Or, what if the LA Galaxy get the “goal” that sends Seattle home in the post-season when replays show clearly that no such thing happened? Or New England misses the playoffs entirely for the same reason? You get the idea. In any of those cases or many others, we’re taking about your basic PR catastrophe.
In that way, GLT is exactly like auto or medical insurance. None of us enjoy writing that check. We’re paying for something we hope to never use – all the while wondering if we really even need it?
Well, we don’t ever need insurance … until we actually need it. And then, well, we really, really need it and we’re super-duper glad we have it. Same with goal-line technology, I’m afraid. MLS could go skipping through several seasons without ever regretting the choice. Or … well, re-review those painful scenarios above and wince at the thought.
Regardless, MLS just isn’t there yet. And it sounds like we are not going to see this anytime soon?
“That would be accurate,” Courtemanche told me. “It’s certainly something that our competition [committee] experts will continue to evaluate. But right now we are focusing our resources in other areas.”
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5 million is less than some player salaries. It seems for a entire league it would be a no-brainer to invest in it. It should also lower phrasing costs by reducing the number of zebras needed to roam the fields. Not to mention the added viewer satisfaction knowing the goals are all actually called appropriately.
Phrasing = operating. Auto correct = auto wrong
“It should also lower phrasing costs by reducing the number of zebras needed to roam the fields.”
You’ve never actually watched a soccer game before, have you?
Liga MX doesn’t even have goal line technology… so why would MLS need it? It is a silly investment to think that people are suddenly going to jump in and start paying attention to the MLS just because it has GLT. At this point in the growth of the league they need to focus on player development and getting those impact players to get @sses in the seats and viewers at home.
The EPL is the only league that currently uses it but they also make the most money of any league in the world so they can afford it.
I am 100% in agreement with the league’s decision here. It would be foolish to think at this point in time wih the cost of the item, that goal line technology should be something for MLS to invest in. No way no how. There’s a reason why the only league that is using these technology at the moment happens to be the only one flush with money to burn. I don’t think any other top leagues around the world are ready to throw that much money at something you can spend the whole season and never use.
To compare GLT to car or health insurance is asinine. One is a necessary expense because of what you’re afraid of spending in the event something goes wrong, the other’s absense is at best going to generate controversy that to this day has never stop the game from growing in popularity. The Barclay Premier League was certainly able to become the cash cow that it is today without GLT, not because of it.
Other than the Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga have both decided to add goal line technology in the near future.
Judging by the number of times the technology is used in a typical Premier League season, I disagree with you that leagues would be “spending in the event something goes wrong”. We know that the technology would be used several times.
MLS has quietly had an excellent offseason.
If these changes were to take place, can MLS sustain itself? Is there enough money in the sport here in America to pay the level of wages that will align MLS with the other leagues around the world? I know what we all want, but is it really possible? If these changes were to allow pro/rel can teams, similar to many situations in England, survive the drop?