Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber is a candidate to be the next United States Olympic Committee chief executive according to a report by the Reuters news service.


Garber is one of a number of potential candidates for the USOC job, though the story does mention that the committee is not revealing its list. With the hiring of a chief executive apparently only thirty days away, the search committee is interviewing candidates with an eye towards recommending one or two to the USOC's full board.


Garber's candidacy, if in fact it is serious and he intends to consider the job, should fill MLS fans with dread. Now is not the time for the league to go through a transition at its most important position; not only is a new collective bargaining agreement still not done, but Garber has successfully led the league through stormy waters to a new era where successful new clubs are joining at a rapid clip.


Garber isn't perfect, and neither has the job he's done. But there's generally more good than bad there, and even those who question his actions have to admit that the devil we know may be better than the devil we don't. It's been more than ten years since Major League Soccer changed over it's commissioner, and unless an experienced soccer brain with an understanding of the difficulty he (or she) will face comes forward, there's reason for concern.


Taking issue with Don Garber over single table (by no means a certain success), the salary cap, or items on the demand list of the MLS Players Union is one thing; knowing for certain that someone else would be a better fit for the job without presenting a viable candidate is another thing altogether.


Garber has been open, accessible, and forthright during a hectic period of Major League Soccer's young life. If he does move on to "greener" pastures, are we sure his replacement would do the same?