View Full Version : In a perfect world Man U...
MightyMouse
28 Mar 2006, 09:42 AM
In a perfect world Manchester United would buy DC United, therefore sparing us any worry of the most beloved brand name of MLS from vanishing ala Metro. I don't even want to think, if say Barcelona bought and rebranded DC United, what the DC area fans would do about that.
SavannahFan
28 Mar 2006, 09:48 AM
Well, anything is possible. That would be cool if anything for the increased likelyhood of DC vs Man U friendlies...
But I am pretty sure they have thier moeny tied up right now in the recent purchase of Manchester United, and of course the Tampa Bay Bucs...
DutchFootballRulez
28 Mar 2006, 09:51 AM
In a perfect world Manchester United would buy DC United, therefore sparing us any worry of the most beloved brand name of MLS from vanishing ala Metro. I don't even want to think, if say Barcelona bought and rebranded DC United, what the DC area fans would do about that.
Rebranded to what? FC Barcelona USA? I think MLS would be smart enough to not write a deal that allowed the name DC United to be lost. that's the best name they've thought up.
MightyMouse
28 Mar 2006, 09:56 AM
Well, anything is possible. That would be cool if anything for the increased likelyhood of DC vs Man U friendlies...
But I am pretty sure they have thier moeny tied up right now in the recent purchase of Manchester United, and of course the Tampa Bay Bucs...
That is the reality of the situation, plus the fact that Man U. ownership probably isn't very interested in getting into another team so quickly as to not ruffle the feathers of the fanatics across the pond. I still wonder what would happen if DC United was sold to Barca and the name was changed, would the fans in DC roll over?
galperin
28 Mar 2006, 10:02 AM
I tell you what, I would be angry as hell if someone bought DCU and rebranded us.
Sundevil9
28 Mar 2006, 10:04 AM
But if Man U bought DC United, wouldn't they want to move the team to Tampa?
joehill
28 Mar 2006, 10:11 AM
why would barcelona have to change the name? i can't imagine that they would name a team over here "barcelona".
scarshins
28 Mar 2006, 10:14 AM
At some point the league will not welcome foreign investors (unless they offer the kind of money MLS can't refuse). 1 Mexican investor, 1 Austrian investor, 1 Canadian investor.
Maybe there's room for one more Canadian investor, that might round out the group.
Pints
28 Mar 2006, 10:20 AM
In a perfect world Rooney and Ronaldo would get into a brawl and accidentally kill each other.
BBBulldog
28 Mar 2006, 10:27 AM
In a perfect world ManU would be relegated and STFU :D
roadkit
28 Mar 2006, 11:02 AM
Rebranded to what? FC Barcelona USA? I think MLS would be smart enough to not write a deal that allowed the name DC United to be lost. that's the best name they've thought up.
Ha-Ha-Ha.
I love DC United, but what makes you think the name "DC United" is so sacred?
As sacred as the "Metrostars"?
Believe me, if FC Barca came in with $50 million and a promise to build a stadium (like RB did), MLS would pretty much let them do whatever they wanted.
DutchFootballRulez
28 Mar 2006, 11:39 AM
Ha-Ha-Ha.
I love DC United, but what makes you think the name "DC United" is so sacred?
As sacred as the "Metrostars"?
Believe me, if FC Barca came in with $50 million and a promise to build a stadium (like RB did), MLS would pretty much let them do whatever they wanted.
OK so MLS would look like this
FC Dallas
Kansas City Wizards
Columbus Crew
Red Bull New York
Houston Dynamo
Chicago FIre
Colorado Rapids
Los Angeles Galaxy
Chivas USA
Real Salt Lake
New England Revolution
Barcelona USA
It's not MLS without DC United.
Lowecifer
28 Mar 2006, 11:46 AM
It would be odd to name the club team in Washington DC after a city in Spain.
I hope folks see the difference between Barcelona (a club named for a city) and Red Bull Salzburg (a club named for a product)
A more fitting analogy might be PSV DC, Ajax DC, Inter DC, Bayer DC, or Juventus DC.
mellon002
28 Mar 2006, 12:02 PM
I wouldn't know what to do with myself if the scum bought DC.
Jegao Paraiba
28 Mar 2006, 12:03 PM
But if Man U bought DC United, wouldn't they want to move the team to Tampa?
So Tampa could be the first MLS town to witness the demise of 2 teams?
Jegao Paraiba
28 Mar 2006, 12:07 PM
At some point the league will not welcome foreign investors (unless they offer the kind of money MLS can't refuse). 1 Mexican investor, 1 Austrian investor, 1 Canadian investor.
