By Tripp Mickle , Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal MLS Commissioner Don Garber Thursday night urged Red Bulls fans to be patient with the league as it negotiates a new CBA with players. Garber said, "These discussions are always challenging. Understand, as every fan does, that we'll have fits and starts in collective bargaining but we'll get through." Garber later added that CBA discussions had only recently begun with the MLS Players Union and would last until the end of the year, when the current CBA expires. The remarks came at a corporate reception and soccer business panel prior to last night's Galaxy-Red Bulls game at the Meadowlands. Approximately 80 people attended the event, which featured Garber, Red Bull Managing Dir Erik Stover, CONCACAF Deputy Secretary Ted Howard and Wall Street Journal reporter Matthew Futterman. During the panel, Garber also talked about MLS expansion, saying he still expected the league to add two more teams in the coming years. He said he is interested in bringing franchises to Atlanta, the Carolinas, Florida, St. Louis or Montreal. Garber said the league is still interested in a second team in N.Y. but that league talks with the Wilpons had broken off. He did not say why the Wilpons were no longer in talks with the league but said that he hoped they would resume in the future. In explaining the recent addition of clubs like Sounders FC, Garber said, "When the NHL expanded to its size, they were already in 28 markets. We were at 10 clubs, so we had a long way to go."
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| Garber Interested In Bringing Franchises To Atlanta, Carolinas, Florida, Montreal |
