I’m back from Arizona after spending a few days there, with great access to MLS players and coaches on site. Ten teams have already or will spend time in and around Phoenix in February or March, so the opportunity for journalists to gather information (or for fans to closely inspect their favorite team) is immense.
MLS in Arizona: let freedom ring!
There seems to be hope among coaches and officials that gatherings in Arizona will become an annual event. One coach even told me that league HQ could become more involved, even using the time in Arizona (and in Florida for Eastern teams) to hold marketing and sales meetings, in addition to team practices.
While that makes sense, I’m not sure it’s the best idea. What has happened over the last two years in Arizona occurred organically. If the league more or less mandates the dates teams would report to Arizona, and if the league begins cutting deals on where to stay and such, the whole thing could fall apart. Teams enjoy control over their preseason routine. The league has plenty of control over the regular season scheduling; teams should be allowed to do as they please in February and early March.
In the next blog entry, which I’ll post shortly, I’ll clean out the notebook with random odds and ends I gathered in Phoenix.
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