MLS has fined Real Salt Lake investor-operator Dell Loy Hansen for comments regarding labor negotiations.
RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen
The league has a strict policy on not allowing stakeholders to talk to the media about the ongoing negotiations.
Last week owners were sent a letter threatening a $250,000 fine if they breached that rule.
Hansen made a statement on ESPN700 where he called the desire for free agency a “waste-of-time conversation.”
Hansen has been fined an undisclosed amount for the comments made during the radio interview which were subsequently widely published earlier this week.
He said:
“I think there are some really fair offers that have come from the league.
The perennial issue is that “we want free agency,” but that can’t exist where everyone’s employed by the same employer.
How do you have free agency when you’re going to go talk to yourself at the next employer? That’s not going to change. That’s a “go-nowhere” conversation. When you look at all the owners, they’ve all been in pro basketball, baseball, football, and that was the one thing they all vowed they’d never do is go through that again.
They’ve tried it twice, it’s been defeated by the courts. It’s just a foolish place to waste time. If that’s still open, it’s just foolish.
The rest, there’s some great agreement everyone can reach, but every time I read “we’re going to work on free agency,” well, you know, that’s one of those real waste-of-time conversations. I think everyone’s very intense on it. I know that the league and the owners are seriously looking at that.”
The MLS press release quoted MLS Commissioner Garber as saying:
“The comments made by Mr. Hansen are not permitted under the League’s Constitution. We are engaged in constructive negotiations with our players and such comments are not appropriate nor helpful to the negotiations.”
You can listen to the full interview here.
Hansen’s position is at odds with his star player, US international goalkeeper Nick Rimando who told the Salt Lake Tribune:
“The Union wants free agency, and if that isn’t going to be entertained from the league, the players will strike.”
