Nothing in the way of new quotes or information, but yet another analysis that rips on AEG: http://www.soccer365.com/_365_Features/page_121_111508.shtml
I've been so distraught over this that I haven't read most of the articles and such. I saw this in that article. Probably old news to most of you. What a lying sack of dung! They couldn't care less about us! If they did, they'd have stayed in San Jose! We had some momentum going there, there were interested parties, we had potential support from two cities. MLS just threw all of that in the crapper. Who the hell is Garber kidding?! Thanks for the article link. It's nice to see AEG and MLS getting ripped in the press. If they don't feel a lot of pain over this, they will continue to treat their fans in a high handed manner. They need to hear that this was a mistake, and they need to feel it in their pocket books in 2006. QUAKES FOREVER!! - Mark
Oh, I love it! the bad press. Garber needs support from the fans because he knows he screwd up. How could they not see that?? I doubt he feels pain for the fans. He feels the pain of making a big mistake!
Here is another one slamming AEG (for not taking the approach HSG has taken): http://thefirealarm.matchnight.com/tfadefault.cfm?page=ARTICLE&show=1032 Maybe we should start an "articles that slam AEG" thread.
I wonder what is his true "posture". The back-handed compliment that Quake fans only go to games in the second-half of the season (yes, promote and you might get those kiddie leagues in the first-half of the season as well) or the Bill Clintonesque "I feel your pain". Could be that MLS didn't really want AEG to bail out of SJ, but gave them the authority as a bargaining chip and when AEG pulled up stakes, MLS was perhaps a little caught off guard? Or Garber is just a mealy-mouthed suit saying all kinds of things to appease the rock-throwing crowd.
Eh, I think that Quigley's being a little too kind to HSG in that piece. In 2005, the Wizards had no marketing, no radio telecasts for any of their games, and no local TV broadcasts for any of their games. They were literally left to wither and die. And people wonder why their attendance fell off the table from the numbers that were seen in 2003 and 2004 to the ones that were seen in 2005. And this was in the first year after Lamar Hunt expressed his desire to sell the team.
AEG's marketing of the Quakes also fell way short, although fortunately there were local radio and television broadcasts of some games. Essentially the same story here, however, as far as that issue is concerned.
URAW has it, I don’t understand how a league can function being owned by basically two entities. In a letter (un-responded to of course) to Garber last week I told him that his league was a disgrace because I feel that AEG has far more power than him as the commissioner and in that respect it was unprofessional and not a league any Americans would ever be proud of. This whole thing is bush league at best. Just look at how the NFL is handling the New Orleans owner, they are telling him what to do, not the other way around. I’m embarrassed at the state of the MLS. Everyone is proud of the improvement in 10 years? What a joke.
How much influence did that same commissioner have when the Oilers left Houston, when the Browns left Cleveland, and when the Rams and Raiders left Los Angeles? About the same amount that he'll have if the Saints decide to leave New Orleans once and for all: zero. Al Davis helped settle that question. The only North American sports league commissioner that can actually block an owner that wishes to move his team is Bud Selig and that's because MLB has an anti-trust exemption.
An MLS team must have the approval of a majority of the Board of Governors to move a team. This was the approval Garber referred to when he announced the 30 day deadline. Both AEG and HSG received such approvals in November, but HSG decided not to use it and keep the Wizards in KC for one more year. AEG controls five (soon to be four when DC United sale closes on 12/31/05) seats on the Board of Governors. If all the non-AEG Governors had agreed, they could have blocked a move by AEG. Obviously, however, that was never going to happen.
The NFL owners blocked Al Davis' first attempt to relocate the Raiders to Los Angeles in 1980. He then sued them for violating antitrust laws and won. And in 1982, the Raiders were in LA. What makes you think that AEG wouldn't do the same thing if the non-AEG owners tried to block AEG's move of the Quakes?
Ummm, because MLS owns 51% of each team. It's called single entity ownership--antitrust doesn't apply.
All you need to know about MLS and antitrust law: http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562132347
I dont have any factual evidence (too lazy to look or care) but from what I hear on the radio the NFL comish is giving the New Orleans owner a hell of a time in his efforts and is taking him to court over it. I guess it will take time but we will see how this one comes out. My main point to Garber was: its his name on the line, AEG can do the shuffle around the whole country to see what works but if they continue to turn fans off in every city then its his league going down the tubes and losing everyone's interest. Who am I, but after this move, I have lost all faith in the MLS. Losing 3 teams in 10 years, changing names every 5 years, expanding out of the country when no one in THIS country likes the league. Why not give Houston the Toronto franchise and do your best to get a local ownership group and stadium deal in San Jose who already has a very viable fan base. His actions baffle me, it is HIS league, not AEG's. Edit: Christoforo knows more about it than I, so I will let him speak from now on, im just tired of this crap.
He's wrong about the 51%. MLS owns 100% of each team, and I/Os own operating rights to teams and a share of MLS. He's correct that the MLS owners, acting as the Board of Governors, could stop one of their own from moving a franchise, because of the single entity. Also, Bud Selig can't stop a baseball team from moving. The owners can stop a team for moving by voting against approval of the move.
OK, whatever you say. You can call it 51% or you can call it "controlling interest", but they don't use the phrase "single entity ownership" at MLS HQ just for funsies. Just as MLS-- not the individual teams-- employs every single MLS player, MLS ultimately controls the city in which every team plays. Whether a majority of the Board of the Governors has a reason, and the balls, to tell AEG not to move a team is obviously a different issue. See the Soccer America link above if you want validation.
Much as everyone likes to slap Mark Purdy down, this is his opinion as well. It's hard not to see what he sees when you drop the blinders of love for the team & the game...