SKy Sports: Portsmouth's Owner'sMilan Mandaric (old NASL investor) take on Beckham and MLS

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by bostonsoccermdl, Jan 15, 2007.

  1. bostonsoccermdl

    bostonsoccermdl Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 3, 2002
    Denver, CO
    I really hate to see another thread started re: becks, but they just had some clown on FSC (Skysports) claiming MLS was overpaying for Beckham, and that he along with NASL did things "the right way," and tha MLS is wrong in there moves.

    HE begins by informing everyone who he is, and that he "was important in the NASL" and then claims that MLS is making a huge mistake.

    Its not his arguement that got to me, but he reasoning in it. He just stunk of old eurosnaob bitterness that would make Chinaglia embarassed..

    The only semi-accurate point he made was that the NASL brought over "better" players. This is true, but he totally ignored that fact that this has more to do with than individual player performance..

    Just knowing that everyone is watching garbage like this is annoying..
     
  2. Keenan

    Keenan New Member

    Jun 15, 2004
    Stephens City,VA
    you're right! We don't need another thread! :mad:
     
  3. Exeter City

    Exeter City New Member

    Apr 11, 2005
    NH coast/Beverly MA
    yeah i just saw that piece. the people that have now grown up playing and watching soccer weren't even alive when the nasl was around. times are different
     
  4. bostonsoccermdl

    bostonsoccermdl Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 3, 2002
    Denver, CO
    Well for the record, I brought it up, b/c this is coming from someone who is supposedly "in the know" and understands the game, rather than some small town sports writer telling us "this is America, we dont care."

    Mods, feel free to bin it if you want, i just wanted to make that point..
     
  5. PJohnson

    PJohnson Member+

    DC United
    Dec 16, 2004
    South Dakota
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Prepare to get absolutely LIT UP by San Jose folks. The guy you are talking about is Milan Mandaric, the current Chairman of Portsmouth FC, and the former owner of the NASL San Jose Earthquakes. He owned the Quakes for 10 years, and was one of the better owners in the NASL.

    The problem that I have with Mandaric, and most everyone else involved with the NASL, is that they refuse to admit their own mistakes. Instead of admitting that the business plan was flawed, they blame the failure of the NASL on a lack of fan support. Which is crap. Or they say that soccer "just won't work" in North America.

    Now that LA Galaxy/MLS have invested in David Beckham, they want to claim that they have "been there, done that", and that the move is destined to fail. But the fact is, the NASL was NEVER in a position to benefit from the investments it made in players. On the other hand, MLS has been building it's infrastructure over the last 12 years. Infrastructure that now includes, stadiums, long-term sponsorship contracts, television rights fee contracts with 3 differrent networks, and a budding player development system. All of this in place PRIOR to the Beckham signing. The NASL had virtually NONE of these things. Nor did they make ANY attempt to build infrastructure once the league started to flourish at the gate.

    I actually do have some respect for Mandaric. He really did try to keep the old Earthquakes alive. But he is living in the past when it comes to football in North America. And his current opinions need to be placed into the proper context.
     
  6. jade1mls

    jade1mls Member

    Jul 9, 2006
    Seattle
    I don't care what some NASL has been has to say. If I hear one more interview from someone who says Pele and Beckhenbauer had no effect on American soccer i will scream! Besides, NASL was dead by the time i was born, WHO CARES what these dinosaurs think?!

    He needs to worry more about Portsmouth in the league table.
     
  7. deron

    deron New Member

    Jul 25, 2006
    Centennial, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The only problem I have with the NASL folk is that the level of play improves exponentially for every year since it folded.
     
  8. kcscsupporter

    kcscsupporter Member+

    Apr 17, 2002
    D17
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i believe he's now owner of leicester city... or at least negotiating a takeover.
     
  9. PJohnson

    PJohnson Member+

    DC United
    Dec 16, 2004
    South Dakota
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I stand corrected. Mandaric sold his remaining interest in Portsmouth FC in 2006. He has since made a bid for Leicester City FC. But so far, he has not been successful in that effort.
     
  10. Bootsy Collins

    Bootsy Collins Player of the Year

    Oct 18, 2004
    Capitol Hill
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I saw the interview with him a little while ago, and to be fair, your comments above don't come close to describing his argument: neither of your positions above were his point at all.

