Haiti celebrity: Wyclef Jean buys a pro football (Soccer) Club in the United States on November 12, 2005 The singer and businessman of Haitians origins, Wyclef Jean, became recently owner of a professional football (Soccer) club, Haitian Grenadiers, Haiti Press Network learned from a source very close to the rapper. Wyclef should make public, in the next days, the acquisition of the team which will evolve in USL Pro Soccer League, the equivalent of the third male division in North America, behind the elite, Major League Soccer, and A-League, the second division of United Soccer League (USL). The club Haitian Grenadiers will be based in Tampa Bay, south of Florida, where a great community of Haitians lives (reside). It will have to constitute the privileged destination of the brilliances footballers’ (Soccer) Haitians and in return the food ideal of the national selections of Haiti, specified this same source. The rapper Wyclef Jean has since the launching of his foundation Yéle Haiti, even front, multiplied the actions in relation or directly with the profit of Haiti, his country of origin, and Haitians. Businessman, it has just bought the chain of hertzian television Télémax, established for more than 10 years with Port-with-Prince, confirmed in the press the current general manager of the station Pradel Henriquez. A confirmation which put an end to several months of rumours. Haiti French web site is reporting http://www.haitipressnetwork.com/news.cfm?articleID=6919 version Francais Haïti – célébrité : Wyclef Jean achète un club de football pro aux Etats-Unis Posté le 12 novembre 2005 Le chanteur et homme d'affaires d'origine haïtienne, Wyclef Jean, est devenu récemment propriétaire d'un club de football professionnel, Haitian Grenadiers, a appris Haiti Press Network auprès d'une source proche du rappeur. Wyclef devrait rendre publique, dans les prochains jours, l'acquisition de l'équipe qui évoluera en USL Pro Soccer League, l'équivalent de la troisième division masculine en Amérique du Nord, derrière l'élite, la Major League Soccer, et la A-League, la deuxième division de la United Soccer League (USL). Le club Haitian Grenadiers sera basé à Tampa Bay, sud de la Floride, où vit une grande communauté d'Haïtiens. Il devra constituer la destination privilégiée des brillants footballeurs haïtiens et en retour le vivrier idéal des sélections nationales d'Haïti, a précisé cette même source. Le rappeur Wyclef Jean a depuis le lancement de sa fondation Yéle Haiti, voire avant, multiplié les actions en relation ou directement au profit d'Haïti, son pays d'origine, et des Haïtiens. Homme d'affaires, il vient d'acheter la chaîne de télévision hertzienne Télémax, établie depuis plus de 10 ans à Port-au-Prince, a confirmé dans la presse l'actuel directeur général de la station Pradel Henriquez. Une confirmation qui a mis fin à plusieurs mois de rumeurs.
That's awesome news. Miami just announced that next season they will have a team in the A-league. Now Tampa joins the 3rd division. After losing both their MLS teams I'm Florida's soccer fans are glad have pro soccer back again.
You even have to wonder about whether Florida soccer fans are glad to have professional soccer back? I want to shout it from the rooftops!!!!!
It's too bad the USA does not understand or use relegation/promotion. It would be interesting to see if the Haitian Grenadiers could ascend to the top division. Instead they will be stuck in division 3 forever (or at least until they fold). :/
A) Not true B) Irrelevant. Even if there was Pro/Rel in the U.S., this team's ability to survive would have nothing to do with this. I wish people who cared about promotion actually thought about what it would do to soccer in the U.S. right now. There needs to be a critical mass of teams - financially viable teams- for a system like that to work. We don't have that yet. We understand Promotion and Relegation. We understand it well enough to know that it's not for us - yet. Now, on a separate note: Woo Hoo! This is great news. I'm so happy that USL is successfully filling the void in so many parts of the U.S. that MLS isn't looking at (NorthWest, SouthEast US) -adam
jaja, when I saw the title, i thought this was a jake, but fvck!!,it seems to be real, i liked Wyclef Jean (fugees!!!) a lot when i was younger... I'll cheer for that team, also i might move over to Miami next year so that's even better...
so the name of the league has not change! I had a fool, bashing me for not knowing the new name go granadines! Hi lisa