Yankees President Blasts MLS, Don Garber!
Filed under: Don Garber, MLS
A day after MLS Commisioner Garber mentioned the economy was hampering ticket sales of all sports leagues (and sighting empty seats at new Yankee Stadium), Yankees President Randy Levine launched a blistering attack on MLS…
“A day after the Major League Soccer commissioner raised the subject, New York Yankees president Randy Levine blasted back.
“Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke,” Levine said Friday. “We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year. If he ever gets Major League Soccer into the same time zone as the Yankees, we might take him seriously.
“Hey Don, worry about Beckham, not the Yankees. Even he wants out of your league,” he said.
Star David Beckham has been loaned from MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan through the end of the Italian Serie A season.
Speaking Thursday to the Associated Press Sports Editors, Garber said he’d noticed the unfilled seats at New York’s two new stadiums. The Yankees’ premium seats were more than half-empty for the five games following their home opener.
“It’s incomprehensible that you watch a game, and there will be front-row seats empty,” Garber said.
Told of Levine’s comments, Garber explained his remark.
“When I mentioned the New York Yankees yesterday, my comments were part of a larger assertion that all businesses — even the most successful sports entities — are experiencing some impact from the economic downturn,” Garber said through a league spokesman.
“The Yankees are one of the world’s strongest sports brands and the context of my comments about a few empty seats at Yankee Stadium was to illustrate the economic challenges we are all facing,” he said.
MLS averaged 16,460 for 210 regular-season games last year, a total of 3.46 million. The Yankees averaged 53,070 last year in the final season at the old Yankee Stadium, a total of 4.3 million.”
Image via Daylife
I think Levine realizes that baseball is a dying sport.
What an idiot. I hope the Yankees fail big time again
Levine is just pissed because their 300 million dollar man is sitting injured. Fkin Yankees…ALL of their fans are assholes…just like Laker fans.
hah wow, what a tool
What a f**king prick, he can go sit on a bat.
Who in their right mind is going to pay 2600 bucks for one seat for a baseball game? They probably have $12 hot dogs and charge for mustard…
I love when people say that baseballs a dying sport. There are more people at baseball games and more people watching baseball on T.V. than there ever has been. Baseball has more growth potential internationally than soccer does that’s the truth. Soccer is peaking although not in the States. Don Garber needs not to explain the lack luster ticket sales at most of the M.L.S. games by taking a shot at other sports. He needs to look at the poor quality of play he mandates I love the U.S. MNT, I hate my Galaxy but it’s not there fault they play poorly it’s Garber’s rules that keep them down.
Baseball fans have such thin skins.
Never thought I’d say that until today. lol
I believe that Commissioner Garber is absolutely correct and that Mr. Levine over-reacted. It’s a disgrace that the Yankees charge as much as $2500 for a seat. The Yankees will have to make adjustments to their pricing or we will be seeing a lot of empty front row seats. Perhaps they can give some complimentary seats to make a better appearance. I’ll gladly accept 4 tickets.