Murstein out as possible owner of Wizards

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12080051.htm

This guy seems a bit scatter brained. First a soccer team in KC, now the arena football team? Seems odd if you ask me.

 

Or some sort of greenery. (read: Plant)

Of particular note is his quote "I’ve heard they’ve received another offer higher than ours, which I’m guessing is why they haven’t gotten back to us."

I don't really imagine that he's heard a damn thing. I think he's just blowing smoke up someone's backside in an effort to drive up perceived value for the other franchises available. That is to say, DC and other AEG properties.

 

He's contradictory as usual. He complains that a Wizards stadium doesn't exist yet wants an Arena Football team that doesn't exist. Says the Wizards don't make money and only has projections for Arena Football.

Too bad, he seemed like he might keep the team in town if he won. Now it's what, Club America? They'll want to take the team to Houston. I'll bet MLS is behind them too. The "M" stands for Mexican now apparently. Good luck getting Joe Football Fan.

On our side, it's nice to see Kansas City setting lower standards and pursuing minor league sports. In ten years, we'll be down to the T-Bones and the Stampede (or Chiefs-Lite or whatever they call the Arena team).

I think Murstein is going to buy a Yu-Gi-Oh team next.

 

What?! No... no way in hell he kept the team in KC if he bought them. Not unless somebody "built him a stadium."

Why does everybody seem to think Club America is in for the Wizards. There has NEVER been any indication of that whatsoever. Especially now with all the rumors that Club America buying San Jose and moving them to Houston is a done deal. I just don't get this one.

 

Before anybody else jumps on this "Club America is bidding for the Wizards" bandwagon, I'd like to post this. This is from the SoccerAmerica newsletter, and was sent out July 2 to the North American Soccer (NAS) e-mail listserv.

 

I can't find a scrap of evidence Lamar Hunt was ever willing to seriously entertain his offer unless all local options failed. I think that's what happened here--the local options didn't fail, or haven't failed on his time scale, or whatever.

It would not shock me if Murstein's interest in the league is still there, as this looks far more a case of LH rejecting AM than the reverse.

 

You forgot to switch your sockpuppet for that post.

 

Remember, though, any sale by Hunt has to be approved by MLS, HQ. Hunt doesn't own 100% of the team.

 

Good to know. I wonder who the Mystery Bidder is. Maybe it's me. Maybe in 14 years instead of buying the team, I build a TIME MACHINE and bring back my inflated 2019 dollars which are worth way more and buy the team in 2005. Then Alexi Lalas sends his killer robot back to 1996 to try and kill me at the innagural game vs. Colorado (att: 21,141) so he can buy the Wizards himself to merge them with the Metrostars and create his super team.

Murstein wants a Kansas City arena football team. That's just weird now. Would he move them too?

 

There is no mystery bidder. There's only 2 bids. Grathoff quoted Wagner as saying there was another "interested party." but that's not a bidder. That's just an inquiry.

Everything we're hearing says that there have only been two bids for the team.
1) Murstein
2) the local group

 

What about Sam's post?

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=217043

 

Because it makes sense. Frankly, I've been waiting for this "shoe to drop" for quite some time.

Reading the SoccerAmerica Confidential piece shows you exactly why AEG and MLS are hot and bothered about getting Televisa owned Club America into MLS/SUM as soon as possible. The Quakes were basically the dowry. If the Quakes, however, do have viable local ownership, then the Wizards absolutely have to be in play. Especially because the bay area is a far, far, far more desireable market for MLS to be in than Kansas City is.

This is all about business. AEG really wants to lock up its relationship with Televisa. The best solution for them involves the AEG controlled Quakes. But the HSG controlled Wizards have to be a fallback. And a preferable one to having Televisa wait until 2007 for expansion.

To be completely honest. The fact that this hasn't cropped up sooner has made me think the Quakes were likely gone despite what SSV says. If AEG is putting the pressure on MLS to pressure HSG against selling locally, then it all fits. It also gives Lamar a way to save face in light of his pledge to sell locally. He can, in turn, make MLS, LLC guarantee the local KC group a 2007 expansion team.

At least this way, we'd get rid of Bob Gansler once and for all.

Personally, I don't want the "Cleveland Browns" scenario. Afterall, Cleveland was guaranteed an MLS team, too..... Things happen.

But for business reasons, the scenario is certainly plausible. If the Quakes do sell locally, there will likely be a lot of pressure on the current Wizards. That's my guess.

Sigh.

Come on Lamar - help us out one more time. We know you really do love us best. The Wizards are your team as a fan.

 

He was responding to the rumors. That's exactly what I'm talking about.

There has never been a legitimate (or even illegitimate) news source that has reported Club America making a bid for the Wizards.

Did you read the SoccerAMerica piece?

 

That's what I'm saying Andy. With all the reports (and there are more... not just the Mahoney article... there are sources all over the country claiming it's done) that the Televisa/Club America deal with San Jose is done... why all the talk of Club America in on the Wizards?

 

Because it's not a done deal in San Jose:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/soccer/12064373.htm

 

Repost of what I wrote yesterday on the Quakes board:

--------------------

Ugh.

I'd hate if this becomes a KC vs. SJ situation. It's possible that MLS/AEG has painted themselves into a corner by operating under the assumption that at least one of the two franchises would be able to be moved without too much trouble, which displays much lack of imagination, considering that volunteer groups have been able to find buyers and stadium options in both markets that powerful rich men could not. So they have been negotiating this media deal with Televisa that they consider much bigger than any MLS franchise, but is contigent upon Club America getting a team in Houston for 2006. And MLS isn't ready for another expansion so soon, so MLS/AEG might consider this media deal important enough to screw over a fan base (either one) despite there being no critical need to leave either current market.

With a little imagination, effort, and less seat-of-the-pants decision-making, none of this would need to be happening.

 

Ok, fair enough.

And that's fine. But still, you've got numerous reports about CA and the Quakes, and not one about CA and the Wizards... yet people seem to be freaking out about it.

I just don't get it.

 

Exactly Noah. I think MLS may have fvcked up, and are now stuck in a corner, and have no clue what to do.

 

Well, good riddance to the glorified loan shark named Andrew Murstein. I said it before and I'll say it again: Andrew Murstein...self important blowhard.

Good thing I don't care about Arena Football.

 

It's the articles in the Kansas City Star, plus other comments.

Now consider the above in conjunction with the above-mentioned denial by Blackmun that any agreement between AEG and Club America exists, contrary to previously published reports.

Whatever the real truth is, I echo Noah's sentiments.

 

Club America was never mentioned in the Kansas City Star as a possibility (maybe back in the days immediately following Lamar's announcemeng in December... but that was pure conjecture).

I can assure you with almost 100% certainty that the "other interested party" mentioned in the Star article was NOT Club America.

 

Yes, but there has to be an agreed sale to turn down. If Hunt prefers to wait for a local scenario to truly play itself out, the league is isn't going to force the issue.

 

From reading Sam's posts, it sounds like the local scenario had played itself out, but that external forces have mucked up the works.