Crew to Austin in 2019..(Maybe)

No it doesn't. If you read the article it only covers the first year. Sounds pretty fluid.

 

Speaking of Beatles and Kids (I have 2 of my own) has anyone seen Beat Bugs? It's on Netflix, a cute cartoon where each episode is centered around a beatles song.

And if this breaks the 4th wall to much, apologies, but my wife and daughter is going to be in the Dublin Coffman Staff Play; Alice in Wonderland, where all the music has been adapted to also be the from the Beatles.

 

We watch Beat Bugs on occasion. It’s hard to get my son to watch something other than PJ Masks, Peppa Pig, and Hey Douggee. I thought he’d love Dinotrux since he pretends to be a dinosaur at every turn but no, I can’t get him to sit through one episode.

 

Indeed. We have also added a sixth stage in the grief process. When we get tired of waging war against Preschool and his ilk, we commence waging war on one another and eating our wounded in a manner that few other places or fan bases could replicate.

 

I saw this the other day, and thought it especially apt if Timon and Gino Padula ever turned out to be the same person. Admittedly, I have all but ruled out that possibility. But identities have become somewhat murky at times during this epic thread, haven't they?

 

Myshap is involved in STC but doesn't seem to post in the Crew forums anymore.

 

I'm sure she and Loughnane's wife have a lot to discuss in that area.

 

Arthur Blank is for moving teams. He was more than happy to use the threat of moving the Falcons to get his new stadium paid for by the taxpayers of the state of Georgia.

 

Exactly. People are cherry picking that Blank quote to try to spin this as an overall positive for the Crew.

He also said "From what I understand the city hasn't been as aggressive as it could/should have been to keep the team." The mystery in that quote is whether he was talking about in the past, or if he is privy to some of the negotiations going on between the MLS and Columbus Partnership and that maybe CP is lowballing offers. I hope it's not the latter.

The idea though that Arthur Blank is gonna be our night in shining armor, or that he wants anything less than the Modell Law to go down in flames seems a bit silly. Sure, he probably thinks that Precourt is a total joke and unworthy to shine his shoes. But, he also knows what the Modell Law means for leverage in his investments in MLS AND NFL.

 

Thing is, that has zero to do with this situation. Precourt didn't attempt to get Columbus to build him a "new stadium paid for by the taxpayers." Oh, that was an initially-reported line: we're relocating to Austin unless we get a stadium deal in Columbus. Except they never tried to get, had any interest in trying to get, a stadium deal here. He seems to have bought the club with the intention, all along, to move it to Texas. A problem for MLS is that, from what we're hearing from Inside Man and from following the situation in Austin, it seems as though the opportunities for the league in Columbus are far greater than they are likely to be in Austin. Killing off the Crew and allowing to Precourt to move the franchise to Austin would, in essence, see MLS saying 'no, thanks' to: A downtown, public/private stadium deal; to wealthy new investors; to tens of millions of dollars in committed investment by local businesses; to a vibrant, organic supporters culture; and, of course, to over 20 years of league and US Soccer history.

The league, quite literally, would be rejecting the things it claims to want the most in other markets. It would be like Georgia giving Blank the new stadium, and him still moving the team to a similar market with a demonstrably worse stadium situation.

 

Oh Lord.

 

My point was that expecting Arthur Blank (NFL owner) to save or support the Crew is naive. Moving or threatening to move teams is part of the NFL's business model. MLS HQ is run by a former NFL executive. connect the dots.

 

I hear what you are saying, and agree with it 100%.
But to temper what we (you, I and, probably others) think, we don't know what Austin is offering, Dell could have said behind the scenes get me an MLS team in Austin, and we will drop 100 Million to become the league sponsor.

We have IM information, which others have shown to be quality information, but we don't have quotes from the actual players saying the same thing. I believe we have an offer in the $160 million range, but MLS has come back with we need 360 upfront to make sure this downtown stadium is more than just a political promise.

 

Live picture of Arthur Blank:

 

Right. I was just pointing out that what's actually happening doesn't align at all with 'the NFL's business model.' I mean, since when would that model reject a better deal in one market to move to another market? I could get it if, say, Austin was an untapped 4-5 million person city, a much bigger media market in an area where the league is lacking a presence. But it's a 2 million person market (same as Columbus) - one that doesn't have a track record of supporting pro sports - in a state where the league already operates two teams. Doesn't sound much like the NFL model to me. Unless what we really mean by that title is: rich owners can do whatever the hell they want to do, which I suppose may be the case.

 

Your Dell theory is, of course interesting. I just wonder why it would have been kept so secret.

 

The idea of some sort of personal hatred or vendetta against Columbus on the part of Garber has been brought up in this thread before. Several people poo-pooed that notion. However, if you look at this bolded part.... it's very hard to get away from the idea that for some reason, Garber and/or MLS as a whole want to say "f*ck you" to Columbus.

 

I and others have posted earlier that the THREAT of moving is the cudgel the NFL/MLS prefers to wield. During the MLS expansion era, in order to prevent current cities from becoming complacent about keeping their teams, a sacrifice must be offered. They can't use a team from a real city (Chicago, Philadelphia). How about that team in that cow town in Ohio? Find a trust fund baby that wants a seat at the cool kids table and let him be the villain.

The "metrics" don't have to make sense, because they don't. The PR hit is worth it to get cities to open their taxpayers' wallets. If I was an Austin resident I would be livid about this give away especially since there were competing bids willing to actually pay for McKalla. This is all a shot across the bow of current cities and expansion candidate cities to pay the f**k up or get out.

 

Well, since people have interpreted Mr. Blank's response in a number of ways...I think its safe to say his PR mindset is better than Precourt's. I think that was the end goal of his comments.

 

I can't believe you've not mentioned the riveting multi-page discussion of soil and groundwater quality analysis.

 

I read Blank's response as

It is expensive to move a team so it is cheaper to stay and build a fan base.
But
if the city and state government is not kissing your a$$ enough and giving you enough money every owner should be able to move, just like the NFL which just the best.

Blank does not care about MLS fans. He cares about costs of attracting fans. He is not a friend of MLS supporters.

 

Where would one inquire about a "slobbery tongue bath" opportunity?

Asking for a friend.

 

@AlexiLalas reiterates commentary on #SaveTheCrew/#MLS2ATX from this weekend. As to a @aprecourt/@MLS $7 million @USL offer: Aside from the dubious legal nature of the proposal, I'm hearing that such an offer would be met with, let's call it skepticism at best by locals. #CrewSC https://t.co/uKWdTNda5G

— Miki Turner (@turneresq) August 28, 2018

Hey, I'm a litigator/analyst, not a mediator! More seriously, that depends on what @MLS' grand design is. Am I assuming that MLS truly wants to break up with Columbus, never see them again, and hook up with other people?

— Miki Turner (@turneresq) August 28, 2018

If so, that is not a reconcilable position vis-a-vi Columbus/Ohio plaintiffs/STC. So PSV/MLS has 4 options: 1) Fight lawsuit & 🤞🏾, 2) Huge cash settlement, 3) Wait out lease & leave in 2023. 4) Leave for Austin right now and risk injunction/PR firestorm. #SaveTheCrew #MLS2ATX

— Miki Turner (@turneresq) August 28, 2018

 

@soundermiki congratulations you made it big time.

 

Most of you had me thinking positively not long ago and I am now slowly creeping back into my normal negative ways...Lalas may be a click-bait reporter but he also could have his ear on what MLS may be wanting to do and that is USL in Columbus. I hope not but its hard not to believe.