After his interview on the IMS, well, that got some of us a little hot, because, hey..we're the local guys...talk to us. I did some working and I've got an in to get questions and answers from Mr. Cooper. So...we're the people's blog, so you ask your question and we'll put it to Cooper. Post it here.
I don't have anything negative to say about Inside Minnesota Soccer, and I agree that they do a great job. BUT, the reason Cooper went to them was to address several mistakes that were made in one of their articles in relation to the state of AB Soccer Park. It was a response to what they had incorrectly reported. If that article would have been written by anyone else, then they would have gotten a call from Jeff Cooper.
I'd like to know the real story behind the failed MLS bid. Was there really a $500 million investor and if so, why did Garber say the bid was still lacking someone with deep pockets?
oh my god he took away my local wps team its obviously all his fault there was nothing wrong with the economy or the brand at all quicky you guys lets all get our pitchforks and torches and ride that cooper out of town on a rail who gives a flying ******** if there wouldnt have been any teams without him we must avenge our year old club and its glorious history!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My feeling on this is that MLS wants someone with deeper pockets than $500 million. They would like someone who has billions in the bank. Not just millions.
Let's just set this straight... THE WPS FOLDED THE ATHLETICA. JEFF COOPER DID NOT. Jeff Cooper could not liquidate enough assets in time to save them. We're all sorry this happened, but to say that Copper did this to the fans or favored the men's team over the women's team is absolutely stupid and ignorant.
Ask Mr. Cooper if he wears his St. Louligan T-shirt around the house or when he goes grocery shopping.
You might be right, and the bids we lost to had billionaire ownership groups, but from what I remember Garber made it sound like Cooper had not found any big investor. I don't see how he could say that if he had someone with a net worth of over $500 million, who was a possible buyer for the St. Louis Rams, as Bernie Miklasz had reported. How is $500 million+ whatever Cooper and Pujols and his other unnamed investors contributed not deep enough pockets for a league where a new franchise is worth around $40 million and the entire player payroll is around $2.5 million (paid entirely by the league). I could understand if Garber had said the other bids were just stronger than ours, but he made it sound like Cooper had been lying about the investor.
Because no matter how you shake it, $500 million is not several billion. MLS isn't looking for a group of investors that is worth billions, but rather a single investor that is worth that much. Think of it like USSF's $20 million investor requirement for D2 teams.
I think it is a fair question. What if he had folded AC Saint Louis and kept Athletica? How would you feel then? Are you afraid that if you ask a tough question he may just pack it in altogether?
A fair question is "how do you sleep at night?" for someone whose business got shutdown by the league? Oh man, that's a great question. It really is. One that not only treats the person being interviewed with basic courtesy, but also one that is SURE to be answered. And as far as you're question goes, I'd be mildly upset if Cooper folded AC St. Louis. I really like the team and my fellow fans, but I understand that it is: a "division II" team that plays in an out of the way stadium, during tough economic times with no marketing. I wasn't happy about the Athletica folding, either, but I wasn't crushed. They'd been around for a year. Are you saying that you developed as much of an attachment to them as people do to other teams? Example: the Cardinals. Did you sit on the curb and bawl your eyes out when Athletica folded? I would if the Cardinals even moved. I'm not sure you can develop that type of loyalty to a team that's only been around for such a short time. Also, can we please be honest about something? NASL and WPS are businesses. Folding the Athletica was not a decision made by some demon hell-bent on wreaking emotional damage upon the team's fans and somehow, women's rights. The league made the decision because of ***business*** reasons. Can we please admit that running a minor-league soccer team is hard, but even harder when it's a womens team? I am not saying that women can't play sports, I'm saying that other people think that, and that women's sports in general draw fewer fans. That's not sexism, that's acknowledging that sexism exists. It was a tough market to begin with, and the bottom fell out. Oh well, I hope they're back soon. And the only way to make that happen is to make sure that we support soccer in the area, in all forms, including AC STL. So to all the (wrongfully) enraged and embittered Athletica fans out there, please come to the games. It's your only chance of recovering your team.
Except Cooper didn't choose to fold the Athletica and keep ACStL. ACStL is still around because USSF required teams to have a reserve fund. Without that fund to give Cooper enough time to get the Vaid's out of the team and enough liquidity to payroll the team himself ACStL would have folded as well. If WPS had required a reserve fund the Athletica would still be around. If you want to blame someone, blame the WPS for being stupid and not requiring the reserve fund. Hopefully they change that next season so they don't have teams folding midseason again.
