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Share Your Take on Major League Soccer

As MLS's 17th season winds down, we want to hear what soccer fans think of the league, its product, and its policies. Are you a fan of the salary cap that limits what teams can spend on players? What are your thoughts on the single-entity ownership system? Excited about the playoffs, or would you prefer a more European-style, single-table system in which the first-place club at the end of the season is crowned champion? Graph your position below by clicking on any cell, and then leave your comments. Hover over any colored cell to read what others had to say.

Posted
October 31, 2012 11:48 AM
Talent Level Is Appropriate
Scrap the Cap
Like Playoffs, Single Entity Dislike Playoffs, Single Entity
Disregard women, acquire currency — -Dr Dre
I enjoy MLS more than I care to admit. — Drefooty
MLS is doing a lot of things right and not much if anything. Commissioner Garber is a great asset to the league, what a find for the league. — Jack
The parity of the MLS and the unbalanced schedule make every game from the beginning of the season to the MLS Cup extremely exciting. Every team is in the mix every year! I LOVE MLS soccer! — Shelloflight
Go MLS — CforCL
::fart noise:: — Tim D.
MLS offer compelling competition. — World Footie Net
The salary cap and single entity system are the reason MLS has grown the way it has. As for the playoffs... that's how we do things in North America, and I don't find myself in need of approval from Europeans or Europhiles who don't like it. — Brad
Keep the salary cap in place so that the VERY IMPORTANT parity stays in place. Parity is keeping this league going. However, single entity is keeping the teams from truly being clubs and limiting their creativity. — Phil
gets better every year and will get a lot better with more home grown talent. I like the playoffs but not the single entity system. Hopefully over the next 20 years they ditch the draft, allocation order and other phony crap. Allow the franchises to become clubs. — Beto
Pretty good for a new league. — Z
I love that this league is competitive. Even small market teams (like my own RSL) can become powerhouses if managed correctly. As for playoffs: they rock. — Sean
The main reason why I am so depressed, because this league is only regressing my skills and passion. — Landon Donovan
Just right — BB
Need to give teams the flexibility around the cap as the league grows, but some teams not even using the 3 DP's that go above the cap now. League is growing, has more development to do before it reaches top level, but much growth has been done thus far. — Kari
The salary cap is the reason this league has not folded like all of its predecessors. I don't have a problem with the playoffs since it creates a "FINAL" for TV. With the unbalanced schedule its as (un)fair as using a single table. — WRF
A sustainable league is the most important art here. And with this talent level of players, MLS is not going broke. +1! I'd rather have a single table, balanced schedule, though. For the playoffs, it would be more interesting to have a mini season where the top 5-7 teams play each other one, crowing the Champion instead of a knockoff tournament. — Chuck
Quintessential American spirit encapsulated in the world's greatest game. — R.P.
