#StrikeContent: What to do if there is an MLS Players Strike

Welcome to #StrikeContent.

Yes. As you have heard there could be an MLS players strike happening as soon as tonight. The players union and the owners may not reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, so now we might be left with no MLS, and no idea what to do. Right?

Wrong.

This could be my fourth labor stoppage as a fan since 2005, so I have some experience in these sort of things.

What to do now that your favorite league might be shut down while owners and players fight over money that you spend so they can reap?

Mute MLS, MLSCBA, and Strike on Twitter

Yes. I know. This one will be hard. You are going to think the strike could end in the first 48 hours, and the Red Bulls will still play Sporting Kansas City this Sunday and everyone will smile, and there will be "Thank You Fans" signs everywhere. Unlikely.

So to save yourself some agony, step away from twitter, or if you are like me, mute all conversation about the MLS CBA but stay twitter. It'll prevent you from thinking every small update could be a beacon of hope.

Eventually, it it happens, this will get solved. There is precedent in other sports, *cough hockey cough*, that it could take a long time and no one is going to fault you if you decide "I don't want to stick this out, sorry MLS. I'm done. Bye forever." Fandom is a personal choice, and it takes dedicated fans to sit through a potential labor impasse.

Watch other soccer

There is a lot of quality soccer going on around the world. If you think you are too good for the Premier League, you could check out the Copa Libertadores. It's the South American equivalent of the Champions League, except the stadiums are louder, the infrastructure not as developed, and teams from Mexico sometimes have to go to the highlands of Bolivia.

Or consider Argentina's league. In 2015 it expanded to THIRTY TEAMS. I wish I was making this up, but Argentine football is ridiculous.

South America may not be your flavor, so remember there are leagues in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and tons of other countries worth watching. Liga MX features many Red Bull Academy products, and has a fairly novel structure that can be difficult to understand. I would suggest that you could watch that as well. If you're too bitter to watch soccer you can always...

Watch Other Sports

Sports are fun, to an extent. Watch them! You're not "cheating" on soccer if you watch LeBron James play some basketball, or want to slowly count down your own mortality as the Mets decide not to spend any money for another year (shut up Aaron they can increase payroll at any time).

The New York area has NINE other teams in the big four leagues, so watch some of the Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Knicks (don't watch the Knicks), and Nets. In addition there is always minor league baseball, indoor football, college basketball, and many many other sports that I can't name off the top of my head.

Play a Sport, Read a Book, Watch Jeopardy!, Do Anything YOU Want

This is the big one. This potential labor impasse does not define you. Find an activity and maybe pursue it. You could also be productive at your job, or even quit your job!

Yes, it will be awful that there potentially will be a New York Red Bulls sized hole in your social calendar, but remember we are still here as a community to "entertain" you, and everyone's individual agency should flourish during a potential strike. If you would like book, movie, tv show, and or life suggestions just say so in the comments. We can provide dumb and serious answers and this community will rally together to get through this trying time and make ourselves better in the process. Finally...

Make sure you keep visiting Once A Metro and reading our #StrikeContent

We have a lot of great ideas planned (if this happens, and even more ideas planned if the season goes on as scheduled). Please read them. Please.

"Aaron, no one wants to read you going back through every episode of HBO's critically claimed television program "Girls" and reviewing EVERY episode."

You don't know that. I will prove you wrong. This is a threat and a promise.

Happy potential Strike!