Merritt Paulson is partnering with Malcolm Glazer to help close the private investment gap for the PGE Park upgrades. One of the top teams in the world, as well as one of the best owners in professional sports, is now involved with MLS. Thoughts? http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/03/financial_gap_could_block_socc.html Pepsi Mundo, FTW!
The article linked to above is the wrong one (incidentally the one in the original link above is one that has since been retracted by the newspaper) However, a story confirming the ManU / Portland partnership is interestingly confirmed on the front page of Sounders website: www.soundersfc.com/timbers_manu_partner.jsp
Also, there is now breaking news on this at USA Today!!!! www,usatoday,com/sports/soccer/040109-mls-portland-glazer-partner,htm
Thanks for being a corroborative source, Fenerbace. Also, nice goal by Taka; what a way to start the season! I am sure others are skeptical of this rescue plan, but I think Glazer is a necessary step to ensure this bid's future. Sure, the fundamentals of the bid are sound, but I think Paulson might be leveraging too much. Glazer helps out in this regard.
A couple quotes I loved from Glazer were: "Initially we looked at Seattle as an investment opportunity and a way to be involved in MLS, but decided against it because we didn't feel we could deliver a good product in an NFL stadium." And "Seattle has done well in their first two games but, and not to detract from what they have accomplished with [the fanbase], frankly their kits make me nautious, their adult band nerds creep me out, and Drew Carey never made me laugh, even as that character Mimi."
Too bad it is all a joke, I would have like to have seen the Timber's Army, with their "grassroots, traditional supporters culture" paired with ManU's glory hunting, prawn sandwich eating, plastic manufactured fans.
This would have made so much sense to me. The evil that is Man U working together with the angry little brothers of the Pacific Northwest in Portland. It's a match made in purgatory! I could continue to love my Sounders and the Arsenal and feel doubly glad when we romp over the depressed Portlandians. I miss April Fools Day already.