I know that we live in "destroy people now and ask questions later" kind of times but I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to the law. Lets see some facts.
"Suárez-Cortés, 24, is a defender for Orlando City, acquired on loan from Querétaro FC earlier this month, according to the team's roster." Just posting to clarify a point I didn't know. He's on loan from a Mexican club, but is a US citizen (born in California). He'd been with Orlando for under 3 weeks with this happened. I agree. There needs to be due process, here. Obviously, if this is legit, he'd be in contention for the shortest MLS career ever, though my concern would be with the victim. But the legal process needs to proceed, hopefully quickly.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2021/02/25/thierry-henry-steps-down-cf-montreal-head-coach What a mess of a club....
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2021/02/26/mls-announces-update-sacramento-expansion "Major League Soccer announced in a statement Friday that due to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic Ron Burkle has decided not to move forward with the acquisition of an MLS expansion team in Sacramento."
Wow. Gutted for Sactown & their fans. I guess they could find another owner, but this likely means they are out. On the positive side, Garber looks like an idiot.
Pretty sad over on the Sacramento forum. That sucks. I was more interested in them getting a team than a lot of other expansion locations. They at least had a lower division team and built up a big fan base gradually. Those are the teams I tend to wish to see make the jump to MLS. I wouldnt say all hope is lost, another primary investor could slide in, maybe once the pandemic settles down, but I would be afraid that MLS will move on to another western conference location for expansion, probably Phoenix or Las Vegas. If it doesnt work out, it could probably be worthwhile for them to still build a nice new stadium, just downsized for USL. Louisville City is an exemplary team for that level, and I dont see why they couldnt be just like that, easily.
That clears the way for prec*urt to move Austin FC there in a couple of years. Sacramento is right down the road from his home in San Fran.
It would be an incredibly, monumentally terrible financial decision to move the Austin Franchise to Sacramento at this point. What's more likely is that Precourt abandons Austin (read: sells his share in that franchise/Two Oak Ventures) and becomes a member - maybe the angel - of the Sacramento group.
Even if he sold now, if Precourt tried to buy back in at this time I don't think his account has enough zeros to get back in the game.
I never understood why he didn't try to move Crew to Sac-town to begin with. I could have more easily understood his plan if that were the case. They had a more proven fanbase. I'm guessing because he knew he didn't have big enough trustfund to play in that market. I totally understand Burkle pulling out. He just took major losses as owner on Penquins group. Sucks for those fans. But they have opportunity to do what STC did - show a prospective owner their passion and demonstrate why they are still a worthwhile investment.
Laying out the options: 1) J. Tony doesn't sell and there's no Sacramento. Nothing changes from the current course. 2) Fat Tony sells his share of Austin FC and there's no Sacramento. In other words, he quits. 3) Austin fails. McDaddy'smoney moves his team to Sacramento. 4) He sells his share of Austin and becomes the savior of Sacramento. 5) Other? Keep in mind that "survival" could mean large amounts of success all the way down to monumental levels of on-field failure. I can see the first option happening. I'm not putting it past him to try the third option. He's that kind of scum and villainy. There was no thought as to why Austin deserved a team other than a bachelor party and queso fountains. They totally screwed San Antonio out of getting a team. Number four is also very likely. It would be a good one for the league. Sacramento has definitely put in a lot of work and it's not their fault they won't be getting a team as soon as they though. It's not like there was a failure in the process to acquire a stadium or anything of that nature. I think the fourth option would be the best for just about everybody... but this is Two Oaks we're talking about here and when have Two Chins and Two Buttons done anything logical (other than fixing the TV deal by adding Sinclair channels?)
Did he even have a plan other than to get the league out of Columbus and be able to business expense trips to where he had his bachelor party? Somewhere along his life, he decided to make a trip to Columbus to watch a soccer game. Wasn't he a VIP guest that night? Why him? Why then?
Ok, first of all: Austin isn't going to fail. They may suck on the field but that's not the measure of success in MLS. Take that one off your list. Second: Why are these the only options? Where's the option for Precourt staying in Austin and some other angel investor bailing out Sacramento? God knows that Garber and Mark Abbot are probably spending this morning calling everyone that's ever expressed interest in MLS ownership - as well they should. Third: While Garber and Abbot are smiling and dialing their billionaire buddies, you know that the ownership groups that were beaten out by Sac are making calls of their own, advocating that they should be one that survives. We may have to face the truth that Sacramento isn't ever going to be an MLS market. Sucks, but that's the what happens when the checkbook closes.
Well of course the entire escapade was based on Garbers determination to put a team in Austin. The Mayor himself is on record as saying that he got a call from (I think) Mark Abbott well before they had ever talked to Precourt, in which Abbott asked if he thought Austin would get behind an MLS team. The Mayor says he replied yes, "but we dont have an owner" and Abbott told him "dont worry about that, we'll provide one". A year or so later they found Precourt and got him to buy the Crew with a secret proviso that if the metrics got bad enough he could move the team to Austin. No place else, only Austin. So Precourt proceeded to do everything he could to chase off the fans, at which point he announced the move. But the evidence is clear that MLS enhineered the whole thing. They wanted Austin. As for Sac doing an STC its a great thought but its likely a lot easier to do when youre trying to keep an existing team. KC did the same kind of thing. But nonody has ever done it without a team to save instead of a team to cfeate. Could be much much harder.
The real answer will most likely be #4. He got in to make a quick buck. If Austin has moderate success, he sell sell his shares (probably over time) to multiple investors and ride off into sunset. He might keep a small % but he will not continue to stay involved. I suspect one or more of the current investors might want to take lead. Especially after their honeymoon is over and they see what a dope he is.
But Sacramento does have a team. Sure it's USL but they have an existing fan base that has been supporting the existing team for several years. If they don't mobilize, they will be dead for sure.
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