Games, Sports and Fun

Its kind of ironic. In the USA, home of unfettered capitalism, is a socialist style solution to the problems of the English Premier League.

The EPL is currently the most successful domestic soccer league in the world. Awash with cash, it also produced three of last seasons Champions League semi-finalists, as well as both finalists.

Yet the EPL is also sick to the core. It has been dominated for too long by just the 4 richest clubs. Other clubs aim for just being the best of the rest. Long gone are the days where a club like Nottingham Forest could rise from the second division to Champions of Europe within a few short years.

What are the solutions? The US sports of basketball, football and baseball suggest two :

1. A draft system.

This couldn’t really work in soccer. Young players need to apprentice with a club to learn their trade properly. A draft system just wouldn’t be fair to clubs who nurture their young successfully.

2. A salary cap.

This could work. EPL players have for years earnt more than enough to live comfortably off for the rest of their lives. A salary cap would enable clubs like Aston Villa and West Ham to compete with Manchester United and Arsenal.

Something needs to be done or the game will die, all the while convinced it is thriving as its counts its cash, it will fail to notice the fans departing in droves.

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