As you may know by this point that the XFL will try again and start up in 2020. Now that the announcement is here, Vince McMahon needs to work quickly to working out all the logistics. First and foremost, where will teams play? There are lots of opportunities as there are tons of cities without a professional football team there. That’s where McMahon should target for his league. But where are they you may ask? Well, considering there are eight teams that will be the first to play when the new incarnation of the league begins, places that the NFL abandoned would be great options. I have come up with eight best places the XFL should land their new brand and hope it can become something big.

St. Louis

While I never thought the city could ever hold an NFL franchise (as evidenced by two teams moving out) as it’s mostly baseball and hockey crazed, I think it could work. However, there are still football fans there and putting an XFL team there will be perfect and it will likely thrive.

San Diego

For the citizens of the city, they still feel slighted about the Chargers moving to Los Angeles without supposedly getting any support from the team to get a new stadium. Football is big in the city and lots the citizens would probably feel great finally sticking it to Dean Spanos and the Chargers.

Columbus

With the possibility of losing the Major League Soccer franchise Columbus Crew, the city will probably want another professional franchise. The state loves football and a city like Columbus would be a perfect spot for an XFL team.

San Antonio

A city that deserves an NFL team and in a state that is football crazed year round (and that isn’t even a joke), San Antonio is a perfect spot for an XFL team. It could thrive there and also could help make XFL look really good if they put a team there.

Orlando

The city is big enough to support football and it would also be around Disney World which would help draw a lot of fans. If they made the fan experience family friendly, they could really strike gold here.

Memphis

Now this is a place that I feel like the XFL could do well in, but the city really hasn’t proven that it could hold a football team. However, it also hasn’t proven that it can’t either. This would be more of an experiment, but Tennessee likes it’s football and Memphis is a big enough city in my opinion where it could hold a team.

Salt Lake City

Why hasn’t anyone given this city a chance? Salt Lake City is a big enough city to hold a couple of major professional teams (as evidenced with MLS and NBA being there). Football might be a perfect opportunity to make the city even more attractive.

Birmingham

Nabbing the eighth and final spot is Birmingham. This I could see working out really well as football is a religion in Alabama especially with the Alabama-Auburn college football rivalry being as big as it is there. XFL might thrive in this city because of how football is seen there. Especially when the college football season ends, people might want to see some more football.

Missing the cut:

Oklahoma City

Portland

Norfolk

Hartford

Sacramento

Louisville

These cities are also deserving, but would have to wait until the next round of expansion because if the XFL wants to continue to thrive, they have to expand the product. And these places absolutely need to have teams for the next wave expansion anyways.

 

Notre Dame has been an independent school in college football since the program started in 1887, so to say that not playing in a conference has become a tradition. Notre Dame has been one of the most successful college football programs as they have won 11 national championships (though the NCAA recognizes them to have 13). So things have been great for the school, but once the NCAA introduced the College Football Playoffs in 2014, every thing changed.

That leads me to what I will be talking about in this article. There seemingly was a change in narrative as to whether Notre Dame should stay independent and join a conference. The conference that seems the most ideal for the school to join is the Big Ten. The team already has some rivalries with schools like University of Michigan so it would only seem natural to put them in there. But is it actually a good idea to have Notre Dame join the Big Ten? Lets take a look at the pros and cons if they do move:

Pros

Makes the Big Ten considerably better

Notre Dame has a long tradition of winning and also was ranked 11th in the final rankings of the season. It would make the Big Ten stronger. If they were to join, the best division to join would be the West division as it makes sense geographically and the division was also not that strong compared to the East as it was won easily by Wisconsin. The West division would get stronger too, and by a lot.

Fixes the playoff issue

With not being in a conference, it makes it considerably harder to decide if you should be in the playoffs. With joining the Big Ten, one of the power five conferences, they have an easier and more fair opportunity to show that they deserve to play in the playoffs with a chance to possibly win the Big Ten championship. Otherwise they would have to play 13 games as an independent to prove their worth.

Develop rivalries with other schools

The really great thing about joining the Big Ten would be joining a conference rich of history and with very strong programs like Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Michigan in it. If they were joining the conference, they could develop rivalries with these other schools, which could help bolster the conference’s image too. Fans love rivalries and that would bring more money for the conference.

