Just asking, but shouldn't the candidate cities be pissed at MLS for making them pay $150 million & letting Precourt move the Crew (on whom he is making money) for nothing? San Antonio should be furious, yes?
No. The expansion candidates are looking at buying 1/25th to 1/28th slice of an existing business with their fees basically a charge to buy a share of the business. Relocation doesn't change the slices of the pie.
--------- Like I said, as part Canadian, I wish the CPL all the success possible. I just don't see that league being anything special without the 3 biggest metro areas. I don't think there is enough money in Canada for that to happen. To me, the CPL will be nothing more than the Canadian version of USL1, which i guess if they really try to use only primarily Canadian players, that has got to be the goal to improve the national team. The funny thing is, I don't really think MLS needs the 3 Canadian teams or would worry if they left. In fact, it would allow MLS to put 3 more franchises in the USA.
I think it helps quite a bit to have Canadian teams in MLS. Canada has over 36 million people. Not having teams there would be like not having teams in California. It must add value to the upcoming TV contract negotiations to have access to a market of 36 million people. Plus, the Canadian teams draw well. Toronto is #3 in league attendance behind only Atlanta and Seattle whereas both Vancouver and Montreal are in the upper half of the league. MLS could legitimately become the #2 sport/league in Canada behind only the NHL. There are no NFL teams whereas the CFL is not that popular, and only Toronto has MLB or NBA. College sports are not a big draw up there either. So, MLS has much less competition for fans in Canada than it would in most American expansion cities.
True, but Precourt got one helluva deal. $68 million for an existing franchise and its stadium is nothing compared to the $150 million expansion fee others are paying that doesn't include a stadium. Then again, the analysts on ESPN claim the next best bid for the Crew back in 2013 was only $30 million.
It wasn't such a deal at the time. Comparing it to expansion franchises that'll begin play maybe a decade afterwards isn't even a remotely fair comparison. And the Hunts never let of anything cheap. That was fair market value for the time. Sure, it looks like a steal in hindsight, but then I didn't see anyone else offer $69 million at the time. Value is based on supply/demand. In 2013 the supply was much, much higher and the demand was all but nonexistent.
Yep, plus if any of them wanted to buy the Crew back in 2013, they could have done so for just $68 million, including Mapfre Stadium, and they apparently could have negotiated the same relo clause that Precourt did.
True, and Taylor Twellman claims the next best bid was only $30 million. That said, the sale occurred at a time when expansion fees were already $100 million and expansion clubs were expected to lay out plans for $150 million or so in new soccer-specific stadiums. So, to land an existing club and stadium for just $68 million when start-up costs for everyone else were $250 million+ was a rather remarkable deal, even with the apparent lack of interest from other bidders.
Sacramento pretty much a done deal. Nashville/Cincy up next, and they BOTH are not sitting on the most solid foundations. Three horse race now. I’d let all three in given Miami’s situation. Frankly , MLS needs to go on an offensive to make sure they both get over the finish line, maybe even gave Garber show up for them. I can’t think that the Ford Field thing is a good thing for Detroit