Comish Downs: The Stars are currently funded by the league, as the search for a new owner continues. If an owner isn’t found, it will be up to a vote of the owners on Oct. 27 to determine whether the Stars are funded for 2013 — or are folded. “They have 40 days to find an owner or have a pending offer,” said Downs. “If not, it will up to the board to decide whether to fund the team — or not, depending on the number of new teams we will have for 2013.”
With Traffic pulling their money, which was helping to fund several,NASL teams I doubt they will vote to fund Minnesota next year since they have to find fund to make up for the Traffic funds they don't have anymore.
The Stars played well today, 2 goalposts hit as well so they could have had a few more goals. I really like Lagos as a coach, he really seems to be able to motivate his players well.
I think a ticket sales drive or deposits on 2013 season ticket drive would help them more then winning the title.
The Stars are offering discounted tickets for Saturday evening’s match but the tickets must be purchased by Friday at noon. The price is $5 for youth and $10 for adult.
The bottom line is a potential investor would have to be convinced of the future viability of a DII club in Minnesota, with all its challenges. Given that any potential investor would have 20 years of historical data to look at, that sales job would have to be...really optimistic (especially given the last few years). There have been high points you could point to, obviously, but I don't know if the longer-term trend could be overcome. Now, if you could do a Lamar Hunt-like push (the one that saw the Wizards' sales spike) or a Columbus-launch-like push, that might help convince someone that the market is there. But it would be a lot of work for somebody. As you say, though, that would go a lot farther than just winning the championship.
Just to clarify, so the Minnesota Stars being a league owned team are funded by the other 7 teams at the moment and Traffic gives no money at all for their budjet? So if the budget for instance was 700,000 per year then each team must contribute 100,000 per year to them?
Right, Traffic, just wondering if they also give extra $ or not on top of the 1/7th per team portion, which if not the $ amount could be quite a big portion to a team owner. Just trying to think about what the other owners may be looking at in funding the team for another year. I think its in their best interests for them to keep them going for 1 more year at least till Ottawa and another possible expansion team enter - If they lose the Stars and are again at 8 teams it looks like a negative for the league, better to have 9 teams and try one more time to find a buyer imho.
I don't think the perception is as big a deal as you believe it to be (I doubt too many people can name the number of teams in the league, or would notice if there was x number one year and x number another year). I believe it will/should come down to "Is a new, local owner realistic?" I don't believe there's an imperative for them to have 9 teams in 2013, especially if Ottawa is a go for 2014 and they announce somebody else for 2014 by year's end. (I know for a fact they're close on one, because I talked to the guy yesterday.) I don't think a waiver will be an issue. So if a waiver's not an issue....and perception's not really an issue (sometimes it's nice to perform in relative obscurity), the issue as to whether or not you continue to cough up a couple hundred grand apiece (not an insignificant amount) comes down to "Is a new local owner realistic?" My perspective from far away is that it's not realistic. That may be incorrect, for all I know, the supposed interest Downs alluded to in a recent interview may be actual interest, bona fide interest. But it's hard to see exactly why you'd do it, or why, after the last several years where it was painfully obvious an owner was necessary, someone would suddenly show up who was viable and willing to do it. If I was an owner and had a vote, I'd say, "This is not in our best interests, one, and it certainly does me no good. If someone wants to try again in Minnesota at some point, God love 'em. But as of October 26, if you haven't produced a check, that's it, it's over." It's not show friends, it's show business.
If they lose it will more than likely be their last. If they win, then they would have two more and then be done.
A team without an owner and no prospects for one is on borrowed time. Just ask the Tampa Bay Mutiny fans.