More and more money for the conference

Like I had mentioned in my last pro point is that rivalries brings in more money. But Notre Dame itself is a brand that could bring money even without the rivalries. Notre Dame not only is one of the most successful schools in college football history, it’s also one of the most popular. It has a fanbase that is national basically touching from coast to coast. That would bring in a lot more money for the Big Ten.

Cons

The NBC Television Contract

Notre Dame has a special relationship with NBC to televise their games, which in terms gives the school lots of money. If they were to move to the Big Ten, they would likely lose that and in result lose lots of potential money. The Big Ten has their own network and having Notre Dame move over would be a cluster of problems.

Scheduling flexibility

What’s great about Notre Dame being an independent is scheduling anyone they want. And because of that, it allows them to schedule as strong of one as possible. Plus they also have traditional games like against Stanford or against Navy and that would be a problem too if they were to move to the Big Ten.

It would regionalize the school

As mentioned earlier was that it would bring in more fans which reach from coast to coast (I would know as my aunt is a fan and she lives in San Diego). That’s great, but if there was a move to the Big Ten, it would slowly erode at the fan base. It may take a while for it to finally erode a lot, but making it a regional team essentially would hurt the team (as people all around the country can just tune into NBC to watch them play).

So you’re probably thinking that the pros here outweighs the cons, but that would not be the case as it might be more so that it’s either pretty even or the cons actually outweigh the pros. I personally would love to see Notre Dame in the Big Ten, but that’s a fan’s perspective and not from a businessman’s perspective. From a business point of view, it could hurt a lot. So purely from a monetary standpoint, they need to stay as an independent. Eventually I see the school joining a conference, but not in the near future and probably not the Big Ten.

To say that this past season’s picks for the college football playoffs was controversial is an understatement. People criticized the selection committee for favoritism and I personally think there might be some truth to it. That being said, the committee got this right. Before I get to what was debated, the committee absolutely picked the four most deserving teams for the playoffs. You can make a case that Ohio State was more deserving than Alabama because their strength of schedule was greater and had more Top 25 victories, but their 31 point loss to Iowa is what ultimately hurt them. Then there is also the argument that University of Central Florida, who went undefeated for the season, should have had a chance to go at it in the playoffs even after they beat an Auburn squad in the Peach Bowl who beat both teams who played in the Championship Game (Alabama and University of Georgia). There were a few other arguments made, but as one can tell, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the decision. Every year there is controversy, but there seems to be more around this past one’s edition. That being said, there is only one solution to this problem, expand the playoffs.

That playoffs are already great right now, but to bring more excitement, money, and fairness, the playoffs need four more teams. Honestly, it would be totally beneficial to the NCAA if they expanded the playoffs and this is a no brainer.

How the NCAA will go about those logistics? That’s ultimately up to them, but here is something I propose to accommodate their season’s length. I am not too much of a fan of non-conference games, but I recognize some are needed. I say get rid of one of those scheduled weeks for non-conference games in order to keep the same amount of possible games played for a school in the season. If fifteen possible games is what the NCAA, schools, TV, and fans want, then scrap the shortening of the regular season idea. Alabama played a possible 14 games this year including the playoffs, which is a lot, and playing more might have caused some problems.

Now lets look into what the field would have looked like with the final Top 25 rankings had the eight-team playoff been in effect:

1. Alabama

2. Georgia

3. Oklahoma

4. Clemson

5. Ohio State

6. UCF

7. Wisconsin

8. Penn State

Missing out:

9. TCU

10. Auburn

The only qualm I have with this is having Auburn not considered in the top eight. They had beaten both Alabama and Georgia and had a good loss to a Clemson squad. The LSU loss hurt them (even though they finished 18th) a lot as LSU had lost to Troy earlier in the season and even Mississippi State when they were unranked though Mississippi State finished 19th. But four losses looks bad for Auburn and three would have been hard to argue if there was an eight team playoff. Otherwise, this looks fair. I would have put Auburn in the seven seed, shifted Wisconsin down to eight, and had Penn State miss out (though they deservedly should have been there too). Another notable team to miss out was Notre Dame who finished 11th in the rankings as they had a great season. This past college football calendar year was one of the most exciting ones in recent seasons so this would have been a tough field to pick out had the eight team playoff been in effect.

