Shift the Season (HT: Du Nord)

I've got nothing more in mind here than to pass on a link: over on Du Nord, brucio raised the question of whether Major League Soccer (MLS) could benefit from an earlier start, and end, to their season.

Head on over and join the commenting fun. Here, for the record, is my contribution (around #8):

"Tough call. While I get the "it's cold in England" argument, it is butt-ass cold in New England. Just friggin' miserable. Ditto with Chicago."

"The problem also comes on the other end. Personally, I think it's good (feeble attendance excepted) that the league hits its stretch run when the weather is cooling; those August/early September games are ass because the players get over-heated."

"So...tough call. While I realize this goes outside the assignment to some extent, I'd shrink MLS's spill-over into deep fall, by reducing the number of regular-season league games and shrinking qualification pool for the playoffs to four teams. Then split the difference on the front end by having the season start in mid-March."

And, no, I'm not all that high on having a longer off-season. But the "product" should come first.

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