The Premier League released its 2009-2010 schedule Wednesday and needless to say, it is going to be one BUSY PL campaign.  Due to the extension of the Europa League and Champions League competitions, not to mention the Carling and FA Cups, the brass at SoHo Square are going to try and squeeze 38 fixtures into 34 weeks.  It will be the tightest schedule in the history of the competition and with just a few weeks between the finish of the domestic season and the start of World Cup camps, players will have little time to recuperate - or heal up if they are injured.

That will place an extra emphasis on physios and players trying to stay in peak condition while getting ample rest when they can.  But is that even possible?  With all the various competitions, most of the PL top 4-5 will likely be going deep into multiple competitions making it near impossible for players not to get burned out.  There's a lot of talk about England's chances at the World Cup but don't be surprised if that talk fades as players start dropping like flies in February, March and April.  In the NFL, there are always 1-2 BIG name players that go down every season.  Expect the same thing in the PL (and with the England squad).

Luckily, Fabio Capello has been bleeding out a wide swath of talent so as to make sure his player pool is VERY deep for selection.

The question I have is:  Should the FA - or other associations in general - start opting out of the European and League Cup competitions in a World Cup year?

Surely we can get rid of the dreaded 'FA Cup Replay' (which has already been suggested) but for the good of the nation, and the good of the World Cup (in terms of quality of the competition) - should UEFA and the FA (and La Liga, Serie-A, Eredivisie, SPL, BWIN Liga, etc) find a better way to coordinate the European competitions so as to prevent this kind of fixture pile-up?

At the end of the day, we're the ones who lose right?  The fans?  If Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo or Kaka (or any other BIG name player for that matter) go down and miss the World Cup, are we not missing out on what could have been?  Should players not be reaching their peak at the World Cup, rather than being at the point of exhaustion?

Or is money such an over-riding factor that the QUALITY of the World's most watched sporting event does not even matter anymore?  As long as UEFA, FIFA and the member clubs get their payouts from TV deals & exorbitant ticket pricing, that's most important - am I right?  Because that is how it looks to me.

Is it going to change?  Of course not.  In fact, it will likely get worse.  UEFA and FIFA and the FA and the like know that people will pay for their sport.  We need sport.  We love sport.  I wouldn't have a job if it weren't for sport.  But I can't help but feel that we're closer to the 'tipping point' than ever before.

I guess the question now is - when will YOU, the fan, decide you've had enough.