A response to Major League Soccer Talk

The following is in response to the latest post from Drew Farmer on Major League Soccer Talk concerning the New England Revolution, stating that the league should potentially target the team for contraction. I tried to post my response on their site, but was not allowed.

While I agree the Krafts need to invest more into the team, the article is off-base on saying the team has been the cheapest team in the league. This is a common misconception because the team has the reputation for not making big name signings. However, if you do the analysis, you will find that most of their players over the last few years made more than the league average. Also you have to remember teams like New York and LA have large DP salaries which inflate their averages substantially.

Furthermore the Revs would NEVER have been a target for contraction, because unlike Miami or Tampa Bay who had to pay rent to play in their respective stadiums, the Revs played in the Krafts own stadium rent-free. This is also the reason why the league has not forced the Krafts to build a SSS in the past unlike other teams (Houston, KC, San Jose). Also the Kraft Family, along with AEG and Lamar Hunt agreed to keep the league going in the early years by absorbing the losses and even assuming part ownership of the San Jose team.

Last comment - the argument is based in large part on the early history of the team, but conveniently ignores the more recent history. Over the last 9 years the team stuck with a formula that saw them make it to the MLS cup finals 4 times - Only the LA Galaxy have had more trips to the finals over the same period of time. And while the rest of the league improved over the last 3-4 years, the Krafts showed loyalty to the likes of Steve Nicol and Taylor Twellman (arguably the biggest factor in the team's success) and gave them both the opportunity to turn things around. And since the start of the 2011 season, the Krafts/Revs have acquired a shirt sponsor, signed two DP's, a quality US International and a homegrown player, and brought in a new front office as well as coaching staff.

Personally I think a better, more convincing argument for contraction would be Chivas USA, but that's a whole other argument.