Single Table Format Would Make A Better MLS Product

The MLS is experiencing the most exciting end to the regular season in league history. Both the races for the best league record, and those pivotal playoff positions are still up for grabs. With the MLS finally getting the end to the regular season they have been always wanting, it would be hard to see a need for change. Yet, change is exactly what I am suggesting. The MLS should scrap the ineffective two conference system and move to a traditional (and by American standards a rather unique) singe table format. In a single table format the idea of divisions and conferences would go out the window, just put the teams in order, 1 to 16 and just play. While the initial idea may seem odd, or even trivial there are reasons why this system makes sense.



1. It makes scheduling a whole lot easier: Next year the MLS head office will has the easiest time in recent memory coming up with the league schedule. I do not know what route the league will take, but lately MLS clubs have been playing 30 games a year. Next year there will be 16 teams in MLS. So let us do some math here, 16 teams, means 15 opponents for each team, 15 teams times 2 games (home and away series) equals 30 games. My God that was easy. If you treat every team the same regardless of where they are geographically scheduling will be easy for this year, and the years to come with expansion on the horizon for 2011. Having the league put an emphasis on playing more inter-conference matches will only make the MLS calender more messy. Just keep it simple and go with one group of opponents, than worry about balancing inter-conference and out of conference games.



2. Avoid cheating teams for playing in a tougher conference: Just about once every two or three years you hear the complaints from team who are playing well but missing the post-season after playing well, but just competing in the wrong conference. You will see how in some sports teams complain that they are missing the playoffs because the teams in the conference are having an up year. Had they been in the other conference, they would be well into the playoffs. In the MLS just a little bit less than half of a team's matches are out of conference, so it could be a real possibility that you do well in all your out of conference games, but some of the teams in the outer conference will get in due to being on the weaker side of the league. By having a single table system, everybody would play everybody twice, therefore determining playoff system would be based on a fair system.



3. There is no real reward for wining the conference: Besides the obvious of winning your conference will get you into the Cup final, you do not get a whole lot winning a conference title. If you are the best team in the regular season in your conference you get the right to host the conference final, OK that is a useful perk, which can offer some legitimacy to the conference system. But under my system the same idea can still imply. With a single table format the top 8 clubs will qualify for the playoffs, they would be seeded, and the higher seed gets the right to host the second match in the 2 game aggregate fixture, and the semi-final single match fixture (or if you want another 2 match aggregate fixture). With no reward in terms a silverware or international tournament qualification, the idea of being the conference champion is rather pointless.



4. The current playoff system is already close to my system: Right now if you watch the ESPN analyst breakdown the wild-race they do it by looking at all the contenders in the singe table format. Gee, you think that would give somebody an idea. Right now the current system has the top two teams in each conference advancing and being higher seeds in the playoffs. The final four positions are filled by four of the remaining teams with the highest points. So in reality the top eight teams are going to the playoffs anyway, so why are we kidding are selves by saying that the MLS has two conferences, when teams are competing with other teams for the same playoff positions, when they are SUPPOSEDLY in the same conference. If we were to have a single table format, this years exciting playoff race would look exactly the same. It would only improve the system because now we can avoid the unlikely (but still possible) scenario where the top two teams in one conference would be weaker than the other 6 teams from the other conference who made it to the post-season. Yet if this scenario were to happen, the two weaker teams would manage to be the higher seeds come tournament time. This is wrong, and would cause outrage and cries for reform. So let's fix the problem before it happens, and improve on an already solid system.

A single-table format would be beneficial to all in the league. The league front office will not have to worry about making sure certain clubs have more conference game on their schedules, and I am sure that managers and players will be grateful of a well balanced schedule so they can avoid playing 3 games in 8 days, or the awkward 15 day lay off. The only problem with this year's play-off race is the amount of games in hand that one team has. Next year with 16 teams, nobody should have to play in a bye week, and nobody should have to play that grueling 8 league games in 8 days, (still might happen but only on count of SuperLiga, US Open Cup, and Champions League). A single-table format will produce a new dynamic to the league and make the MLS a more fair, and competitive product. MLS the time is now, abandon the old conference system, and let us have ONE United MLS.