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Report: Beckham asked to join bid to buy Chivas USA

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By CAITLIN MURRAY

While David Bechkam continues to run into problems as he tries to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Miami, there may be another option.

A group of Asian investors interested in buying the orphan Chivas USA franchise approached Beckham as a potential partner, Yahoo Sports reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

Beckham has been on a mission to find a suitable downtown location to build a soccer-specific stadium for a Miami MLS franchise, with no luck. First- and second-choice waterfront locations have been ruled out as of this week, prompting Beckham’s group declare they would “pause” and reconsider their plans.

But even worse for Beckham’s plans is MLS Commissioner Dan Garber’s comments earlier this week declaring a Miami franchise will not be granted without an ideal downtown location to play.

Chivas USA was bought by MLS in February after the club had been badly struggling on and off the pitch for years. The league announced it planned to sell the franchise to a buyer committed to keeping the team in Los Angeles.

The group planning to bid for Chivas USA reportedly includes Chinese and South Korean investors involved in property development.

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What do you think of this report? Should Beckham consider a team in Los Angeles instead? Should MLS push forward with plans to expand to Miami?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. L.A. Aztecs. I’m on the bandwagon. I have no doubt that a franchise with that branding (just an image search for the Aztecs is mouth-watering) would be very successful in L.A., especially with either a downtown, East LA, or even an Inland Empire stadium. And if it’s in the cards that the team should someday move to San Diego (the alterna-Clippers), the brand would still hold up well.

    Here’s my thought on Sacramento: I think Sacramento would be a solid addition, but it’s major upside would have been for MLS 2.0, i.e. around 2009 or so, when a solid, stable franchise with awesome fill-the-stadium grassroots support would have been a highly valued addition.

    Not saying that’s moot nowadays, but let’s say we’re talking MLS 3.0 now. For that, the real upside NorCal derby is for a team in San Francisco. I know it’s the west coast equivalent of trying to build a stadium in Manhattan, but it would be the kind of brand that has international and television resonance in a way that a place like Sacramento simply couldn’t – and if the end-goal is to someday elevate MLS to that international level, then for better or worse that needs to be a major part of the calculus. That’s clearly Garber’s thinking in pushing for Miami and NYCFC. The Earthquakes only marginally engage SF (or Oakland/Berkeley) now, leaving an incredible amount of potential untapped. If Chivas was looking to move intra-California, I think SF should be on the table, especially with a deep-pocketed Asian ownership group that might resonate well in SF.

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  2. Make sense. Special prize move it to Sac-town. Publicity would be crazy. Republic would probably looking at @ 30+thousands Stadium given what they currently draw.

    LA2 becomes another 100+mil expansion prize. By LA Aztec Trademark, nice soccer heritge touch w/ Whitecaps, Sounders, Timbers, Aztec, Earthquake
    Orlando City Lions is enuff FLA for MLS. Makes it offbeat different 2nd majoer team in city.

    Failing in Miami would not be good.

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  3. Has nobody seen how Miami Heat fans boo their own team and always leave their games early? Do you really want to see that in MLS?

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  4. I think this would be best for MLS. That way Beck gets his team and there’s an extra expansion team for Minneapolis (who will most likely get 24 anyway) + a different place, such as San Antonio, Sacremento, Vegas, etc.

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  5. I believe Mr. Beckham would be better out pursuing the Los Angeles 2 option, rather than fighting politics in Miami. Miami is a International Soccer market and a huge gamble for MLS. Huge crowds for International matches doesn’t always transfer into MLS stadium crowds. If he still wants to peruse the expansion he would be better off in San Diego. Their he would have the potential for another Seattle. Mr. Beckham its time to cut your losses dump Miami and goes west young man.

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  6. I’m a part-time Miami resident and from the people I’ve talked to, most really want an MLS team in Miami. There are tons of fans here.

    However, people are hesitant/outright opposed to the proposed stadium locations because they still feel burned by the Marlins deal and haven’t looked into this enough to realize how different it is (they still just see wealthy sports owner getting big handout from the government), and people (legitimately) want to preserve some of the last remaining open waterfront space downtown. Developers have been gobbling up any available real estate with even a sliver of water view, and people want to push back against that (even though, again, the Beckham stadium deal would be different than plopping a 40-story condo building right on the edge of the bay).

    Most people want MLS, but want Beckham to build the stadium a couple miles away from the water, where there’s plenty of open land (or at least run-down properties available for bulldozing). Of course, I think Garber and Beckham are right to insist on a great, not just OK, stadium location, given the problems with the market last time around.

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  7. Maybe Beckham could get his buddy from PSG to buy Chivas. Then, move teams somewhere else in Southern California like: Inland (Riverside or San Bernadino), Orange County, or maybe San Diego.

