5/2/05: Insert Title Here

[GPK]

Revs' Leonard proves his worth-Boston Herald (http://sports.bostonherald.com/soccer/view.bg?articleid=81183)

This team off to Revolutionary start-Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2005/05/02/this_team_off_to_revolutionary_start/)

Salt Lake rues second-half collapse-Salt Lake Tribune (http://sltrib.com/realsaltlake/ci_2700958)

RSL general manager is a big numbers guy-Deseret News (http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600130708,00.html)

Revisiting a historic U.S. win-Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/soc/3153315)

MLS OK with use of dome for team-Express News (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA050205.1D.SOCmls.dome.2329234bf.html)

Ruiz revs up FC Dallas-USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/burn/2005-05-01-ruiz-dallas_x.htm)

[rocketeer22]

From yesterday (San Antonio):

Opportunity to woo NFL muffed by mayor (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2005/05/02/story1.html)

[okcomputer]

From yesterday (San Antonio):

Opportunity to woo NFL muffed by mayor (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2005/05/02/story1.html)

I always suspected much of this hatred in SA was coming from the fact that people want the NFL. These same people would have no problem with throwing 10 times the money at the NFL.

[VioletCrown]

I always suspected much of this hatred in SA was coming from the fact that people want the NFL. These same people would have no problem with throwing 10 times the money at the NFL.

With Red and Clear Channel lined up against you in San Antonio, I have to think that this is going nowhere.

[Brownswan]

I always suspected much of this hatred in SA was coming from the fact that people want the NFL. These same people would have no problem with throwing 10 times the money at the NFL.

As McCombs pointed out, you would think there would be a 'level or sophistication' in the SA city council that appreciated the value of an NFL franchise -- especially to the NFL. :rolleyes:

They estimate $150 million to upgrade the dome for the NFL. Even a new sss would come in for half that price, and with MLS they save even more, since the league finds the present venue acceptable. I understand the field surface might need upgrading.

The polls indicating a lack of interest in soccer (MLS, really) are countered by large fan turnouts for matches associated with Mexico and MFL teams. A Club America investment in a team would likely do better in the Almodome than a transplanted Kansas City.

One might argue that the $150 mil investment in upgrades for the NFL would be quickly repayed due to the popularity of the NFL. Would sellouts over the 8-game homestand offset the cost of renovations + operational costs in the first year?

[kuhl]

As a Minnesotan who follows the Vikings, I can say that McCombs is a loser. He purchased the Vikings and after 3 years turned around and threaten to move the Vikings if the state wouldn't build a stadium for him. When it came out that the NFL had guarenteed Minesota that the Vikings could not be moved before 2011 he decided to sell the team at 600 million dollars. More then 400 Million more then he paid for them without a stadium or anything. Also during his ownership he made sure that the Vikings were well under the salary cap so he could take in more profit. My impression of McCombs is that he is mostly in to making money for Red McCombs. Be thankful that he has no interest in MLS.

[Revolt]

Title suggestion: That would be in the butt, Bob.

[crewcrazy17]

With Red and Clear Channel lined up against you in San Antonio, I have to think that this is going nowhere.
Why is Clear Channel against it?

[rocketeer22]

Why is Clear Channel against it?
Not sure of the original poster's reasoning. Though, if I were to guess, I would assume it is because AEG (a predominant MLS investor), is also the leading competitor of ClearChannel when it comes to live shows.

[mjtate]

From what I read, Clear Channel is not "against" MLS in SA, just that they passed on investing in the team.

[Pyro]

A Club America investment in a team would likely do better in the Almodome than a transplanted Kansas City.


I think this argument will deflate with each Chivas match.

Now in LA there are two choices of MLS teams so that must be considered, but having a Club America SA says "If you are not a CA fan, you are not welcome." A transplanted KC team would say "This club is for the whole city." (If it isn't given a name with strong Mexican ties)

[Stan Collins]

I always suspected much of this hatred in SA was coming from the fact that people want the NFL. These same people would have no problem with throwing 10 times the money at the NFL. 15.5 times as much, actually ;)

[okcomputer]

15.5 times as much, actually ;)

Now you know why I was a liberal arts major.

[okcomputer]

I think this argument will deflate with each Chivas match.

