MLS Thread: Enter Zlatan

[HoseEmDown]

if the owner wants to move because he can't generate enough profit to keep the team competitive then they should be allowed to. Don't know all the details but it seems like the stadium needs work and attendance isn't great so eventually the team will stink because he's not making the money to pay for better players. But I just don't think Austin is the place to go to, nothing wrong with the city, Texas doesn't need 3 teams. No state does in any sport, it's pretty dumb that California has all these teams while other parts of the country have no pro teams anywhere close to them. Not sure where they should move to but there has to be better options than Texas.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

if the owner wants to move because he can't generate enough profit to keep the team competitive then they should be allowed to. Don't know all the details but it seems like the stadium needs work and attendance isn't great so eventually the team will stink because he's not making the money to pay for better players. But I just don't think Austin is the place to go to, nothing wrong with the city, Texas doesn't need 3 teams. No state does in any sport, it's pretty dumb that California has all these teams while other parts of the country have no pro teams anywhere close to them. Not sure where they should move to but there has to be better options than Texas.

States are completely irrelevant when it comes to pro sports, they're government distinctions. Saying San Diego should've have a team because Oakland does is asinine, they are completely different places that aren't close together, they just happen to have the same license plates.

 

[sabremike]

if the owner wants to move because he can't generate enough profit to keep the team competitive then they should be allowed to. Don't know all the details but it seems like the stadium needs work and attendance isn't great so eventually the team will stink because he's not making the money to pay for better players. But I just don't think Austin is the place to go to, nothing wrong with the city, Texas doesn't need 3 teams. No state does in any sport, it's pretty dumb that California has all these teams while other parts of the country have no pro teams anywhere close to them. Not sure where they should move to but there has to be better options than Texas.

You missed the point: this guy conned his way into being able to buy the team by vowing to keep them in town when it is completely obvious he planned to move the team to Austin from day one. This has nothing to do with bad attendance, he bought the team so he could avoid paying at least $40 Million extra he would've needed to get an expansion team in Austin. Why do you think he rebuffed local interests who wanted to buy the team. Bottom line is that the slimebag owner should be fired out of a cannon straight into a brick wall.

 

[HoseEmDown]

S

States are completely irrelevant when it comes to pro sports, they're government distinctions. Saying San Diego should've have a team because Oakland does is asinine, they are completely different places that aren't close together, they just happen to have the same license plates.

States are not irrelevant when it comes to sports, leagues want to be in all the top states. If Columbus does leave then Ohio shouldn't get another team in the next round of expansion they should go to a state that doesn't have a team yet and they shouldn't let Austin get one either. Give Des Moines a team, Fargo or Helena, grow the game by spreading out the teams instead of lumping them in the big tv markets. With the cost of expansion it's going to be hard for an owner to decide to start a team in a small market which is why they need pro/rel to become a thing so the entire country gets a chance.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

States are not irrelevant when it comes to sports, leagues want to be in all the top states. If Columbus does leave then Ohio shouldn't get another team in the next round of expansion they should go to a state that doesn't have a team yet and they shouldn't let Austin get one either. Give Des Moines a team, Fargo or Helena, grow the game by spreading out the teams instead of lumping them in the big tv markets. With the cost of expansion it's going to be hard for an owner to decide to start a team in a small market which is why they need pro/rel to become a thing so the entire country gets a chance.

Way to contradict yourself immediately.

"Leagues want to be in all the top states". Proceeds to name minor markets in Iowa, North Dakota, and Montana. There's a reason those places have no teams - they are shitty little markets that would be impossible to run a profitable franchise in.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Way to contradict yourself immediately.

"Leagues want to be in all the top states". Proceeds to name minor markets in Iowa, North Dakota, and Montana. There's a reason those places have no teams - they are ****ty little markets that would be impossible to run a profitable franchise in.

I didn't contradict myself. I said the league's want to be in the top states so the smaller states get nothing. You don't know if those cities could be profitable because they'll never get the chance. Green Bay isn't a big city and it's closest one isn't that big either yet they're successful, Des Moines and Fargo have larger population. In MLS with how poor tv numbers are to begin with tv revenue doesn't make the league. If you can get a top notch stadium and fill it every game you can be a competitive club. With players salaries being fairly low you don't need a super rich owner either. I hope MLS gets a new commissioner because the current one just wants to copy every other NA sports league.

 

[chasespace]

I didn't contradict myself. I said the league's want to be in the top states so the smaller states get nothing. You don't know if those cities could be profitable because they'll never get the chance. Green Bay isn't a big city and it's closest one isn't that big either yet they're successful, Des Moines and Fargo have larger population. In MLS with how poor tv numbers are to begin with tv revenue doesn't make the league. If you can get a top notch stadium and fill it every game you can be a competitive club. With players salaries being fairly low you don't need a super rich owner either. I hope MLS gets a new commissioner because the current one just wants to copy every other NA sports league.

MLS isn't really accepting anyone unless they have hundreds of millions to their name and can fund the team without issue. So yes, in order for the MLS to accept your bid you need to be super rich or be a large group of moderately rich individuals.

