Summary: Almost universally praised as perhaps a landmark and transcendent player acquisition for Major League Soccer across the hyperbolic mainstream, we take a more nuanced view of the Clint Dempsey deal in light of our prediction in July that his next move was indeed MLS has his best value could be found in returning to the very league which helped him launch his career in the Premier League from New England Revolution. Reportedly featuring a large commitment of 41 million USD in transfer fees and wages, we dig into some of the issues that beg further analysis including whether a 30 year-old player should be considered in his prime as soccer player, whether there is a risk longer term in terms of ongoing imbalances in wages against the existing collective bargaining agreement, a perceived lack of transparency with player rules from the league office and whether placing the highest paid MLS player on FieldTurf in Seattle is an unnecessary risk. We examine all of these issues, who should be considered the real winners in this move and whether his arrival in MLS must be considered a serious concern for Jurgen Klinsmann and his player selection for Brazil 2014 next summer. We also look at the effects of artificial surfaces, in general, and whether this purchase of Clint Dempsey from Tottenham should be considered as transcendent as the league wants all of us to believe it is, asking all the important questions and how Dempsey improves the fan experience for a Seattle Sounders franchise that seems to have already maximized its potential to its fullest.
