MLS Grandfathers Retain Pipe & Slippers for 2008

Part of this whole Designated Player dealy is that “normal” players (ie non-DP players) cannot earn more than $400,000 per season. Most of them don’t come even close to that, but certain players - Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, Carlos Ruiz for example - do, and so were “grandfathered” in for the 2007 season and granted exceptions, on the basis that they were earning their big salaries before the DP rule came into effect in November 2006.. The plan was for the exception to end in 2008, but the MLS Board of Governers voted on Friday to allow all the grandfathered players to retain their non-DP status for 2008.

This means no hasty trading by LA Galaxy, who already have one DP (named Beckham or something?) and would have had to either trade Donovan or trade with another team to gain a second DP slot.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Donovan told SI.com Friday night. “Neither Dallas, Kansas City nor the Galaxy should be punished for getting players early [before the DP rule was passed] and then suddenly having the rule put them at a disadvantage. Other teams might have different opinions, though.”

Have to agree with Landycakes here. The whole DP thing has raised awareness but hasn’t exactly been an unqualified success (Beckham’s injury, no DPs in MLS Cup Final, Denilson’s woeful performances for Dallas.) This ruling at least allows the clubs who gambled on getting a DP some more breathing room, instead of forcing them to tear off important parts of the team - and key players in the short history of MLS - just to accommodate one superstar DP.

Category: MLS, World Football

Tags: Carlos Ruiz, Designated Player, Eddie Johnson, Landon Donovan, MLS, World Football, World Soccer

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