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Sunday, June 05, 2005

Leiweke dreaming big for MLS 

Today, the LA Times has an interesting article that suggests AEG is getting antsy and looking to move MLS away from an operating plan that emphasizes gradual growth and towards a more competitive, risky one.

Apparently, there's a meeting at Hank Scorpio's lair Philip Anschutz's ranch this week to discuss the future of the league. Tim Leiweke, the second in charge at AEG, is set to make a presentation to fellow investors that outlines dramatic changes. The LA Times describes Leiweke's scheme this way:
On the agenda is a plan to pursue big-name European players, such as Beckham, which would involve substantial new money investments by the owners. MLS leadership has resisted such a strategy to this point, citing the tactic as one of the reasons the North American Soccer League, overloaded with over-the-hill European stars, collapsed in the mid-1980s.

Other points in the plan:

• Expanding rosters to accommodate the influx of these international players.

• Forming working relationships with European clubs that would enable MLS teams to cross-market with these clubs, play exhibition matches against them and borrow players on an on-loan basis.

• Allowing teams more local control over marketing and advertising.

"We're talking about how to make the sport better, how to make the league better," Leiweke said. "We'll throw some ideas out there for everybody to consider.

"It's revolutionary thinking on how to continue to grow the league. The league is doing well. We see it out here. The Galaxy, even before Landon [Donovan's signing] but certainly with Landon, we've become a very important part of the fixture in L.A. After 10 years, that team is one of the top teams in the marketplace now. And we're proud of that.

"But we're not going to rest until the league and the sport are top two [in America]. That's what we've got to do. That's our goal. Top two."
I have no problem with looking to grow the league and get more foreign talent in the States, but Garber & Co. need to be very careful about not biting off more than they can chew. MLS could do with a bit more flash on the field, but this shouldn't come at the expense of the league's (fragile) stability or the emphasis on developing a platform for American talent.

My message to Leiweke's audience: tread with extreme caution.



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