Sepp Blatter has gotten himself in hot water for recent comments, but the FIFA president steered clear of controversy when talking about Major League Soccer.
In an interview with Fox Soccer, Blatter addressed the MLS schedule, maintaining his position that it would be better if the league aligned itself with the European calendar as opposed to continuing the March-to-November schedule.
"If (U.S. Soccer) has the courage to change, they will do it," Blatter said in an interview that will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel during the week. "But they need some time to change that – to adapt to the international calendar. It means to the European calendar. It would be better for U.S. Soccer, and specifically also for the [United States] national team. And the popularity inside the country."
Prior to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, MLS officials appeared more open to the idea of shifting to the European calendar as a concession to having the United States secure hosting rights for the 2022 event, but that was before FIFA gave the hosting rights to Qatar. No radical change to an August-to-May schedule appears imminent, even though Blatter says that MLS is heading toward that direction.
Here are a couple of more items to get your Tuesday going:
TWELLMAN REPLACES HARKES IN TV BOOTH
There will be a noticeable change during MLS and U.S. Soccer television broadcasts next year.
Former New England Revolution and national team striker Taylor Twellman will reportedly replace John Harkes in the ESPN TV booth for MLS and U.S. national team games, taking his seat alongside lead play-by-play voice Ian Darke.
Twellman was the color commentator for Philadelphia Union games this past season and has done studio work with ESPN for MLS and U.S. games. The oft-criticized Harkes, meanwhile, did not have his contract renewed by the network.
ANELKA LINKED WITH CHINESE CLUB
Well-traveled Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is a name frequently linked with MLS teams as a potential Designated Player signing, but he reportedly has interest from the other side of the world as well.
Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua is looking to sign Anelka during the winter transfer window for a reported £9.17 million salary, according to The Guardian, something that would likely price him out of MLS range.
The 32-year-old Anelka's contract with Chelsea expires this summer, when he will become a free agent and therefore a more attractive signing for MLS teams, who wouldn't have to pay a transfer fee for his services.
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Do you think MLS should align itself with the European calendar? Think Twellman is a better choice for the TV booth for MLS and U.S. games? Would you want your MLS team to sign Anelka?
Share your thoughts below.
Good thoughts. I don’t know that I agree. I think the MLS maximizes its potential by securing the best crowds during the regular season, rather than in the play-offs.
Fall regular season would compete with NCAA football on saturday and NFL on Sunday – assuming day games on weekends. Fall play-offs can be played mid-week at night to avoid those conflicts.
There is no right or wrong answer, though, in my opinion. What I think is more important is creating a regular schedule. . . i.e. saturdays at 3, or 8 or whatever, instead of friday night one week, thursday another, saturday afternoon, then sunday. I see no regularlity to the MLS schedule – at least via tv
They should get Bob Bradley to do the color commentary once he’s done with Egypt.
+1
ESPN has done well. But does the network think people won’t tune in unless an ex-U.S. national player or MLS player isn’t in the booth? There was an opportunity here for a better upgrade, but the idea of having two English commentators calling games probably won’t fly at ESPN. Lalas, at least, would have been a better choice to replace Harkes as analyst but Twellman is still an improvement.
If it’s Eastern standard time, you lose the Hawaii market.
Unless our soccer specific stadiums were already built with roofs, there’s no way I could see MLS surviving a winter schedule.
I can wrok with a winter break. end the first half of the season right before NFL playoffs start right back up after the superbowl. But we need teams controlling their venues in order before making any drastic changes. Once all MLS teams are in their own stadia i can see them giving it a go
+1.
Right now, MLS chooses to start its season when there isn’t a lot of competition — only NBA and NHL….as their seasons are winding down., and while baseball is just preparing to start its season The hope is, I suppose, that this builds some momentum for the league — that starting in late August/early Sept. means getting lost in the hype about the new NFL season. Unfortunately, it also means that no one notices the MLS playoffs — and I don’t think people get charged up about the start of the MLS season.
I could make a decent argument that MLS might benefit by starting when the football season starts — sort of synergistic. More to the point, having the playoffs when people aren’t paying attention to baseball yet and football is in hibernation would be the way to build up the most interest in the league. I’m sure Blatter doesn’t have a clue about this, but it’s not a totally stupid reasoning.
Why do we have to pick among annoying former-nat’l team members as our commentators? can we think bigger? What about someone like Steve Nicol?
MLS scheduling is difficult no doubt. The US has so many other sporting options – live and televised with longer histories and presumably greater audiences.
I would like to offer a suggestion to MLS. The first MLS game should be on a Sunday afternoon, the day after the saturday of the NCAA basketball semifinals. What else is going on that day? It also starts the MLS season just before MLB, who I think has a traditional start later that week.
For 2012, the NCA final 4 is on 3/31 and the final on 4/2. MLB plays in Japan on 3/28, but stateside on 4/4.
Opening day for MLS, Sunday 4/1/12. Don Garber: I require no payment for this imminently reasonable suggestion – but I would like a free Fire jersey.
