We are an injury away from a CB from being a complete disaster, but I've gotta admit, the team is doing pretty well. There are good people here. This team is viable, and just needs some average years and some fun to bring it back. The Ochoa thing is pretty fun. Brody has made this season for me so far. I don't need trophies, just hope. I think my point of view is pretty standard, especially considering the Jazz and its history.
I think six is a bloated number, but even more I think any potential buyer isn't going to purchase until capacity restrictions are completely gone.
Soapbox had this story linked. https://www.sportico.com/business/sales/2021/real-salt-lake-sale-blitzer-1234630035/
With capacity restrictions starting to be lifted around the league, it will be interesting to see if this starts to heat up. Also, Blitzer may not be a bad choice...especially if Ryan Smith is not in the mix. Someone with experience in pro sports ownership, and specifically soccer ownership is highly preferred. Will likely make the natives nervous since there are no apparent local ties. But I think there are plenty of reasons for a prospective new owner to keep this team local - facilities and community equity being high on that list.
More revealing in that article was that Ryan Smith has pretty much removed himself from discussions for a few months now. Many of the podcast people talked it up like Smith was a probably buyer, even still, so this really puts a wet blanket on that hope. The local ties thing was very hopeful. Especially given the limited number of realistic buyers in this area. The only one with the means truly to do it was the guy who is selling the team, so... Thinking we're getting a local owner, given our populace, just isn't a reality. That shouldn't be a terrible thing. This guy is proof of an owner (albeit minority owner, most of the time) who isn't from an area but is willing to let the show operate as is. While searching who exactly this guy was, I came across a rather strange part of his wiki page: In 2010, his father-in-law, Stuart Ross, who once owned the North American rights to the Smurfs franchise, was convicted of trying to extort $5.5 million from Blitzer in return for having no more contact with Blitzer's family and another $5.5 million from Blitzer for having no more contact with Blitzer and Blackstone. He was convicted of extortion and sentenced to five years of probation under the condition that he get psychiatric and alcohol treatment and has no contact with his daughter Allison, Blitzer, their children, and the Blackstone Group
It's hard to say either way with someone like Blitzer. He (partially) owns other sports and soccer teams, so he wouldn't likely be surprised by the intricacies of MLS ownership. And he probably wouldn't be intimately involved in running the club. No idea how he would approach out-of-pocket spending on the team or what kind of local management he'd hire, though. But those are key factors in determining how his ownership would benefit or hurt the team.
I'd be curious if he'd divest in some/most/all of the other teams if he became primary owner of RSL. It seems he's rather spread thin at the moment, but that's because he's a minority owner so doesn't have too much say/to do in those teams. Does he take a majority owner stake in RSL and change? Does he bring in other parties (Blackrock has plenty) to make it a conglomerate ownership? Did he just send an email to Don Garber saying "How much for the RSL one?" and thats why he is interested?
A post on the RSL Reddit page claims that the reason Ryan Smith has been absent from discussion is because his business partner is pursuing the team and Ryan would become a minority owner. The poster is a newer account so who know if there are any legs to his claims.
Combine these two facts and you could rebrand as the "Salt Palace Blitzz". Because the existing club name is not sufficiently mocked...
Jazz ownership, from what I gather, is comprised of the following: Ryan Smith Ashley Smith The Miller Family Dwayne Wade Ryan Sweeney Mike Cannon-Brookes
There may yet be room for a local minority owner in the Silicon Slopes envelope. Several local tech companies have suites or do group events at the RioT. Ownership's not always monolithic anymore.
I would be surprised if the purchase was by a single individual, no matter who ultimately is the "majority" owner. I'd expect that the local ties will largely be in the minority ownership side of things. Could Dave Checketts get re-involved? That would be something
Wasn’t one of the past rumors that Burnley owners ALK or something were interested and Dave Checketts has already accepted a position in June or July with them? that is by far my favorite rumor so far.
IMO - this only really works out if there is a clear person in charge, ala Ryan Smith with the Jazz. Part of the disfunction of RSL in the 2012/2013 timeframe that led to Kreis, Lagerwey, Manning and others leaving in subsequent years was there was a lot of internal fighting going on between Checketts and DLH up until the buyout. The club began to lose its super clear direction at that point which has led us to where we are today. If Mike Cannon-Brookes were to be involved that would be pretty sweet. Love that dude! (see link below). In an interview about the Jazz purchase he indicated that a lot of his wife's family is in SLC. And RSL would probably have pre-season in Australia. I'd make a trip out of that. Both he and Farquhar have probably DLH level money, maybe even more.
I don't know about a "rumor". I think it was pipe dream or speculation at best. Checketts doesn't have deep pockets, but does have a connection to ALK and will join the Burnley board as a Director this summer. It would be cool for him to be "back", but hard to see that actually happening.
My unsubstantiated google source lists DLH net worth at 4 Billion. Other unsubstantiated reports have Mike Cannon-Brookes valued between 13-18 billion, so hopefully this reddit guy's unsubstantiated source is correct about Mike possibly pursuing the team with Ryan Smith as a minority owner.
After looking into it a bit, if Forbes estimations are correct Mike would be one of the top 5 wealthiest owners in the entire league, which makes me even more doubtful since I have no idea why such a wealthy Australian would be interested in a Utah soccer team.
Also, he's part owner of the Jazz, and his wife has "a lot of family in SLC". I have no idea if he's in the mix, but I hope so. IMHO, he's cool AF. Being located halfway around the world is less than ideal, but he said he comes to the States about once a month - pre-covid.
Yeah my doubts are more about the prestige of MLS, (well, also the source: Some guy on reddit) but who knows? Maybe he's been having a lot of fun as a Jazz owner and wants a pro team of his own. Makes sense to buy the team next door that's for sale and is, in all honesty, chump change to him. Either way I've already built the narrative in my head that it's him and am very excited. Going by his Forbes valuation and this list: https://sportscriber.com/money/mls-team-owners/ RSL suddenly has the third richest majority owner in the league, who is young and is proving with the Jazz he wants to win.
As Trey and other pundits allude to constantly, RSL is about as turnkey of an operation as you're going to get. Not just in MLS, but anywhere. DLH, as is his MO, put serious infrastructure in place for this club. The only downside is the market the club sits in, but I'd point to the recent census data showing Utah as the fastest growing state and no signs of it stopping. I'm not naive enough to think SLC will be a top 10 metro in the next 10-15 years, but the growth in this area is astounding. Getting into the club, with what it has, and what it can be, now could be a huge get for an owner. Don't forget, MLS and the Players Union renegotiated their CBA for the owners to get a (potentially) huge windfall with the upcoming World Cup, as well.
Finally my sentimental hoarding* will pay off. I still have some Blitzz merch in my closet. . . . (*I'm actually a minimalist but I have a soft spot for random soccer stuff.)