Commissioner Don Garber on MLS: Overall Thoughts on the 2000 MLS Season The 2000 season will be known as the year of the rule changes. By bringing our rules in line with the international standard, we earned respect among the millions of soccer fans in this country and throughout the world. Soccer Saturday is a good start in creating a destination day for our sport. The ESPN takeover campaign was fun and showed our fans that ESPN is totally committed to MLS. MLS ExtraTime was a hit with critics and viewers. Entertaining and informative, the show will establish itself as a regular program on the network. The quality of play continues to improve, with a great mix of both young and experienced players from home and abroad. The Olympics proved our young American players are showing promise, as evidenced by their contributions on Wednesday against Costa Rica. I am disappointed that our attendance did not increase. Remember that our final numbers are essentially flat — slightly off (3.5%) from last year. But we have to do better. And we will get better. It’s our primary focus for next year. On Soccer-Specific Stadiums and When More Will be Built Stadiums continue to be a priority and we are moving as quickly as we can on this front. The Los Angeles Galaxy, the MetroStars, Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids are actively pursuing soccer-specific stadium plans. The simple fact remains that building a stadium, in any sport, doesn’t happen overnight. Look at the Boston Red Sox, one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. They have been working on a replacement for Fenway Park for years and still haven’t hit the right solution yet. In short, this is a priority for MLS and we will get it done. In a recent meeting with Phil Anschutz, we spoke at length on how the Galaxy’s commitment to a new stadium in Los Angeles. We are hopeful that the stadium will be built by 2002, but certainly no later than 2003. We are in advanced discussions in Chicago to finalize plans for a new stadium in that market. We want to be up no later than 2003 in Chicago as well. One of the MetroStars top priorities is to have a new stadium by 2003. However, we do currently have some larger venues that provide a great environment to watch a soccer game. RFK Stadium is one of those stadiums and the new stadium in Foxboro will be built with soccer in mind. And don’t forget San Jose and Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. We clearly need to be in a situation where we control our schedule, commercial opportunities and are a primary tenant. Outside of providing a great environment for our fans, control is ultimately the key concern. On Future Expansion Expansion is a real priority for the league. We believe the soccer talent is out there, the market interest exists, and the expanded platform will help us with media coverage, fan interest and television ratings. We have been in active discussions for 2002 in New York, which is likely to expand to a second team somewhere in the Tri-State area, as well as in Philadelphia and in Atlanta. Additional markets we’ve been in active discussions with, in no particular order, are Seattle, Sacramento, Rochester, Milwaukee, Houston and Winston-Salem just to name a few. On the League’s Future with Television Partners ABC and ESPN Contrary to what you might have read, the MLS contract with ABC is not up for renewal until after this season. The ESPN contract is not up for renewal until after 2001. I can assure you that the Disney networks are fully committed to soccer, particularly MLS, and together we will develop a schedule and a programming format that makes the most sense for both of us. We’ve been in discussions with all of our broadcast partners about our entire schedule for next year and hope to increase the number of ExtraTime shows. On Attendance Attendance was basically flat from 1999 to 2000. Our actual numbers are down about 300 fans per game. This is a major focus for us and we must show increased numbers in the future. I have refrained from predicting attendance figures, but I will say that MLS will improve in 2001. There will be increased marketing at the national and team level, a more fan-friendly schedule and a very proactive local ticket sales effort heading in to next season. The league office will take an active role in those local markets that need help, providing resources, expertise and direction. In fact, each team has already developed and submitted their 2001 ticket sales plan to my office. On the Opportunity to Capitalize on the Internet Soccer is the world’s sport and the Internet Age continues to bring the world together, with soccer being the language shared by all. MLS can be the leader in the digital era. Children, the decision-makers of today, are getting more and more of their information from the Internet, and those kids are playing soccer. We will continue to use this platform as a way to develop a better connection with this large community. Look for more audiocasts, videocasts, community sessions, team-share of information, e-commerce and more. On the New 28-game