    I'm not going to defend his point -- I'm not saying whether he's right or wrong. But the actual point he was trying to argue was that there's basically nothing that can be done to make soccer big in the U.S. except to wait and do it the slow-but-sure way. In other words, he did believe that the NASL business plan/strategy/course was flawed, and he believes that MLS is (in a way) repeating the same mistake. As he put it, "you can't buy tradition," and tradition drives fan support in any sport (the NFL and the NBA didn't become what they are now overnight). He wasn't thereby saying that soccer won't work here; just that it won't happen overnight, or in 5 years, or 10, and that efforts to hurry it along by buying famous players and throwing them out there, expecting them to attract people who the day before didn't give a rat's patoot about soccer, may do more harm than good.
     
  11. bostonsoccermdl

    bostonsoccermdl Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 3, 2002
    Denver, CO
    You make a fair point, and I agree to a certain extent. But MLS has done everything to avoid overspending, and have seemed careful ,and has made a an effort for "more of a grassroots" approach to building the game here.

    Yet, I didnt like his approach to so simply discount that and assume we were overspending on players. MLS has been very careful about building markets gradually and cutting losses, and this guy came across like a blowhard..

    Quite frankly, NASL "experience" is rubbish. I appreciate what they did, but dont compare their appraoch to doing business to ours. Simply dont attempt to draw similarities.
     
  12. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
  13. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof
    Mandaric should buy Leicester in the next 7 days. The due diligence part took longer than expected and the price has been re-negotiated as well.

    Mandaric is well known as a rent a quote.
     
  14. GIO17

    GIO17 Member

    Nov 29, 1998
    You are correct sir. The NASL as great as it was back then was the true retirement league for old Euros & South American players, while MLS is trying to develop the American player and continues to do so at a good & comfortable pace.

    All they are trying to do is bring in some players who have enough Clout (And David Beckham has enough of it along with his wife) to help the league moved forward and shove it's self into the lime light. This move wasn't a push, it was a shove. And now we are hearing about Edgar Davids trying to sign with FC Dallas, rumors of Ronaldo might becoming to NY, etc, etc, etc.

    Once again, there were only 3 American players per each NASL side, because the businessmen who created this league also thought their own countrymen weren't good enough to be here but those who were the best on the US National Team played for the NY Cosmos. Two of the three I remember were Werner Roth & Shep Messing. Still this league of ours that has seen what the NASL was has made sure that this won't happen and so far they are on course to building more stadiums for our clubs. The money for rights fees from ESPN, FSC, HD Net & Univision. Now every club can set up their own youth acadamy.

    A financial MLS is a healthy MLS and this league will be healthy when every single club as well as future expansion sides will create their own stadiums to make sure they are members of this league.
     
  15. Bora Fan

    Bora Fan Member

    Dec 14, 1998
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The article ends wondering where MLS will be in 5 months after Beckham arrives.

    Here's a clear picture for you Milan Mandaric and gang (December 2007):

    1. MLS has pocketed it's first $15 million in rights fees
    2. MLS has 13 youth academies operational
    3. Many teams have multi-million dollar jersey sponsors
    4. 7 teams play in SSS (NY set to make it 8 in 2008)
    5. 1 MLS team is $1,000,000 richer thanks to SuperLiga
    6. MLS posts solid attendance growth thanks to expansion, Becks, and other DP slots

    I don't know where they see a dark cloud over the 5 month forecast? I can see that there might be some doubt as to what the future will look like in 5 years - but frankly that has more to do with the uncertainty of the future - than MLS' plans to capitalize on reasonable expectations.

    It's hard to fault MLS HQ - they have made the right moves time and time again.

    1. Ditched the countdown clock, shoot out and other gimmicks
    2. Contracted when necessary
    3. Pushed for new owner/operators
    4. Pushed for expansion and got much better investors (Kroenke, Chvias, Checketts, OnGoal, RedBull, etc.)
    5. Got a labor agreement with the palyers and beat the single entity lawsuit
    6. Signed the Adidas deal
    7. Capitalized on Adu and Beckham PR
     
  16. TxFan

    TxFan Member

    Sep 6, 2001
    great post!
     
  17. golazo68

    golazo68 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 21, 2004
    Brazil
    Btw- for those who have forgotten.

    Mandaric had an ill-fated investment in an indoor soccer team in US around 1998. They last one year, and played in the Florida Panthers hockey arena.

    I forget the name of the team.

    It wouldn't surprise me if Mandaric is a little sour he is missing this boat. He's lost money on soccer in the US (with good intentions), and it probably not too easy for him to feel super-joyous at other people making it work (or closing closer than he did).

