What would they do with it, even if they did buy it. Also, aren't there rules and restrictions about businesses buying their competition or does MLS get a pass because of the single entity ruling.
If it bought it, it'd probably plunder the best markets left, which lets be honest in the present USL is Montreal and maybe maybe Minneapolis and then use the rest of it as minor league affiliates to replace the old reserve league. They could also use USL as a test bed for new franchises, such as say Vegas to see how receptive they are to football, anything over like 4,000 for USL and you know you're onto a winner.
Couldn't MLS use USL as a farm system of sorts? In presume they wouldn't be able to call up and send down players during the season due to FIFA rules, but wouldn't it be a good way of helping develop young players?
From the article: "In what amounts to a Major League Soccer fan’s wet dream, the lower-level United Soccer Leagues has been put up for sale and two league sources have confirmed that MLS has inquired into purchasing it." I wonder which fan it is. It's a shame the author didn't publish his name. Sorry, but this "story" seems about as likely as something posted on MLS Rumors Rumors.
Vancouver, Portland and to a certain extent Montreal must be losing their minds today, after paying 35 million for expansion when they could have just gotten in for free.
Nope, it's true. From what I understand from a couple of different sources, MLS was one of four or five interested parties but, as the linked story says, probably won't be the one buying. The most likely buyer at this point, though, is someone whose name MLS expansion followers will recognize. Yeah, good luck with that.
Isn't MLS, as a whole, closer than they have ever been to economic viability and profit? I would think that this would severely hurt that goal. Though I don't think this would happen.
No, no it's not. Even if MLS bought USL, they'd still charge any franchises moving upwards an expansion fee, simply because the likes of Kraft, Hunt et al will never let anyone into MLS for fee after the amounts they've sunk into the league. Plus it's just bad business sense full stop to start admitting teams into the league for free, besides even if MLS owned USL, it doesn't own the rights to the individual teams, so it's up to the individual investors.
He's allergic to facts, reality and common sense. If this is real (and yeah, an author who uses the term wet dream just begs to not be taken seriously), I wonder if there isn't an auxiliary type of corporation in the works that would run this with MLS, LLC, being the majority owner. If USL is looking to sell, maybe I should have friended Francisco Marcos on Facebook. He might have a lot of time to play Mafia Wars now.
Listen, I know what you are saying. I just made a theoretical statement. But if we want to pursue it, lets. MLS buys USL. Vancouver, Portland and Montreal are all still in place. Granted that if they were still in USL, they might not be sold but this is theoretical after all. Anyhow, at this point MLS would find it in their best interest to move these teams up into MLS. The owners of these teams wouldnt have to pay for the move up, because there is no incentive to do so, or at least NOT in the 35 million dollar range. In effect, the USL owners have slightly more leverage to say no to such a high dollar amount. That's all I'm saying.
Yeah, because smart business people rush to immediately reduce the value of their investments. Not to mention, the owners of Vancouver, Portland and Montreal all own an equity stake in the league, so they would certainly have a say in all of this from the get-go. Seriously, just stop talking.
It was never a factual statement nor meant to be. It was always a theoretical. Apparently you need a little more coffee in the morning.
So, the three teams moving up for less than what they paid, which you somehow think "MLS would find in their best interest," is somehow NOT an example of MLS owners decreasing the value of their investment? Even you can't possibly be this thick.
How does that make sense from the position of the current owners to accept them in for a lower fee? Why is there no incentive to move up? Even if MLS bought the USL, the teams in USL would still be minor league teams (even more so if the league was bought by MLS).
I was basing it all on MLS' desire to have those teams in MLS. If the league was being sold and MLS was the buyer, then it would be better for the teams to stay in the USL, as a point of leverage against MLS. That's all.
I am amused that there's this much discussion about an article that basically says 'If MLS bought the USL, there could be promotion/relegation! Oh, by the way, someone else is going to buy the USL, not MLS.' Good job, though, Mr. Ben Rycroft, for driving traffic to your blog!