Ultimately, I think they need to expand the playoffs to avoid controversies like some I had mentioned earlier. Not only would it help expel that, it could also generate more revenue for the NCAA and more interest. In my other article about the XFL, I mentioned some of the things that could hurt College Football if the XFL does indeed start playing. That would mean the NCAA would have to find ways to compete and adapt with the XFL and this should be one of their starting points. But even without the XFL factoring in, the College Football Playoffs not only should expand, it’s necessary for them. Besides, just imagine all the classic games it could provide. I know I would tune in more.

Just recently Vince McMahon, entrepreneur and owner of World Wrestling Entertainment, announced the reincarnation of the XFL for 2020. Back in 2001, there was lots of promise for the league except there was one problem, itself. There wasn’t much talent being played to make things exciting and other bad business deals which led it to end after just one season.

McMahon did not market it as well as he could have and it ended up as a bust. But with this renewal of the league, could it work? Why yes, and more successfully than you think. One thing is opportunity. The XFL could be used as a feeder league into the NFL as it is a requirement for players to enter the NFL draft three years after high school and that is one way to use your career in the XFL and another benefit is that you could get paid. Many may remember the whole Maurice Clarett story where he tried to challenge that rule as he made the case that he was of age where he should be able make the money he wants to make (he ultimately lost the case, but he started a big debate about that rule). When you are 18 in the United States, you are declared as a legal adult and you have the right to enter the work force with no restrictions. College is technically a higher education and not necessarily a necessity in this country (even though it seems to be the status quo after you graduate from high school to go to college in this day of age in the United States), but for the most part college is a requirement in order to play football at the highest level. Is that necessarily fair? I don’t think so, but my opinion about the matter is best saved for later.

So alright, you have opportunity as a reason, what might else be a reason why it could be successful? Opportunity again, but more so of attracting fans than anything else. What I mean by this is that you can attract the fans who have been so put off by the NFL and by going to cities who can’t say they proudly root for a football team in their home town. Places like that are Portland, Oklahoma City, Birmingham, and even San Antonio and you could even try to rival the NFL markets in cities like Chicago or Washington, D.C.

Another way it could be successful is if the league made the rules simple (making the catch rule more clear would be simple, right?) The XFL had some great ideas in its first incarnation like the jump ball rule instead of a coin flip (sure players got hurt on those, but honestly, it beats some of stuff NFL players have to go through).

If anything, the NFL should embrace the XFL as their feeder league as players could be more ready for the NFL when eligible and the players would have more money. The NCAA should worry as that means their talent could be poached and their quality of play would dramatically decrease meaning that would be less money for them as fans and media contracts would be more obligated to watch the product on an XFL field.

McMahon has also said that they will start this in 2020, that is not enough time. So many logistics will be needed if they want to do something like this and two years is not enough. If they want this done in two years, holy heck they will have to do it quickly, and thats why I am not optimistic. Four years is more realistic.

So I was a watcher of the league back when it was on and I loved it even though I didn’t particularly realize the quality of play was lacking, but I know it can succeed this time around. There were talks that it should be played during the NFL season as well, but I couldn’t disagree more as I feel like it should start right after the Super Bowl ends. Lot’s of people crave football, myself included, and having a league like the XFL around would be great once the NFL season is over. Football is a great sport, why should it end in February? Football year round would make things great especially for sports fans who want to watch a prime time game before baseball season starts as the NHL and NBA certainly don’t play those type of prime time games people crave, and MLB even doesn’t even offer that as well. That could lead to some TV contracts that could make a lot of money for the league.

And lastly, something to consider, and I know McMahon has alluded to it, is safety. Football is a rough sport as there is a lot of brutality. The whole CTE situation has certainly hurt the sport and it’s something the NFL is trying to figure out. Concussions are more serious than once thought and some of the hits to the brain from the NFL can lead to serious situations. If McMahon can figure that out, this league could even possibly rival the NFL.

Do I think the NFL has anything to worry about? No, for now and for a long considerable amount of time, but far in the distance it could be a worry. The only place that should have a worry is the NCAA and rightfully so. If the XFL actually proves to be successful, the NCAA will make lots of changes.

What will happen in the future is unclear as the XFL has yet to start, but that being said I really truly think the XFL not only could be successful, but could be embraced fully by the NFL. If that’s the case, the sport of football will get considerably better.

What is transpiring in front of us is hard for many to comprehend. As someone who is a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I could not fathom this run to be as incredible as it was, but it has now suddenly seemingly come to a screeching halt. Sad part is, I am ready for it.

