Hopefully when Joe buy the rest of the team we won't hear from Don anymore or he could just become a FIRE fan, not just a Hauptman fan.
I asked him once if he would remain a Fire "fan" if Hauptman sold. He said, in a moment of honesty, he was not sure.
What a surprise! I totally forgot about the game tonight and came here to check the sad state of the Fire and see this thread. I’m not worried about being 49% because if Joe decides he is going to spend his money on something, Andi would be foolish to overrrule him.
Sorry folks. I am no Hauptman supporter, but am skeptical as to whether this will change anything. Another scenario is, as some have suggested, Andrew dumps half because he needs the money for whatever reason, and Mr. Mansueto buys in because he sees it as a good investment- follows Andrew's playbook, keeps his investment low, but has the potential for a big payback. Mr. Mansueto is a very smart man, founded Morningstar, has invested in a number of different areas, donates generously to charity, but the 64 million dollar question- with the exception of coaching a grade school team, what does he really know about soccer, and producing a winning pro team? From the Trib- "It has been a busy couple of weeks for Mansueto, who recently completed a $255 million deal to buy the Wrigley Building. “Andrew just felt that Joe was a perfect partner and that they were like-minded, shared the same values and Joe’s appreciation and fanaticism for the sport was attractive,” Nelson Rodriguez, the Fire’s president and general manager, told the Tribune. “We try very hard to be good neighbors in our community. … And Joe’s deep connection with the city and his love for the city, the purchase of the Wrigley Building, a historic landmark, that’s really what drove this.” According to a 2012 Chicago Tribune profile, he coached grade-school soccer in Chicago." And this from the Sun Times- Morningstar chairman Joe Mansueto purchases 49 percent stake in Fire 07/11/2018, 08:42pm By Satchel Price By Brian Sandalow The Fire have partial new ownership. The Fire announced Wednesday that Joe Mansueto, the chairman of the Chicago-based investment research firm Morningstar, has acquired a 49 percent stake in the team. Andrew Hauptman will remain the Fire’s chairman, controlling shareholder and governor on the Major League Soccer board of governors, and Mansueto will become their vice chairman and alternate governor. ‘‘It’s hard to imagine a better partner for me and our club than Joe,’’ Hauptman said in a statement. ‘‘In addition to decades of experience as a respected business builder and leader, Joe brings a passion for soccer and cares deeply about the city of Chicago ‘‘After getting to know Joe over the past several months, it is clear we both share a common vision and ambition for the club and the enormous continued potential for Major League Soccer in Chicago.’’ Mansueto is getting involved with the Fire at a tricky time in their history. Before the season, the Fire announced a deal to put their games on subscription-service ESPN+ instead of traditional broadcast TV. There is also the looming specter of Tom Ricketts’ ownership of a proposed United Soccer League franchise that could compete with the Fire. And relations with the team’s most ardent fans recently have soured over the banishment of the Sector Latino supporters’ group. On the field, the Fire have struggled to maintain momentum after finishing third overall last season. They entered their home game Wednesday against the Union 6-8-5. ‘‘Andrew has assembled a top-tier management team and dramatically increased the profile of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, Major League Soccer and the game overall in the Chicago area,’’ Mansueto said in a statement. ‘‘I’m incredibly excited to partner with him to build on the club’s achievements. . . . I’m pleased to help fulfill the vision of bringing this premier team to the forefront of soccer in our country.” To that last paragraph- really? Was Joe a STH?
That's not his job. That's what a good GM/Technical staff is for. Hopefully his first move is firing NRod and Pauno.
So Joe probably went balls-deep for over $100M? Interesting. Gotta lot of respect for Joe and Morningstar. I interviewed there once many years ago and they have some of the best benefits in the industry but tend to pay lower than other firms. I wonder what if anything will change for the Fire. I would hope that he would have some input into getting some big names but I really don't know.
Well look...any changes are welcome to the malaise that had existed for so long. Perhaps another owner will share the financial burden of big name signings and academy development investments and promotion? Seems plausible and maybe this is just a beginning of a new chapter? Oh and I met Jiggs!!! Nice to meet you Jiggly.
Another theory I heard is that Hauptman does want to be a "good owner", but he never genuinely had the money to do it. He's keeping the controlling stake to give himself at least one last chance to prove that he can be a good owner, but this time he's playing with someone else's money (yes, his money is actually his wife's/father-in-law's money, but you know what I mean). Will that change much? I don't really know, but I do expect a lot more spending, since Andy's not going to really have to pay a cent with Joe behind him.
Do you think Joe is that stupid? That he's going to pay for everything while Andi just sits on his ass doing nothing. So if Andi wants to become a "good owner" then he better start acting like one and help Joe with the financial side of the team. Signing players, practice facility, USL team, advertising etc, that's how he becomes a good owner. If he can't handle that or doesn't want to them he's better off selling his 51% of the team to Joe and get the fvck out of the way. #HauptmanOut49%