Comments about ‘Major League Soccer players vote to strike if no deal by March 25’

If the players strike, its over for MLS and RSL. I will never renew my 6 front row season tickets. Lets see if the payers like getting paid by a league that has folded. Wait, they won't.

Greedy players.

Please get this worked out! The league will have a very hard time if there is a strike. It is time for the owners to give some ground here. They have been manipulative and deceptive through this whole thing. I hope to be sitting in my seat on April 10.

First of all, I am a season ticket holder--3 years and counting--and I do want the season to start on time. Having said that, this is very smart on the Union's part. The current system (single entity, etc.) was useful at one time, and may still play a part, but not as the league is proposing. The players being fully united and stating as much in a promised strike if no deal is reached...this is a very strong move that will certainly produce concessions from the league. I think the league will do everything possible to protect the investments of its owners group. The short term damage of having players strike is worth averting in exchange for the long term loss of absolute control over players and teams.

Here's to them working things out by March 23rd before midnight. I expect our first game on the 10th to be played as planned. Go RSL...defend your cup well!

Let's all hope this is worked out soon.

RSL released two of it's draft picks Justin Davis and Kris Banghart yet still retains their rights through the end of the 2011 season. That's the problem. Now they, or any other player who is released before the end of his contract, can't join a new team unless that team negotiates with the team who released them. No free agency is the big issue for the players. If a team decides to release a player why should the team who released them benefit when they sign with a new team? That sounds more like ownership having their cake and eating it, too. I blame ownership in this situation.

Agree with rideacruiser this was a smart move by the player's union and showed unity.
Both sides need to give and take, a strike would be too costly for a young league especially in a world cup year.

$88,000 a year is going to lead to a strike? These guys are livin' every boy's dream - they get paid good money to play a game. Kinda hard to feel sorry for them. There are a whole lotta people out there who don't make nearly as much.

So what. It's not like it's a real sport anyway. Go ahead and strike.

The popularity of MLS in my opinion is rather fragile. I think a strike would be a HUGE blow to the league. They better avoid it if they like their jobs....
I won't be going to any RSL games this year if they strike. I really won't.

trollin', are we?

...towards the players not the owners if the players strike. The timing could not be worse and the players will be seen as a bunch of greedy ingrates. Whether that is true or not is of little consequence. This country is going through the worst economic situation that most of us have ever seen. There are tens of millions unemployed and every week about a 1/2 million more apply for unemployment benefits. The bottom half of the league are the ones that will suffer most if they do strike. Those players are not at the skill or notoriety level that would allow them to sign with anyone else. They have not been well paid and thus need to keep getting a pay check. What other jobs will they find right now? What other skills do they have? A strike would be a horrible decision in the current economic climate and few will feel any sympathy for the players at all.

Hopefully all of the players got their college degrees, because if there's a strike a doubt the league will survive. They'll have to find another place to get $88k a year (or more). Hope they aren't being led down a path to their own destruction by greedy union bosses.

Looks like MLS players are no smarter than players from other sports. The last sports strike almost killed the NHL.

Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs hoping for more gold.

for hockey and baseball, why not? You're a solid enough league You have so many fans that attend your games and want to see "that one guy" or "old what's his name" kick a touchdown! Oh oops, I must be one of those guys who doesn't care!

I hope they both agree to arbitration.
I do think a strike would be disatrous. The players should just extend the agreement until at least after the World Cup.
The players have a great point that once someone is waived they should be allowed to sign wherever they want. The league has a great point that they need to be a single entity structure. A fair compramise would be something that makes players more like free agents if they are cut but still has players sign with the league instead of each team. It is a good idea by the league to not have teams outbidding each other for players but they need to let players move wherever when their team cuts them.
I do think the teams should hold the players rights that are bought from other teams (like Europe) since they made them stars.
I think the league should go back to 28 players per team, and guarantee contracts from 3 months. That way when a team like Houston signs a DP and he is a lazy worthless signing it doesn't ruin them.

I'm just happy to finally get some news about what is happening!

Are you disappointed you weren't the first troll here?

Players do need more rights, but people use your brains. $88,000 is decent, but you have to remember they can only play soccer for so many years. It isn't like a career where you can work until you retire old. They will only last as long as their age allows them to.

Unions are stupid, and I stay away from them like the plague. They don't care about who they represent because that is who they hurt the most in these strikes. The union leaders make the bucks while the players strike and make nothing

Let's see, just about every team is losing money and the players want to remove restrictions so they can be paid more. Think Real Madrid, though on a much, much smaller scale...then think Portsmith because that's what will happen to the league if player salaries are increased.

Players strike and the fragile popularity of MLS will take a severe blow that will take years to recover if the league is still around. Give the players what they want and the teams will bankrupt themselves meeting player demands.

Here's an idea, players/owners do what's best for soccer in America. Give us fans (those who pay the bills) what we want!

I think the players have a few minor points (like if your cut you should be a free agent). However, most teams in MLS are still not making money. The players trying to put a system in place that will drive salaries through the roof is insane. It is pure greed and it would ruin the new league. If the league and owners were making big money it would be different. It's a recession and your business is losing money. Not the time to go on strike for the big money.

There may be financial ruin if there is a strike, but the owners know there will be financial ruin if they agree to the players. Remember the NASL. They had unrestricted free agency. How did that work out?