Back in 2007, my fandom was waning. It did not seem like the franchise was serious about winning. Though, however, my interest in hockey was beginning to become apathetic until my hometown team, the Washington Capitals, reignited it. That being said, I saw myself following the Capitals more than the Blackhawks during this time. Then the 2009 playoffs happened. I knew the Blackhawks were young and talented, but I never expected them to be as good as they showed in that playoff run where they went as far as the Western Conference Finals facing off against their nemesis the Detroit Red Wings (though they lost). That was the beginning of something great and bigger than I think even the franchise had anticipated.

The next season, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup ending their 49 year Cup drought. The next two seasons ended in the first round, but in 2013, arguably the best squad in the run, the team set NHL records during the regular season and went on an incredible run to win their second Stanley Cup in the past four years. They made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 (losing on a fluky overtime goal against the Los Angeles Kings), but then came back in 2015 to win the Stanley Cup for the third time thus nabbing the honor of being a dynasty. The Blackhawks lost a tough seven game series in 2016 to the St. Louis Blues, but where I thought the end was coming to a close was in last year’s playoffs where they got swept by the Nashville Predators. It didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like the team had the same energy or chemistry anymore. While they were awesome to watch in the regular season, it just felt like the end was nigh. Then came this season. When the team got off to a strong start by defeating the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins 10-1, there was a sense of optimism for this season.

Where we stand now, the Blackhawks will not make the playoffs. While there is still a chance for them get in, there was a recent statistic where it said they are 10 points out of the last playoff spot with 27 games to go (now 26). Essentially, it’s virtually impossible for them to make it. It also hurts that they are in arguably in the strongest division in the sport. It has been a struggle to watch them this season. What hurts them the most is their goalie Corey Crawford being injured as he is one of the best in the league. But they are also both inexperienced and getting old in their core. Is this the end of the dynasty? I think it is and it was quite a ride. If you look upon what the Blackhawks had accomplished, it was remarkable.

It took until 2010 for me to understand the importance of winning in sports as every year I wanted to see them win and would finally understood what it meant for how gut wrenching it was to see them lose. Yes, it is worse for teams that are not used to winning or have disappointed every year as watching the Capitals choke year in and year out is just unbearable, but not seeing the ‘Hawks win sucks as well. It’s different as winning championships becomes contagious and it makes you want to win more and more.

However, with how much the squad has been this year, this shouldn’t be a cause to be sad, it should be a cause of celebration as they have accomplished so much more than imagined. Instead of just being contenders, they actually won multiple Stanley Cups and it never got old. While I think they have some young talent that could help lead this team back to the playoffs like Alex DeBrincat, this dynasty is over.

So the same day a whole bunch of us post our endorsement’s for USSF President, a developing story that may shake everything about the election. Six candidates held a meeting about combining forces after a report came out saying the favorite Kathy Carter and Carlos Cordeiro are the two front runners and it was likely to be two candidate race at this point. Paul Caliguri, Steve Gans, Kyle Martino, Hope Solo, Mike Winograd, and Eric Wynalda. All six of them want reform and combining forces would do that. This was their drafted statement:

“We, the undersigned share similar visions for change. We believe a vote for any one of us is a vote for real change. If you believe in change, real change, please vote for a real change candidate. On this we are united, and stand together for the good of the game.”

There were sources according to an ESPN article that Wynalda had a hard time in agreeing to it, but ultimately decided to join forces. And Caliguri announced that he actually had not joined forces, but there is a report that refutes that claim. If they were to garner more than 50 percent of the votes in the election, the “Gang of Six” become the winners, but they must receive more than 50 percent and that is the key if they want the reform that is needed. And the USSF is in desperate need for reform and it seems like this is their only hope. Is that even allowed to happen? I don’t know, but I feel like they cannot do something like that.

So, lets hypothetically say they win the election. While, for me personally, reform is great as these six candidates all have good ideas, how will all the logistics work? Who would be the main “president”? How will they come to a compromise of what of their ideas they will implement? Theres a lot more other questions, but it’s complicated. And honestly, I don’t know how they will hash things out if they win. Will it work? I believe it could if they could work out everything, but I am not optimistic that they will. They want what’s best for the program, but they might complicate things more than it should be.

*The link to the report from ESPN.