The league is getting better every year, and the new focus on youth development will make things even better. — Lucas
The talent level is perfectly okay, and will continue to improve. And the playoff system is fine, but it got bunched in with single entity, which needs to go for us to become the league we can be — Brendan
The league is only growing because the exposure of the sport, and domestic people are from outside of the US. The league isnt growing it. — Jared
playoffs like in the first two games of the mls playoffs this year, where the season is over for the team that loses, is way more exciting than if the season just ends — Boss Ross
The on-field talent is appropriate for a 17-year-old league, and is getting better every year. The playoffs do need to be tweaked in order to give more advantages based on regular season achievements. Overall, MLS is well-organized, and with steady improvements will continue to be a very fun league to follow for the years and decades ahead. — Optahunt
The league is a joke. Not sure why they are trying to be completely different from how the world does it. I think they have shown more success in league and country. Yet we do things different. — Carl
There's still room to grow talent wise, but it is definitly haeded in the right direction. The cap rule is necessary in order to keep the league competitive top to bottom. I like the playoffs, but there needs to be more consistancy year to year. — Steve P
The talent is getting there. The money will come as younger kids (this is a sport most watched by 12-20 yr olds)start watching as adults with their kids and it will only get bigger and bigger. Remember, back in the late 70's, early 80's the NBA wasn't anywhere close to where it is today. We need a Bird and Magic to come along and then Jordan pops up. It will happen but money will be the challenge. Keep the playoffs. What is the WC other than a huge playoff? — hello dahli
For a league in adolescence, MLS is on the right track. Growth has been amazing. Bigger & better every year., — Mark F
OK, but not thrilled with single entity. Playoffs are a concession to American sporting tastes, which is fine. The talent level and quality of play are miles ahead of 1996 and evidence MLS can grow without opening itself up to unfettered capitalism. — Paul Freelend
The only positive thing about this league, is the salary cap...other than that, they have no clue how to produce multiple quality players. — Luke
It's heading in the right direction. — cole
Like playoffs, dislike single entity. Talent level is what it is. The best players and teams in the world are never going to be in MLS, deal with it. Embrace what you are, don't bemoan what you aren't. — Brian
just keep growing... — max
I think the cap is necessary to avoid overspending and an unbalanced league as far as quality. i.e. every major european league. Playoffs seem odd for soccer but add excitement to the end of the season. — Steve
There is obvious improvement that can be made but this is going to be a slow and hopefully steady process. — Andy
In my opinion, the league has done a solid job of growing. There isn't huge money in American soccer right now, and MLS (and its fans) need to be patient. The goal to be one of the world's best leagues by 2022 is ambitious, but a good time table. I like the idea of playoffs, but they need to find a format and stick to it for a few years. — Noah
It takes time to build a league. Gotta grow the game in a smart, responsible way. — Jay
Nobody can say MLS is going to fail with a straight face anymore, so single entity works. Once money picks up, hopefully cap drops off. — Patrick
- — brianl95616
As an American sports fan I am used to the playoffs, but I would like to have a single table, balanced schedule. I also am happy with the talent level and the growth of the league. It has come so far over the last 17 years. Would I like to see the level of play high, of course, but I would rather have a vibrant league 17 years from now then have an influx of old over paid players that provide short term gains but long term losses. — Danielofthedale
It is like NCAA basketball. You can crown conference champions based on the season, but the tournament/playoffs are so much more exciting. With one game meaning elimination or moving on, it puts so much more excitement on the line. Keep it as it is. — Russ
Playoffs are exciting. There are not enough die hard MLS fans to rid of playoffs and have single table. Fans will not show up to games if they realize there team has no shot at winning anything half way into season, I don't care what the Eurosnobs say. — Tim
I am a perfect example of why this league is terrible. — Brek Shea
There is a good amount of high quality talent as teams are becoming smarter and smarter with foreign players, but MLS needs to figure out how to manage table and such asap and make sure they keep on making fans happy cause by season 20 everything needs to be set in stone in my opinion — David
2 years ago didnt care Now i am into It is growing.. — Ecm
Like it — SWDCU
_ — Russ
Our set up is unique in world soccer, we need to own it not apologize for it. I like playoffs and single entity just makes sense at this point. — Nic
!! — Brian
:) — mike
MLS — Tom
The league is basing its success on a sport that only plays with themselves. Not a positive sign. — Sam
Talent level is fine and growing. Playoffs are necessary because we'll never have relegation. Having relegation, though, would be better. — Golazo
Love the playoffs best kind of soccer. Talent is probably the best ever and should only get better — Chris
jkl — jkl
Big fan of world soccer but MLS structure is very appropriate for the American market. Satisfied with the growth rate. — Justin S.
The league is clearly rising in terms of exposure, fan support, and general popularity. Would I like to see the salary cap go up a bit more? Yes. Would I like to see a bit less central control over contracts? Sure. But all in all, the league is succeed in a way we can't really say that any other recent start-up team sports league can match. — Aaron S.
