https://sltrib.com/sports/rsl/2021/01/07/mls-take-over-sale/ I am writing this at midnight hoping for some great news when I wake up. One can only hold their butt for so long. And I have American Ninja Warrior grip strength. Here's to hoping we have some good news soon.
This just in: so far the DLH is selling era and the MLS is selling era feel pretty similar from where I am sitting.
Article in the Des News yesterday opens with this lovely piece of hope: - It could be a while before Real Salt Lake has a new owner. Also, the end of the (not very long) article is a bit strange: - Lisa Baird, commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League, which included the Hansen-owned Utah Royals FC before selling the franchise (which has been relocated to Kansas City), said on a separate call Tuesday that the league would not share the findings of its investigation into Hansen, according to The Athletic’s Meg Linehan.
I saw that and wondered what lead to that decision. Did they not find anything worth reporting? Did they find something worth reporting but didn't want to expose themselves to potential lawsuits for publicizing it? Hansen is no longer an owner, so maybe it just wasn't worth the (tangential) negative press for the league? Weird.
to me it says there wasnt a smoking gun in their investigation. They just found the environment wasn't ideal and lack some ethics. Also wonder if DLH cut a deal to not publish anything and he just slides away
Just the Andy Carroll stuff that leaked out, and the complete refusal from HR to do anything about it, is equivalent to having 5 cameras from different angles all recording the gun being fired at it's target. I don't know why they aren't releasing the results, but maybe they are trying to protect the people who spilled the beans. The worrisome part is without the report, maybe a bunch of the bad actors get to slide into new roles, or stay where they are, and nothing will improve.
I had a feeling that this was going to take much longer than everyone would like. How many buyers can really be out there? With all the expansion MLS has done, with the uncertainties caused by COVID, is MLS still the “sure bet” it was just a few years ago? If this drags on another year and there are no buyers anyone want to bet MLS just tells DLH that he can keep the team as long as he keeps his mouth shut and makes changes to the organization’s culture?
I think the league has a healthy respect for the amount of damage a pissy lord voldeloy could cause. I would suspect that they gathered enough evidence to protect themselves should he come a-court'n. However, publishing would paint a target. Silence and taking the team is enough for me. Also, buying anything with low supply from Bad Bad Deloyroy Brown, baddest cat in the whole d*%! Town, meaner than a junk yard dog... would be a terrible experience methinks. Buying RSL from the league should be painless but the league is good at making things harder than they should be. I am hoping that we get an owner soon but I am starting to fear the paralysis may be internal.
Jan 12, 2021 Garber said the 30-day negotiating period is a hard deadline with players. Doesn't see adding two years on to the CBA as "structural" changes. #MLS Garber said the league's investigation found Dell Loy Hansen engaged in conduct that was "inappropriate for the workplace" and "contrary to the values" of MLS and RSL. Said team has taken over the sale of RSL and is hopeful it can sell the team in 2021. 2:26 PM · Jan 12, 2021
Just know, if for some reason Nelson Rodriguez (a great guy, I'm sure) ends up at RSL, get ready to EMBRATSU like it's 2006!
Also, speaking of RSL culture, I was kicked off of RSL Soapbox twice in a year during the Deloy Hansen years. I vocally challenged the crap going on at the club and pointed the finger at Voldeloy early on. The second time I challenged an article as being poorly written. Matt Montgomery got all sorts of personal with those of us posting comments, in particular "negative comments" from people like me that weren't satisfied with the dumpster fire that is RSL over the last 6 years. He was particularly vocal when anyone said negative stuff about the owner/new management. Intentional? Perhaps. Funny in hindsight? Absolutely! The Voldeloy years have always smelt to me. Perhaps I'm still sore about it Matt, but censorship usually accompanies dictators. Thanks big soccer forum for not being RSL Soapbox censorship nazis! #pewdiepielives
A) Not a chance it will drag on that long. B) there is not a chance that DLH keeps the team. MLS will fold the franchise before that happens.
Okay...so admittedly this is old owner news... Checketts added as Director to Burnley board. Alan Pace, former RSL president was named chairman recently at Burnley after ALK Capital who he represents took over ownership of the club. Checketts is an investor in ALK. Still would not be surprised if ALK were one of the other rumored owner prospects for RSL. https://www.burnleyexpress.net/spor...eveals-identity-two-new-board-members-3103949
While ALK has folks that are former RSL executives, I have a hard time believing they can convince the organization to take and MLS team but to NOT take the other two current clubs for sale: Houston and Orlando.
I would take RSL over Houston and Orlando with only a little bit of bias. Yes, Houston and Orlando metro areas are bigger by about 4 million and 1 million respectively but they are still Houston, and Orlando. I've been to Orlando and man, what a dump. Houston I can't say. Also, both those other teams are competing against other teams that are relatively close, just over 3 hours away, and probably better organizations to boot. I know I would choose both FCD and Inter Miami over both of these options as a player and/or fan. I can't believe that either has a better infrastructure ready to go over RSL. Here's to hoping that ALK is actually interested in RSL. I don't think for a moment that Dave is a petty guy but it would be quite the shade for Dave to be a part of the new RSL ownership on some level as Dear Leader is shown the door.
Not petty? We hired Pablo Mastroeni as part of a long con just so Checkets can fire him when he buys the team.
While I can't figure out all the pros and cons of Ryan Smith (only one owner of the sports teams in Utah) vs ALK (corporate, not local owner), I did find this site today. It says the naming rights with Rio Tinto and LifeVantage go through 2024. I know that it was previously mentioned that the naming rights to the stadium expire in 2020, so who knows what is true. https://www.sportspromedia.com/analysis/mls-2020-season-tv-rights-sponsors-franchises
Houston is the only city I've visited that I left saying 'good riddance'. It is a horror of insanity. With zero zoning, there are literally porn shops next to churches and schools. The roads are a tangle of misdirection. If I never set foot in Houston again I'll be just fine. Every other city I've visited or lived is a place I'd enjoy going back. Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Chicago, Dallas (even though it has some similar problems as Houston), New Orleans, (even) Orlando (which is not great), Atlanta, Washington, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Buffalo, New York, Boston, Philadelphia... etc. All are better than Houston, which sucks.
Per RSL President at the time, Bill Manning, the stadium rights was a 15-year deal signed in late 2008, so I think 2024 is the right date. No idea about the LifeVantage deal.
Why? I see a lot of advantages over those two clubs. Infrastructure, academy, relative captive audience in SLC. Salt Lake also continually ranks as one of the more interested soccer markets in the country based on youth participation, international soccer following, merchandising per capita, etc. Market size in SLC is smaller, but there is also much less competition for entertainment dollars than those two markets. Also, between Checketts and Pace, they know this market very well and know what strings to pull to make it a success. I actually agree that it's a long shot, but not because of those two other teams. From everything I've read they have a bit higher sights set than MLS, although it's still a league with tremendous upside, so who knows?