June 2, 2008 by Jeff Cooper 

On Thursday night in New York City, the Sports Business Journal held its inaugural Sports Business Awards ceremony. The nomination, review, and selection process was a year in the making — and the winners were kept top-secret, with even the editorial committee not knowing who would take home the Tiffany trophies at the end of the night.

Lo and behold, MLS was recognized as Professional Sports League of the Year — beating out the other major contenders: MLB, NBA, NFL, and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. What an honor. Congratulations are definitely in order!

According to the Sports Business Journal, three major initiatives in 2007 set MLS apart: the addition of high profile players like David Beckham to raise mainstream awareness around soccer, jersey sponsorships to boost team revenue, and two new soccer-specific stadiums to further the league's identity. Strategic — and potentially risky — moves that deserve major kudos from the sports industry, as MLS proves it's willing to buck traditional mindsets in order to grow its revenue, fan base, and overall brand.

For anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Don Garber and everyone else at MLS, Thursday's honor shouldn't come as a surprise. From top to bottom, at both the league and team levels, MLS is a class act — an organization that I'm eager to be a part of.