I guess I don’t understand the criticism of Harkes. I really don’t. I don’t think he was awesome or anything but he did a fine job.
Twellman, on the other hand, is a buffoon. Total frat boy meathead with zero soccer intelligence — in fact, most of comments are downright embarrassing. “Awesome!” Macca has to be wondering why he’s sitting in the same room as this
It’s not a good thing when a poor commentator is replaced by an even poorer one.
Correct me if i’m wrong, but doesn’t Russia have a modified schedule as well? I thought Russia’s league schedule was actually similar to MLS’ in a lot of ways. If that’s true (again, correct me if it’s not but I thought it was at one point anyways) then why isn’t Sepp getting on them as well?
Furthermore, I fail to see the point of switch over the league to a winter schedule like that. It would hurt attendence as people have pointed out (not because of the NBA at the moment of course) because of football alone. Another thing to think about is for a team like the Revs, who already share their stadium with the Patriots. Do you really think the Krafts are going to give the Revs more attention than they do now WHILE the Pats are in season? If anything, the Revs might have to play at some obscure times just to fit around the Patriot’s schedule.
i, for one, will now be hitting the mute button even faster.
I hope Anelka goes to Montreal.
Now we just need to get rid of Craig James.
While I think starting the MLS season when the NFL is starting doesn’t seem like a recipe for success, what your’e suggesting is not a big consideration. Right now, the Crew are playing games into mid-late October. If they have playoff games, then possibly even into November. Changing the season wouldn’t make a huge difference in terms of opportunities for conflict.
Actually, on this point, it might even be better, since the playoffs would no longer occur deep into football season. People might even notice what’s going on in the MLS playoffs.
England is always cancelling loads of matches during the winter months. Wouldn’t it make more sense for the rest of Europe to join MLS and the Scandinavian countries in a Spring-Autumn schedule?
If its so important to be on the European calendar, why isn’t he bemoaning the schedule of Japan’s J-League and Brazil’s Serie A? Both are respected leagues in their region that run April-December and I don’t see him complaining about them…
winter break winter break winter br… oh i give up.
ook but you also have to realize that those country’s actually have a football following. do we have enough fans here to allow a month break? naaaa. plus imagine the nfl guys laughing at the wussy soccer players for taking a break. def not a no brainier. euro doosh
Many leagues from that part of the world play the Spring-Fall schedule, not just Sweden. They have to. But the United States isn’t a Northern European country, we do have the ability to schedule games in warm places in the winter months.
would that be tuesday mornings, eastern standard time or pacific?
a) there would be a winter break, b) you dont have to schedule the February match in Chicago, that can be a Fire road game somewhere warm, most MLS teams only play around 2 home (league) games a month as it is. c) I’d rather the games played in crap weather be in the middle of the season, not in the playoffs.
Yeah – when your showpiece game is up against the NFL but actually draws half the audience of a tape-delayed EPL game then there is obviously no case for change.
Come on guys.
The current schedule puts MLS’s ‘business’ end of the season right up against the NFL and college football. The top two sports in the United States.
As for winter: Ever been to Eastern Europe at that time of year? Seriously guys, how do you think soccer has been played for the past century in country’s like Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania etc that have some pretty brutal winters?
Clue: the European calendar contains a winter break. In most of Eastern Europe they don’t play from late Nov to mid-Feb.
So you could easily have an MLS season that ran from Aug to the end of November, broke for December and Jan and returned in mid-Feb. You can play around with the schedule to make sure you don’t play in Vancouver in the coldest weeks before and after the break.
Yes, you might still get a few games in icy conditions – but crow a pair and put on a hat and scarf.
The great benefit of the international calendar is that you could have your playoffs well away from the NFL and college football in early summertime. The only risk is running against the NBA Finals but that could be avoided with some careful planning.
Just because Blatter says it doesn’t automatically mean it is wrong.
Its actually a no-brainer.
sigh… there would be a WINTER BREAK.
THINK please.
Blatter’s world: no corruption, no racism, no winter in the U.S.
Harkes added nothing to ESPN broadcasts. He is all stock phrases and obvious description, with zero analysis or insight. Why is ESPN afraid to go with a seasoned analyst to pair with Ian Darke?
MLS competes with all those sports now….so….what would be different exactly? Anywhere you put the MLS season, you are competing with something. The only way to avoid competing with other sports is to have games on tuesday mornings on alternate months.
hey seppy. as soon as you fork over a few billion of that bribe money you and other FIFA officials got from Qatar for 2022 and that you are going to get from all of the kickback construction contracts we will be more than happy to build retractable roof stadiums for our northern/harsh winter weather teams so we can fulfill your dream of MLS playing Aug-May.
Does there exist a more corrupt, inept leader in the world? Thank God he only runs a sports federation and not a country.
I honestly believe that Sepp Blatter has some sort of learning disability.
Blatter is an IDIOT and the sooner he goes the better FIFA will be. From his tolerance to the corruption rampant in FIFA, to the “look the other way and give a good handshake: as a response to racism, the man is an embarrassment.
