Dear SSV Member: Soccer Silicon Valley is taking a new step in our efforts to find a local buyer for the Earthquakes. At SSV's request, Tony Amanpour is curtailing his attempt to put together a team of investors and will not actively pursue a deal to purchase the team at this time. This may seem like the end but it's not. To date, many of the investors with whom Mr. Amanpour has been working have been referred to Mr. Amanpour by SSV. While Soccer Silicon Valley is appreciative of everything that Mr. Amanpour was able to accomplish, including creating a higher profile for our owner search in the local media and helping to obtain an extension to AEG's initial deadline, SSV has decided to follow a different path towards local ownership. We understand that AEG continues to negotiate with other investors. We hope and expect that this means the team will be here at least one more season. In the meantime, SSV is seeking additional investors interested in either purchasing the team or joining other investors in an effort to do so. SSV will continue to provide information on a variety of subjects to all interested investors, including: - Information on the San Jose market; - Information on available stadium sites and our progress in creating ongoing relationships with stakeholders; - A history of the team's previous management and marketing efforts; and - Strategies relating to creating a permanent place for the Earthquakes in the local community. Yours in soccer, Colin McCarthy President, SSV -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I knew this would happen after the Quakes early exit. In the back of my mind, I saw the Quakes winning the Cup again, and within the next 48 hours, Amanpour would announce a deal, including plans for a stadium. I have a BAD feeling about this...
Re: Amanpour backs out As a Quakes fan and a Yankee fan, I am having the worst couple of weeks in sports ever...
"At SSV's request, Tony Amanpour is curtailing his attempt to put together a team of investors and will not actively pursue a deal to purchase the team at this time." Key phrase bolded. Don't go losing faith just yet.
Please read the following two quotes from our email again... Once again, there is nothing to fear. SSV is doing everything we can to put together the best options of keeping the team here. We are very confident as we move forward, and hope that you all come along for the ride.
For what reason would they ask or want him to step aside in trying to assemble an ownership team. Was there a breach of faith? What purpose does it serve having him step aside?
We can't disclose that information. That is between us and Tony A, and needs to be kept as such. Although it's frustrating, I do hope that you understand.
To offer baseless, uninformed speculation: Because better options have emerged? Because options have emerged, perhaps even partially throuhgh his efforts, that prefer he not head the group? Because it clarifies things to another groups advantage?
It seems curious to me that a canidate for local ownership, even a poor or imperfect one, would be presumably hampering efforts to get a deal done. I've read some specualtion on a different thread that might shed some light on that, of course in a speculative way. Just very curious to me indeed unless it was found that there was some kind of breach of character so to speak. I can't say that I'm all that inteersted in the Quakes situation either way however, so I'll just leave it at that.
All very possible (or possibly not). I suppose we'll find out for sure at some point. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
The first two don't really make any sense to me as to why thye'd be asking him to step aside. This reasoning however would seem to make some sense. Again, I'm of course only speculating as well.
I don't have the first clue, of course. But, just as a for instance: Someone somewhere in one of the threads wrote that Persians would only let the richest person speak for a group of investors. Perhaps someone from his community has stepped up making it necessary for him to step out of the leadership spot. Perhaps there is even a rivalry within the community? Or it may be face saving for Tony A to be ASKED to step aside, so that someone else in his community can step in?
If we get a stadium next to Great America, they ought to name a roller coaster "The San Jose Earthquakes Ownership Search". More ups and downs than the stock market. This is getting to be regoddamndiculous.
No problem Tony and very well understood. So as long as someone can play Peter Magowan and step in and save the team, we're still OK. ----- It's a setback, but since there are several other investors willing to step in but want to be private at this stage, there's still a chance the team will stay. Though the deadline of October 29 has passed, something has to come up soon as to the future of the team...
... or perhaps Tony A's involvement all along was just a ploy, contrived by AEG? Just speculation, of course.
That doesn't make any sense. If AEG was just engaging in ploys they would have moved the team by now.
Hypothetical also here... If it had to do with bringing in Iranian investors, it might be a hard sell given that the US and Iran do not have any ties. In turn, it might mean making any investment and capital from there needed for the team difficult to obtain. Saying this because Rothenburg tried to acquire the Clash along with Dentsu of Japan's financial help in 1998. At the time the Asian markets collapsed thus nixing the deal altogether.
My theory: I think Amanpour pissed AEG off by 1) going public to say that they (AEG) were going to stay in the Bay Area for 2005 no matter what (before AEG publicly said so, and they still haven't to date), and 2) apparently failing to meet at least the first agreed upon milestone (Oct. 1? - don't remember exactly what it was - a letter of intent?). AEG may have also lost some confidence in him given the apparent state of his company, though I can't believe they wouldn't have checked on that fairly early on. Maybe these events caused at least some of the investors referred to Tony A. by SSV to lose some confidence in him as the head of the investment team. In any case, even if his attempt was curtailed in the end, I think his heart is absolutely in the right place, and I hope he can be involved in the Earthquakes ownership team in some way.
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/ Quake prediction difficult What kind of world are we living in, where you can't even believe the threats of your local soccer team? As you may recall, anymore. Can't anybody here set a deadline? As you may recall, back in August the San Jose Earthquakes owners set a deadline of September 17 to decide whether to find a local owner or move the club to either Houston or San Antonio; then on September 17 they pushed that back to the end of October, to give local businessman Tony Amanpour more time to put together a purchase offer. So, here it is November. What did Quakes president Alexi Lalas have to say last Friday? "Negotiations with regard to the sale of the Earthquakes continue with several interested parties, including Tony Amanpour. But, as of today, we have not entered into an agreement nor accepted deposits from any of these parties. Many of the parties involved have indicated a genuine interest in keeping the team in the Bay Area. As these discussions are ongoing and positive in nature, plans for the 2005 season will be announced at a later date." Back in August, Lalas had responded to criticism that the team was just setting arbitrary deadlines to try to shake loose $50 million in local stadium funding: "If we've been at fault for anything, it's for not adequately expressing our urgency." Keep working on that, Alexi.