Wednesday, March 26, 2008
DCU Kickoff Luncheon: notes and quotes
Got lots of interesting stuff from Tuesday's DC United Kickoff Luncheon at the Capital Hilton yesterday, which featured a keynote address from MLS Commish Don Garber.
For DCU, this event has become an annual ritual somewhat along the lines of Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day appearance: fast or slow, ready or not, the weather is changing and the new season is at hand.
In recent editions the stadium issue has been a theme, but one that was hovering in the background -- whereas this year I got a sense that patience is really running out as everyone, league and club alike, is ready for something meaningful to happen SOON. A sort of determined optimism, you might say, that a tipping point is near and even if the club has to leave DC and move out to Prince George's County, at least it's action and movement.
Of course, the Don was thronged by media swine like me long after the event's conclusion, and after talking to Tom Soehn and several of his players, I got to participate in the tail end of the Garber Q&A.
Certainly the league would prefer to keep United in DC, but Garber broadcast loud and clear -- at least in the diplo-speak practiced by people of his rank and standing -- that he is tired of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty's games and is ready to see a decent plan put up for a vote by the City Council.
"Not yet," he said when I asked if the stadium situation had reached a critical level. "I think we’re encouraged by the show of political support here, but we need, and I am hopeful that our mayor, the mayor, will push this to the council for a vote that we’re hopeful will be positive. Until it goes to the council for a vote, we’re almost at stage one.
"The mayor has been supportive, he’s been to games, I’ve met him at games. I know he loves this team" -- and at this point Garber stopped and corrected himself – "loves, no, cares about this team and understands the significance of the team in the community. But it’s a political process and this is a political town."
Later I mentioned a 3-5 year timeline for getting United into a stadium SOMEWHERE, and the Commish corrected me.
"I don’t want to wait five years for a stadium. It would be really disappointing if it takes five years for this team to get a new stadium – so you’re talking about 18 years before DC United has its own stadium. It would one of the last MLS teams in our league to get its own stadium. That’s inconceivable to me."
A few other tidbits:
"We have more international TV rights than ever before, those started last year, a lot of that had to do with David [Beckham] and [Cuauhtemoc] Blanco. A lot more interest for our sport down in Argentina, we’re getting covered down in the newspapers over there. Sponsors are interested in what’s going on with us here and down there. "
-in response to John Haydon's question about Argentina paying more attention to MLS in light of new arrivals Marcelo Gallardo and Claudio Lopez
"You know, I think all union negotiations are difficult. But I think both the players and the league ownership are smart, and we’ll go through these discussions in a careful way on both sides. But it’s never an easy process in pro sports...The league is certainly more stable and more viable than it was [when the current CBA was signed], but that’s countered by the hundreds of millions of dollars that’s been invested up to this point. So I think you’ve got willing participants in a negotiation and that’s a good thing. "
-on the prospects of a knock-down, drag-out negotiating battle over the league's next collective bargaining agreement with the players' union (he also noted that those negotiations have already begun).
For DCU, this event has become an annual ritual somewhat along the lines of Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day appearance: fast or slow, ready or not, the weather is changing and the new season is at hand.
In recent editions the stadium issue has been a theme, but one that was hovering in the background -- whereas this year I got a sense that patience is really running out as everyone, league and club alike, is ready for something meaningful to happen SOON. A sort of determined optimism, you might say, that a tipping point is near and even if the club has to leave DC and move out to Prince George's County, at least it's action and movement.
Of course, the Don was thronged by media swine like me long after the event's conclusion, and after talking to Tom Soehn and several of his players, I got to participate in the tail end of the Garber Q&A.
Certainly the league would prefer to keep United in DC, but Garber broadcast loud and clear -- at least in the diplo-speak practiced by people of his rank and standing -- that he is tired of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty's games and is ready to see a decent plan put up for a vote by the City Council.
"Not yet," he said when I asked if the stadium situation had reached a critical level. "I think we’re encouraged by the show of political support here, but we need, and I am hopeful that our mayor, the mayor, will push this to the council for a vote that we’re hopeful will be positive. Until it goes to the council for a vote, we’re almost at stage one.
"The mayor has been supportive, he’s been to games, I’ve met him at games. I know he loves this team" -- and at this point Garber stopped and corrected himself – "loves, no, cares about this team and understands the significance of the team in the community. But it’s a political process and this is a political town."
Later I mentioned a 3-5 year timeline for getting United into a stadium SOMEWHERE, and the Commish corrected me.
"I don’t want to wait five years for a stadium. It would be really disappointing if it takes five years for this team to get a new stadium – so you’re talking about 18 years before DC United has its own stadium. It would one of the last MLS teams in our league to get its own stadium. That’s inconceivable to me."
A few other tidbits:
"We have more international TV rights than ever before, those started last year, a lot of that had to do with David [Beckham] and [Cuauhtemoc] Blanco. A lot more interest for our sport down in Argentina, we’re getting covered down in the newspapers over there. Sponsors are interested in what’s going on with us here and down there. "
-in response to John Haydon's question about Argentina paying more attention to MLS in light of new arrivals Marcelo Gallardo and Claudio Lopez
"You know, I think all union negotiations are difficult. But I think both the players and the league ownership are smart, and we’ll go through these discussions in a careful way on both sides. But it’s never an easy process in pro sports...The league is certainly more stable and more viable than it was [when the current CBA was signed], but that’s countered by the hundreds of millions of dollars that’s been invested up to this point. So I think you’ve got willing participants in a negotiation and that’s a good thing. "
-on the prospects of a knock-down, drag-out negotiating battle over the league's next collective bargaining agreement with the players' union (he also noted that those negotiations have already begun).
Comment posted by Charles Boehm @ 1:13 PM 
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