MLS Out of San Antonio

[blaze89]

Soccer kicks about S.A. stance
Web Posted: 06/09/2005

Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer

Just hours after Phil Hardberger promised at a news conference to say goodbye to Major League Soccer, the league ended negotiations with the city Wednesday in a sharply worded letter to outgoing Mayor Ed Garza that accused the city of negotiating in bad faith.

Garza, the architect of the more than yearlong effort to provide the Alamodome with an anchor tenant, called the development a "big disappointment." He said there's no chance of rekindling the talks.

"I held out hope that (a lease agreement with MLS) would be reached," Garza said, "but the forces against the plan were just too significant."

In the letter, signed by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, the league said the plan developed by Garza and league officials "was subjected to a barrage of politically motivated criticisms that were not based on objective analysis of the (proposed lease) agreement or its benefits to the city."

The league said criticism "made it impossible" to sell 5,000 season tickets or recruit local investors, two requirements MLS had for granting a team in 2006.

In a phone interview late Wednesday, Garber directed much of his criticism at Hardberger, an outspoken critic of the plan, who defeated Julián Castro in Tuesday's runoff election for mayor.

"This has been changed at the 12th hour due to politics, and it is appalling," Garber said.

"We wish the new mayor luck."

Reached at Hardberger's home, a family member said the mayor-elect would have no comment.

In the letter, Garber also accused the city of changing the terms in a council-approved memorandum of understanding that served as the basis for a lease agreement.

The city staff presented the league with a proposed lease May 27.

The lease "contained many terms that are in direct contradiction of the memorandum of understanding," the letter says. "The draft agreements reflect terms that would be impossible for any sports team to operate under.

"I am particularly appalled that without any discussion, the proposed agreements included substantial new terms that had never been discussed in the six months of negotiations leading to the completion of the memorandum of understanding."

Garza said he never saw the proposed lease.

"All I know is that it went from (a 12-page) memorandum of understanding to 1,000 pages plus," Garza said.

Hardberger, Castro and several council members criticized the terms outlined in the memorandum, which called for the team to receive rent-free use of the dome for 20 games and other incentives.

In the days before the runoff, Castro and Councilman-elect Roland Gutierrez said they wanted the team to pay rent. Hardberger said there was no community support for MLS and that he would not negotiate with the league.

Garza and MLS countered by saying an anchor tenant in the dome would help cut the building's operating costs and its annual deficit.

"Never in my 25 years in pro sports," Garber said, "have I seen a sports team reach out to aid a city and bolster their economy and then due to politics change their mind.

"This has been disappointing and frustrating."

Said Garza: "This would have been a financial plus for the city, not a giveaway."

The city last month approved a $2.9 million improvement package for the dome, including a plan to finish out 14 suites. Those improvements will be made despite the loss of MLS.

Garza noted that Houston is pursuing an MLS team.

"I guess I will just go to Houston to watch some games," he said.
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[ObiwanGinobili]

I just don't think we should be making enemies with $$ makers and bringers like major league sports.
1st PGA, I'm surprised they were still willing to talk to us.
now soccer, which admitadly isn't our best choice.. but still people.
Let's not burn bridges!
What makes SA so freakin special? Why does it seem the city is sitting on some royal throne glaring down it's nose at anythign that might improve the damn city???

I just want to see the alamo dome used for something besides the Hispano Festival de Salud once a year.!!
God! even the Rodeo moved to the SBC.

[fraga]

Good...no one was gonna watch it anyway...

[Clandestino]

ed garza on his way out... castro loses election... mls soccer says good-bye... spurs about to win nba finals!.... things are looking up in sa!

[Flea]

Good...no one was gonna watch it anyway...

I would have.

[IX_Equilibrium]

MLS would have been dead in a year.

[Useruser666]

Garza is full of . This was a money pit waiting to happen. Soccer would not have been succesful in SA. We just barely dodged this crap in time. Garza, let him go live in Houston. I'd like to have seen that MLS thing come to a vote, but they know it would never have passed.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

The people at the MLS are pretty full of themselves, aren't they?

"Most directly, an MLS team would have generated significant revenue and exposure for the Alamodome and the City, providing it a primary tenant and reducing the financial burden of that facility on the City. The agreement also provided for much needed improvements to the stadium, which are deemed necessary regardless of whether an MLS team played there. The effort by the City to attract an MLS team also led to a plan to develop a youth soccer complex which would address the great shortage of youth soccer fields in San Antonio.

For them to compare economic impact against other teams in their league is a fallacy. They have teams in major markets such as Los Angeles (which has more of a soccer following due to its large Latino population as well as other people with countries of origin that follow soccer strongly), Washington, D.C., Chicago, Dallas and New York. As a matter of fact, three of their teams are located in California (San Jose and Chivas).

The lack of fan support is such that three of their teams (all in their Western conference) have had to adopt names that soccer fans worldwide would recognize (Club Deportivo Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas).

What were we going to be called? Manchester San Antonio?

I have never hated the MLS more than I do right now for taking advantage (well, who wouldn't) of a city without a solidified City Council without an official City Manager in place.

As was pointed out to me in another thread, the city can make the investment on their own without the help of the MLS in building more soccer fields for use by the citizens.

[Vashner]

Turning Brooks AFB, one of the top aeromedical and science research bases in the planet. Into a giant soccer field was stupid concept to begin with. We need research and other technical companies to move in there.

[Zombie]

Turning Brooks AFB, one of the top aeromedical and science research bases in the planet. Into a giant soccer field was stupid concept to begin with. We need research and other technical companies to move in there.

Wake the up! Brooks AFB will be closed in the next 2 years. Maybe if you would drive by it sometime you'd see that nothing but retail stores are building there.
By the way, I did not want lame ass soccer in this town. The retail stores coming to Brooks is very cool though.

[E20]

I love it when they yell GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

That is one of the primary reasons I watch international soccer. Not MLS though MLS is freaking WEAK!!!

[SequSpur]

Soccer sucks anyway.

[T Park]

good riddance.

No one gives a about that niche sport anyways.