Today’s News, Tuesday , Nov.25

[denime]

Carver staying with TFC
By DEAN MCNULTY, SUN MEDIA

Message to the Red Patch Boys: Take a breath.
Rabid Toronto FC fans who have developed a love affair with first-year coach John Carver have filled the Major League Soccer Internet message boards with angst over the past two days on rumours Carver is about to sign a deal taking him back to the English Premier League and Newcastle United.

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Sutton left unprotected for draft
Canadian goalkeepers may be claimed in Wednesday's 10-round MLS expansion draft for Seattle
Canadian Press

TORONTO — Canadian goalkeepers Greg Sutton and Pat Onstad have both been left unprotected for Wednesday's MLS expansion draft.
The 10-round draft is to help the Seattle Sounders, the league's 15th team, take shape. The Sounders can only take one player from a team — 10 in all — which means that four clubs will escape losing a player in the draft.

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Toronto FC's Sutton left unprotected for expansion draft

Canadian national team goalkeeper Greg Sutton was one of 13 players left unprotected by Toronto FC ahead of Major League Soccer's expansion draft.
Seattle Sounders FC will begin play in MLS 2009 season, but first they must select players left unprotected by the league's other 14 teams in Wednesday afternoon's 10-round draft.
Other players left unprotected by Toronto include...

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Impact won't pay any price for MLS team: president

The Montreal Impact are still interested in joining Major League Soccer, but "not at any price," team president Joey Saputo said Monday.
The United Soccer League club had its bid for a 2011 expansion franchise in MLS rejected last week for reasons still unclear to Saputo.
It especially irked the Impact that MLS commissioner Don Garber announced on Friday that Montreal had withdrawn its bid because it was having trouble raising the money, although Saputo said he later revised that statement to say the bid had not been retained by the league.

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SUNSHINE

[The Kingpin]

"Rohan Ricketts".... Ummmm. WOW!?

Who wouldn't grab him??

[The Kingpin]

NSFW....

If you're 19... Shouldn't you look like this!!

19's-R-Us: http://www.page3.com/index4.shtml#main-image

[Parkdale]

wow.... what a news day!

[Fort York Redcoat]

So Houston and Kansas City are banking on Kellar being enough for Seattle. Hope they're right. League-wide those 2 might go before Sutton but I'd hate to lose him.

[Fort York Redcoat]

This news about the Impact just put STL and MIA as frontrunners IMO.

[canadian_bhoy]

LOL @ McNulty.

As for Ricketts - it may be a case of "If I get traded I'll just leave" and maybe teams know that...who knows - it's a risk to be sure.

I honstly think Sutton may be a risk of being picked up as well - but with Keller already signed for the Sounders, it'd be a long shot for him to be selected.

[Oblio2]

I think Ricketts was left unprotected because he is going to leave.....I think he told Mo that, so Mo would leave him off. Just my opinion.
Keller was good at Spurs, like 8 years ago......but a little old now, No?

[Stouffville_RPB]

Big news day!

Ricketts left unprotected I'm not happy about. Seattle has 2 goalies so they won't take another in the draft.

Biggest news is that Carver has given confirmation that he will be back next season. (sigh of relief)

[canadian_bhoy]

there are a few more articles here:
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Foo...+League+Soccer

[Daveisonfire]

"I am back in Newcastle on business and hopefully getting some things in place that will improve Toronto next season," he said

Quick, someone make an Ameobi thread

[keem-o-sabi]

Today's Daily Hottie Snapshot

[Roogsy]

The daily news thread is bordering on becoming legend....



wait for it...



dary...

[Parkdale]

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

as if we get articles addressed to us in the Sun.

[Roogsy]

I'm talking about the girls Parky...it's the girls that keep drawing me back.

[I_AM_CANADIAN]

NSFW....

If you're 19... Shouldn't you look like this!!

19's-R-Us: http://www.page3.com/index4.shtml#main-image

Wow... So 19 is the new word for... thirty?

[flatpicker]

NSFW....

If you're 19... Shouldn't you look like this!!

19's-R-Us: http://www.page3.com/index4.shtml#main-image

SHAAAAZZZZZAAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!!

[TicTacTabarnack]

Saputo said the Impact's bid was $45 Cdn million for the expansion fee plus the cost of adding a new grandstand. He said the club's proven record of drawing fans and putting a strong team on the field should have made the bid acceptable.
[...]
"Maybe the mistake I made was to put in a price," he added.

45,000,000 CDN x 0.81351 (this moments exchange rate at www.xe.com) = $36,607,950 USD

I'm guessing Garber didn't like the discounted Franchise Fee saving Saputo $3.4M USD

[TFCREDNWHITE]

Carver is staying!!! PHEW!! alright i can go back to day 2 day life now.... Man i was sooooo worried there for a minute!!

[TicTacTabarnack]

Carver said that his appearance this past weekend at a Newcastle game was strictly to put in place some plans that would help TFC. "I am back in Newcastle on business and hopefully getting some things in place that will improve Toronto next season," he said, "(I will) return in February to Toronto for pre-season training."

Any ideas on what he's looking into to "put in place that will improve Toronto next season?"

[TFCREDNWHITE]

45,000,000 CDN x 0.81351 (this moments exchange rate at www.xe.com) = $36,607,950 USD

I'm guessing Garber didn't like the discounted Franchise Fee saving Saputo $3.4M USD

F*CK! You mean to tell me that Saputo and Gillette screwed themselves in the bid JUST to SAVE 3.4 million dollars!!! I can't believe it!? are they STUPID???

