Good-bye Mr. MacFarlane, Congratulations Mr. Chang

The news that Mr. Will Chang has bought out Mr. Victor MacFarlane is, of course, being analyzed for any implication of stadium politics. That's healthy, and I can understand some people's optimism along those lines, but while a simplified stadium approach from Mr. Chang may make it easier, it may also make things more difficult. I'm not sure how this plays out. Yes, there's less of a specter of "look at that give-away of mixed use land to that rich guy" but there's also more of a question of "so what does this stadium actually do for the city/county/locality when it is built? What does it anchor? Why invest in any of this?"

If you had any hope of a more soccer-specific, less entertainment multipurpose stadium, you can shelve that right now, though to be honest, you probably should have shelved it a year or two ago. And by "you", I, of course, mean "me."

However, while I have the greatest regard for the engagement and enthusiasm of Mr. Chang, I am sad that United will no longer have an African-American majority owner. Perhaps we really all are post-racial now, and such concerns shouldn't bother me, but it felt good that MLS was able to be inclusive to the African-American community at the levels of players, coaching, and ownership without it having to be a major drama. And, the longer we go in professional sports in general, or MLS in particular, without African-American ownership, the more you sense the smell of cigars and leather chairs in the old boys room. We know that MacFarlane was in this primarily for the real-estate, and that is a fine motive for me, and that once that opportunity looked to dry up, he moved on. We know he wasn't forced out. But part of me mourns this passing anyway.

Yes, I realize that this is probably ridiculous nonsense, a sort of failed utopian vision of racial harmony, or perhaps the illusions thereof. And yes, I recognize that Mr. Chang, not to put too fine a point on it, is not exactly lily-white and that the Asian American community in D.C. is a vital constituency. So what am I missing then? I don't know, but I feel that something has passed on.

Still, to Mr. Chang, I congratulate you on your rise to majority ownership. You are a fan of the team, a man willing to dedicate your heart, your mind, and your hair to this club's success. Get us a stadium, and I could ask no more of you as an ideal owner. Good luck sir.

Barra interviews Will Chang

Kinney found an interview the Barra Brava did with United's new managing partner Will Chang. The interview is a must read, with insights into how the new owners are approaching the club and how they'll be managing it. Lots of tidbits here, from stadium plans to designated players.

What is the Masterplan?

Two quick links before I digress into a discussion for which I have no answers.

ACCORDING TO SIMON & GARFUNKLE, THEY NEED TO BUILD A BRIDGE: The Post follows up on their analysis of the Anacostia's rivers (I think Oscar posted a link about two weeks ago) with an editorial calling for the new Nationals and United owners to pony up for clean-up costs. Sure, fair, fine. The only thing is that you now have to consider that part of the cost of the buy-in to the area, which means that the idea of the city "giving away the land" is shown to be more and more of a false premise. It ain't a give away once you consider the environmental costs. So let's stop that argument right now, shall we? I'm sure the Post will get right on that.

WE LIKE VICTOR, CAN WE GET HIM FOR OTHER SPORTS? BlackAthlete.Com laments the failure of [Crazy Uncle Moneybags] Brian Davis to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies. In the process, you can almost hear "Why didn't he get into an ownership group like the one he's part of with United?" We don't know, but we're happy he did.

WHAT ARE THE WINDOWS? Okay, now to what I want to talk about. I had a wonderful time watching the Denmark/US game from Oscar's place. As you can imagine, there was much talk not just about the US National Team, but also about United. CVS, an occasional commenter in these parts, asked a telling question: "Do you guys feel like this is a rebuilding year?" I don't think so, but I understand where that sentiment comes from. We cleared out a lot of players for allocation cash, cap room, and draft picks. We didn't necessarily draft for need. We have a rookie head coach. Add to that the unspoken fear that this might be Moreno's last year (although no one other than Jamie would really know) and you have the feeling that DC isn't really in a "Win Now!" mindset.

