MLS announcement in Philadelphia on Thursday

So… where and when is the point where we can be completely honest and root against other cities getting teams and instead for St. Louis to get a team. I feel bad, because I’m happy for the expansion of the MLS, but I think I’d rather have a team here more than I’d want the MLS to get Miami in the mix. Miami’s got enough already, I mean the water’s so clear you can see straight to the bottom, $100,000 dollar cars… everybody’s got em… they’re bouncin in the club, the heat is on… all night on the beach till the break of dawn… they don’t need a soccer team. Forget Miami, I’m officially rooting against other cities… let the animosity begin. So, I hope Miami does fall through, Viva St. Louis!

Tom,

Great work getting those quotes from Garber for your article today. Thanks!

When can we expect a regular soccer column in the P-D? I realize having an MLS team in St. Louis would justify it, but I think there is a strong case to be made that the P-D should cover world soccer with or without an MLS side. Would it help if we petitioned?

Thanks, and keep up the great work.

I keep meaning to put up a blog about my trip to Chester, which is no great shakes.

I asked both Garber and MLS president Mark Abbott if St. Louis was good leverage to have and they both insisted that they’re not using St. Louis as leverage, that it’s merely the ownership issue that’s holding things up.

And right now, the league might be able to get more leverage by GIVING St. Louis a team. With just one spot left, it would up the stakes for Miami, Atlanta or New York to make a move. I’ve been told that while there’s stadium talk in Miami, there isn’t much else going on there.

As for a soccer column, we’re between sports editors right now, and when we get a new one in place, feel free to suggest a regular soccer column. I’m not sure when the new person will be in place. But, yes, getting an MLS team would make the decision a lot easier.

I would support a soccer collumn… what soccer lovin bloke wouldn’t? Hey Tom, I read all of the recent info at Cooper’s blog, about Philly getting the team and STL being #1 for the next expansion. But, I they’re saying everything that held up STL was ownership group, and Coop promises better in a month, any idea what he has in mind? And will it be a corporate ownership possibly?

This following couple of paragraphs came from the Washington Post. There are some disturbing statements in here about expansion. First, it says that they have two offers for teams 17 and 18, but they the league has put those deals on hold.

With San Jose rejoining this year and Seattle on the way in 2009, Commish Don Garber said the league will be careful about future expansion.

“We are thinking about what should we be doing with teams 17 and 18 and what we do with teams 19 and 20 and what impact that has on our TV contracts, how does it fit with our player pool and our continued discussions with U.S. Soccer on the player limitations. There are so many different things now that are convincing us that we should take a step back and create a strategic plan before we announce 17 and 18. We do have offers for 17 and 18, two different markets, but we put those deals on hold until we have had a better chance to create our plan.”

At the last board meeting, the league formed an expansion committee that will be chaired by Phil Anschutz, “which is pretty remarkable in itself,” Garber said in reference to the league’s most influential investor who has remained in the background on many league matters. Anschutz apparently does not sit on any committees in other leagues in which he is involved.

Turn out the lights, guys. The party’s over.

“thinking about what should we be doing with teams 17 and 18″ = “realizing we don’t want a team in a place like St. Louis”

“what impact that has on our TV contracts” = “St. Louis doesn’t add much to our TV rights fees”

“create a strategic plan before we announce 17 and 18″ = “give Atlanta and New York more time”

expansion committee that will be chaired by Phil Anschutz = the big-money owners don’t want Jeff Cooper and St. Louis to have a team, no matter what

We’re toast.