PDA

View Full Version : Steve Nash actively pursuing Vancouver MLS team



professor
06-15-2008, 08:12 PM
Nash actively pursuing Vancouver MLS team, brother says

Mark Masters, National Post Published: Sunday, June 15, 2008

Steve Nash may be the wildcard in the race to bring another Major League Soccer franchise to Canada.

Martin Nash, Steve's brother, has confirmed that the Phoenix Suns star is ready to become actively involved in getting an MLS team in Vancouver, the city where he grew up.

"He's trying to get involved. I don't think he's very involved yet but he wants to get involved. He just wants to give the game of soccer a higher profile in Canada," said Martin Nash, who plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the United Soccer Leagues.

"Soccer is our first-love sport. We grew up playing it and my dad played it and still plays it, so it's just something embedded into us."

MLS commissioner Don Garber met Steve Nash in May and wrote on the league Web site that the two-time NBA MVP may be interested in getting involved as part of an ownership group trying to bring a team to Canada.

Mark Abbott, the president of MLS, said the league is hesitant to speculate further.

"Steve Nash is obviously interested in soccer in Canada and what his role is ... I don't know how to say it, he would have to say what his role is with respect to that," said Abbott, who is the league's spokesperson on expansion issues.

The Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact are both trying to make the leap from the second-tier USL.

Major League Soccer will expand to Seattle in 2009 and Philadelphia in 2010 bringing the total number of teams to 16. An additional two franchises are likely to be added by the 2012 season.

Many American cities have expressed interest, including Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, Portland, San Diego and St. Louis.

The league will likely cap expansion once it reaches 18 teams, making this bid process all the more intense.

Bob Lenarduzzi, the president of the Whitecaps, said he would gladly welcome any support Nash offers.

"With his profile and his interest in the game and the fact he's a great Canadian that we're all very proud, of course we would welcome him. As far as his involvement, that's certainly premature from my perspective."

Nash recently invested in Women's Professional Soccer and has made no secret of his desire to help the sport grow.

Both Vancouver, with owner Greg Kerfoot, and Montrea,l with the Saputo family, appear to have the funding to pay the projected US$40-million for an expansion franchise. And Montreal just opened a new soccer-specific building, Saputo Stadium. MLS has said this is a necessity for any expansion applicant.

The Whitecaps are scrambling to get the ball rolling on a new soccer stadium to be located on Vancouver's waterfront. A disagreement with the Vancouver Port Corp., which owns some land the Whitecaps need, is holding up the project.

The next key date in the process will be July 24 when the MLS gathers in Toronto for the All-Star Game, with expansion talk expected to be on the agenda.

http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=590155

tfc_4_ever
06-15-2008, 08:12 PM
Who's Sterve ? ;)

Dirk Diggler
06-15-2008, 09:35 PM
I think its great that Steve wants to get involved but I don't think his involvement would be of much help at the moment. There is more than enough money in between Kerfoot, Saputo/Gillett. As far as Vancouver is concerned, the only problem they have is the Vancouver Port Authority. Those bastards have been toying with Kerfoot for an eternity now and its time that someone steps in and put an end to that fiasco.

noochie
06-15-2008, 09:48 PM
good way for him to burn off some cash I guess... good for him.

ag futbol
06-15-2008, 10:51 PM
Kerfoot needs someone like Nash to step into the public eye to go to bat for the stadium, because he hates the spotlight.

How is it possible to lose a PR battle when your giving a city a free sports stadium? The way they've managed it has been a disaster.

Keystone FC
06-16-2008, 03:02 AM
I think its great that Steve wants to get involved but I don't think his involvement would be of much help at the moment. There is more than enough money in between Kerfoot, Saputo/Gillett. As far as Vancouver is concerned, the only problem they have is the Vancouver Port Authority. Those bastards have been toying with Kerfoot for an eternity now and its time that someone steps in and put an end to that fiasco.


I think his involvement would be not just as an owner or board member but also star power to jerk the city board members out of their seats and get them to sign off on the SSS. That's really all that is standing in the way of Vancouver landing a MLS franchise.

ensco
06-16-2008, 07:26 AM
I wonder what Kerfoot thinks of his employee (Martin Nash) promoting the interest of the employee's brother in the exact same investment the owner himself has been trying to make for years.

Fort York Redcoat
06-16-2008, 07:52 AM
This is much like Oscar de la Hoya and Houston. Get a household name to help get fans in seats. I love this connection with his bro on the national team sometimes and Steve admits it was his first choice in sport. I hope they can build on the Whitecaps organization instead of replacing them. No need to step on existing supporters toes by putting their team out of business.

rocker
06-16-2008, 08:28 AM
well, Steve Nash was a guest of Kerfoot at the Montreal-Toronto CC game, so I don't think Kerfoot would mind. Sounds to me like they are working together. Nash brings the added celebrity.

Dirk Diggler
06-16-2008, 11:29 AM
I think his involvement would be not just as an owner or board member but also star power to jerk the city board members out of their seats and get them to sign off on the SSS. That's really all that is standing in the way of Vancouver landing a MLS franchise.

The problem isn't the city. Its the Vancouver Port Authority, which is a federal organization.

greatwhitenorf
06-16-2008, 11:55 AM
Good for Steve Nash for getting involved. He was recently rumoured as being ready to invest in Tottenham Hotspur, his favourite club, but this deal makes much more sense from having an impact on getting the team to the next level.

Don't think it's a question of 'if' Vancouver can support a team, just whether the donkeys at city council will let the stadium happen. Apparently they're trying to shoehorn the team into playing at B.C. Place.

TFC07
06-16-2008, 12:25 PM
Also he wants a women's footie team as well. ^^^^

Oldtimer
06-16-2008, 02:01 PM
Steve Nash may be the wild card in the race to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Vancouver.
The Phoenix Suns star confirmed he has been involved in talks with MLS commissioner Don Garber, Vancouver Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot and former Yahoo! president Jeff Mallett.


http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/local/story.html?id=36abcd4c-256d-490d-bd3a-3e6aa592fa2f

BeachRed
06-16-2008, 02:30 PM
"Both Vancouver, with owner Greg Kerfoot, and Montrea,l with the Saputo family, appear to have the funding to pay the projected US$40-million for an expansion franchise."

$40 million??? Wow, this league is growing fast. If people are spending that much on franchises, the salary cap will be going way up.

Looks good.