I think "rebuilding" is too strong a phrase, but I agree that, as of today, this is a team with more questions than any team since 2003. If I had to offer a complete guess as to what might be in play, I would think that the 2008 and 2009 seasons are more important to the Front Office than this season. Yes, I know we have SuperLiga and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. But that'll be old news as we enter the stadium push endgame. When that time comes there will be real political considerations to having a team that looks strong. Remember that RSL supporters even theorized that the Freddy Adu deal was made to give Dave Checketts some momentum in his stadium maneuvers. I've made fun of Checketts for many things, but that made sense to me.

The fact is, the idea of "windows" popularized in NFL analysis doesn't really translate as well to soccer. Sure, there's a salary cap that comes into play, but it's implementation essentially means that all the teams have to deal with its restrictions all the time, as opposed to the boom and bust cycles of American Football. However, there are times when you can put out a stronger team than others. I think that DC United will be competitive next year, but I don't think you'd look at them as the odds-on favorite for anything. That could change by '09 when planning from this year and next comes together.

So, if I had to guess (and this is only a guess), I would think that United is going to try and be competitive, but not overwhelmingly intimidating, for the next year or two. After that will come the next real set of "Great United Teams." That's the hunch.

We Are Well in the Middle of It

Let's set the table for the upcoming week with a quick recap of the ton of stuff that's going on right now, shall we?

STADIUM DEAL: EVERYONE TRIES TO PREEMPT EVERYONE -- Part of the reason that we've been covering the stadium situation so closely was that we were convinced that the deal would be much more publicly examined, even without a final plan on the table. Now, while we've been careful to state that we have to see a plan before final judgments can be made, and to determine some tests on how to evaluate it, The Washington Times has decided they know enough to weigh in with an editorial judgment: "This is a sweetheart deal for wealthy sports magnates worth tens and possibly hundreds of millions of dollars."

Again, we think the indications are different on this, but we think final decisions can't be made until the facts are on the table. The Times apparently thinks differently, applying the same editorial standards and news judgment to the pending stadium deal that they applied to the war in Iraq.

OFF SEASON TRANSFER MOVEMENT: Let's just establish that until you see an official press release on a team's website, it's difficult to know who's going where. We can give you (and will give you) all the rumors we have, but those are the simple facts. Steve Goff in the Post says Ruy Bueno Neto is not coming to DC United, but Luciano Emilio may be. MLS Underground (in a slightly older post) says that the Palermo situation is "contradictory" but they're thinking things are moving towards the cooler end (we have not heard an update from our people on this, but if we get something we'll let you know.) SportsYA (credibility - untested with us) says that the Emilio deal is done because Olimpia, DC's CONCACAF Champions Opponent, took too long to make an offer. And George Solomon in the Post thinks that something's going to happen because "Kevin Payne does not sit quietly on the sideline." Last season, the transfer season was not nearly as crazy as this, but I tend to think that all of the contradictory, confusing, and somewhat exhilarating developments are more likely in the future. Kinda fun, for an offseason.

SUPERLIGA ANNOUNCED: DC UNITED IN GROUP B: The long rumored MLS / Primera Division de Mexico competition has been announced, and DC United and the Houston Dynamo represent MLS in Group B. The system currently calls for only three games to be played in the group stage, and all in the United States (er?) Hey, it's something, and while I'd prefer a home-at home setup, this will work for now. They'll continue to mess around with it. Fine with me. Games are July through August. I can't wait.

THE DRAFT AIN'T DONE: The MLS Supplemental Draft is coming. And yes, that matters. Consider that both Andy Metcalf and Devon McTavish, both of whom got some time with the first team last year, were selected in the supplemental draft. McTavish remains on the roster so far. Domenic Mediate was also acquired for a supplemental draft pick, and seems to have shown some value. So there's more to come. The Supplemental Draft will be held on Thursday.