Schedule for 2001 (down from 32 in 2000) The idea of reducing the number of regular season games from 32 to 28 was driven by a few factors. First, it allows us to have a higher percentage of games on Saturdays. It also gives our teams the flexibility to compete in international competitions such as the Copa Libertadores, the new expanded Confederations Cup and international exhibitions. Finally, it provides our players with necessary breaks to ensure they are playing at the top of their game. The 28-game schedule also allows us to place a greater emphasis on the U.S. Open Cup. An overwhelming majority of our general managers, coaches and players supported this decision. We will finalize our 2001 schedule shortly. On Player Development Player development is one of the league’s top priorities. We have increased our resources in this area at the league and team levels and will continue to do so. Our hope is to expand Project 40 and to continue to sign and develop the best young players in this country. We are currently working with U.S. Soccer and the A-League to ensure that we have the best program in place. One area we are currently trying to expand is the offseason programs by adding an additional international camp for our young players in January. We’ve had success with young players such as Josh Wolff, Chad McCarty, Brian Dunseth and Eric Quill training with overseas teams during the offseason. More young MLS players will begin to play on loan during the offseason, helping them stay fit in a very competitive atmosphere. On Young Soccer Players and Keeping them in MLS Clearly, developing and keeping young soccer players in Major League Soccer is a major priority. However, we must balance all of our player needs … international players, re-signings, etc. … with our resources. This past season, MLS had the most successful signings of young Americans in our history and far more than anybody could have imagined. Losing players is a reality of any soccer league. The challenge is to continue to refresh from both the top and bottom. For every one player who might leave the United States to pursue his playing career, there’s a Bobby Convey, DaMarcus Beasley, Danny Califf, Nick Garcia, Josh Wolff … and the list goes on and on. MLS is fortunate that we have players who have a passion to promote their sport. They want to see it grow at all levels. On the Sale of MLS Teams Though we have not sold the operating rights to any of the league-operated teams this year, we continue to have productive conversations with interested investors for both Tampa and Dallas. MLS will play an active role in the sales process of the D.C. United operating rights. The current ownership is fractured and has been unable to agree on several offers made to purchase the team. Octagon, through Kevin Payne, will continue to operate the team until it is sold. In San Jose, the Kraft family has until the end of November to exercise their option to purchase the local operating rights. Many productive discussions have been held with local investors who have been interested in the team. On MLS Referees Soccer officiating is a concern worldwide, just as it is in MLS. Four major calls determine the outcome of games: penalty kicks, send-offs, offside decisions and goal line decisions. These calls are always controversial, and it is part of the mystery and excitement of what makes soccer great. Just look at the two offside decisions in Game Three of the MetroStars at the Fire. Only video review can determine that the assistant referees made the correct calls. MLS will continue to work with U.S. Soccer to provide the highest quality officiating possible for its games. But, that does not mean that MLS will ever be able to eliminate the controversy surrounding some decisions. On Marketing MLS in 2000 and Beyond We believe we made great strides this year with things like the Takeover campaign on ESPN, a significant commitment to USA Today advertising (a full-page ad was in today’s paper), partnerships with Nickelodeon Games and Sports and Fox Kids, Eurosport, etc. That said, this is important and we will continue to increase our marketing expenditures and strategic distribution partnerships in the coming year. A lot of this effort will focus on working to make those people who are ‘soccer interested’ become ‘MLS interested.’ We have made a significant commitment to marketing in 2001, from awareness- oriented advertising campaigns to connection-oriented grassroots activities. The league has hired three new fan development executives in recent months with plans for several more. On the New Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) We certainly believe that together MLS and the WUSA can grow professional soccer, both men’s and women’s. It’s the stated goal of our cooperation agreement. In fact, many WUSA executives, from John Hendricks to many league office staff and team personnel, are attending MLS Cup functions this weekend. MLS and the WUSA have plans to work together with doubleheaders, joint advertising and marketing programs and other activities which will benefit both leagues.