I like the playoffs, MLS doesn't need to conform to outside standards. Not a big fan of the salary cap but I understand why it's there. I wonder how much longer it's really going to be necessary. — Harrison
Given the league's age, I figure it's pretty much right where it should be, talent- and structure-wise, at this point — Brandon
Not a big fan of the format. The league will only be lost in translation, while the rest of the world progresses. — Frank
The league continues to edge up, both in quality of play and fan numbers/engagement. Indicators like NBC's involvement and rising ratings look good. — Eroc
Love the idea of playoffs but one table sounds nice! — Dylan Simel
Playoffs are a fun little thing at the end of the season, but more importance should be based on the SS. The Cap is good for now, but I'd like to see it expanded until we eventually move away from it. — John R
Growing, growing . . . — Mike H
From an economic and business standpoint, I love the way the league is being run. Sure, policies have to change down the line when it becomes even more popular, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. — Matt
Talent level keeps getting better. We can't risk the league's financial health now by opening the check book all the way. Need to continue the incremental approach. Big picture trend is overwhelmingly positive. — jcg
Single Entity doesn't matter to me, I just hate the playoffs this much. I would be fine with everything else in MLS except for the playoffs. Terrible way to determine a champion when a balanced schedule is possible. — Fresh
The do-or-die feeling of a playoff really induces the players to hustle, finish plays, and generally give their all. It's compelling action even if the talent level isn't great. — Cary
Its a feeder/retirement league. Rarely does someone spend their prime in the MLS. Hate the playoffs, now it is just like every other sport in America, single entity is awful, no incentives for ownership. — HoosierFC
Not a fan of the playoff structure as I am an English ex-Pat. More value would be to abandon the playoffs and insert promotion/relegation incorporating USL teams. It encourages growth in areas not necessarily popular with soccer. — SoccerLimey
There is a reason why this league isnt ranked in the top 10 in the world, in leagues. Based on their structure. — Eddie
Always room for improvement, but can't knock the growth so far. — One Love
Love the excitement of the playoffs and think the talent level is getting there. — Dakota
Without Pro/Relegation, the single table format becomes boring once the 1st place is locked in, love the excitement/redemption of the playoffs. I think the Salary Cap and single entity are good, but the Salary cap needs to be raised. Biggest problem with MLS is depth. — Scottinho
The way the league is set up strikes me as safe. Nothing wrong with that, but I don't think a conference based playoff system puts the best product on the field at the most important time. The lack of transparency in the financial department is a bit unsettling as well. — Zak
Talent level is rising at a good pace, and the play-offs make sense in the country; hopefully, a few years without expansion will build up some talent. That said, players need a living wage — David
Been a fan of the league since the early days and most of my best memories are from the playoffs. Cap is still appropriate, but if MLS every gets a big TV deal, I wouldn't mind a more flexible system. — Charlie Fiction
... — Shawn
We need better players.. Specially american players — @usmntfan
Playoffs are exciting, but not a good barometer of who the best team was. Looking at the playoff models for MLB and MLS, you can see how a mediocre season can be rewarded with a chance to play for the championship. If we want to make the season count and avoid an NBA like lackluster regular season, then I say scrap the playoffs, put more emphasis on the US Open Cup, and make the Supporters Shield mean something. — Caleb
I agree with the guy to my right — Bryson
Why are single entity and playoffs linked in this graph? They are mutually exclusive concepts. This whole exercise is flawed as a result, which is too bad since it's fundamentally a good question. — c-toast
I agree with the guy above me — BlkBx
I like the progress we are making and think the cap and single entity is "holding it together" as we build to a strong, spectator supported league, and I can see it continuing until we're at the point where we are a top 3 spot in this country. There needs to be some idea of how to get to unlimited clubs and pro/rel in the future. Give those small markets a shot. (Note: I'm a NYer but see the success of small markets as essential to the overall success of the league) — @NotAlexis
piece of shit league — liore
I just think that they are trying to be innovative more so productive. This league is designed to make money for Owners and the league, and not designed for development. — David
Although MLS has been designed well and is headed into a bright future, the casual American sports fan will disregard it because they would rather watch the best quality soccer in the world. Only time and persistence will change this, and as for all aspects of US soccer, nothing will come easily. — Jason
Need the playoffs and the cap, but it needs to be raised to continue to attract top talent. — jw
Scrap the playoff system. Just decide the league title by points, you know like the rest of the world. — Rene
Playoffs? you talkin about playoffs? Ok, yes, playoffs good. Single entity is probably necessary. Cap should be raised/DP #s should be added or at least additional mid-level high salary guys so that MLS can compete in CONCACAF — Jarrod
As a "merican, I'm accustomed to the playoff system, but the older I get the idea of annual champ seems more fleeting and less significant. Promotion/Relegation add drama at every level, and the continuity year-over-year makes it more engaging. — NickB
This league is still technically inferior. Until they address these issues, the leagues format is insignificant. The only way they can clean this up, is finding foreign players. — Eric
Cap needs to be raised ten fold. Depth and talent will follow. Playoffs are awesome, just needs tweaking. — Jonathan
like single entity, but teams need a little more flexibility. — mark t.