Also, you don't grow the game by dropping an MLS team in Fargo, Helena, or Des Moines. You grow the game by supporting a lower league team in those cities(ideally USL or the soon to be USL D3) and then if the city shows they'll support a team consistently at that level you look at how viable they'll be in the MLS.

 

[HoseEmDown]

MLS isn't really accepting anyone unless they have hundreds of millions to their name and can fund the team without issue. So yes, in order for the MLS to accept your bid you need to be super rich or be a large group of moderately rich individuals.

Also, you don't grow the game by dropping an MLS team in Fargo, Helena, or Des Moines. You grow the game by supporting a lower league team in those cities(ideally USL or the soon to be USL D3) and then if the city shows they'll support a team consistently at that level you look at how viable they'll be in the MLS.

There's several lower league teams with good attendance they just don't have a chance for MLS unless a rich owner comes in and takes over to push for MLS. Look at Austin who might be where the Crew move, they were in the USL with ok attendance 3k but Rollins knew he had a better shot going MLS by leaving for Orlando and getting a bigger investor in. Miami FC has good attendance but they're being disregarded for a team that doesn't exist because Beckham wants to own a team there.

So these small markets have no chance with the current system of its all about money. They could get 20k fans a game but if they don't have 150mil just for the expansion fee they will never be in MLS. Having a team in Iowa is not gonna kill the sport nationally, sure it might not do anything for tv ratings but the tv ratings suck already. Soccer is the most participated sport for kids, there's fans all over the country yet they go to the same 20 markets as every other sports league, while the USMNT goes to the same couple of stadiums to play their games. I just would like to see the MLS be different from the rest of North American pro sports.

 

[chasespace]

There's several lower league teams with good attendance they just don't have a chance for MLS unless a rich owner comes in and takes over to push for MLS. Look at Austin who might be where the Crew move, they were in the USL with ok attendance 3k but Rollins knew he had a better shot going MLS by leaving for Orlando and getting a bigger investor in. Miami FC has good attendance but they're being disregarded for a team that doesn't exist because Beckham wants to own a team there.

Rawlins created the Austin team and moved them within two years and brought in investors who would help him fully fund the expansion fee and privately fund the stadium. That's vastly different that buying a team in 2013 after pledging to keep them in Columbus, where they've been since the MLS was founded, and then moving them because the city won't buy him a new stadium.

There is only 1 team in the lower leagues pulling in an average of 20k fans and that's Cincy, who are considered a small market and are actively applying for an MLS franchise. The rest of the teams with the lower leagues with the best attendance are Sacramento(11+K), Louisville(8+K), and the Cosmos(8+K). Sacramento has made a bid for MLS but it kind of fell apart when the inner politics of the bid came crashing down. Louisville has explored it but haven't made any serious noise about it at the moment. The Cosmos have made it clear they think they're better than the MLS and don't want to pay an expansion fee, along with Miami FC(who draw ~5K a game, best for 11th in the country among lower league teams), and would rather force their way into the league through the court system instead of a financial system(think USFL-NFL).

Another thing to keep in mind, not every team in the lower leagues has aims of becoming a MLS team. A handful are simply happy with being a local club that supports the community and has their support instead of being on tv every weekend.

 

[sabremike]

I can say from going to their games that the Cosmos barely draw 2-3,000 a game and most of that is comps. Nobody in NASL draws at all except Indy.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Rawlins created the Austin team and moved them within two years and brought in investors who would help him fully fund the expansion fee and privately fund the stadium. That's vastly different that buying a team in 2013 after pledging to keep them in Columbus, where they've been since the MLS was founded, and then moving them because the city won't buy him a new stadium.

There is only 1 team in the lower leagues pulling in an average of 20k fans and that's Cincy, who are considered a small market and are actively applying for an MLS franchise. The rest of the teams with the lower leagues with the best attendance are Sacramento(11+K), Louisville(8+K), and the Cosmos(8+K). Sacramento has made a bid for MLS but it kind of fell apart when the inner politics of the bid came crashing down. Louisville has explored it but haven't made any serious noise about it at the moment. The Cosmos have made it clear they think they're better than the MLS and don't want to pay an expansion fee, along with Miami FC(who draw ~5K a game, best for 11th in the country among lower league teams), and would rather force their way into the league through the court system instead of a financial system(think USFL-NFL).

Another thing to keep in mind, not every team in the lower leagues has aims of becoming a MLS team. A handful are simply happy with being a local club that supports the community and has their support instead of being on tv every weekend.

When he bought the team he put in a clause that says he could leave for Austin after a certain amount of time. Why would they allow that if they didn't want them to move and you had to question his motives for putting that in. It doesn't seem like he pulled a fast one on Columbus if he does move, they had to know this once he purchased the club.

