I repped your point but it's too pessimistic. Reread "grossly underperforming club in a wildly untapped market" and remember the list of very many things we've said just weren't possible and problems that were intractable for American soccer that are now accomplished, solved and sometimes even forgotten. FFS - we're all currently looking to build on the wild success of pro soccer in Atlanta, Georgia. Cheer up Charlie. MLS is a booming opportunity, with much of the allure pro sports has for billionaires - yet much of the risk managed up front. The really depressing part is the legacy chokehold Kraft has on your market.
But if MLS ever announces that there will be no more expansion clubs, then the value of the Revs will skyrocket and Kraft will sell then (if he's still alive). If you're rooting for a sale, I think your best bet is to hope that MLS caps the league at 32 teams and that Kraft sells for the equivalent of the final expansion fee after all 32 spots are used up. LAFC paid $110 million, and then Nashville paid $150 million, so assuming the league continues to grow, Kraft might be looking at selling for $300 million or more.
I guess it comes down to how long you want “right now” to last. I don’t think Bob or Jonathan Kraft have any intention of changing the status quo - EVER- and I don’t want to watch the same events repeat every year. I’ll find something else to watch if they move. I already watch them on tape delay to skip the really horrible parts.
The biggest problem with a new owner in the Boston area would be the same problem the Krafts are facing now: it's really hard to find a buildable lot for a stadium, when you have to compete with other business developers in an over-heated commercial real estate market.
I am not sure I believe that. I think the Krafts want to build a stadium where somebody else pays the bills, gives them the land OR gives them a monster tax break. For me, I don't believe them until we get data from non-Kraft sources.
Correct. I think the only possibility would be Henry buying the team and moving them to Fenway. I'd be all for that if it were a temporary solution.
People said the same thing before Gillette was built and in the end, they did it with private financing and very little municipal help.
And they've clearly demonstrated their willingness to do for the Revs what they've done for the Pats.
We've been at the terrible owner/terrible location crossroads for more than a decade. The only solution to the problem seems like Kraft sells, the team moves and then someone else steps up to make a Boston team happen. If that's what it takes, I'm fine with that.
I was a season ticket holder way back.... when New England was an exciting and potential soccer market with good will. I check these forums now and again. I can't agree more; I can only hope Kraft sells up* as there is no enthusiasm, no drive, no future -and its been like this for quite a time. Wow, that sounds bleak, but that's what it is. I haven't watched a full Revs game in at least 5 years (either at the stadium or on tv). I haven't actually bothered to check the Revs score. I certainly have no idea of the schedule, I think I can (not sure why, I think I may have seen a tv piece on him) only name Diego Fagundez(is he still there?) and now Brad Friedel as the coach. Would I go and see the Revs play? Absolutely, but only if it's a team I want to see they are playing against and if I got the ticket for free. Why would I pay for ticket if the owner doesn't care? I see no reason to give my hard earned money to an owner that blatantly doesn't care. And back in the day, yes I pretty much knew the schedule. I knew the names of all the players. I didn't miss a game and eagerly followed them away. I can only but imagine there are many like me due to the Kraft ownership. So yes please, please sell up -I'd honestly rather have an owner that tries and fails with the Revs folding rather than what we have now. And yes I know there aren't owners lining up or places to play, but at this point, how much worse can it get, I mean really? Is there any chance MLS can reclaim the franchise? *and he would be crazy to do so, he's got a franchise increasing in value. I'm guessing he's putting the minimum dollars in, keeping the stadium concessions ticking over in the Summer -all while many other MLS owners are actually doing stuff. Can't fault his business decision making on this -he's effectively getting a great return on franchise value for very little effort.
What motivation does Kraft have to sell? The Revo are a latchkey business that fills dates in his stadium during the NFL offseason. And he financially benefits from expansion fees. He probably loves the Revo. $$$ for minimum effort.