The league and its structure is a major deterrent from potential owners, coaches, and players because of their obscene way of doing things — James
Playoffs don't make sense in soccer, but pro/rel doesn't make sense in the United States. Still, imagine how much more watchable the league would be if it made sense for Dempsey, Howard, Bradley and Altidore to stay. — Jack
The league is good enough, as it is. If I lived in Omaha, I wouldn't expect a Major League Baseball team, so I'd be thrilled with my AAA affiliate. Would I like no cap and a Euro-style season? Sure. Would I rather have a league than those trappings? Absolutely. — Christopher
We're not the EPL. We may benefit from changing tactics, players, and compositions to resemble them on the field, but not the actual table format. On that note, the MLS player pool may be growing, but it's not there. Scrapping the cap WOULD NOT HELP THAT. Not every team can have LA's budget — James P
I love the playoff season and I think it creates hype and excitement. However, the cap needs to go in order for this league to reach the next level. — Harden
I'm willing to put up with the single-entity system for a while longer, but I really think the league is ready to bring more top-tier talent to America — minus the salary cap. If LA and NY want to create high-powered teams (and New England and others don't), let them. — JHG
raise the cap significantly but keep a cap. 5 million? Playoffs is just American style, but respect the shield like it should be. — elvinjones
The league will never be successful. You will find one or two stars every other decade. — Tim
The current playoff structure is good. Without relegation battles, it gives most teams something to fight for for most of the season. However, the cap could do with loosening somewhat to encourage more teams to acquire DPs without having to use up most of their cap space. — Geess
MLS is socialism for the rich. they should be forced to compete for profits, not collude to guarantee them. Anything else is a cartel. Release the binds of single-entity and watch the profits flow and the game grow. — Socialism
Get with the program MLS! — Joe R.