No minor league team is going to draw 20k or even 10k regularly, it just doesn't happen. Look at the AHL, all under 10k. Orlando wasn't getting 20k regularly before they made the jump. They had good crowds but when the noise of possible MLS expansion came so did the fans. I'm not sure how Cincinnati is a small market when it is roughly the same size market as Columbus? I don't fault the Cosmos or Miami for not wanting to fork out the expansion fee, that's a lot of money that these lower league teams don't have.

I can understand the being the local club and liking things the way they are but if there was pro/rel I'm sure they'd be more than happy to go up to the MLS. They can keep operating the same way and never make a serious push if they want but to even deny them the chance unless they come up with insane money is just wrong.

 

[chasespace]

The Cosmos and Miami FC can most assuredly afford the expansion fee. Their owners are loaded. They simply don't want to because they'd rather argue pro/rel in the courts than do something that would actually get fans to show up.

 

[kingsboy11]

And now they wont refund 2018 season tickets. The deadline to purchase season tickets was 2 weeks ago.

 

[DoyleG]

The Cosmos and Miami FC can most assuredly afford the expansion fee. Their owners are loaded. They simply don't want to because they'd rather argue pro/rel in the courts than do something that would actually get fans to show up.

Speaking of the courts,

Allowing them to move to Austin might cause MLS issues in San Antonio as SS&E might be on the financial hook if they don't get a franchise.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Expansion fees are going to be somewhere around $200 million, do The Cosmos and FC Miami have that?

I believe David Beckham has the MLS rights to Miami, also.

Please correct me if I am wrong - I don't know this empirically....

 

[chasespace]

Expansion fees are going to be somewhere around $200 million, do The Cosmos and FC Miami have that?

I believe David Beckham has the MLS rights to Miami, also.

Please correct me if I am wrong - I don't know this empirically....

Commisso, the owner of the Cosmos, has a net worth of $4.5billion and while it's hard to nail down Silva's, owner of Miami FC, net worth he controls a billion dollar company as well as other international businesses so it's not hard to fathom he has a net worth in the very high hundreds of millions-low billions.

Beckham himself gets a highly reduced expansion fee and has been seeking additional investors to help fund the team and stadium.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Commisso, the owner of the Cosmos, has a net worth of $4.5billion and while it's hard to nail down Silva's, owner of Miami FC, net worth he controls a billion dollar company as well as other international businesses so it's not hard to fathom he has a net worth in the very high hundreds of millions-low billions.

Beckham himself gets a highly reduced expansion fee and has been seeking additional investors to help fund the team and stadium.

Yes, Beckham got - or gets the franchise for $25 million - an enormous discount. Provided he finds investors, builds a stadium, etc....

That is indeed some pretty deep pockets on those owners.

Thanks for the info.

 

[sabremike]

ESC is going to accomplish today what Magneto, nature and government neglect couldn't: tear RFK to the ground! I just hope they find shelter for all those soon to be homeless raccoons.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

ESC is going to accomplish today what Magneto, nature and government neglect couldn't: tear RFK to the ground! I just hope they find shelter for all those soon to be homeless raccoons.

20 years past its due date.

 

[Viqsi]

Reposting this from the BoH thread...

https://www.massivereport.com/2017/...ting-with-the-media-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017

“We’ve had private conversations and they’re probably better to remain private,” [Precourt] said. “At this time, I’m going to stay there. There were no serious offers made to me in regards to the Crew.”

Sources have told Massive Report that a $75 million bid was made to purchase just a half stake in the franchise. And was turned down. Precourt in his above quotes, denies this is the case.

Who isn’t telling the truth?

Many city officials seem blindsided by Precourt’s proclamation including Franklin County commissioner John O’Grady.

“If he needs a Downtown stadium, he should have said something,” O’Grady told The Dispatch. “That’s a weird negotiating ploy.”

(emphasis added)

Keep in mind that he paid $68 million for the team originally.


Couple that with this:

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171021/michael-arace--crew-relocation-is-cowardly-move

At some point, a Columbus group made an offer to buy all or half of the team. Included in the offer were pledges of support from the business community. Precourt said last week that he had “received no serious offers,” but the 50 percent offer was very serious, according to the people who did the offering. Precourt countered with a 51-49 offer, which means I get your money but keep my decision-making ability.

(emphasis added)

We really are, well and truly, getting the Dean Spanos/Art Modell/Clay Bennett treatment here.

 

[sabremike]

I am at RFK and some of our supporters are holding up a banner reading "#SaveTheCrew". Someone also has a Red Bulls logo in the Crew's colors as well.

 

[kingsboy11]

jeez lots of early goals to start today. Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Union, Dynamo. Nightmare start for Dallas

 

[sabremike]

And of course blood money FC gets the last game of the year against a team demolished by their scum owner. So now we get to play Atlanta in front of 71k and lose 5-1, joy.

 

[Viqsi]

And of course blood money FC gets the last game of the year against a team demolished by their scum owner. So now we get to play Atlanta in front of 71k and lose 5-1, joy.

Well, we kept that game close, at least. Would have preferred to dump NYCFC into the knockout round, but, y'know, take what we can get at this point.

 

[sabremike]

I'll gladly take Chicago. They are in freefall.