Match Day 33 - TFC @ NYRB - Sat Oct 7 7:38pm - And I'll take you on all the rides

[spe18]

This is a very interesting discussion, with the narrative being that the real culprit of TFC's failures is the board of directors more so than Manning. If that is in fact true than what hope is there for supporters. Sooner or later Manning will be gone, but how do you get rid of ownership?

My guess is the league taking back control of the club.

But other then that, I'm not sure I can think of any other way to get rid of an ownership.

Or maybe MLS goes under, and a new league pops up with all new teams?

[Mr. Inbetween]

I suspect by hook or crook, MLS, the league's brain-trust, through it's 'franchise' agreement mechanisms and depending how egregious they believe a matter to be, can 'privately coerce or publicly force by vote' any of it's ownership to sell; recently similar to the LA Clippers or Washington Commanders. IMO, this notion is part of the swirl of rumoured views involving some of the leagues MLSE are part of or want to be part of. For instance, the gossip that the NBA loves LT and MU, but not so much Bogers or ER. Even inclinations that the NHL and NFL have evolved their thinking similarly; preferences for more of an individual/personality ownership as opposed to being structured part of/within a corporate conglomerate entity.

[jloome]

This is a very interesting discussion, with the narrative being that the real culprit of TFC's failures is the board of directors more so than Manning. If that is in fact true than what hope is there for supporters. Sooner or later Manning will be gone, but how do you get rid of ownership?

Fucked if I know. I mean, they've never shown any sign of giving a shit about TFC as anything other than a product. But most large boards I ever had dealings with as a journalist were the same, usually for companies with wide portfolios of products or services.

Maybe if someone came in with a sweetheart purchase deal close to their valuation -- given how high MLS valuations are relative to actual revenue production -- they'd jump at it. But who would? It's just not big enough for what they'd demand; it's why Tannenbaum and others were bidding on Premier League teams as their 'next' football investment; MLS is just too damn expensive and the market is now basically saturated.

Bill Foley, who bought Bournemouth last year with a leveraged deal, looked at MLS first and turned own the chance to have a franchise because it cost HALF as much to buy an existing Premier League team.

[Canary10]

This is a very interesting discussion, with the narrative being that the real culprit of TFC's failures is the board of directors more so than Manning. If that is in fact true than what hope is there for supporters. Sooner or later Manning will be gone, but how do you get rid of ownership?

Let's see how Man United plays out.

[NK Toronto]

Perhaps Bell and/or Roger's decides that sports ownership is not part of their core business operations and decides to sell, similar to when Interbrew sold the Jays. Maybe they will come to the realization that they are clueless in how to operate sports teams and instead take the money and run.

MLS is a growing league and Toronto is a huge and attractive market that could potentially appeal to a foreign owner who might see TFC as a distressed asset that could be worth much more if managed properly. Let's face it, MLSE has driven down the value of TFC through their neglect and mismanagement.

[OgtheDim]

The current Rogers scion seems interested in running sports teams his way....while he's there, Bell will stay on.


Give it 40 years and maybe whomever is running Westons will buy MLSE.