With Sunil Gulati choosing not to run for re-election, US Soccer is in need of new leadership. The US Soccer Federation (USSF) will convene tomorrow to hold an election and choose a new president, who will hopefully lift the US out of the malaise it finds itself in. During the last two years, both the Men’s and Women’s teams have underperformed (though the women’s underperformance is more flukish than the men’s). This culminated in a shocking loss to Trinidad and Tobago that will keep the US Men from competing in the World Cup this summer. The most pressing question for any endorsement is what USSF should prioritize, especially considering the different interests at play.

In my opinion, USSF should focus on building a Men’s National Team that can compete on the world stage. The Women’s National Team is consistently one of top teams in the world, and probably does not need much in the way of short term change. The Women’s National Team does have some issues that the next USSF president will have to deal with (namely equal pay), but the Women’s Team lacks the kind of systemic issues that require long term planning and vision. The success of the Men’s National Team will also boost the popularity of soccer in the United States. We Americans cheer for winners in practically every sport, and a competitive Men’s team would help make a lot of the other platform planks more realistic. Just as having real stars has boosted the women’s game, making a player like Christian Pulisic a household name would do wonders for the sport domestically. This would involve significant improvement in player development, player scouting, and (most importantly) coaching.

Realistically, there are two candidates with a strong chance of winning the election: Kathy Carter and Carlos Cordeiro. Kyle Martino, Eric Wynalda, and Steve Gans also have realistic odds, though their chances are lower that Carter and Cordeiro. I choose to endorse Carter. Carter’s independent commission for player development, if well executed, should help improve US youth players’ technical skills and USSF’s scouting of talent. Carter should also help improve the professional aspect of the women’s game by helping shore up the NWSL. The only real knock against her is that she doesn’t have a stated position on the Women’s CBA. For these reasons, I think Kathy Carter is the best choice for USSF President.

The biggest question, since Sunil Gulati announced that he would not run for reelection as US Soccer Federation President, is: whose leadership sets up US Soccer with the best chance of success? The USWNT is in a good place at the moment. US youth soccer (men’s and women’s is in a good place). The MLS is growing. The NWSL is fledgling.

That leaves us with the one I, selfishly, care most about: the US men’s national team. Whose leadership ensures that what happened over the past year never happens again? Whose leadership gives US men’s soccer the greatest opportunity to grow and become a world class organization, while not completely devastating the resources and structures at hand?

Kathy Carter’s independent player development model is compelling, as well as her desire to beef up technical development of coaches and players. It’s something US men’s soccer has needed for a long time. Carlos Cordeiro also wants to create a new technical department, but is also committed to increasing commercial revenue. Kyle Martino desires equity and  transparency in US Soccer. Eric Wynalda is trying to drastically overhaul the function of MLS to align with a European club system.

Whose model gives US Soccer the ability to maintain success where it has been successful (women’s national team and youth soccer), and to make the necessary changes where improvements are needed?

America is already a world leader at women’s sports. Equity is still necessary where pay is concerned, but that also requires a commitment to have the same revenue intake (or a system of equitable distribution) from sponsorships and television rights for both the men’s and women’s national teams. What is easier to solve: equal pay or the structural problems that hold back American men’s soccer from other world powers? I think it is easier to solve equal pay. We need a US Soccer president who can address equal pay, then turn toward why the USMNT is lagging behind smaller population nations, such as, Serbia and South Korea in international football. Geoff Cameron was utterly truthful when he noted in his Players Tribune article that the culture of mediocrity and complacency in US Soccer needs to end. Which potential leaders are best equipped to address the pressing issues, and still motivated by success at all levels of the game?

Kathy Carter and Eric Wynalda are the best equipped to handle these issues. At the very least, they seem to understand that they are the highest priority issues, considering the 130 million dollar budget surplus that US Soccer is currently operating with (thus the organization should not be focusing its attention on commercial rights issues, as Mr. Cordeiro would have).

Then the question becomes: does US Men’s soccer, in its entirety need a fundamental overhaul? I do not believe so, because the system is financially sound, and has produced some good players. Player development does need to be addressed, especially at the 18-23 age range. If Kathy Carter is true to her word, and can pursue an overhaul of player development, then she has my theoretical vote.

What happened in October against Trinidad and Tobago cannot happen again. It was a sporting embarrassment, similar to what happened to Germany at Euro 2000. We need a careful examination of what went wrong and why. Germany moved to an overhaul of men’s soccer, at national and club level. That project worked successfully, culminating in Germany winning the 2014 World Cup. I am of the opinion that the changes proposed by Kathy Carter address many of the problems of US men’s soccer (although not all), while leaving in place what functions well.

