MLS commissioner named Sports Executive of the year
At the annual Sports Business Awards held in Manhattan, commissioner Don Garber received recognition for his work in the MLS during the past year.
MLS commissioner Don Garber was named Sports Executive of the Year at Thursday's Sports Business Awards in New York, after a year full of great achievements which, for example, saw the successful launch of the Los Angeles FC franchise.
Another of Garber's major feats during the year was the crowd of more than 72,000 people who attended the MLS Cup final between Atlanta United and Portland Timbers, in what was a higher turn-out than that enjoyed by Super Bowl LIII.
The 2018 MLS All-Star game also received a great crowd, leading Garber to sign a five-year extension in February. He will celebrate his 20th year with the league in August.
Garber has been a key figure in the expansion of the MLS during this past year through Austin and Cincinnati, a club that debuted in this 2019 season, and the opening of new stadiums in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Washington DC, besides finding a new ownership group for Columbus Crew.
"This award is a credit to all my colleagues who work to grow MLS every day, whether it's a ticket seller, a sponsorship salesperson, a player, coach, owner or one of the hundreds of the league's executives. I stand on their shoulders, we're all working together to build the sport, and this recognition from the sports industry is a credit to the efforts and passion of hundreds of professionals who have helped make MLS what it is today," were the commissioner's comments to mlssoccer.com about his distinction.