Miami MLS General News & Discussion

Discussion in 'Inter Miami CF' started by Lucho305, May 14, 2014.

  1. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Sounds like Garber is giving Beckham an ultimatum. Is tonight the night that we find out if Miami's expansion team is a go or not?
     
  2. Lucho305

    Lucho305 Member

    Inter Miami CF, Junior de Barranquilla
    United States
    Jul 9, 2008
    Miami
    Club:
    Miami FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wait, is this who I think it is? You drank a shot with me at a Miami FC game? Aguardiente? back in the old Miami FC days?
     
  3. Blong

    Blong Member+

    Oct 29, 2002
    Midwest, the real one.
    Eagle River!!!!
     
  4. Strikermansteve

    Feb 10, 2012
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Sounds like a good time, but no, it was not I....
     
  5. UCFWayne

    UCFWayne Member

    United States
    Apr 22, 2014
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    your stadium doesnt need to have on site parking. we dont have any. however, you do need to have lots that are in the immediate area or itll just cause headaches. you simply cant rely on people parking in residents homes on game day. we arent talking about a few hundred spots. we are talking about 20k+ people coming to 17 home games and a few friendlies a year. that isnt just some small thing to over look.

    look im still hopeful miami gets a team, and it sounds like they are almost ready to announce. i just would like to see it be done right so it has the best chance to succeed long term. i dont care about year 1 or year 2, those are still the honeymoon. Im talking 5 years from now, are fans going to want to make the trek from FtL down to Miami to watch a game, or will they simply avoid it because parking is a mess.
     
  6. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    This would be a huge plus and I can't understand why this hasn't been attempted by Silva in the past. He clearly has money and well-heeled associates and could easily be a huge asset to Beckham's bid as well as save a massive amount of money on the expansion fee by paying only a part of an already massively discounted fee. I imagine that it's an issue of how much influence he'll have in the day-to-day running of the club as well as the percentage of ownership rights he'll have. Beckham's already sliced this cake a number of ways and I imagine that he wants to keep as much of the profits from his contractual deal with MLS as possible. He had a sweetheart deal but the stadium requirements meant that despite the discounted he had to give up some of that ownership. I find myself wondering how much of a percentage he'll have left when it's all said and done. Granted, even 10-30% of a 400% initial increase in value based off the expansion fee to avg MLS franchise value is still huge initial payoff on investment, but he's going to end up with a smaller percentage of that investment. This is the ultimate sticking point. How much of the team does Beckham have left to sell off? Will other existing investors have to shave off points on their own stakes in the club?

    Granted, this only means that they'll end up having to put less into the deal, but I imagine that they already have skin in the game from the land purchases that have already been made which means that Silva will have to pay those investors for their stake in the team at whatever price they feel is worth it to them for those percentages and it will not be what they put in but rather what they feel is worth it to them to lose those percentages going forward. Had Silva been in on the ground floor, he'd have been able to pay what those investors put in on the land deal straight off. Now he's likely going to have to pay more to be a part of this deal. I imagine myself in my mind talking about this last paragraph somewhat like this:
    ...and I am beginning to ponder if I've used such dialogue too freaking much now that I think of it...

    The flip-side is that, due to his team's US Open Cup run, they are now a commodity and tying their name to this deal as well as their existing history Beckham can now gain a boost off of their current success as well as any success that they have going forward on into their entry to MLS. Beckham's group also can promote an existing team during their run-up to MLS rather than create something from scratch and hope that ppl show up. They can follow FC Cincy's model of attracting a fanbase in D2; figure out what promotional models work and don't work. They can take instruction from Silva's group and front-office who have working knowledge on how to run a club successfully which will aid them going into MLS much like Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Montreal, Minn Utd, and Orlando City have. This is becoming go-to model for hopeful MLS ownership groups; bleed the brand and run a club at D2 to get the kinks out, learn the game, learn the promotion aspects and be ready to shine when you finally get to MLS. Atl Utd and Toronto FC have shown success at the straight-off expansion model but that type of model being successful is few and far-between. If you look at past untested expansion models, they've had a few outright failures (Miami Fusion, Chivas USA), initial on-field success (expansion and new market based on a relocation with new history: Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire) whose fan support tailed off when the team did, and then TFC and Atl.

    There is certainly something to be said for being able to build a fanbase and nurture your team's legacy for a longer period prior to MLS. It's a good deal for Beckham and Co, and probably the only avenue in the near-term for Silva but an ultimate initial financial loss as he will lose out on much of the benefit that he could have had had he made peace with Beckham earlier. I think the benefits are all on Beckham's side if they can structure the deal right. As said before, the sticking point is how much of a stake they'll want to give away. Silva could be placated by being given the club presidency and being allowed to run the club intially based on the on-field success of Miami FC and his practical experience running a club. Beckham has been in the sport for his entire life but he knows nothing about running a club and nothing about this side of the sport. He could stand to learn from someone who does.
     
