Hiya, MLS.

Hiya, MLS.

Say, maybe it's just me, but as I listen to Marcelo Balboa repeatedly opine that players like Eddie Johnson need to go to Europe so that he/they can "see what real pressure and competition is about", it occurs to me that this might not be the message you want your former stars to send out...particularly during a live MLS broadcast.

Essentially, Balboa just dogged out the entire league. No real competition. No real pressure in the media or from fans after a loss. Thing is, you and I know that there's some truth to those assertions, but Balboa spouting this while providing color for an MLS match isn't helping. He's not tactful enough to bring up the subject without pissing on the league's current status, never mentioning the great strides made by MLS (and US soccer in general) over the last decade. Yes, Marcelo, we get it; we know. Soccer is ten times more popular across the pond, and the UK visibly press savages poor performance while overheaping praise on good players. (Next you'll tell us that water is wet.) How about offering up ways to further advance the sport's US growth, beyond assuming that your mere presence in the booth is suficient?

So, MLS, in closing: If the poor feedback Balboa generated from his World Cup commentary isn't enough to get you to re-evaluate him, perhaps this latest bit of minor treachery will be.