Apologies for my sporadic appearances here, but Jim, Ally, and Todd have been knocking it out of the park while I've been on Blackhawks duty.  Anyway, got some time now as there's something that we haven't addressed yet.

I won't pretend to be the biggest MLS fan around.  I hardly watch during the regular season as A) after the long European season one needs a break and B) a lot of MLS regular season play is about as entertaining as drinking non-alcoholic beer.  That doesn't mean I'm not happy to have it around, and enjoy getting to see live footy whenever I feel the need.  The benefits for the game here in the US and the national team are obvious for everyone to see. 

It is with great shock that I watch what would be close to suicide for the league that they might try and act like their American sports brethren and have a work stoppage.  I won't pretend to know the ins-and-out of all the discussion points, though I do know the players want far more freedom in the league than they have now.  As for these specific issues, I don't think the league is strong enough to let the clubs act totally independently at the moment.  Maybe they are with MLS's strict salary cap in place, but I wonder how a team like Kansas City would attract anyone to play there if they can just as easily choose to play in Seattle or LA, which are far better atmospheres.  Surely there's a compromise to be found.

To the bigger picture, MLS is delusional to the point of getting kicked out of Pink Floyd if they think anyone is really going to miss them.  Unlike all the other sports, there are better leagues that we can watch if MLS isn't around.  "What, no April match between Chicago and Columbus?  Guess I'll just watch Arsenal-Spurs, then."  Oh, and there's the little matter of a World Cup coming up.  Footy fans will not starve for soccer to watch.  Sure, fans will miss going to games live.  But far more will barely notice when they're gone, and probably still when the players return to action.  And then what good will all that freedom of movement be when no club has any money to reward players for it? 

While I don't doubt the players' grievances are real and fair, they simply need to see the whole frame here.  Though the MLS might be a little...what's the word...fascist when it comes to running a league, it is providing a platform for a lot of these guys that they simply wouldn't get anywhere else.  Unless they want to toil in the Costa Rican league or some Central American backwater, where they'd probably make about the same money.  Wise up.