  7. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    #282 Unak78, Aug 3, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2017
    Yes but it actually works out better and better for Beckham in the end since, the longer this thing takes to fruition, the greater the initial return on his investment will be since every year that it takes for this team to launch, MLS franchise values increase but his entry price remains set at the same dollar value, something that MLS probably regrets having given him in hindsight but can do nothing about since he can wave his contract in their face if they ever try to ask for more money.

    It's in MLS' interest for the team to launch as quickly as possible, in order to placate some owners who are seething at the price that Beckham's partners get to profit from as passengers on his deal. Already many of them are questioning whether they should be allowed to benefit from the deal since the contract was only signed with Beckham and not them, to which Beckham can argue that it would then make it impossible to benefit from the deal at all since he cannot be expected to fund the stadium project on his own and thus reap the benefit from his contract. As such when dealing with Beckham's partners the league must accept the deal as though they were dealing with Beckham himself.

    I wonder what type of legal ramifications would take precedent should MLS' BoG try to make Beckham's partners pay more on the deal? I somehow doubt that such a request would stand up in court, however, MLS could make an already costly process in Miami even costlier prompting Beckham's group to agree to a mark-up on the expansion fee in order to avoid another costly court battle.

    E2A: I imagine that one way Beckham's group could remove the possibility for any legal challenge from the BoG would be for Beckham's investors to structure the buy-in in such a way that it would officially be a low-interest loan to Beckham who would pay the expansion fee an then repay his investors after the fact with shares in the team. As such noone in the BoG could argue with Beckham's right to sell of percentages of his team since MLS' rules do not preclude group ownerships like the NFL does.
     
  8. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Yes I agree! He can sell his franchise for $150 million which earns him $125 million dollar profit!
     
  9. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    Oh yeah, I'm sorry, that's actually a 600% return on investment based on existing average franchise values...
     
  10. 30King

    30King Member+

    Jul 22, 2013
    Rocklin, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Beckham is already paying more than the original $25 million. It was mentioned in an interview with Abbott or Cortemanche after one of the delay press releases.

    It would not surprise me at all that the price went up more during this last BOG meeting when it was announced that Becks wont even be majority owner. One of the MLS owners beefs was someone buying into the group on the cheap, riding Beckhans coat tails.
     
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  11. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    #286 Unak78, Aug 3, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2017
    Which always bothered me since, if Beckham tried to fight this legally, I think he'd almost certainly win, though after a protracted and very costly legal battle. If Beckham wanted to he could easily structure the deal in such a way that would allow him to buy into the league as the sole owner and then portion off the shares after the fact at which point MLS would not have a legal leg to stand on if they tried to block the deal on this basis. I mean, the only way to ever profit from the deal is to eventually sell the team anyway. As an owner, the team is nothing more than a very valuable asset in a ledger book which appreciates in value but costs a lot to maintain. It's always hit me as MLS' BoG trying to back out on a deal that they made to get him to come into the league. If the league had the type of success that they envisioned in the aftermath of signing Beckham, then there was no way in hell that Beckham would ever be able to run a team in the league. In addition the stadium requirement was never a part of his initial deal and so he can argue breach of contract. The reason that he even had to include additional investors was in order to accommodate requirements that were added to the deal after the fact. The price was initially set at a number that he could reasonably expect to pay on his own. The stadium requirement put the total investment out of his financial means but he still had the equity in the initial deal in which to entice the investment necessary to pay off any potential stadium.

    Granted, as I said before, it was always likely that Beckham's group would simply agree to an altered deal rather than fight it in court since that would obviously be the costlier outcome and negate many of the advantages of buying into Beckham's deal in the first place and MLS and the BoGs knew this which is why they felt confident in pushing for it despite how it would make them look to any prospective players who they ever offer such a deal to in the future (Messi?). You have to know that MLS will probably try to back out on the deal when the reality of it hits them in the face. In ten years, give-or-take, if I'm Neymar, Pogba or Kylian Mbappe and MLS offers me a ridiculous sweet-heart deal, I'm gonna take a look at how Beckham's deal ends up being structured to get a picture on how serious MLS will end up being on making good on it when it all shakes out. Obviously, MLS has probably learned from their mistake (and is no longer in such desperate straights) and will likely never offer such a deal to anyone again, no matter who they are. (still... maybe Messi... or Ronaldo)

    For a league that wasn't worth very much at the time, it looked like a throw-away offer which became a massive mis-step given the lack of fore-sight for MLS to make; perhaps borne out of desperation since they were willing to offer him Heaven and Earth to get him here. As I said before, if the idea is that Beckham would make the league more successful, then they have to have known that that deal would end up being pie in the face and a bitch-slap to every other owner who ended up paying full-price. Granted, look at how TFC made out.