It's Not Coming, It's Here Now: The Local Media Starts On the Stadium Deal

Yesterday I wrote about how a brief (and pleasant) conversation with Marc Fisher convinced me that the local media would soon turn its attention to the proposed D.C. United stadium at Poplar Point, and how I think that debate needs to be considered. To some degree I was trying to get a head-start on what has the potential to be a highly charged situation. Well, guess who has chimed in on the topic today? From our friend Marc:

City and federal officials expect that tiff will be worked out, at which point Fenty will have to explain why it's not okay for the city to pay cash for a stadium, but it is okay for the city to give United's principal owner, Victor MacFarlane, or Snyder control over valuable riverfront land.

Now, we know that the answer to this question is that MacFarlane, once a proposal is out, is going to show that giving him control of the land provides a very good return on investment to the city. But wait! What about the people who live there already?

Council member Marion Barry, whose Ward 8 is home to the soccer stadium site, is even more welcoming: "There's a commitment from the mayor and myself to assist in building not only a stadium, but $800 million to $1 billion in housing, retail and office development at Poplar Point," he told me. "We're talking about up to 2,500 units of housing" with at least 30 percent reserved for affordable housing.

Man, both major points we raised yesterday, and we can already see that they're coming into play. But what I wrote yesterday about all the facts in the world not being good enough for some people still holds true, and Marc has done us a service and stepped forward to personify that role:

The bottom line, however, is that this kind of giveaway is no more fair to the taxpayer than the baseball deal. As expensive and messy as that process was, at least it involved some competition for the rights to develop the area around the ballpark. In a perfect world, baseball's owners should have footed the cost of the stadium.

Really? This "giveaway" (a "giveaway" where the owners of D.C. United are expected to put up some significant amounts of cash) is not more fair to the tax payer than the MLB deal in which the City was put on the hook for everything? Is it unfair to the taxpayer that the city and MacFarlane convert Poplar Point to tax-generating real estate? Is it unfair to the taxpayer that more affordable housing is established in a mixed usage community? Now, perhaps Mr. Fisher has a point, but by placing the D.C. United proposed stadium deal (details pending) next to the Nationals stadium deal (Details well known, and putting the city on the hook for a ton) and concluding that they are the same deal to the taxpayers of DC is hyperbole of the laziest form. And that's just the point. When you can't argue the facts, or the law... well, that's a cliche. A cliche because it is true. And a cliche that neatly answers another cliche which poses as a column in today's Post.

A few quick notes: Not to pile on (okay, to pile on, let's be honest), Fisher seems to have missed the sports blogging community that showed up at the WaPo Summit. So let me assure you that both Nationals' bloggers and fellow soccer bloggers (Nice to have met you I-66) were both there, and we even had a few vocal moments. Maybe it's just that because of all this stadium stuff, he considers us political blogs now. Also, yesterday's writing seems to have spawned a relevant thread on Big Soccer. While the confluence of politics and Big Soccer posters seems to more volatile then dropping a Free Republic writer in the middle of DC Indymedia, they are keeping their heads over there. Think clearly, think rationally, make the case, and this will see us through. And remember, we're not sure of anything, even our own right, until we can see the details on the table. The indications are good that D.C. United is doing the right things, but they are only indications. Once we see the plan we'll know better. But to instantly dismiss things out of hand is... saddening, but not surprising.

Update: As is the case when anyone who is the subject of one of our posts leaves a comment, we like to point it out at a high level to give them an equal platform. So while Mr. Fisher has yet to comment on today's post, he does leave a comment on our writings from yesterday:

As my column today notes, the stadium is a great idea and if MacFarlane is paying for it, he should be welcomed just as Abe Pollin was when he volunteered to cough up the cash for the MCI Center. But the giveaway of riverfront land to MacFarlane's group for the hotel, housing and other parts of the development is another story entirely--and that's where the political battle will and should rage.

Fair enough. But his column today is a gross oversimplification of the facts, and is entirely premature. He's probably correct in what he says, which is where the battle will be fought. But to reach a conclusion, as he seems to have done in his column today, seems to be jumping the gun. C'mon Mr. Fisher... let's see what offers are made first, shall we? I think the indications are that a fair deal will be put out there. As for criticizing a give-away, well, I'd be more concerned if there was an abuse of eminent domain to obtain the land for the developers as a giveaway. This doesn't strike me as egregious at all.