    As well, he isn't a superrich dude. He's not in the Billionaires' Boys Club or even close. He probably wouldn't have an easy time breaking into MLS, and for all we know tried back in 1995.

    He keeps rolling over the same investment, and making that work for him.

    He seems like a real fan though, and you have to like that. Don't know why he doesn't have interest in Wolves- love their brand.
     
  18. crewfighter

    crewfighter New Member

    Feb 15, 2006
    Claddagh's Roof
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Mandaric isnt Portsmouth's owner and frankly everything Milan touches turns to crap. Portsmouth has been a hell of alot better since he has sold the team. The guys a dark cloud. He's obviously just a jealous old turd that is disappointed that he couldn't mess up this investment as well.

    add another thing to your list, not deciding to bring in any of the old NASL crowd especially when there was such speculation of that happening with Red Bull.

    Have fun Leicester.
     
  19. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof

    Remind me where Portsmouth were when he took over them and the last time they had played in the top flight before he took over.
     
  20. golazo68

    golazo68 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 21, 2004
    Brazil
    I agree. One can't take that anyway from him.

    Maybe he does a great job with your squad- who knows.

    What's probably clear: He doesn't have the funds to compete with the elite teams- so its good he sold his stake in Portsmouth. We also know that he tried very hard to make it work in the US (soccer) and ultimately just lost a lot of money.
     
  21. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof
    Mandarics reason for buying Leicester.
    1) We are not that expensive to buy.
    2) We are not that expensive to buy.
    3) We are not that expensive to buy.

    I fully expect him to follow the same model that he used with Portsmouth.
    1) Sign a few experienced players on decent wages.
    2) Get promoted.
    3) Reap the dividends of the new tv deal.
    4) Sell the club at a profit.

    Easy as that.;)


    Also, compared to buying into MLS and the potential profits, at the moment, then buying a club like ours(Leicester) makes the most sense.

    He should gain control of Leicester for an initial outlay of about $12 million, plus guaranteeing the debt on the stadium.

    If, for example, he wanted to buy Columbus, it would cost probably more and with less chance of profits in the next 3-5 years.
     
  22. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Actually, Milan Mandaric was one very shrewd owner in San Jose. As opposed to other NASL owners, he never really overspent and/or signed any superstars until 1980 when he repurchased the club from Tony Kovac and bought Geroge Best. While the NASL was in its heyday the Quakes struggled on the pitch between 1978-1981. They dominated the NASL on the field and at the gate because Milan signed a bunch of average English and ok Yugos until 78. Even from 78-81, the Quakes were still leading the league in attendance. The reason they didn't win in those years was because Milan wouldn't overspend to buy the superstars. Before Pele was ever thought of in 74 & 75, San Jose led the league in attendance. If it wasn't for Milan Mandaric, there would have never been soccer played in San Jose. If anything, among all NASL owners, Milan was one of the smartest.
    [​IMG]
     
  23. MannyMayhem

    MannyMayhem New Member

    Aug 4, 2006
    Studio City, CA
    I saw this interview on Sky Sports and it was just a joke. I mean, he has a point about tradition being stronger than merely throwing cash around, but the rest of the sports leagues in the US made BIG splashes on players when they were in their infancy. Publicity is what keeps the league alive.

    Just look at some of the players the Bears were trying to convince to play pro-football (which was seen as a joke by most pre-1945) It got headlines and raised the level and mystique of the game. 80 years later it dominates like none other in America and has supplanted baseball as the #1 game for about 25 years now.
     
  24. golazo68

    golazo68 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 21, 2004
    Brazil
    But he still lost money in the end.

    And any business person who tries to analyse an industry a full 25 years after they left it- is at minimum WAY overestimating their ability to understand it.

    I doubt serious Mandaric knows much about US youth development, $ spent, the SSS details, etc.

    It gets kind of tiresome to here 'analysis' from Euros totally out of touch of the scene here. Akin to Red Bull hiring Beckenbauer (WTF?)
     
  25. crewfighter

    crewfighter New Member

    Feb 15, 2006
    Claddagh's Roof
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    See when I disagree with what someone says. I just make up history and think of them as a douche. That way although semi delusional it makes me feel better about what I want to believe.

    Plus, pre-2004 isn't my strong point. I just remember when I was in England last year that they didnt seem to like him in the press or did the fans and Portsmouth was total crap last year. What happened in 1970 or whatever is beyond me. Apoligies.
     

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