MLS takes another step towards credibility

By: Bob | October 11th, 2006

Did you know that major league soccer has been around for 10 years now in the United States? Not too many people outside of the diehards in the country and those living in MLS cities would likely to be able to guess the league’s age. One reason the league has survived a decade is because of the willingness of a few uber rich men to lose super amounts of money to make professional soccer work in the country.

One of those men has been Phil Anschutz, the owner of a telephone company, movie chain and presumably the very air we breathe. The Anschutz Entertainment Group at one point owned six MLS teams at one time. Can you imagine one guy owning six Premiership teams? I mean, other than the six teams worth of players Roman Abramovich has bought up at Chelsea.

While Anschutz’s deep pockets have been critical to keep the league afloat, the mere fact that one guy could own multiple teams in a league doesn’t do much to lend credibility to the league’s competitive product. Nor does the single entity structure that gives the league negotiating powers with players and goes a long ways towards deciding which players end up where.

The single entity structure is not going anywhere soon, but things are moving in the right direction. There are reports that Anschutz’s group will be selling DC United to an investment group in the coming weeks for $33 million. That will leave Anschutz with control of three of the league’s 13 teams, which is precisely two too many.

The fact that MLS continues to attract new investors is a healthy sign both financially and with the product that is put out on the field. More owners means more competition and competition is really the name of the game, isn’t it?

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Category: MLS

Tags: DC United, Major League Soccer, MLS, Phil Anschutz

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• blueblood58 |  October 11th, 2006 at 11:26 am

  
  
  

  Well Bob

  Perhaps Roman should buy ENGLAND!! Croatia have scored and England are losing 1-0 LOL LOL LOL

  Well what do you expect with a 3-5-2 DEFENSIVE formation!!!

  Posted from United States

  

• Carlos |  October 11th, 2006 at 11:29 am

  
  
  

  Well, in Mexico, with a long history of football playing and an arguably decent league it’s just accepted nowdays that nothing will change the fact that Media Behemoth Televisa owns 3 teams (America, Necaxa and San Luis).

  FIFA hasn’t said a word about it, and it seems the other club owners don’t mind it.

  Posted from United States

  

• blueblood58 |  October 11th, 2006 at 11:30 am

  
  
  

  Bob
  Make that 2-0 to Croatia. Your mission should you accept it is too get to YOUTUBE as soon as you can to collect footage of Gary Neville passing back to Paul Robinson (England’s GK) and Robinson completely missing his kick and the ball going in the net!!!

  BTW thanks to a bobble which can clearly be seen!!!!

  Posted from United States

  

• blueblood58 |  October 11th, 2006 at 11:56 am

  
  
  

  England lost 2-0 and The Shev (Andriy Shevchenko) scored a 90th minute penalty for the Ukraine against Scotland which made it 2-0.
  Hey a goal is a goal folks LOL!!!!

  COME ON THE SHEV

  Posted from United States

  

• blueblood58 |  October 11th, 2006 at 12:30 pm

  
  
  

  Michael Ballack has scored for Germany against Slovkia in Bratislava. Germany are winning 3-0

  COME ON CHELSEA!!

  Posted from United States

  

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