There are all sorts of other things that need to be said. I hope to get to them.

Trust, but Verify

I think everyone has the correct attitude: We're interested in the new owners, we're happy they are here, but we want to see what happens next. By all means. Now, I'm not sure that we'll get a big signing this year (even the best clubs miss their targets occasionally) but let's see how things progress. Major media takes are fairly similar. Steve Goff agrees with us that MacFarlane introduced himself well. But the story of the ownership is pretty much consistently packaged with the story of the stadium. Tim Lemke in the Times, like pretty much everyone, pushes the two angles simultaneously. The Post also carries many of the stadium implications in a second story (in the Metro Section?! Page B4!)

Now, the stadium story seems to be the next major issue, and some are still wondering about how loyal the new ownership is to the team as opposed to the real estate development aspect. For the moment, those two issues are highly intertwined. In fact, I can imagine that the owners are going to be less inclined to part with money for player signings until the stadium deal is finished. Not saying that it is definite, just a possibility considering that the owners will be parting with some cash to build the thing.

Which brings us to this: What horizon do we have on judging the new ownership based on their actions rather than our impressions? Well, honestly, given how huge the stadium is in this entire situation, I don't think we'll be able to make a fair assessment of the owners until 2010. The next few years will be interesting, as the priority is clearly on the stadium. That's not to say that the resources for acquiring players won't be there, but they may be reduced compared to a post stadium situation. In the meantime, we can't judge them based on acquiring big players, we'll have to judge them based on how well they continue to play the MLS game of old: Finding good talent at a discount. The good thing is we know they have a guy that can play that game.

Another "Not Dead Yet" Report on Palermo to D.C. United

Remember back last week when The DCenters scooped the world on the forthcoming announcement of the sale of D.C. United? Okay, I know, I'm being a bit unsufferable about that. Blind squirrels and nuts and whatnot. It's just one of those things where occasionally we've been unable to confirm something and the Post or the Times always was a few hours ahead of us, it was nice to be first with something. Anyways, back to the topic at hand. The other part of that post was us carrying the news that the Palermo to DC United deal wasn't totally finished yet, despite the reports from Goff as sources saying it was extremely unlikely.

Well, MLS Underground is hearing the same thing. I'm pretty sure that they're not hearing it from the same places we are (or, if they are, I'll be extremely surprised), but the fact that their information aligns so closely with ours is interesting. And to the same degree of "Look, it may not happen, but it ain't impossible." Just something to keep in mind when we think about what the new ownership might shell out money for. We have ownership now, and this deal was pretty much not going to happen until ownership was in place.

Seven things to take away from the new D. C. United ownership deal.

Here are, I think, the major points, good and bad, to take away from the Ownership press conference:

