Seattle Sounders GM Hanauer: CBA a weight off everyone’s shoulders

The fact that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement has been put in place is a weight off everyone’s shoulders according to Seattle Sounders general manager and co-owner Adrian Hanauer.

The league and Players’ Union finally came to an agreement and although Hanauer admits his club were preparing as normal for the season to start with no player strike, he believes a lot of people would now be relieved.

“For us, I think on the soccer side, the technical side, we've been ploughing ahead as though this deal was going to get done all along, so I wouldn't say that our actions have really changed any,” he told The Seattle Times.
“Emotionally, I think it's a weight off everyone's shoulders. I think most of us were extremely confident that this deal would get done. I think everyone just realized how much was at stake.

“Everyone realized how much was at stake for the sport overall in this country, for the owners, for the players. And when that situation exists and you fold in a time component, a time crunch, people tend to get creative and compromise their positions slightly. And that's when a good agreement is reached, when both sides are happy about some parts and maybe feel like they didn't get everything.

“I think that's probably what happened in this case.”