Now in LA there are two choices of MLS teams so that must be considered, but having a Club America SA says "If you are not a CA fan, you are not welcome." A transplanted KC team would say "This club is for the whole city." (If it isn't given a name with strong Mexican ties)

I agree. I dont mind the Chivas thing as a second MLS team in a market but not as the only MLS team. If you want a city to get behind a team it has to be for everyone.

[Stan Collins]

My guess is that this WOAI channel is the local Clear Channel Radio Affiliate (actually from their website, they are CC's flagship talk station) with their steady diet of reich....errr right wing conservative gated community suburban megachurch radio play where all taxes, all things not blessed by Dr. James Dobson and all things not approved by the EIB broadcasting network must immediatly be Hannitized. Daily lineup. For everyone's info, CC was founded in, and I believe is still based in, San Antonio. McCombs was a founding partner.

http://www.clearchannel.com/Corporate/company_history.aspx

And yes, that may bode ill with the level of media presence in town. The opposition (anti-Garza) candidate, Phil Hardberger promises to meet with NFL officials within 100 days, is agaisnt MLS, and is McCombs's endorsed cadidate. The pro-Garza candidate, Julian Castro, who is for the proposal, is currently leading in the polls in the Mayor's race this Friday, but may have a tougher time if he can't avoid a runoff with Hardberger (an iffy proposition), as he's likely to get most of the third candidate's votes, and a cash infusion might put him in the lead.

Now, I think the MOU is more or less firm if MLS can live up to its part of the bargain, an investor and 5,000 season tickets. (An investor, Andrew Murstein, has offered himself, but he's from NY and I believe there's a stipulation about local investment). They may be 'betting the fram' on that, though, because if it fails the deal's opponents may well be able to rally at that point.

[TIKY]

"I'm not saying it would have happened," McCombs explains.

What an a-hole! McCombs is essentially saying "Uh, I'd like a stadium for my football team and I would have loved to relocate them in San Antonio but your mean old mayor balked at giving me hundreds of millions of dollars."

[ElJefe]

If people in San Antonio are balking on the MLS deal because they think that they can spend more money, get the NFL, and have it work out better financially than the MLS deal, then they really are the doofuses that Houstonians and Dallasites have long thought them to be.

Yeah, LA is out there without a team and you chumps in the Alamo City think that you're going to get them to put a team in your little burg without having to promise the NFL each of your firstborns.

[ElJefe]

Anyone in San Antonio who thinks that the MLS deal is a bad one, while thinking that the city should be pursuing an NFL team, should read this quote over and over again:
Asked to respond to McCombs' comments, Garza says, "I think when you compare 20 (MLS) dates to Red (McCombs), who probably would have wanted the whole dome for 365 days ... that's a different situation.
If the NFL is coming to the Alamodome, you are going to have to spend far more money to upgrade it, and as for what sort of deal you would have to make to get an NFL team to play there? Let's just say that the NFL team would have complete control of the place 365 days a year and the City of San Antonio wouldn't see an substantial amount of money from the Alamodome -- ever.

Just look at the deals that NFL teams have been making with their local communities. You're not coming out of this in the black, especially if you're trying to lure the NFL to a small market like San Antonio while LA is out there without a team.

[IRguy]

This city is crazy if they think they can get a NFL team anytime within the next 10 to 15 years. They can hardly keep the Spurs in this town and they think they can get an NFL team when there are much better markets around the country?? The problem here is many people here think this deal smells funny and they are not getting has much has they can out of MLS. They don't realize they are getting a really good deal.

[dice50]

I'm a big MLS fan who is totally against a team in San Antonio. Garber is going against his word on saying how soccer needs to be experienced in an appropriate venue, how MLS needs to be in 20-30k seat stadiums etc.... Have any of you who are supporting this idea actually thought what it would be like to watch an MLS match with 12K people in attendance in a dome?! It would be like watching the Metros play in front of 70k empty seats but worse b/c we're in a dome, at least in NE,NY, KC,DC etc..you get to watch a game played outside and on grass(most of the time). I think this move by MLS really supports the idea that the owners of MLS and Garber are really just after venues they own themselves to host concerts and big international matches to rake in the money. I'm starting doubt they care about building a true soccer league.