1. Meet the Money. Victor MacFarlane impressed me in his debut as the man who ultimately controls the purse strings. He sounded confident and powerful without appearing slick and hucksterish (See: Checketts, David). It is a bonus point that he has the name of a soap opera patriarch. Even if his primary interest is in the development, he sounds like a good partner for Kevin Payne as they consider DC United moving forward as a business. Let's not forget that, despite all the talk of championships and community involvement, it will still be a business. That's not a bad thing, but if you're expecting open spending on DP acquisitions, I doubt it. Still, as the face of the ownership operations, MacFarlane seems like the exact kind of personality you'd want. He'll spend when it is prudent and would provide a decent return on investment. Add the fact that the guy seems networked out the kazoo, and you say I was fairly wowed.
2. The Stadium Deal Still Needs Work. While Adrian Fenty and the other DC City Council members were a nice addition in lending their support right now, you can tell that this deal isn't done. The issue of public financing, even if the city doesn't spend a single cent on construction costs, will be an issue. If the city were to pony up for infrastructure improvements, parking, or even just the land swap itself, you can imagine that Tom Sherwood and all will try and nail Fenty for apparent hypocracy considering Fenty's opposition to the Nationals stadium deal. While I think all of this can be overcome, it is still politically sensitive. The good thing to take away is that DC United's actions, until now, have laid a solid political groundwork to this point. That could still change. If a week is a long time in politics, how long is it until 2009?
3. It's Good to Have Character. It's Sometimes Better to Have Characters. The Sports Bog has already mentioned this, but Brian Davis could be fun. I don't think that his occasional odd pronouncement will cause political harm, but he's enjoyable to listen to. He's like a Crazy uncle. A rich, crazy uncle. Crazy Uncle Moneybags.
4. Eleanor Holmes Norton. If there's one poltician who seems most aligned with DC United and seeing a truly big picture, it is she. We have no better friend than her.
5. The Past is Prologue. A new ownership group was a goal, but it was also a prerequisite for so many other things. Now that it is here, we must remember that it was not an end unto itself. The Stadium, new player signings, expansion of the youth academy system, development of front office, scouting operations, community outreach -- all of these become more accessible, and all are important in shaping the next decade of D.C. United.
6. Minority Majority Owners. This topic dominated much of the comments, and I'm pleased it has occurred. Would I have been satisfied with a bunch of rich, white men running the team? Well, probably. But the fact that we have multi-cultural ownership is reassuring, if simply because our fan base is also so diverse. I think they'll be more willing to foster that atmosphere. I would hate for MLS to look like one thing on the pitch and another in the stands (as the NBA is frequently criticized for.) Even though there isn't a Latino ownership stake, just the diversity of the ownership will, I think, help maintain all relations with traditional minorities. Gravy, pure gravy.
7. Brand Recognition / AEG ROI. One of the phrases tossed around was "the DC United brand." I like hearing this because it recognizes that the brand has value to a large degree due to on-field success, and maintaining that brand investment requires some respect to tradition and to excellence on the field. The fact that the sale price moved from $25M to $33M in a year must make AEG feel great, and a large part of that is the recognition that D.C. United probably is the best branded team in the league. Now, you can shoot all of that to hell, but it makes more sense to preserve it. I'm not convinced that establishing DC internationally will follow, as was suggested by various people, but maintaining the brand in North America is worth a great deal to me.

The Press Conference

Start at 10:49AM: A series of introductions of various people who are attending, including DCSEC members, Natwar Gandhi (DC CFO), Christian Laettner, DC City Council (including Kwame Brown), and Garber, Homes-Norton, Payne, MacFarlane, Mayor Fenty, etc...

MLS Commisioner Garber: Back for the most "storied club in MLS History." He thanks to Adrian Fenty and Eleanor Holmes-Norton for representing the diverse community. "Games at RFK are among the best in professional sports." New stadium plans in place to make an even better environment. Record price paid for MLS team. Addition of MacFarlane, Chang, and Brian Davis is good addition, representing diversity and global reach. First African American and Asian American owners. Add Kevin Payne -- "the architect of the DC United brand" -- equals great ownership group. We have lots of new owners. New groups plus founders is a formula for success. Welcome to the MLS Family.

Adrian Fenty: District of Columbia is exited. "We appreciate winners in the District of Columbia." There is a growing awareness of soccer at all levels in DC. Congrats to new team. You have a great partner in residents and administration of District of Columbia. Let's have a round of applause for council members Barry, Evans, Gray, etc... Let's start this off with a bang: I know you are proud of diverse ownership group. It shows MLS is serious about diversity. Let me introduce Eleanor Holmes-Norton.

Eleanor Holmes Norton: Thanks to DC for returning DC to world class city status. We see Andrea...Adrian Fenty challenging the city to keep up with him. We not only have a major team, but a winning one. It is time the US showed the rest of the world how to play, and to do that you start in the nation's capital. There has never been a Washington team with the record of DC United. [She then commences with some trophy smack. Hah!] I had visions of DC United in my head to get land for a possible site for the team, that job isn't over yet. Must work with the Park Service to get the Secretary to transfer the deed. I'm working on it. Thanks to Josh Bolton, Chief of Staff to the President of the United States. Land transfer is with help with him as a partial payment for the structural imbalance of the Federal Government. Thanks to the team for being involved without waiting for new ownership. Thanks to former player Judah Cooks for stepping into Santa Claus role at the party for disadvantaged kids. A small, but to us, very large contribution.

