"Any other friends we can buy, David? What's Solskjaer doing these days?"
MLS just got a whole lot sexier. They’re expanding the DP rule… Wait. What?
Oh, that’s Designated Player. Whatever. No wonder MLS has problems drumming up interest.
The Beckham rule, as it’s come to be known, is the league’s provision that allows a team to sign an expensive player, who might otherwise eat up the whole of that team’s salary cap. Regardless of actual salary, the Designated Player would only count $415,000 against the cap. Previously, teams had one Designated Player slot and could trade for another.
Now. through changes announced today, MLS teams have two DP slots (just like nature intended) and can purchase a third for $250,000. Under the new rules, both the first and the second DPs will count $335,000 against the cap. If a team purchases the third slot, that player will also count $335,000 against the cap.
So if a team fills up all three slots, they will have just over $1M against a cap that’s now at $2.55M.
From a statement released by Todd Durbin, who is listed on this website as Senior Vice President of Player Personnel (salt accordingly as Ivan Gazidis is still listed as the league’s Deputy Commissioner): “Expanding the designated player rule is another example of MLS’s commitment to providing top-level soccer for our fans.”
That’s a bit of a peculiar statement as there are only six DPs in the league: Beckham, Landon Donovan, Juan Pablo Angel, Freddie Ljungberg, Julian de Guzman, and Luis Angel Landin. Two of those players are in L.A. So it’s not as if there were players scattered across the league providing ‘top-level soccer.’ And if owners were clamoring for the change, their actions weren’t being reflected in their checkbooks.
In fact, in L.A. you could argue the opposite of ‘top-level soccer’ had been happening. With so much of the cap money tied up in Becks and Donovan the team had no money to surround them with nine other competent bodies (two seasons ago… last year the Galaxy played quite well). Last season, the Red Bulls, with Juan Pablo Angel, finished with a league low 21 points. And in 2007 FC Dallas ponied up for Denilson who was pretty much a waste of money in MLS.
We’re not poo-poo’ing the idea altogether. If a team wants to put three marquee names on the field and then cobble together a squad with what’s left. more power to them. We’re just more inclined to think this is going to have little-to-no impact in a league where most teams weren’t using their one DP to begin with.
Totally agree; if the DP rule is doing to make any impact, the salary cap has to be a lot more 5 million.
*a lot more LIKE 5 million
Donovan isn’t a DP. He’s a one-time special case. not all of his salary counts against the cap, but he is not technically a DP. He doesn’t take up one of the slots.
You sure, TSE? Wikipedia says you’re wrong.
That change was made today. I stand corrected. Until this announcement, he wasn’t a DP. But according to the Kansas City Star:
“The slots are no longer tradeable. And, Landon Donovan now counts as a DP for the Galaxy. Which is beyond amazing.”
I apologize.
Yeah well, I’m afraid “sorry” doesn’t cut it with this Pope.
Ooh, whaddya gonna do, excommunicate him?
@Anon: Nope. They’ll make me watch Arsenal and Liverpool on a nonstop loop.
Pretty good chance I make a pedophilia joke if this keeps going.
In which case, Georger, Crow T. Robot would have to change into PedoBear.
In other news, Aussie Rules football is one of the strangest sports I’ve ever seen. Part soccer, part rugby, part volleyball, part Australian insanity.
Stranger than hurling?
No love for the MLS doubleheader, eh?
It’s bizarre to hear Adrian Healey commenting on MLS.
No love for the MLS doubleheader, eh?
That would be a deafening “no.”
Hey, Edson Buddle’s not a totally useless lump after all.
Although his goal celebration does need work.
Klestjan is a c**t of the highest degree. No skill, dirty, and petulant as hell.
Klestjan is a c**t of the highest degree. No skill, dirty, and petulant as hell.
I guess you missed the paean to Klestjan by the commentators before the match started?
I did miss it. Started watching in 13th because I thought game started at 11:30.
Aaaaand Santos takes a ride on the lollerskates right in front of an open net.
…allowing Buddle to kill it off shortly after.
Anyone know how much D.C. United sucks this year? I’m going to see them on Saturday, and want to prepare myself. :P
[...] be able to trade their DP spots and in order to acquire a third, they have to pay $250,000. As Unprofessional Foul points out, all this means that a team that decides to go all-out with three DPs will have $1 [...]
They suck pretty hard, at least from what I’ve read on Steve Goff’s site.
Anyone catch Adrian Healey toward the tail end of the Houston-RSL match last night? Talking about the World Cup, he said something like, “Will Rooney be fit for England? Will Ching be fit for the US?”
Ryan, I caught that….and then dozed off, but I thought it was f**king hilarious
They suck pretty hard, at least from what I’ve read on Steve Goff’s site.
Sweet. I’m in for a treat, then.
At least I’m going with an attractive female, though.