Mexico Needs a Curt Flood. Or Perhaps Just a Renegade Owner.

Hérculez Gómez, an American striker currently suiting up for Santos Laguna (and how!), gave an interesting interview to the Spanish newspaper Marca about the "pacto de caballeros" in the Mexican league that basically screws free agent players. The way Gómez explains it, even being without a contract, the various owners basically have an understanding that they won't sign free agent players without the consent of their previous team. That is, the previous squad has to negotiate the release the player in order for other teams to sign him, despite the fact that they don't have him under contract. That would be infuriating for the player, and makes little sense from the standpoint of a self-interested business, i.e. the team that would like to swoop in for the free agent. It would seem that any good businessman from outside the Mexican old boys club would disregard the pacto, but I guess that's why they make sure that only caballeros are given teams in the Primera División.