On the 10th of February in Toronto (which is ironic) the election for the United States Soccer Federation president will be held. The current president, Sunil Gulati, has been at the helm since 2006 and decided to not seek reelection after men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. While the women’s and younger sides for the men have looked good, there needed to be a change and Gulati knew he was not going to be a part of that process and if he didn’t then he should not have been regardless. Gulati has done a good job as this program really has risen in the past decade, but it wasn’t good enough as evidenced this past November. Changes are needed and Gulati was resistant to that. If something like that happens and you say that nothing needs to change, then your time is finished if you want more progress because the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results. However, Gulati decided to not run again which means fresh blood will be in power.

That being said, some of the candidates seem to represent the establishment rather than the change needed. Regardless of what it looks like, they all have one thing in common and that is they all want what is best for the program. But wanting best doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the best. While this article is purely opinionated based, the changes that one of these candidates suggests is what is absolutely needed for the program to grow. Soccer is on the rise in this country and it’s getting to the point where everyone is taking it more and more serious. Soccer, while will never be the top dog in terms of sports here in the United States, could at least become incredibly popular.

Before going into details of all the candidates, here is the list of the people are going up for election:

Paul Caliguri

Kathy Carter

Carlos Cordeiro

Steve Gans

Kyle Martino

Hope Solo

Michael Winograd

Eric Wynalda

That is eight candidates who will run for president of the USSF. Now there are three candidates that have realistically no chance at winning and that’s Michael Winograd (who does have some good ideas), Hope Solo (the former star goalkeeper for the women’s side), and Paul Caliguri (a former player on the men’s side). That leaves Kathy Carter, Carlos Cordeiro, Steve Gans, Kyle Martino, and Eric Wynalda as the most realistic candidates here.

The favorite here is Carter. According to an ESPN article, this is what she wants to do for the program:

“She wants to bring more diversity to executive-level positions within the USSF and create a technical department to manage on-field aspects, including the hiring of coaches. She wants to go “all-in” on the women’s game and stabilize the NWSL. Perhaps most controversially, Carter wants to form an independent commission, headed by sports executive Casey Wasserman, to examine every aspect of player development.”

Cordeiro is the next favorite here, but many feel like he represents the establishment as he is the understudy of Gulati. From the same ESPN article, this is what he wants:

“Cordeiro wants to engage in a considerable restructuring of the USSF, which starts with making the office of president more a chairperson of the board role, with the incumbent working more collaboratively with the board of directors. Cordeiro wants to create a new technical department to oversee all on-field aspects, including the hiring of coaches. He wants to appoint an independent USSF board member to oversee the awarding of future commercial rights contracts. And Cordeiro seeks to make the game more affordable for players and coaches by increasing scholarships and grants.”

Martino is an outsider that has strong support. I actually like his approach a lot, but he is not my first choice. However, he has a strong chance of winning. This is what he wants according to ESPN:

“Martino’s platform consists of three planks. The first involves making the USSF more transparent, while making the presidency a paid position. He is also emphasizing equality, which includes making the game more accessible for kids from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as better treatment of the women’s national team. The third is titled ‘Progress’ and includes clarifying the youth player path, creating an environment for more collaboration among the various youth soccer stakeholders, as well as a gradual path towards implementing a system of promotion/relegation at the pro level.”

Gans has the least chance of winning from all five of these candidates. From the same ESPN article, this is what Gans wants:

“While Gans is among the proponents for improved corporate governance, a separate search committee for the next men’s national team coach, and equality and greater support for the women’s game, much of his platform’s focus is on revamping the youth system. He is proposing that the development academy be re-evaluated and wants to use part of U.S. Soccer’s $130 million surplus to make the game more affordable. He wants to solve what he calls “the counterproductive competition” among various youth sanctioning bodies. Gans is also keen to give the state associations at both the youth and adult levels more say in how they are run.”

Which leads me to the final candidate, Eric Wynalda. Wynalda wants this for the program according to ESPN:

“Wynalda is the champion of the anti-establishment wing, advocating for — among other things — a path to promotion and relegation, moving MLS to a winter calendar, renegotiating the CBA for the U.S. women’s national team, and securing a media rights deal similar to that proposed by MP & Silva back in September. He wants to use an endowment fund to make the game more affordable for coaches and players, as well as educate parents new to the game. And Wynalda wants the relationship with SUM to be ‘thoroughly vetted and reviewed’ to make sure that the USSF is maximizing its take from commercial rights deals.”