    Now one can question how much value Beckham's part actually played in the current state of the league, but he definitely played some part, which is besides the point. MLS' goals for signing Beckham are at issue since they should have known that if this all worked out, then the price that they set for Beckham would end up being waaay too low... who knows, maybe MLS really didn't expect to last this long...
     
  12. 30King

    30King Member+

    Jul 22, 2013
    Rocklin, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Lots of words for a couple assumptions o_O
     
  13. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    I never like to be understated. If I use fewer words it leaves more to interpretation and speculation which could dilute my point. Using more words, even if noone cares to ultimately read it, ensures that whatever point that I make is going to be exactly what I mean and cannot be misinterpreted for anything else. Every point has nuances and so I like to illustrate every aspect so that I can be understood for what I stand for. It's an annoying habit of mine, but one I can't shake, which makes it difficult for me to argue things in person and real time since I can never speak in concise talking points since my ideas usually take alot of elucidation to get across. I hate it, but that's how I am. I am not a masterful debater for this reason.

    I have also taken to adding this tag to many of my posts as an apology of sorts...
     
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  14. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Beckham won't be losing out regardless he spent so far. He went to the AEG school of franchise buying and selling. Trust me he will be earning and making a lot of more money in the end when all is said and done.
     
  15. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    This is true, and this is all business 101. It's just that it seems a bit jading to think of the idea that MLS could offer such an incentive deal to any athlete and then restructure the terms of the most lucrative incentives later as they choose after reevaluating the value of the terms that they originally set. It's like making a bad deal in hindsight and then trying to take back as much of it as possible after gaining the benefits of the deal. And the athlete, wanting to recoup as much value as possible won't fight it simply because it will end up more costly to them to do so. I'm a bit of an idealist in wishing that MLS would simply honor the deal that they made rather than engaging in "buyer's remorse" after realizing how much they gave up. Puts a bit of a sour note on it is all. Not shedding tears for Beckham, just giving a bit of a sobering "what if I were in their position" type of eye towards what a future "can't-miss" superstar should be thinking of if they're offered a comparable deal. Still, he'll make out very well on this indeed, I have no doubt.
     
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  16. Red Card

    Red Card Member+

    Mar 3, 1999
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    When David Beckham signed his deal there were a lot less teams than now. So therefore the $25M is being split up into more shares now than was originally expected if his deal was done quickly.
     
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  17. tigersoccer2005

    tigersoccer2005 Member+

    Dec 1, 2003
    North Bergen, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought the saga of getting Red Bull Arena built was one of the longest and most ridiculously convoluted processes ever witnessed, however the saga of trying to get Beckham's Miami club off the ground is quickly making the "60-90 days" Red Bull experience look like tiddlywinks. I cant believe the number of roadblocks put in the way of Becks Miami United. The worst thing of all is the blatant corruption. The number of people that have showed up demanding money from Becks is amazing.

    This latest NIMBY effort from local community organizers in Overtown should not be underestimated. It has the potential to really hurt the deal. Want to know part of the reason why NYC FC is still playing in Yankee Stadium? The NIMBY crowd that would immediately rise up in any suggested locale wound up making it impossible for the organization to build a new stadium anywhere in Manhattan.
     
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  18. rocketeer22

    rocketeer22 Member+

    Apr 11, 2000
    Oakton,VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not to wish this on anyone, but I wonder if hurricane Irma will do anything to infrastructure in Miami that may curtail this even further.
     
  19. Cirris

    Cirris Member+

    Feb 25, 2014
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    depends on where Irma makes landfall. If the center of the eye comes barreling up the Miami River, it will most likely be catastrophic. *fingers crossed* i rather it just hit the North American jet streams and get sheared off the coast completely.
     
  20. tallguy

    tallguy Member+

    Sep 15, 2004
    MoCoLand, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Climate change and the increased severity of hurricanes was always going to be a factor. As global warming increases, so will rising sea levels. I would hope that Team Beckham has thought this through, but my guess is that climate change has never been on their radar.
     
  21. The Franchise

    The Franchise Member+

    Nov 13, 2014
    Bakersfield, CA
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No less than the IPCC, which certainly doesn't downplay global warming, has rejected the idea that it has been shown to produce more intense hurricanes.
     
  22. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    So, this tweet:

    906238862976004096 is not a valid tweet id


    If this happens, I think the MLS to Miami bid is gone. It's not just that the infrastructure will be gone. It's that people are going to leave en masse. It'll be even bigger than this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_diaspora
     
  23. whiteonrice04

    whiteonrice04 Member+

    Sep 8, 2006
    that is crazy! I really hope people leave at least for this weekend.
     
  24. C-Rob

    C-Rob Member

    May 31, 2000
    The IPCC acknowledges that there is a great deal of uncertainty because of unknowns with decadal oscillations as well as the impact of aerosols on wind patterns, but...

     
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