Big news on the David Beckham Miami soccer stadium front!
[Miami-Dade County] commissioners voted unanimously to have the administration negotiate with Florida International University for Beckham’s team to play at FIU Stadium, until Beckham chooses a site and builds a permanent stadium.
Wow, this is what people have been suggesting for over a year now as a cheaper solution than building a whole new stadium. It’s just been a matter of waiting for MLS and Beckham’s group to buy into it, and now—
David Beckham’s group issued a statement saying it is not interested, at least not now.
“Our focus is on identifying the location for…the team’s permanent home,” the Beckham statement said. “Careful consideration will be given FIU when we address…a temporary facility.”
Oh. So actually, not so big news.
FIU does seem to be on the official table, anyway, and if nothing else the county negotiating a lease means Beckham will have an option sitting in front of him if he decides to go the NYC F.C. route and launch a team without waiting for a new stadium to be approved first. Which he doesn’t seem all that interested in doing, mind you — clearly he knows that the threat to take his franchise and go home is the only real leverage he has to demand a new stadium — but if he really does have his heart set on a franchise in Miami, at least Miami seems ready to call his bluff.
The only one who will be bluffed if a team never makes it to Miami is Miami. Cities are falling over themselves to get a MLS team. If Miami never does, then someday they will rue this pussyfooting.
“…then someday that small fraction of the people in Miami who care about MLS will rue this pussyfooting.”
There, fixed it.
This situation really ticks me off. Beckham’s stadium plans were some of the most fair I’ve ever seen. There were still issues (I believe he was planning on asking for some kind of tax reduction), but it was actually close to what other privately financed deals usually look like. On top of that, he was even offering a referendum.
But the pols wouldn’t have any of it. They unanimously rejected the deals without warning. And now they trying to get the MLS team into FIU stadium without prior negotiations? I don’t understand what they’re thinking. Maybe the Beckham group is too transparent for their liking. Kickbacks don’t work with transparency.
Beckham should consider himself lucky to get an offer like that. The SJ Quakes have been playing @ Buck Shaw Stadium for several years now. With all due respect to my alma mater and the history of that place, it’s just not fit for a pro team or a good fan experience. (Actually, it’s not that great for college either.)
From the Google Images, FIU stadium it bright and shiny and ready to host some soccer.
If I’m thinking like an owner, I can’t blame Beckham for not agreeing to this proposal without having a plan in place for a permanent destination. If I’m thinking like a taxpayer, I think about the Marlins and tell Beckham where he can go with his ideas.
Also, whenever people think of the proposed Miami MLS club they immeditaely think of David Beckham, and he takes his image seriously. Does FIU or the surrounding area fit with his brand, his over-inflated image of himself and his robotic wife? Probably not.