I always save the best for last and because of that I give Wynalda my endorsement. He is a former player who knows exactly how progress should be made for this country. I will get into more of what Wynalda wants in a future, but honestly his view is absolutely what the program needs to succeed with. Major League Soccer absolutely needs promotion/relegation (a topic I will delve into deeper). The CBA is also a really big thing for me as equal pay is a top priority regardless of what the argument is. I do think there are a lot of good ideas that other candidates have that Wynalda should adopt if he was to become president, but he is the most clear and obvious choice to become president. He has my endorsement all the way.

*Here is a link to the ESPN article.

With the Football Hall of Fame voting coming up later this week, I thought would do my mock voting for whom I think should be enshrined at Canton. How the vote works is a lot different and a lot more confusing than how the Baseball Hall of Fame works. From the Football Hall of Fame website, this is how the voting works:

“In advance of the Hall of Fame Selection Meeting in February, the selectors are provided detailed biographies on each of the 18 finalists.  At the annual meeting on ‘Selection Saturday,’ each finalist is thoroughly discussed by the committee before a series of reduction votes are taken.  First, the senior candidate(s) and Contributor candidate(s) are discussed and voted on for election.  They must receive the same 80 percent affirmative vote as the Modern-Era candidates. Next, there is a vote that reduces the Modern-Era finalists list from 15 to 10.  Following that, a vote is taken to reduce the list from 10 to 5 names.  The five remaining candidates for Hall of Fame election are then voted on individually (yes or no) for membership.

In order to be elected a finalist must receive a minimum of 80% of the vote.  All ballots are collected and counted by the firm Deloitte & Touche.  No vote totals are announced – only the winners of the various reduction ballots are revealed to the selectors and the Hall’s representatives.”

Very, very long and tedious process as it looks like to me that it’s harder to make a decision. Here is a link to the finalists for this year so you know who is on it. So, with that being said, here are the five players who I think should be enshrined this year at Canton.

Note: I will not be including senior candidates and contributor candidates

Brian Urlacher-Linebacker

This man was one of the best linebackers I had ever watched play the game and arguably (key word there because there’s a debate with the two linebackers on this list) the best to play in the last two decades. He was feared by every quarterback and was just a force to be reckoned with. He helped the Chicago Bears have one of the best defenses in the mid-2000s.

Terrell Owens-Wide Receiver

While he might not be the best wide receiver on this list, he’s most certainly the most eccentric. Aside from his antics, he was a special talent. Had one of the best hands I ever saw, was fast, and scored touchdowns at a blistering pace. He might not get in his first go around, but in my opinion he’s a hall of famer.

Randy Moss-Wide Receiver

The greatest wide receiver I ever saw and quite possibly the best to ever play. Moss was super talented and had the best hands this sport probably has ever seen. Whenever anyone asked you who the best receiver they ever saw, Moss is certainly one that will come to people’s minds.

John Lynch-Safety

This one might be a little controversial, but he was a great safety. Read routes well and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He was also part of a dominant Buccaneers defense that won the Super Bowl.

Ray Lewis-Linebacker

Remember earlier when I said that Urlacher arguably was the best linebacker in the last two decades? That’s because many will say that this guy was better. And for good reason as he was another dominant linebacker that most quarterbacks feared. He might have been better in coverage than Urlacher too. He was also a member of that 2000s Baltimore Ravens team that was arguably the best defense to ever play.

Notable snubs:

Tony Boselli-Offensive Lineman

Talent wise he is a sure hall of famer, however injuries derailed what was certainly a hall of fame career. He is a huge debate.

Joe Jacoby-Offensive Lineman

He was part of the dominant offensive line of the Washington Redskins back in their glory days of the 1980s. It’s absolutely baffling he is not in yet, but there are more deserving guys this go around.

Isaac Bruce-Wide Receiver

He might actually make it into the hall this year instead of the ones I selected as he was a very productive receiver who played for a long time too. He was a member of the St. Louis Rams offense from the 1999 season that was dubbed The Greatest Show on Turf.

Brian Dawkins-Safety

Had a long career and was a very good player in Philadelphia. I watched him play when I was growing up and he was just a very smart player and was a great talent. He was tough to leave out of this.