He knows nothing about American sports. That the MLS got successful was because they chose the better weather season for the MLS. Imagine if fans on the Eastern seaboard had to watch and players had to play during the wintertime. You think Columbus would pull in 5000 fans in the dead of winter? Or how about New England during a blizzard. The NFL doesn’t play past January and for a GOOD reason. and then there is a competition with College Football, NFL football and NBA and NHL basketball for fan attention and more importantly sports dollars and media support.
Playing the schedule as it is, we come up against BASEBALL and the tail end of basketball and hockey, ad the front end of the NFl and college football.
No, the people in the MLS are way more intelligent than FIFA in getting the sport to grow in the US. They would be well to follow our lead in other matters too, as AMERICANS KNOW PRO SPORTS!
The European pro sports mentality is totally focused on one sport, with a few popular large events held usually outside the European Football season. like the Olympics and the Tour de France. The US has 5 major sports leagues with television contract and an already embedded media mentality ad I wont even go into college sports.
NO. Blatter is REALLY NAIVE when it comes to international sports. and even world events.
The sooner he goes, the better.
Why is this guy President? God he’s an idiot.
Aren’t the crew already at like 50 on a normal day. But yeah we get your point it would hurt the attendance.
I think it’s only the UK and Spain that play the full Aug-May period; both the Bundesliga and Serie A take a 4 week break in January. Blatter really is clueless when it comes to soccer outside the EU.
Perfect example, what if by some outrageous error, the MLS scheduled a saturday game for the Crew at home, when Ohio State had a home football game.
My guess at attendance in Columbus:
Crew stadium – 17
OSU – 90,000+
I’m with you, and I’ve known quite a few people that have known him; while I was shocked when the Wynalda news came out, I certainly wasn’t surprised.
I completely agree KBK. Competing with those other more entrenched US sports would diminish the potential for the casual soccer fan to watch MLS.
I would go further and add that not only would the MLS compete with those other sports for the general sports fan, if the MLS moved to a European calendar, it would possibly lose fans to televised games for Euro leagues.
Come on wimps it just takes some courage to change the schedule. Duh, it is so easy.
(satired for your pleasure)
That would be the Southern European schedule that you and Seth are referring to. Apparently courage is in short supply in the Nordic countries of Europe also or else they would play in the winter. Or maybe Seth is just a racist and doesn’t think of those from Nordic countries as real Europeans. Maybe he should go up there and shake some hands and get rid of racism.
“In 1959, Swedish football changed from autumn-spring to spring-autumn seasons.”
I always had a hard time with Harkes because I did not respect him as a player. Add in the fact that he was “with” Wynalda’s wife, just soured me even more. I love the fact that he is gone and optimistic with Twellman. He does seem to annoy me a little but I will give him a chance. I would love to see Wynalda back on ESPN.
As for going to Euro schedule: IF there’s a will, there’s a way. MLS has shown with the new unbalanced schedule that it doesn’t mind doing things a bit differently (taking a winter break like the German/Scandinavian leagues, or having road trips to warmer climate locales, perhaps).
Although I don’t agree with everything he says, you should do yourself a favor and listen to Eric Wynalda on this podcast explaining the need to go to the Int’l calendar.
http://www.beyondthepitch.net/podcasts/edition/index.cfm/beyond-the-pitch/2011/10/31/eric-wynalda/
i’m betting NBC snatches Harkes up.
Agreed, there is no way around this issue, at least in the foreseeable future. If Blatter knew what he was talking about half the time, he wouldn’t have his neck on the chopping block.
Ditto what everyone else is saying about winter soccer in America – the weather + competition with other sports would be miserable.
Re: Twellman, I like him enough, but seems like a lateral move from Harkes. They both seem to spend the whole game criticizing what the coach and players are doing wrong. Sometimes it’s educational, usually it sounds like negative complaining.
Thank you god, Harkes(y) is finally gone. I might actually be able to watch the ESPN games with the sound on now. Where does Harkes go? I imagine there might be a little friction in the FSC studio considering his history with Wynalda (and I take Wynalda in that fight any day of the week).
As I’ve mentioned in a couple other posts prior, I think I’m the only one that actually liked Harkes. What I’ve seen of Twellman has been nothing but whining…twice as bad as Harkes…and isn’t that what people didn’t like about Harkes?
The European schedule (August – May) won’t work in the US/Canada for one simple reason: we have brutal winters. Try playing soccer in February in Toronto, NY, Chicago, New England et. — it won’t work. FIFA is way too eurocentric…
Take Sepp to a Patriots game in January and then ask him to explain why MLS should play August to May.
I think you have a typo in the Anelka story. If he’s really willing to play for 9 pounds and 17 pence, I’d like to sign him for my men’s rec league team.
Hey Harkesy, BYE BYE!!!!!
“And the popularity inside the country.” Blatter is absolutely on another universe. The MLS competing with the NFL, NCAAF, NHL, NCAAB, & the NBA would result in a Decrease in popularity.