup of Bovril with them.

That is COMPLETELY UNTRUE! Made up from whole cloth!


Read this:
I met almost the entire Arsenal squad in 1989

It takes a while to get to the meat..

The point of this mini personal history is actually MLS. Where I got to meet Hristo Stoichkov on the field at Soldier Field when I lived in Chicago. It was in Chicago at an MLS game where I made my way onto the back page of the Trib with Fire player Josh Wolff scoring the winner against the Wizards hurdling the advertising hoardings. It was here that I was able to purchase season tickets, and here that I feel like people are listening within the organizations. Its here that I could conceivably meet players, and here that I find myself hoping for success and trophies. MLS has given me the game back in many ways.

If MLS is to be as big as everybody hopes it can be, there may well come a time when ‘your team’ doesn’t feel like yours anymore, and people like Rob Heinemann might not bother telling anything to fans, and folk like Sam Pierron will cease to be necessary because the TV deals mean more than the fans do. Maybe as old folk you’ll talk about the good old days, when the Kansas City team were called the Wizards and played in a crappy baseball stadium in the middle of nowhere with fondness. You will maybe talk about how you used to bring your friends to games for free using unused tickets for prior games. Oh and that time that Kevin Hartman came to the bar after the game to watch the World Cup Qualifier and even bought drinks …..

so.. Hejduk, the International US RB goes out to drink with the fans pre-match.
- Telegraph.co.uk
He bought my {thirty-something} son a beer after another match.
I had Crew Starting Center Back sit with my son and me at a 'Meet the Players' happy hour.
McBride shot the [Poor language removed] with my son another time {after his Everton Loan} while both were waiting for their pizzas to come up. Fulham fans gush he did same with them, various stores, in London.

GBS revels in the fact he can go out shopping or to a restaurant with his family with those who recognize him just giving him a nod and a smile, rather than mobbing him for signing as when he was at Boca Jrs.

As long as fans give respect, the players will, too.

Get that? If fans dont act like teenie groupies, the players will be approachable!

 

[MLS is not quite EPL]

Well, we're saying the same thing from a little different angle.

 

[TX Bill]

Just glad we didn't strike.

I was worried about the ramifications if it had come to that (other than Donovan coming back to Everton.)

 

[thebes20]

Just glad we didn't strike.

I was worried about the ramifications if it had come to that (other than Donovan coming back to Everton.)

I had mixed emotions on that one. Only wanted them to strike so that Donovan could go back to Everton.

But in the long run, he did what was best for USA soccer. He put, what HE, might have wanted, and what might be best for HIM, aside. He did what was best for USA soccer, and for the MLS players that he supports. HE put his personal feelings aside. I admire him even more for that. He seems to have his priorities in order, and is one stand up guy. AND, one they obviously listen to, in that when he came back, the strike got resolved.

I believe him when he said, that he would only go back to Everton. And, I believe that WHEN, he goes back, and he will, it will not be the money. It will be about the team, the history and above all the fans. It will be Everton, no matter who is in the hunt.

I think that this recent development puts aside any thoughts that he might go to another EPL team. Period. And I do believe that he will not stay in the MLS for long. He has done his time and has supported the league. It is time for him to move on, and he, and every US fan knows it, and supports him.

He is the type of player that is everthing that Everton is about. COYB!

 

[thebes20]

Fairest Lord Landon - Bill Archer Blog - Soccer Blog - BigSoccer

 

[MLS is not quite EPL]

I had mixed emotions on that one. Only wanted them to strike so that Donovan could go back to Everton.

But in the long run, he did what was best for USA soccer. He put, what HE, might have wanted, and what might be best for HIM, aside. He did what was best for USA soccer, and for the MLS players that he supports. HE put his personal feelings aside. I admire him even more for that. He seems to have his priorities in order, and is one stand up guy. AND, one they obviously listen to, in that when he came back, the strike got resolved.

I believe him when he said, that he would only go back to Everton. And, I believe that WHEN, he goes back, and he will, it will not be the money. It will be about the team, the history and above all the fans. It will be Everton, no matter who is in the hunt.

I think that this recent development puts aside any thoughts that he might go to another EPL team. Period. And I do believe that he will not stay in the MLS for long. He has done his time and has supported the league. It is time for him to move on, and he, and every US fan knows it, and supports him.

He is the type of player that is everthing that Everton is about. COYB!

Awesome post, Thebes. Repped