Cooper never had an investor lined up worth $500 million as reported. A lot of things were reported by Cooper's people. If you listened to the Saturday Soccer Report, which was funded by Cooper and ran by his employee Tony Hubert, you'll remember that back in fall of 2007, Hubert was saying every week that "it was only a matter of days" until St. Louis would be granted the next MLS team. Now, was that his gut feeling or was going on what Cooper was telling him. Because I know for a fact that MLS never told Cooper he was getting a team. But Hubert made it sound as if it were a done deal we were getting a team. Plus, no one ever knew how much...if any, Albert Pujols contributed? He might have just stepped up and said he would support it and that's it.
Why would Athletica fans go to an AC Saint Louis game the way you trashed that particular fan and Athletica earlier?
where did anyone "trash" a particular fan and Athletica earlier? I think you need to go and reread that one. Noone even came close to "trashing" athletica either. If anyone came remotely close to "trashing" a fan, does 1 fan equal hundreds? Most of us in Sec 20 were supporters of Athletica. Hell, even their #1 fan, Gen. Liz, sits with us. De ja Vus all over again!
Once again, I might be missing something, but I don't see any trashing of Athletica. Please pull out a phrase and explain it in context.
we must avenge our year old club and its glorious history!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/QUOTE] Here is the trashing of Athletica. The poster was making light of the fact that the Athletica were only around for one year.
Here is the trashing of Athletica. The poster was making light of the fact that the Athletica were only around for one year.[/QUOTE] 1) Athletica fans should stay away from AC St. Louis games because of a random person on the internet allegedly trashing the team. That is your premise. That is so ridiculous, on so many levels, that to dignify it with a point-by-point deconstruction would be offensive to all people of even the most basic intellectual capacity. 2) I wasn't really making light of the team, but rather, of the rabid, foaming at the mouth style hatred of AC St. Louis because of what happened to another team that wasn't around for very long at all. I liked the Athletica. However, people act like some horrible act has been perpetrated on the fans of a once-great team. Sorry, but the only people that have the right to be as angry as you all are are Leeds United, Portsmouth, or Wimbledon fans. 3) If you are going to *choose* to be that embittered and anti-other soccer, I question why you're posting on the AC STL board (and yes, it is a choice---you can just let go of your anger, it works, try it). Like I said earlier, a successful soccer presence in St. Louis is the only way to get Athletica back, so why try to burn your only bridge back to bliss (I'm assuming that Athletica provided you with heavenly delight, or you wouldn't be so upset)? 4) Please come to the last home game. We would love to have you, embittered though you may be. 5) If you're not going to come at all, but are just going to snipe at the AC ownership/front office on this message board, then kindly ******** off.
p.s. not sure how I "trashed" you earlier. Your proposed question for jeff cooper was: a) not a fair question, and b) not one that anybody could realistically expect to be asked. Sorry if blunt honesty offends you.
"A source told Globe-Democrat.com Friday that the Athletica failed to provide advance disclosure of the Vaids’ investment, as required by league rules, and Jeff Cooper was considered the sole owner of the team according to the league. Further, WPS was not made aware of the financial problems with Athletica until “early May.” Contrary to reports from sources on Thursday, Women’s Professional Soccer said on Friday that its eight teams had posted performance bonds, and that WPS had used money from the Athletica’s bond to meet St. Louis’ player payroll for May. But, without enough money in the bond to meet payroll and operating expenses for the rest of the season, the league concluded that the franchise had to fold, and the team ceased operations Thursday just six games into the season." http://www.globe-democrat.com/news/2010/may/29/wps-says-it-thought-jeff-cooper-was-sole-owner-ath/ "The league took over the Sol last year but wasn't about to go down that road again with Athletica. "We had no leadership in St. Louis," NeSmith said. "We weren't going to save (club founder Jeff Cooper) at that point." In a statement last week, Cooper said the Vaid brothers defaulted on a contract to fund the team, but the league's other owners aren't happy that Cooper didn't bring the Vaids before the league board in the first place. "I don't know if he was duped by them," NeSmith said. "He said he would put $3 million aside for the season, and he didn't." http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-06-05/sports/21658562_1_fc-gold-pride-cal-state-east-bay-bay-area How about you ask him about that? Look honestly, I don't expect you to ask him anything of the sort because you seem to lack objectivity about the man, and this is not a forum for the failure of the Athletica- my intrusion was inappropriate-apologies...but it is a shame he will not have to answer the hard questions about exactly what went down. On a side note, its great you still have your team, but as long as Cooper is associated with it, I cannot support it. Wake up, the guy's a loser. Getting him out would be the best thing that could happen to your team.