[TicTacTabarnack]

F*CK! You mean to tell me that Saputo and Gillette screwed themselves in the bid JUST to SAVE 3.4 million dollars!!! I can't believe it!? are they STUPID???

$3.4M USD ... They were still going to pay $45M Canadian ... Which was at PAR a few months ago. The Canadian Dollar has tanked over the past 2 months. It's a question of protecting their exchange rate risk by offering $45M CDN when they made the bid.

They weren't trying to save $3.4M ... It just happened to work out that way. It could have easily gone the other way too.

[TFCREDNWHITE]

$3.4M USD ... They were still going to pay $45M Canadian ... Which was at PAR a few months ago. The Canadian Dollar has tanked over the past 2 months. It's a question of protecting their exchange rate risk by offering $45M CDN when they made the bid.

They weren't trying to save $3.4M ... It just happened to work out that way. It could have easily gone the other way too.

Actually the Last time it was AT par with the US Greenback was July!!

So yeah, i think Saputo and Gillette knew they were hedging their bets a little...

[canadian_bhoy]

Man - I should have pulled a Saputo with the new TFC jersey and offered them $80 instead of the $120 they were asking for.

I think they should bring back the barter system while you're at it!

[Sonny Cheeba]

barter system still exists. you either have to go to china town, or if you're at a mall, find a reason for you to "deserve" a discount. usually if you make a stink about something, the manager will hook you up with something.

also, if you email complaints to the customer service department of a company, usually with a legit complaint, you will get gift card compensation.

[rocker]

wait a sec! I thought everybody told me Saputo was a BILLIONAIRE!!! soooo rich he could do this without Gillett....

so now he's concerned about costs?

[Wooster_TFC]

$3.4M USD ... They were still going to pay $45M Canadian ... Which was at PAR a few months ago. The Canadian Dollar has tanked over the past 2 months. It's a question of protecting their exchange rate risk by offering $45M CDN when they made the bid.

They weren't trying to save $3.4M ... It just happened to work out that way. It could have easily gone the other way too.

You're right, they weren't trying to save 3.4 Million, they were trying to save a hell of a lot more. If you actually read the french version of his press conference, instead of the released English type up - although it includes it there too, you'd realize that the 45 Million that was "offered" INCLUDED the stadium expansion, at the presser he said that MLS called him and said $40 Million was the required fee, at which point he commented that that would up there bid to around $70 Million. He said his bid stood, and MLS said "seeya!". Can't say I blame them being close to 25 Million apart in terms of negotiation.

[TicTacTabarnack]

You're right, they weren't trying to save 3.4 Million, they were trying to save a hell of a lot more. If you actually read the french version of his press conference, instead of the released English type up - although it includes it there too, you'd realize that the 45 Million that was "offered" INCLUDED the stadium expansion, at the presser he said that MLS called him and said $40 Million was the required fee, at which point he commented that that would up there bid to around $70 Million. He said his bid stood, and MLS said "seeya!". Can't say I blame them being close to 25 Million apart in terms of negotiation.

Wow ... Thanks. I just read the french press conference and it clarifies a lot on Saputo's stance towards the whole deal. (Edit: Exact Translation of Press Conference available here)

Their Original proposal was in March for $43M CDN (FULLY PRIVATE investment by Saputo and Gillett and included cost of Stadium expansion to meet MLS requirements of 20k seats) before the MLS even outlined formal proposal requirements (talk about fly by night) and never openly communicated with them about the process and requirements (lack of communication).

In October (7 months later), they had to formally resubmit a bid (CDN Dollar begins tanking) and Up'd it to $45M CDN even with the financial crisis going on around us (which I believe is including stadium expansion if it falls along the same lines as the previous bid) and was still fully privately funded.

MLS rejected the bid based on Montreal never fully committing to the $40M USD expansion fee (gouging). Saputo and Gillette refuse to enter into the MLS at ANY price (i.e. They don't want to hand Garber a blank cheque) and have to remain fiscally responsible and ensure the development of soccer in Quebec WITHOUT mortgaging or putting serious financial strain on the club. Basically, Saputo believes that the economics of the Montreal market will not support the additional money that the exchange rate has done to the franchise fee and Garber/MLS will not budge even considering the financial situation we're in and haven't even tempted to discuss this with them. Complying with Garber would price families (in this difficult economic time) out of being able to enjoy the expansion team as ticket prices would have to rise passed reasonable levels.

In my opinion, a good business decision. The Saputo family didn't become successful and wealthy in business by throwing money around without making educated business decisions and hedging their risk.

That $40M USD expansion fee is now $49,037,200 CDN ($9M-11M more than in March when they started the bid) + Stadium Expansion Costs ($3M-5M CDN maybe for $43M total bid) + they have to consider the Higher Salary Cap vs. USL (paid in USD).

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

Didn't think Carver was going to leave, so that news is done....Sutton i would expect to be picked up by Seattle, but we have Edwards and Monslave so we are fine in that position. A deal for another keeper is also possible, no not Onstad.

[Steve]

That $40M USD expansion fee is now $49,037,200 CDN ($9M more than in March when they started the bid) + Stadium Expansion Costs ($3M CDN maybe for $43M total bid) + they have to consider the Higher Salary Cap vs. USL (paid in USD).

Wait, what are you talking about? There was much more than $3M CND earmarked to go to stadium expansion, which is why Saputo was lowballing MLS (he probably offered them $20M-$30M CND for expansion fees, less than the two most recent expansions).

Also, MLS pays the salary cap, not the owner, but he WOULD need to worry about MLS now taking a cut of revenue.