Ep 292: A First Chat on the Monopolies that Are American Pro Team Sports

The following is a free flow discussion Terry Ransbury and I had on monopolies.

The context is first set through the lens that Peter Thiel offers in his book, Zero to One. If you haven’t read it, it’s a good one, and I strongly recommend.

After setting the stage a bit, we move into how this applies to MLS, and American team sports in general.

Again, I feel obligated to repeat that if you happen to be in the soccer ecosystem at all, how it’s operated at the pro level impacts you. It’s just a matter of being able to recognize how. That won’t necessarily be answered in this episode, but the essence of this episode is a necessary building block on the road to understanding how you are impacted.

• If you’ve got a kid that’s 8 to 18 years of age in the sport here in the US, you are impacted.
• Are you a pro player? You are impacted.
• Are you a coach at any level? You’re impacted.
• An employee of a club? Impacted.
• A business owner or operator in the ecosystem? Yes, you are impacted.

Every touch point is impacted by how the ecosystem is regulated and operated at the pro level.

I should also repeat what I’ve said for many years. I don’t blame MLS for the way they operate. If I were an owner, I’d want a monopoly as well, and I’d work very hard to preserve it. But that does not negate how the ecosystem is adversely affected. This is something that should be discussed, and not silenced.

Terry joins me here, as we continue with our drip by drip, outlaying of the promotion relegation topic. Episode #289, on the impact on scouting, was our first. This is our second.