True. But, what potential buyer would have their own land to build a stadium on in the urban core? People have mentioned John Henry/Fenway: for one, soccer at Fenway is fun - as a novelty, but, like NYCFC it's a really lousy way to see or play the game. And, Sox fans would have a conip if they ever got wind of a play to co-host a soccer team full time. Sure, I'm sure just about everyone is. The problem is that the amount of money required to get a franchise and build an urban stadium would be huge (much bigger than what the Krafts need to put in for a stadium) - even if they could find a location. And, how long, if ever, would it take to pay off such an investment? Are we expecting to find an Angel investor to fund our vanity project? Like it or not, the Krafts already have a significant investment in the organization, with the current stadium and facilities, academy programs and the new training facility underway. A number of people have pointed out that the numbers don't make sense for them to build a new stadium for the Revs. While I don't really agree with that, the numbers would be much more daunting for some new potential owner. No one is going to come along and make this happen - and the Krafts would only sell if the next generation doesn't want to be in the sports business (and I think that's very unlikely). If we want to hope for some kind of serious change, probably the best hope is for the day when Bob officially leaves the organization, one way or another, and Jonathon is free to make whatever decisions he wants. He might be no better, he might be worse, but ... he could be better.
The problem with anyone hoping to build a soccer-specific stadium for a Major League Soccer franchise within the Boston urban core is the dearth of large plots of privately-held, developable land. I recall reading a report five or six years ago that said public entities - a variety of federal, state, and municipal agencies and departments - control upwards of 54% of the land in the City of Boston. These entities largely control and protect historic land, cultural buildings, and property where it is deemed that the interests of the citizenry are best served by public stewardship. Within the 46% of privately-held land, residential space is vast, with the percentage of private holdings dedicated to commercial development small by comparison. Mixed-use development has historically been an even greater rarity within the confines of Boston proper. Further, the top 5 private landholders own just 4.5% of the area that is classified as private property. One of the largest contiguous plots of privately-held, developable land in Boston (and neighboring Revere)? HYM Investment Group's 161-acre Suffolk Downs property. Frankly, If I were the Krafts - or, some new potential owner(s) of the New England Revolution - I'd be trying to negotiate a partnership with HYM that would support the siting of a soccer-specific stadium within the confines of the proposed development. Otherwise, I fear that opportunities for an MLS franchise to set-up shop inside the borders of Boston proper are only going to become less likely to materialize.
I believe we have absolutely no evidence that: 1. Jonathan Kraft is chafing to make different decisions relative to the Revolution 2. Jonathan isn’t already calling the shots (or the majority of them) for the Revolution. You offer no hope at all. In the last 10-15 years I feel like I have read several thousand arguments about why an ownership change isn’t a good idea. The only problem is that sticking with the current ownership has well and thoroughly proven to be an equally bad idea. I simply don’t buy the premise anymore. On a different note, an ownership thread seems like the place to note the irony of the recent criticism of players not putting in enough effort. True as that might be, isn’t it simply the players perfectly mirroring the attitude of the ownership and the front office?
No, an ownership change would be an excellent idea, but it just is highly unlikely to happen, ever, for all the reasons people stated. Someone took umbrage when I referred to Jonathan as "his imbecile son Uday," but really, if you have ever met him, spoken to him at any length or ever heard him "talk soccer," you know what I mean. The guy is an MBA, a numbers guy. He knows ROI and how to calculate the best risk-reward ratio. While you don't want some fool running the business into the ground, you can't be so rigid with the bottom line. This isn't some manufacturing plant for paper bags, this is a sports team where there is emotional involvement by all of its customers. There has to be a balance, or at least some semblance that you even care and want to put the best possible team on the field. And that means hiring competent people to do it. It's really hard to win when you are trying, how can you even fathom winning when you aren't?
While an urban stadium would be ideal, I’d be happy with an stadium in the suburbs (should be easier to accomplish) if it meant getting rid of Kraft. In the right hands, a non-urban stadium could be filled on a regular basis. I also don’t see this region without an MLS team for long even if a new owner moved the Revs to Saint Louis. The Boston market is a potentially sizable one and I can’t see MLS giving up on it.