For Major League Soccer, a yellow card

The professional men's soccer team in Portland, the Timbers, has been successful on a number of different levels. But the league in which it operates, Major League Soccer, has always struck me as a bit of a house of cards. It would be none of my business, except that the City of Portland is deeply entangled with the Timbers through the stadium, which when last I looked was still technically owned by the city.

The pandemic has greatly disrupted the finances of all sports, but some are more able to withstand the blows than others. You've got to wonder how long MLS can go on with few or no spectators in the seats.

Last night we learned that the league is laying off about 70 people out of about 300. Over the summer, we heard that several of the new franchises are not coming on line as scheduled. You wonder how bad the cash flow problems must be getting.

There will always be a Portland Timbers, or something like it. But MLS? I wouldn't bet on it.