A look back: First goal scored in MLS History

Last week, I picked up a copy of the book Long Range Goals: The success story of Major League Soccer and am now just a chapter or two into it. So far, the book has laid out the beginnings: the agreement with FIFA to form a top tier professional soccer league, the original investors and teams, allocated players and subsequent drafts (3 of them: players from the combine; supplemental; and collegiate), and the formation of the single-entity league structure.

It's been both an interesting and fun read so far, even just a few pages into it. Seeing nostalgic player names like Lalas, Valderrama, Lassiter, Etcheverry, Pope, Harkes, and Wynalda among many others. Remembering the original team names like the San Jose Clash, Dallas Burn, and Kansas City Wiz.

For where I am in the book so far, and for those following along at home, I just started chapter 2: The Launch, where the league is finally formed and is set to play its inaugural season. To open the season, DC United traveled to San Jose to play in front of a healthy 31,000+ fans.

To the dismay and fear of all involved, the match had just about reached conclusion with the dreaded 0-0 draw, when in the 89th, this happened:

Eric Wynalda, first goal in MLS History, a goal that many believe helped propel the league and keep it from quickly falling into obscurity. Well done!

I'll continue to post updates as I continue reading. 

Major League Soccer Salaries breakdown

A fantastic little piece of sports fanalysis was done recently over on droppingtimber.com where each of league's opening day payrolls were broken down by wins. You can find the raw numbers on the player's union website: http://www.mlsplayers.org/salary_info.html. Of course, salaries have changed dramatically since then with additions like designated players (DP's).

It's nice to see my home town Real Salt Lake at the top of the list for Overall Efficiency Rank, especially considering that they have an MLS Cup to show for it. And even more impressive when you contrast that against the team they beat for the title, the LA Galaxy, who sit at the bottom of the list.

It's a fun breakdown that we'll have to apply again after the season and to some of the other leagues.

In fact, I did a similar breakdown way back in 2005 taking the finalists from the MLB MVP balloting, and dividing their salaries up per hits, rbi's, etc.

Just for fun, here's what I wrote back then (not shying away from my anti-Yankee/A-Rod mentality):

I know that MVP is an acronym for Most Valuable Player. But what exactly does the MVP award mean? Does it go to the player of the year? Is it awarded to the best player on the best team? Is it given to the player who had the most surprisingly good year, a breakout year? And how exactly does the word value factor into the equation? In Major League Baseball, looking at the some of the winners from the past few years, apparently nobody really knows what MVP means. Let's break it down sports fanalysis style. Particularly in the American League we have seen some incredible flaws in the voting for MVP.

1. By definition "value" means "having worth or merit." How much worth can one player have if several teammates are also in the top 10. Most Valuable implies some sort of rarity, and having several players in the top 10 of the MVP voting tells me that it's more of a best player award. Are you telling me that "if you take player x off his team, they will struggle because they only have 3 other MVP's on the team." Ridiculous! If any of those players were so valuable to their team, removing that one player would leave the team in a world of hurt. I think that should be one of the criteria of MVP: Which player, when removed from his team or put on an average team, will have the most impact?

2. The word "value" also connotes relation to money. Look at the top 10 and tell me if anything stands out to you?

Player 2005 salary $/h $/hr $/rbi

Alex Rodriguez, NYY $25,705,118 $132,501 $535,523 $197,732

David Ortiz, BOS $5,250,000 $29,167 $111,702 $35,473

Vladimir Guerrero, LAA $12,500,000 $75,758 $390,625 $115,741

Manny Ramirez, BOS $19,806,820 $122,264 $440,152 $137,547

Travis Hafner, CLE $377,400 $2,550 $11,436 $3,494

Paul Konerko, CWS $8,750,000 $53,681 $218,750 $87,500

Mark Teixeira, TEX $3,625,000 $18,686 $84,302 $25,174

Gary Sheffield, NYY $11,496,689 $67,628 $338,138 $93,469

Mariano Rivera, NYY $10,500,000

Derek Jeter, NYY $19,600,000 $97,030 $1,031,579 $280,000

How can you even equate A-Rod and value? They're polar opposites in the truest sense of the word. Seriously, if the word "value" has any place in the MVP discussion how do A-Rod, Manny, Vlad, Sheff, and Jeter make the top 50? And if you're taking their end-of-year production as your first criteria, is there any question that 5 Big Papi's are worth more than 1 A-Rod? Looking at this table, Hafner just screams value!! Let's be honest though, the word "valuable" does not mean the same thing to you and me as it does to the incompetent people voting for the MVP.

3. With A-Rod winning the MVP, voters from the Baseball Writer's Association have told us that he makes his team better than any other play makes their own team. But a little fanalysis tells us just the opposite. In 2003 when A-Rod won the award for the first time, the Texas Rangers finishes in last place in their division. Atrocious. That means, if you take A-Rod off that team, they should finish proportionally worse. How do you get any worse than last place? That same year, the Yankees went to the World Series ( remember without A-Rod). In 2004 when A-Rod joined the Yankees, they only made it as far as the ALCS and in 2005 couldn't even advance past the divisional series. The team does worse each year A-Rod is on the team. That doesn't sound like value to me. If his individual accolade means the team is worse off, A-Rod can have his MVP.

In conclusion, our fanalysis has shown that the MVP is not a diamond in the rough, a single best player that helps his team more than any other player helps their team. It is not an award related to monetary value in any way, shape, or form. And it certainly is not an award given to a player who helps his team improve upon previous performance. So now that we know what the MVP is not, can somebody please tell me what it is?

All new sports fanalysis blog

The all new sports fanalysis blog is in the works, complete with an accompanying twitter account.

Our goal and purpose is to embrace what is to be a fan and all that comes with it: the over-analysis, the armchair quarterbacking, the ignorant ranting, the ups and downs of following a team, etc.  We haven't played the game.  We haven't managed a team. We haven't even won a fantasy league recently!  But we'll enjoy our fandom and have a little fun while we're at it.

In the coming posts, we hope to speculate about future games, trades, and events.  We'll breakdown the week's action from around the world of sports.  We'll point out the good and the bad as we see it, including pieces from other blogs and across the web.  And we'll generally be a little off the mark with our fanalysis.  But hey! We're fans, not the front office, not journalists, and not professional athletes, not even professional anything.

We hope to spend most of our time focusing on covering football (both NFL and NCAA), basketball (both NBA and NCAA), Major League Baseball, soccer (both MLS, national team competitions, and some European leagues), and we'll mix in a few others occasionally like lacrosse and hockey.

Your feedback and fanalysis is encouraged and appreciated.  Hope you enjoy.