D.C. United Convinces VW to Pay Its Players

Yesterday, D.C. United announced a new five-year sponsorship deal with Volkswagen, which involves slapping a big VW logo on the Major League Soccer club's jerseys and trying to sell the Screaming Eagles on the joys of Touareg ownership. In turn, D.C. United will receive $14 million over the next five years.

That's $2.8 million a year. The MLS salary is currently $2.3 million a year. So for all intents and purposes, Volkswagen is covering D.C. United's player salaries for at least the next two years. There's probably enough left over to pay most of the coaching staff, too.

MLS has its share of problems, but it seems the league's biggest problem is the lack of money available to players not named Beckham or Blanco. The MLS Players Union desperately needs to address that issue in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, which would take effect in 2010. The salary cap should be at least double what it is now. The minimum salary for senior team players needs to be raised. Roster sizes should be increased. Most importantly, developmental players should be making a living wage. That would allow a youth program prospect like Matt Kassel to stay with his club rather than leave for college.

Those are just small steps the League and the Players Union could take to make MLS more appealing to both players and fans. Without that, MLS might not be quite as appealing to other advertisers in the future. But hey, kudos to D.C. United for getting someone else to pay their most important employees, right?