Mack_Dundee
04 Feb 2007, 04:14 AM
Some of these quotes by Jeff Cooper in the Salt Lake City newspaper are curious to me:
1) Stadium plans, he said, would be much like the one proposed in Sandy, with a public-private partnership. The difference, he said, is that these public leaders are willing to put "their money where their mouth is."
2) "It's one of the best-supported teams in MLS — they've just been let down by their public officials," he said.
3) "Here, the public officials are just stepping up to the plate for all the businesses and people in the community that want to see a high-profile team in their hometown."
4) Cooper's group has been looking into purchasing an MLS franchise for some time, and he says the worldwide attention that an MLS team provides is better than that of any other pro-sports franchise.
"The best summer was the Real Madrid and Real Salt Lake game. It's not very often that you have the focus of the whole world on your town," Cooper said. "That's so much bigger than how many tickets you've sold."
So, Cooper is telling everyone in Salt Lake City that will listen that the team is well-supported in Utah, brings international attention to the city, and he offers up that St. Louis has the corporate support of the St. Louis community who are so community-minded that they want to see a "high-profile team in their hometown." Finally, let's not forget the St. Louis government who have, not one, but THREE(!) propects for a soccer-specific stadium. Meanwhile, the Utah government is the the only real villian here according to Cooper because it they who have "let down" the good citizens of that state. He echoed these comments also on the Salt Lake City airwaves having done interviews for a few different outlets and also added that he is convinced that the MLS has tremendous financial upside.
Did Dave Checketts write this guy's quotes? His almost seem directly geared toward pressuring the Utah government into accepting Checketts deal. He touched on ALL of the points of oppositon, everything that Checketts has argued, that Utah has supported the team, that the MLS is a financially sound investment, that the game puts Utah on the international map. Oh, and it's all the fault of the elected officials, not Checketts.
A few days ago the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Cooper as saying they are closer to a possible stadium in Illinois but that it "certainly" wasn't a done deal. Now, a few days later, he has THREE stadium deals that could be finalized in a few days?
Cooper is a smart man, if you listen to him interviewed he is no dope. Why then would he be so visible, so "open" to the Salt Lake media about his plans and enthusiastically list all of the reasons the tax payers of Utah should accept the deal? Why play your hand PUBLICALLY and raise the pressure on those in Utah who can make the deal? Why would you risk appealing to the competitve side of Utah residents on this issue? At least, why would you do it if you actually wanted to make THIS deal? Can anyone name a SINGLE group that has courted a team for relocation in such a PUBLIC way in the media of the RIVAL city? It makes zero sense.
I can't believe Cooper would do this, if there is a little "scratch my back" kind of thing going on here there must be some gain in it for him. Checketts has St. Louis ties and Tim Leiweke of AEG is from St. Louis (Here's a Wall Street Journal interview regarding those days: http://www.gamefaceinc.com/newsltrs/prwsjupattic.htm ) and Leiweke was even Assistant GM of the Steamers, so perhaps Cooper is helping these league heavyweights with his eye more towards a MLS expansion team in the near future.
Having said all that, perhaps the RSL news has inspired the St. Louis business and political establishment to move quickly to try and land the team. And maybe Cooper has another reason to be so public about this that I don't understand, or maybe he's just sloppy. Regardless, I hope Salt Lake City keeps its team and St. Louis gets an expansion team awarded shortly after the deal in Utah is closed.
1) Stadium plans, he said, would be much like the one proposed in Sandy, with a public-private partnership. The difference, he said, is that these public leaders are willing to put "their money where their mouth is."
2) "It's one of the best-supported teams in MLS — they've just been let down by their public officials," he said.
3) "Here, the public officials are just stepping up to the plate for all the businesses and people in the community that want to see a high-profile team in their hometown."
4) Cooper's group has been looking into purchasing an MLS franchise for some time, and he says the worldwide attention that an MLS team provides is better than that of any other pro-sports franchise.
"The best summer was the Real Madrid and Real Salt Lake game. It's not very often that you have the focus of the whole world on your town," Cooper said. "That's so much bigger than how many tickets you've sold."
So, Cooper is telling everyone in Salt Lake City that will listen that the team is well-supported in Utah, brings international attention to the city, and he offers up that St. Louis has the corporate support of the St. Louis community who are so community-minded that they want to see a "high-profile team in their hometown." Finally, let's not forget the St. Louis government who have, not one, but THREE(!) propects for a soccer-specific stadium. Meanwhile, the Utah government is the the only real villian here according to Cooper because it they who have "let down" the good citizens of that state. He echoed these comments also on the Salt Lake City airwaves having done interviews for a few different outlets and also added that he is convinced that the MLS has tremendous financial upside.
Did Dave Checketts write this guy's quotes? His almost seem directly geared toward pressuring the Utah government into accepting Checketts deal. He touched on ALL of the points of oppositon, everything that Checketts has argued, that Utah has supported the team, that the MLS is a financially sound investment, that the game puts Utah on the international map. Oh, and it's all the fault of the elected officials, not Checketts.
A few days ago the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Cooper as saying they are closer to a possible stadium in Illinois but that it "certainly" wasn't a done deal. Now, a few days later, he has THREE stadium deals that could be finalized in a few days?
Cooper is a smart man, if you listen to him interviewed he is no dope. Why then would he be so visible, so "open" to the Salt Lake media about his plans and enthusiastically list all of the reasons the tax payers of Utah should accept the deal? Why play your hand PUBLICALLY and raise the pressure on those in Utah who can make the deal? Why would you risk appealing to the competitve side of Utah residents on this issue? At least, why would you do it if you actually wanted to make THIS deal? Can anyone name a SINGLE group that has courted a team for relocation in such a PUBLIC way in the media of the RIVAL city? It makes zero sense.
I can't believe Cooper would do this, if there is a little "scratch my back" kind of thing going on here there must be some gain in it for him. Checketts has St. Louis ties and Tim Leiweke of AEG is from St. Louis (Here's a Wall Street Journal interview regarding those days: http://www.gamefaceinc.com/newsltrs/prwsjupattic.htm ) and Leiweke was even Assistant GM of the Steamers, so perhaps Cooper is helping these league heavyweights with his eye more towards a MLS expansion team in the near future.
Having said all that, perhaps the RSL news has inspired the St. Louis business and political establishment to move quickly to try and land the team. And maybe Cooper has another reason to be so public about this that I don't understand, or maybe he's just sloppy. Regardless, I hope Salt Lake City keeps its team and St. Louis gets an expansion team awarded shortly after the deal in Utah is closed.