We want out kids to know there are all kinds of sports out here. DC United is making soccer a real American game. They've already made it a DC game. We see that with the progress they made with Ward 8 kids. One of the major owners, indeed, the majority owner, is a African-American. For kids to see a team with African-American owners...sends a wonderful signal to kids that you can do other things with sports than play them, so stay in school. Pleasure to introduce the President and CEO...created the first ownership group for DC United...Kevin Payne has all that it takes to make our winning team, a team that has already won national and international awards, make it not only the pride of DC but the pride of the USA.

Kevin Payne: My thanks to AEG for supporting the team. Thanks to players... Steven Zack, Doug Hicks... we have the best staff and players. We also have the best fans in MLS. We have representatives of our fans. We are about Winning Championships and Serving the Community. Each are equally important. Sports teams have a chance to be influences for good, and a responsibility to reach out to children. Working with community is important.

When we started process of making new home in Ward 8, we visited with the community. First start with Marion Barry, our thanks to him, we look forward to being neighbors. We promised Marion Barry that our new ownership group would look like the District of Columbia. I will not speak further, this is a big day. I introduce the new chairman of the DC City council, Vincent Gray.

Vincent Gray: Let me add my congratulations to everyone. Most kids grew up with football, baseball, basketball. Soccer is a coming sport in this city, and you can play at all levels. This is a real seminal moment. In a city that is predominantly African American, it is nice to see a major team owned by African Americans.

In a part of the city that has almost been under siege... to have DC United to work with DC in Ward 8 has a real presence. To reach out into the community with little fanfare is a real statement about the commitment of the people that run this franchise. I look forward to working with the new owners on the new stadium.

Victor MacFarlane: Thanks to everyone. It is a true honor to have the district's leadership join us today. "On behalf of my partners in DC United Holdings..." [Sweet!] [Victor gets with the trophy smack as well. Good.] Thanks to the players that are here: Olsen, Moreno, Mediate, McTavish, J. Carroll, Clyde Simms. Best fan base in the league. This is a team...we are proud to own. We will continue to give back to the community through United for DC. We are committed to devoting the resources to maintain the city in DC. We are proud to be the first African-American owned MLS team. Soccer is the #1 sport for people of color in DC. We hope to make soccer the first sport for African-American children in DC. We will build an all-conditions field in Ward 8, in partnership with Adidas (?), and work with Marion Barry to locate it in Ward 8. My son trained at IMG Academies, but is not as talented as Freddy.

Our ownership group is international. Will Chang is Chinese/Japenese American, and part owner of the San Francisco giants. I've gotten to know Brian [Davis] well. John Hendricks is planning to join us as partners. My thanks to AEG. I want to acknowledge the support of Kevin Payne, who will remain President and CEO of DC United. We have hired Tommy Soehn.

Did you know that DC United has a larger average gameday attendance is larger than the Wizards and the Capitals? ... In the area, there are 600,000 registered players, making it the third largest soccer city in America. We will promote the game to African-American children and people of color. I am living the American dream...

United for DC will continue to reach out to youth through mentoring programs. We currently sponsor 400 children for gameday experiences. At Aetna, I worked on the JW Marriot project, and I have worked on many projects in the district. My daughter attends college in Virginia, and my son hopes to as well.

Our best investment was not just buying any team, but the premier team DC United in the premier host city.

Welcome Brian Davis

Brian Davis: Thanks Victor... Victor is brilliant. I just want to thank people. [He thanks a ton of people] [I get pulled away... apparently they've gone to questions.]

Q (tom sherwood?): Is the mayor committed to the stadium? EHN: There is a process underway. The site will not only be a soccer team, but also 70 acres of developed parkland which isn't used even as a park. The team will bring this area alive. Follow-up: How will land be distributed? Award? Competitive Bidding?AF - That is to be decided

Q: How will stadium be financed AF - We haven't really discussed that yet. There are various proposals out there.

