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MLS Plays the Relocation Card in DC

DC United has had a very frustrating search for a new stadium home. Jurisdiction after jurisdiction has voted down a stadium deal in what can only be described as a highly unusual spate of local legislative good sense. Following this week's surprise rejection by the Prince George's County Council, both DC United and league officials were naturally upset. That led MLS Commissioner to lay down the dreaded relocation card: "Why we don't seem to be able to get a deal done is incredibly frustrating and it could be that, if something can't be resolved, we will move the team," Don Garber said. We are getting close to the point where we can't continue to go on operating the team at RFK, a facility that didn't work for Major League Baseball, does not work for D.C. United," he went on. "We have to develop a plan to get United in a partnership with a public entity in the region sometime soon or we will have to very seriously think about alternative locations."

With several cities having applied for the expansion franchises recently awarded to Vancouver and Portland, there will be no shortage of ready and willing seekers of a transplanted franchise, all of whom will come to the Commissioner with a willing government partner in place. Those cities are likely to include St. Louis, Ottawa, Montreal, Atlanta and Miami, all of whom expressed interest in an expansion franchise but not all of whom stayed in the process until the end. MLS has announced that it will expand by two more franchises following the addition of Portland and Vancouver to the league.

DC United is one of the strongest brands in the league, right up with the Los Angeles Galaxy. It is a four time MLS Cup winner and has competed somewhat successfully internationally. Losing a franchise in the nation's capital would not be the best public relations for a league that, although growing stronger by the year, is still struggling to maintain an image of success with American sports fans and perhaps even more importantly American sports media.

Full post as published by Sports Biz on April 11, 2009 (boomark / email).