Maybe there's room for one more Canadian investor, that might round out the group.
Like Man U welcomed foreign (American) ownership?
The guys in the league, especially AEG, will sell to anyone that puts a good plan together.
Look what happens when he does:
Decreases risk by owning fewer teams...
Increases the value of his remaining teams by essentially setting a price floor with the team he just sold.
They're not in the business of checking passports, just checking accounts.:)
If a foreigner sees more value in DCU than domestic entities, they could well end up owning it.
What I'd like to see is a sort of public entity owning the team: either the city itself...
or the fans through a privately-held corporation with a lot of shareholders...
or a combination of the 2.
GrillMaster
28 Mar 2006, 12:36 PM
Like Man U welcomed foreign (American) ownership?
The guys in the league, especially AEG, will sell to anyone that puts a good plan together.
Look what happens when he does:
Decreases risk by owning fewer teams...
Increases the value of his remaining teams by essentially setting a price floor with the team he just sold.
They're not in the business of checking passports, just checking accounts.:)
If a foreigner sees more value in DCU than domestic entities, they could well end up owning it.
What I'd like to see is a sort of public entity owning the team: either the city itself...
or the fans through a privately-held corporation with a lot of shareholders...
or a combination of the 2.
The trouble with the latter would be apparent on every capital call until DC is profitable.
GM
Jegao Paraiba
28 Mar 2006, 01:02 PM
The trouble with the latter would be apparent on every capital call until DC is profitable.
GM
That's for sure.
I guess I'm thinking that the City could go in for some sort of majority ownership and then sell convertible bonds to whoever wants to buy them for the rest.
It certainly would make the city more willing to build a stadium. More of an investment than a reverse Robin Hood (steal from the poor to give to the rich) scheme. (and before anybody jumps, I know that's not what's being contemplated at Poplar Point)
I was just thinking of a blend between the Green Bay model and the Man U model.
It's been a while since I've thought seriously about this kind of thing but it would seem that there is a way.
Also. I'm assuming that the only thing standing in the way of DCU's profitibility is the stadium.
Part of this is motivated by the way baseball was done. Not that the a$$hole MLB owners ever would have gone for it but it would have been cool to see Tony say.
Sure we'll build you a $600M stadium. DC get's half of the team.
scarshins
28 Mar 2006, 01:12 PM
Like Man U welcomed foreign (American) ownership?
The guys in the league, especially AEG, will sell to anyone that puts a good plan together.
ManU issues stock. There was not much "they" could do about it.
MLS is single-entity. They can, and do, pick and choose who they want to do business with. Of course, large sums of money help them decide, and 25M was the price for 2nd LA team giving them some stadium rights, and 100M was the price for NY with half ownership of a stadium.
AEG, Hunt, Kraft et al have put alot of money and effort into MLS. We are seeing AEG begin to recoup some of that, however I think taken collectively they will want to retain some sort of majority stake in the future of the league. After all they've been through, I can't imagine they would want to relinquish control over some major decisions- and the possibility of profits.
Jegao Paraiba
28 Mar 2006, 01:53 PM
ManU issues stock. There was not much "they" could do about it.
Of all of the sellers (owners) of the stock, something upwards of 90% of them were happy to sell what they owned at the price offered.
MLS is single-entity. They can, and do, pick and choose who they want to do business with. Of course, large sums of money help them decide, and 25M was the price for 2nd LA team giving them some stadium rights, and 100M was the price for NY with half ownership of a stadium.
Right you are, scarshins.
But after selling franchises to a Mexican and an Austrian firm, there's little reason to suspect that the nationality of the buyer has anything to do with the decision to sell. [Edit: Plus whatever relationship RSL has with Spaniards and the Canadian you mentined earlier.]
AEG, Hunt, Kraft et al have put alot of money and effort into MLS. We are seeing AEG begin to recoup some of that, however I think taken collectively they will want to retain some sort of majority stake in the future of the league. After all they've been through, I can't imagine they would want to relinquish control over some major decisions- and the possibility of profits.
A majority stake in the future of the league implies majority risk in the future of the league. It just seems to me like those guys are looking to take a little off the table and like I said earlier...
With every sale, the value of the assets they continue to hold goes up and their exposure is diminished.
[Edit: I don't want to sound snarky with you. I agree with about everything you're saying. I just wouldn't pull the anti-foreigner card as I really don't think it's an issue at all.]