Revs Protect 11 and some notes from around the league

This Wed. is the expansion draft and Montreal will be picking 10 players. Here's the list of players the Revs have chosen to protect and not to protect. The only real issue I have with this list is not protecting Barnes and instead protecting Nyassi. I would really like to see Barnes and Soares play together in the middle of defense for an entire season instead of having Barnes play left back where he is often exposed. He's proven he's a solid center back, so please play him there instead of guys who have proven to be unreliable. So perhaps it would make sense to sign a couple of natural left backs this offseason. As for Nyassi, I think we have better options, which I have expressed many times before.

The other interesting thing here is that Caraglio isn't being protected. Does this mean that his stay here could be over even if he's not picked?

MLS Cup was last night and with it came some big announcements. First, there is no more balanced schedule. The good part is that it does allow for regional rivalries to develop, perhaps one day I will hate the Impact as much as I hate the Canadians. The bad, I'd like to get the chance to see every team play at least once a year which I won't be able to now.

The MLS Cup will no longer be played at a neutral site, which I really dislike. I like having the final at a neutral ground. It makes the final an event. You can plan on going well in advance and the entire weekend can be planned around it well in advance.

According to Grant Wahl, (and I must say that I actually heard about this by reading footiebusiness.com) last night was John Harkes last game for ESPN. Apparently he was told that his contract would not be renewed, sound familiar? I know a lot of people can't stand him but I didn't think he was that bad relative to what we've seen the last 5 years. I don't think Martino is any better. They're replacing Harkes with Taylor Twellman who has done some games in the past for ESPN. I don't think it will be an improvement. I'm interested to see what Harkes will do now as he has expressed an interest in coaching and was even an assistant to Bruce Arena during his time in New York.

Speaking of MLS telecasts, now that Jay Heaps is coaching the team, who's going to call the games with Feldman? I thought Heaps did a decent job. I actually didn't see too many games since I go to the games, but I do watch the away games so I'm interested in who they choose. Maybe Wynalda would do it. He played here briefly. I would love to see Wynalda do Revs games. It'd be hilarious. Sure, he might say something stupid now and then, but at least he'd give his honest opinion and hold nothing back. Can you imagine a commentator giving his honest opinion on the Revs on air during a game the past two seasons? I rest my case.

-Andrew