25 Stories That Made MLS

How the largest signing in league history, David Beckham, happened in the first place and how it changed the direction of MLS forever.
The brothers talk about how and why the Designated Player happened, how Blanco was the better player in the early years and why it took a few years before everyone started to spend money on Designated Players.
Sources:
Looking back at fires last big signing by Guillermo Rivera for Chicago Now

http://www.chicagonow.com/fire-confidential/2017/05/looking-back-at-the-fires-last-big-signing-in-2007-cuauhtemoc-blanco/

Soccer Player Beckham Sparks $13m in Sales by Curtis Eichelberger for NY Sun

https://www.nysun.com/national/soccer-player-beckham-sparks-13m-in-sales/52872/

15 Years of the Don by Grant Wahl for SI

https://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/12/03/don-garber-mls-commissioner-major-league-soccer

Q&A with Grant Wahl by Jack Bell for NY Times

https://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/qa-with-grant-wahl-author-of-the-beckham-experiment/

Galaxy has Becks Appeal by Graham Jones for LA Times

www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jan-12-sp-beckham12-story.html

Beckham is MLS Expansion Story Du Jour by Paul Kennedy for Soccer America

https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/51723/beckham-is-mls-expansion-story-du-jour.html

http://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com/news/detail/david-beckham-launches-soccer-academy-at-the-home-depot-center-in-california

http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/fire-to-be-sold-to-bronfman-family.html

How a former US national lacrosse and soccer player became the most accomplished coach in MLS and US Soccer history.
Sources:
Hidden Caps - Bruce Arena’s Appearance in Israel by Tom Dunmore

https://web.archive.org/web/20130117223126/http://www.ussoccer.com/news/centennial/01/hidden-caps-arena.aspx

Dissecting Bruce Arena’s Legacy

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/bruce-arena-legacy-oral-history-through-eyes-those-around-him-mls-usmnt-la-galaxy?page=0%2C2

“USMNT competing at World Cup with Cornellian Bruce Arena At Its Helm” by Alex Kwan

http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2006/05/us-men-play-bruce-arena-style-soccer-world-cup

Neetol takes over host duties. Tutul tells the story of how a failed lawsuit established the backbone of the MLS business model - single entity. Neetol explains that MLS is basically like Applebees.
Sources:
An Oral History of Major League Soccer’s Frenzied First Season by Doug Sibor for Complex Magazine: https://www.complex.com/sports/2015/05/oral-history-major-league-soccer-first-season

How MLS Single Entity Status Works and Its Relationship with Antitrust Law by Terry Brenna in Law In Sport: https://www.lawinsport.com/content/articles/item/how-mls-single-entity-status-works-and-its-relationship-with-antitrust-law

How the supporter culture and following of MLS teams led to the creation of one of the three main trophies & the eventual expansion into 3 new teams.
Sources:
A History of the Supporters Shield by Ryan Gates for Stumptown Footy

https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2011/2/15/1995978/a-history-of-the-supporters-shield

A Pacific Passion Play by Grant Wahl for SI

https://www.si.com/vault/2011/05/23/106070650/a-pacific-passion-play

https://web.archive.org/web/20071012230838/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soccer/2003941033_sounders11.html

https://www.sounderatheart.com/2019/8/15/20805034/sounders-new-ownership-changes-faq

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/whitecaps-invisible-owner-casts-large-shadow/article573189/

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/mls-expected-to-announce-vancouver-expansion-team-1.821469

https://www.timbers.com/post/2007/05/22/timbers-introduce-new-owner-merritt-paulson-0

Neetol grades every new MLS Jersey from a designer's point of view. Tutul chimes in with some marketing points.