Q: (inaudible) A: No, we don't have a plan yet.

Q:(inaudible) A: Hope is that stadium will open in 2009

Q: The story seems to be more of a real-estate development deal. Will the resources be available to spend a few million dollars for a player acquisition. A: KP - The team is devoted to maintaining a championship team, and we will get the resources we need if it makes business sense. VmF - the team is expected to continue its success. We are interested in the team.

Q: (something about stadium) A: AF - We will get a stadium, but we need a proposal first. We will work with all stakeholders. We are at very introductory stages of developing a plan. We are here as a sign of support.

Q: Victor, what made you interested? A: VmF - DC United was available. My daughter moving to UVA, other work here. When DC united came available, it seemed like a logical step, and I took it.

Q: Mr. Mayor, you were critical of the baseball stadium... how will that affect you [Tom Sherwood again!] A: AF - We will be open to each proposal, and we'll look at every project differently, and this is a different project. Plus there's related deveopment. We've got a lot of work to do. This isn't a press conference on the stadium, it's a press conference on the new owners.

Q: Are there alternate sites for the stadium? A: VmF - The team needs a new stadium, and a new place to play.

Q: Do you have the same hopes for development as you did for the baseball stadium? A: VmF - We weren't the developer for the baseball stadium, just the capital. We will [have?] invested millions of dollars.

Q: Brian, did you ever play soccer? A: BD - I played when I was in France some.

Q: (inaudible) A: VmF - Kevin Payne will run the team

[Audio Cuts Out, comes back in]

VmF - We may buy a residence in the district.

Q: MLS has an odd single entity ownership structure. How do you feel about being involved in the league as a whole? A: VmF - It's a good structure. We are happy to work within it.

I, For One, Welcome Our New Real Estate Overlords

PWN3D! This week will be a busy one. Today at 10:30 we have the press conference to introduce the new ownership group (and I'll listen in). Steve Goff filed an updated report on the new owners over the weekend. My favorite graf? Easily this one:

[DC Mayor] Fenty's team is increasingly leaning toward supporting the new stadium as a way to kick-start development in that area along the Anacostia River, a high-level D.C. government source said.

GET READY FOR THE DRAFT: Kinney got JoeSoccerFan, a man who clearly has an eye for talent, to reproduce his combine scouting reports over here over the weekend. It is good stuff. Day 1 and Day 2 are both some great reading. My huge thanks to both of them for publishing these articles. JSF is great reading because he's honest and pulls no punches, but doesn't affect a "seen it all before" attitude either. For further reading, if you are even more interested in getting ready for the Superdraft on 12 January, head over to From College to the Pros. Their Day 1 and Day 2 reports are also up.

Hopefully later today I'll have a cheat sheet put together for you based on the JSF and FCtP, and maybe even Buzz Carrick at 3rd Degree's preview. Just a quick way of aggregating the various reviews out there.

CONFIRMED: D.C. UNITED TO ANNOUNCE SALE

As first reported last night by The DCenters, D.C. United will introduce its new ownership group Monday at 10:30AM in downtown DC. DCU is now issuing a press release (we'll link it as soon as it has gone live on the website, but it is being distributed over email). This is important. Text of the press release as follows:

Washington, D.C. (January 5, 2007) - D.C. United will hold a press conference Monday at 10:30 a.m. to announce the club’s new ownership group. Club President and CEO Kevin Payne, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and the new owners will address members of the media in the Crystal Room at The Willard.

Update 1113AM: Full press release here.

Update 0145PM:Steve Goff fills in the details over at the Post on the picture. Still, the final price is not yet known, though Goff alludes to an earlier $33M offer.