Ron Paul 2012 — Beckahm
At this stage the single entity\playoff system are appropriate along with the Salary Cap. But there needs to be an incremental increase in cap as league gets bigger. However, little rules like the US national team lottery system are outdated. Salary Cap is enough to spread talent, shouldn't need lotteries. — Pedro Gomes
League suffers from a major talent-gap compared to legitimate leagues in Europe. Americans love spectacle and superiority, which is why the EPL is America's favorite soccer league. Playoffs and single entity are fine, but the quality of play and technical ability of players needs to improve — Wes
I dislike playoffs. I feel the season leader should be champ and should be single league. As for the cap, it should be stopped and let the clubs bid for players — trclev
I like the single entity structure because it creates parity and fairness and can makes roster management and team building far more important here than the rest of the world. I feel the salary cap should be increased by a few million or or there should be an added U-23 DP slot and an American DP slot for the teams willing to spend if its within their means to help challenge in the CCL. The big problem with the current league structure is that an unbalanced schedule makes the Supporters' Shield worthless. Either keep a balanced table and scrap the playoffs so the Open Cup can be the premier knockout tournament, OR divide East and West, play each in-conference team twice and each out-of-conference team once in a semi-balanced schedule, scrap the Supporters Shield in favor of an East and West trophy, and hype the hell out of the playoffs. — CrazyMike366
Word — TurdFurgeson
I have trouble watching MLS with the talent level. Little skill, all hard work. I understand the playoff system but I don't agree with it. I understand it draws interest "the American way" but if each team plays every team twice, we'll figure out who the best team is like BPL. — Rob
Our leadership is totally out of touch with the spirit of the game. Our structure is a reflection of that reality. It is up to the fans to change it! — Roger
America is far too big to be limited to 20 franchises. Promotion/Relegation is the best way to attract new investor to new markets. Wouldn't you be more likely to invest in a team if you know there's a possibility of getting to the top division? But right now that's not the case, so there's no incentive. The trick is making the top division (MLS) attractive because right now it's not. Unlimited spending accomplishes the same thing. What was Manchester City before they were bought by owners with bottomless pockets? Nothing. Now they're incredibly valuable BECAUSE they went and bought the necessary talent. As for the playoff system...it doesn't determine the best team. Plain and simple. Sports are about competition and there's nothing that says "competition" like playing everyone home and away and seeing who's left when it's all said and done. — MASSIVEflyer
Single entity will manage appropriately if cap is scrapped. — Casey
league is just stagnating... plain and simple — wynalda
low pay, bad refs and horrible leadership. fire gulati and don garber — liore
horrible league, horrible leadership and horrible fans — liore
Playoffs is American an all, but I'd love a table system. — Matt
Closed top flight leagues of unlimited clubs fail every time. Two choices: Limit clubs (MLS approach) or adopt open leagues with pro/rel and no arbitrary salary caps. (like the rest of the world). — FACT
No me pagan lo suficiente. — Rafa Marquez
piece of shit league and if u dont believe me wait till ccl starts — liore
We can do better. This isn't how soccer should be structured. — CT
Time for the MLS to grow up and assimilate to the top tier soccer levels of Europe. — Max
Pro/Rel means more teams and more fans. I think it would be the best way to grow the sport nationwide. — Ben
As Association Football continues to gain inevitable prominence in the US, the cap and single-entity are hindering growth. Our policies are forcing the wellspring of natural soccer talent in this country into other sports instead of soccer. Change will guarantee our domination in soccer, which has eluded us. — Dcn Joseph Suaiden
Pro/Rel rulz!!! Closed leagues suck!! I Have no life because all I do is go on and on about promotion / relegation. (BTW I also own a t-shirt company that features a lot of the clubs Im always promoting from the 1920-30's) — Ted I Have No Life
I have no opinion on the topic and just enjoy hurling inane insults at others. I torture my cat, still live at home, and have been burning ants with a magnifying glass since 1987. — Apologies for the square on the left
I do have an opinion Tinfoil Teddy. If you prorels hate MLS so much, go watch another league that has everything you want. Leave us MLS fans alone, we obviously dont need you since weve made it this far w/o you guys. — Your mom
playoffs good, salary cap bad... — evan
Single entity and caps aren't designed for the good of soccer. They're designed to protect the closed league system in which it's trapped. — soccerreform
Soccer was not made to be played with salary caps and without pro/rel. We need clubs with unlimited potential. — Marky Mark
Promotion and Relegation, independent clubs, player sign with clubs. The current system rewards mediocrity and will never be able to compete internationally. — Total Relegation
horrible leadership and refs — liore
Love the MLS, and Panda Bears — Cason
Dan likes men — al
Dan likes men. — Bob
Bob doesn't know what he is talking about — Dan
Single entity is fine by me, and I'm used to playoffs and they can be exciting. I think the format could use some tweaking, but they'll get there. The cap? I see it as a necessary evil, but the league isn't going to get where it wants to be until start bidding competitively for the best players in the world. — Ansbeez
Dude, Why isn't Tom Brady playing? — fg
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