There has been a lot of chatter about Don Garber's remarks during the MLS Cup weekend regarding the possibility of a fall-winter season in MLS.
Garber told the assembled riff-raff at the supporter's summit that he gets pressured by FIFA all the time about aligning with the world calendar (which ignores/under values that MLS isn't the only league that isn't aligned). He even told a funny anecdote about Sepp Blatter walking into the Oval Office and immediately asking the president why MLS isn't recognizing the international schedule.
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Obama actually answered from a somewhat informed position, which is possibly the most shocking thing of all about the story. (Insert your own W joke here).
As you may be aware the USA is currently a week or so away from learning whether it gets to play host to a big tournament FIFA runs. So, you can understand Garber's need to be discreet. However, I would suggest that MLS fans hold off on buying the parka just yet.
I had the opportunity to share a room with the commish (along with a selected group of about 20 others) for a mostly off-record meeting. So that I one day get to share a room with him again, I'm not about to break the confidence of what was said in that room. However, I think it’s safe to say this.
MLS is not moving to a fall-winter schedule anytime soon.
As for how the rest of that conversation went...well, as stated it’s off record. Of interest (and safe to pass on) is that the competitive format of the league is likely to be tweaked next year, but not drastically. The league is reluctant to make a major change with another change needed in 2012 with Montreal coming in. Any drastic change is not likely to at least then.
Oh and they are getting rid of the cap and opening the league up to free for all spending like we saw in NASL. That’s not actually true.