The Deal Needs to be Done

As you know, the DCenters is reporting that an announcement on DC United's ownership will be coming within the next week. Now while we have very specific reasons for believing this (even in the absence of major media confirmation at this point), the fact is that if this deal is to happen, the next week is probably the best time for it to happen. As one commenter wrote "If DCU are soon to be sold, that would explain why no player signings have been announced. Hopefully soon - I would like to see who United are going to sign." Well, true to a degree, but even with the ownership situation in flux, DC has clearly found the ability to make deals this offseason. We can imagine that any potential ownership group was informed about these deals, and had some tacit, or perhaps even explicit role, in making these deals happen. Still, there's one major reason why new player signings, especially this year, are somewhat contingent on new ownership: The Designated Player (DP)/Beckham Rule slot.

For the past years, by-and-large, player contracts (and salaries) would be paid by MLS. Yet when you use the designated player slot, MLS only picks up the first $400K of the salary, the rest is paid for directly by the Investor/Operator group of the team. Now, if you are on the verge of selling a team, I can't imagine you'd finalize a DP acquisition before finishing the ownership transfer. The potential risk of being on the hook for a big salary if the deal falls through is too big. Similarly, you can't deal away your DP slot until ownership is settled because it would appear like you had screwed over the group you were to which you were selling the team. The use of a DP acquisition in any form depends on having a stable ownership situation where the risk/rewards of any usage can be judged financially.

DCU can go ahead and make other acquisitions, trades, signings, and such without the ownership deal being settled, but the DP acquisition will only come into play once the team is sold.

DC United Sold... Announcement Soon / And Palermo Still on the Table

Occasionally bits of rumor float our way, but rarely do we get two different sets simultaneously. First, remember how that deal for Boca Juniors Palermo was reported to be "unlikely". Well, we're hearing that "unlikely" does not mean "dead" and that it could still happen. Not saying it's going to, but saying that it apparently is still around and possible. Of course, this is the transfer window, so anything always seems possible.

Second, and more importantly, DCU's ownership situation is probably going to be cleared up soon. Not as in "30-60 days from now" but as in "in less than seven days, perhaps early next week." Expect DC United to announce a press conference soon.

Update (0530PM): DC United gave us a very polite "No comment" when we asked them for a comment on this. Just so you know.

Shorter Press Conference on the Coaching Change

KEVIN PAYNE: Peter was good to us. Good luck to him and Bob. Tom Soehn is our new head coach. It's nice when a plan comes together, since we missed Bradley and Yallop years ago.

DAVE CASPER: You got that right Kevin. Welcome Tom!

TOM SOEHN: Good to be here. Things will change, only you won't notice them. I love DC. Mark Simpson is my assistant coach, maybe there'll be more.

REPORTERS: Would you have done anything different about the Freddy thing if you knew Nowak was leaving?

TOM: No.

KEVIN: No.

DAVE: No.

KEVIN: You know, we did offer Peter a deal. Just wanted to get that out there.

REPORTERS: How will things change? What kind of coaches are you looking for? How is your philisophy different? What kind of players do you want to acquire?

TOM: Not much. I'm looking for coaches I know. A little, but not much. We're looking at players.

KEVIN: Thanks for coming!

Still interested in owning United

No not the metrostars, but former Duke basketball player Brian Davis looks to still be part of United's new ownership group, according to Thomas Heath's article in the Washington Post. The first half of the article deals with an attempt to purchase the NBA Grizzlies, the info that's of interest to DC fans comes towards the end. Particularly, the nugget that Kevin Payne heads the group trying to buy the team, reportedly for $33 million.

We'll get news about the purchase when it happens, and although we'd all like it to happen sooner rather than later, undoubtedly there are a ton of other factors we'll never know about. The lack of an ownership group hasn't affected the front office's ability to resign Gomez and Moreno or put a hold on looking for new players to sign.

Intrigue

Two stories in the Post this morning that are worth your time, especially since there's some interesting details. Steve Goff on Christian Gomez, Brian Carroll, David Stokes, Mattias Donnet, and (maybe) Piotr Nowak. Thomas Heath on those that would buy DC United, and their NBA problems (which Quarter Volley was discussing yesterday...)

I don't have time to analyze it right now, but it will get analyzed as there are some tasty details to be examined.