Should Top Sides be Allowed to Select their Play-off Opponents?

An intriguing experiment has been conducted in England. Not in the sport of football but in Rugby League, a 13 man version of the sport widely seen as the forerunner for Gridiron. For the ever innovative Rugby League authorities, who switched to summer play some years ago, have enacted a rule that rewards those who finish top of the table during the regular season a unique privilege.

They get to select their play-off opponents from among the chasing pack. So Yorkshire side Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington was permitted to announce his team’s opponents for next Friday’s play-off semi-final at their Headingley ground.

The whole hullabaloo was full of drama as Hetherington dragged the announcement out to its full length. But one thing is certain, the side selected, Catalan Dragons were unappreciative of being selected over Lancashire sides Wigan and St Helens.

Rugby League FL’s Communications Manager Craig Spence said: “Sunday’s ClubCall announcement is the most eagerly anticipated piece of news in Rugby League since last year’s licensing announcement and has already generated a significant amount of interest. Each position in this year’s eight team play-off comes with a reward and there is no greater reward for topping the league and winning your first play-off game than being able to choose your semi-final opponents. The excitement ahead of Sunday is growing each day and it is proving to be a real talking point amongst supporters , players, officials and the media. Sunday will be a great day for the sport.”

The Press and Fans would have a Field Day

All of which got us thinking, would this work in MLS, a league where being top of the league is already rewarded by the Supporters Shield and a CONCACAF place? Some purists say that this is insufficient reward and if you win your league, you should be champions. They want to scrap the play-offs completely. But play-offs are a staple of every American sport and the sudden death aspect of the culmination of every season has intensely sellable marketing value, as well as widespread spectator appeal.

So bringing in the right to select opponents would be a greater award for regular season success, but would also provide a superb opportunity for American sports executives to do something they already do superbly, create spectator appeal out of a non playing event, rather akin to the half time Superbowl show or the televised draft in other sports which attract high audiences. How much fun would that ceremony be to watch? In Europe the randomly made draws for knock-out tournaments, such as England’s FA Cup 3rd Round draw attract massive viewing figures. Think of that drama and add in a bunch of MLS’s top General Managers either making the call or awaiting their fates.

Not only that, the speculation about who Supporters Shield winners (and subsequent finishers) might choose and why, would generate thousands of column inches, indeed extra column inches, for a sport always fighting an uphill battle for them. The press and fans would have a field day, thus focusing attention on soccer just as the NFL season was beginning to push MLS to the sidelines. Recently a very public spat between Adrian Hanauer of Seattle Sounders and DC United’s Kevin Payne about home advantage for the US Open Cup final was very successful in raising the match’s profile and helping to sell a record number of tickets. Imagine how much fun those two would have had if one had selected the other’s club as a supposedly easier to beat opponent.

Idle Speculation Paragraph

So how might this work in practice? If the season finished in the same order as now, Columbus Crew would get first choice of opponent. The intrigue about whether they would invite Sigi Schmid back to teach him a lesson or go for a shorter away trip would rage. Would Los Angeles Galaxy be confident enough about beating Little Brother Chivas and go for a local derby, or pick someone else to avoid the possibility of ignominious defeat and be accused of bottling it? How would the sides selected react to the slight on their abilities? If an on form Dallas sneaked into eighth place due to being on an unstoppable winning run this year, how much of a reward would that be for a Crew side who had finished first? The chat forums would go into overload.

MLS has to be innovative in a crowded market just as Rugby League did. Maybe it’s time to give this idea serious consideration. Anyone got Don Garber’s email address?

Other Coverage: Club Call’s Uniqueness a Part of Sporting History – Liverpool Daily Post

Club Call Announcement to be Screened Live – Huddersfield Giants online

MLS Latest: MLS Weekend Round up – Columbus Discovers New territory

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