11 things MLS can do to improve the league

With the Commissioner's state of the league address coming, I thought it would be fun to put forward 11 ways MLS could improve the league. With these ideas I decided to go with things that were actually possible instead of such ideas like relegation/promotion or a drastic increase in the spending cap. Also, these are things that could be put into place by next season. Some of these have to do with image, some with substance and some are just things I like to think about.

Anyway, here is my list of 11 ways to make MLS better.

1. Change the logo - If you want the league to be seen as serious both domestically and internationally, it is time to retire the 1990's Microsoft word stock photo looking logo. In order to help shape the league's image as a world-class division, come up with something that does not involve such a playschool green and is a little more memorable.

2. Mini-designated player rule - Okay, this idea is not named exactly right, but I couldn't think of anything better. Anyway, here is my thought, allow clubs to spend an extra $1 million on salary if they choose, however, this is the club's money not the league's. This money can be spent on one player or a number of players however, if a clubs decides to use this option, they must give all their development players an $8,000 bonus.

The idea behind this is simple, if a team wants to spend some extra money on a player or two, they should be able to as it will make the play on the pitch better. However, if they want to do this, they must share a piece of the pie with the lowest earners. This will help development players focus more on their skill and less on thoughts about how to pay the rent.

3. Allow chartered flights - MLS does not allow teams to charter planes to fly them around, instead they fly commercial. They say this is because they do not want to give any team an advantage over another, however that seems a little stupid. If clubs want to pay to charter a flight (like say from LA to New York), they should be allowed to. This will help the players get where they need to go quicker, which will reduce the travel fatigue on the players, which will make the play on the pitch better. In addition, if they league really wants to start attracting more big names, telling them they will have to fly commercial is not the way to do it.

4. Adjustable fines - Right now if a player gets a yellow card, they are fined $150. This might not seem like much but if you are a development player earning a little over $1000 a month, this is huge. Why not change the rule to reduce the fine to $75 for players making less then $30,000 a year. This will not have a huge impact on the game, however it will make it a little easier for those who earn so little.

5. Improve the YouTube channel - It has only been up for a short time, so I can give it a bit of a break. Still, what is there is basically just highlights. Why not get more player interviews, game explanations, weekly previews and so on? Extra Time is a good first step but it needs to expand. This is the league's chance to push through the media filter and talk right to the fans (and possible fans) so it must be used in a better way.

6. Fan Zone on the web - My favorite part of going to a soccer match is cheering and signing the songs that support the team (or maybe negatively support the opposition). Non-hard core fans are interested in learning this part of the game, but they have no place to go to do so other then the supporters' clubs. Since that is a foreign concept to most average fans, the league should bring the songs to them. A site that explains the match and has recordings of the chants could really bring a new level to the stadium.

7. Better items for sale - Just having the standard jersey, shorts, keychain items for each team is nice, but not very interesting. Where are the rearview mirror pennants or some more interesting t-shirts? Also, why are there not more offerings for women?

8. Advertise - Yes, the clubs need to handle most of the local ads but MLS needs to do more in the form of TV commercials and, more importantly, print ads. National magazines and newspapers are a good option but so are nearby media outlets. For example, say Houston was playing a match on ESPN2, why not run ads in the Austin, San Antonio, and Bryan/College Station newspapers to promote their 'local' club. This is the most expensive of my ideas in terms of MLS money, but something needs to be done to increase the knowledge of the league .

9. Be internationally friendly - MLS should not play on international dates, period. With World Cup Qualifying coming up next year, the league should go out of their way to make those dates free. A team should not be punished for having a good player that plays for their country.

10. Give teams in the CONCACAF Champions Cup a break - Every year the MLS teams in the CCC have the same problem, they are only in their second or third week of training camp when they have to go play teams in the middle of their season. If the idea is to use this tournament to show how much the league has improved, then why tie their arms behind their backs? These two teams should be allowed by the league to start their training camps early to get in game shape. It should be an additional reward for doing so well in the previous season.

11. Change the playoff structure - I would love to see the total number reduced, but I don't think the league will ever reduce the number. So with that in mind, what I suggest is simple, the Supporters' Shield winner does not play a two game series in the first round. Instead, they play one match on their own pitch. The reason for this is simple, home-home series are designed to eliminate the advantage of the home pitch meaning the team that worked hardest over the whole season gets no reward when it is needed most. This keeps the same number of series, it just reduces the number of games. Also, it gives additional value to being the best team in the league.

So there you have it, 11 ways to make soccer the biggest game in the whole US of A. Alright, maybe I'm overstating there. It seems to me that all these ideas would help move the league forward. All of these ideas either reward teams that play strong, allow teams to improve them clubs and/or give the fans more (okay, the logo one doesn't really do that but I think it is still needed). Anyway, there are my thoughts, what do you think?