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  8. I think Chivas USA could do well located in the LA area. The LA area humongous. They could move to Orange County for example. There as several million people living there and there is a good mix of really rich people on the coast to fill the expensive seats and hob nob with Beckham and plenty of immigrants in places like Santa Ana to sit behind the goals. A more earthy ownership group could move the team to Monterrey Park, Irwindale, East LA etc. and pretty much own everything east of I-5.

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  9. was wondering what was going on with LA2. this is a complete surprise though given the original plan was he had to put his team outside of LA.

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  10. The funny thing about all of these is Miami could care less if they have their own MLS team, it seems like Beckham and that rich Bolivian guy wants a team in Miami. Miami is not a sports town at all I agree with the rest of you a city like Sacramento deserves a team and it would be better for the league; how blind can MLS be no to see that?

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  11. Great negotiating tool. Well Miami if you are going to be difficult then I’ll take my toys and go else where. I bet Miami officials might not push back so hard. But then again, Becks on the West coast would be cool

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  12. Hey Beckman go to Sacramento there is already 20,000 people watching a USL Team.or go
    to San Diego and I am pretty sure you wil be drawing the same as the Sounders,make a deal
    with the Charges and you will save pretty good money instead of building an Stadium,the Charges
    use the Stadium 8 Sundays maximum 10(remenber they play November,December there is no soccer)

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  13. I think this is still hard ball with Miami, they leak this report and now the powers that be in Miami know he’s serious ablut pulling out if he can’t get a deal done.

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    • True.

      But Becks in LA also makes a lot of sense. I agree with other posters that Becks is not really cut out for a protracted stadium battle.

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  14. Pretty soon Becks is going to remember how much he enjoys doing pretty much anything besides this thankless gig. This probably sounded a lot more fun on paper.

    But it’s not like he can’t tell somebody to “deal with this” … I’m sure some smart person in his staff can negotiate something that still involves a nice profit on his option. If he’s doing this, it’s because he wants to, so I guess I won’t feel too bad for the guy.

    Something tells me he’s not thinking about my life choices and options at this hour. Probably true huh

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    • i don’t think he was ever in it for fun. as soon as he gets his team on solid ground he’ll sell his stake for a large profit..i don’t see him holding onto that investment for a long time since his wife has given up her hollywood aspirations

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  15. Makes sense. They can save money by just changing a few letters: Chinese USA.

    In all seriousness, Chivas has been a failed experiment, and should be moved to San Diego or Vegas. Or perhaps with a rebranding and their own stadium in LA.

    MLS should have gone to Sacramento, which is another Portland–avid fan base with no baseball competition. Sacramento is a metro area of 2.5 million and they are averaging over 20k for USL Pro!

    Another franchise with a packed 27k SSS and an awesome atmosphere? Yes please. Sacramento should be next. Great derby with San Jose as well.

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    • MLS really wants to keep a 2nd LA team, but Chivas is too damaged to survive there. I think the team should move to Sacramento and an expansion franchise awarded to LA as was done with San Jose.

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      • I like this idea. I am a San Jose boy but spent my college years playing in Sacramento. Sacramento has a rich soccer history with great youth clubs. Their professional indoor team in the early 90’s drew 10,000 plus fans for every game. I am not surprised that they are getting 20,000 plus for the Republic games. Personally, I would love a Northern California Derby. Not sure that two teams in L.A. would be succesful. So far, the proof is in the pudding.

    • I think a well-run LA team outside of the Chivas branding can be a solid MLS team based on how Chivas started. When the field product was competitive it had middle of the road attendance, high teens. The fans only deserted wisely as the management went nuts and the personnel eroded.

      The issue I see with Beckham there is I’d swear the franchise option had a non-compete, ie, anywhere but LA. Plus I’m not sure a franchise presumable with pre-existing debt from years of suckge is where you want the cheap buy in. MLS likely needs to mop up Chivas’ finances, and that’s deep pockets, not here’s far less than what it’s worth. Also, if MLS owns the thing, they surely want to sell it at the best return.

      Sacramento is definitely interesting but I’d let the novelty wear off before annointing them. Ditto Indy.

      Vegas would be a nightmare.

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      • Yes, there is a non-compete clause in Beck’s option. I think with the problems that Miami poses, Beck’s should be given the option to transfer that to another expansion bid should Miami prove too daunting (though I wouldn’t want the league to back off from a Miami expansion….just say the time frame and even exact ownership group is open…hey, maybe Becks can be a partial owner in two clubs). Anyway, I think Sacto is for real, and its only a hop and skip away from Beverly Hills. Sacto’s owner should make a play for Beck’s $25 million franchise fee by bringing in Golden Ball halfway. Sacto is for real, and they would probably add to the Northwest rivalry in a way San Jose isn’t. Don’t judge Sac based on San Jose. Remember, from day one Wolff’s intent was always to dull energy and attendance for his team. SJ used to get big crowds during NASL, and even in the first incarnation in MLS. I think Wolff is actually Kraft’s twin

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