UPDATED - Elk Grove Has No Announced Tours, Shows of Fan Support For MLS Roadshow

September 17, 2014 | As Woody Allen once said, 80-percent of success is just showing up. In the rivalry between Elk Grove and Sac...

September 17, 2014 |

As Woody Allen once said, 80-percent of success is just showing up.

In the rivalry between Elk Grove and Sacramento to lure a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, Sacramento is following Allen's advice and is working to get lots of fans to show up at a slew of public events.

As widely reported in media outlets like the Sacramento Bee and the Sacramento Business Journal, the City of Sacramento along with Mayor Kevin Johnson and his Think Big group, have organized a number of events open to the public to show the MLS delegation local fan support and how much they want an expansion club. 

Included in the events are an airport greeting scheduled for 12:30 p.m. tomorrow at Terminal A of the Sacramento International Airport. On Thursday evening, MLS officials will visit a Sacramento Republic FC playoff block party being held at 20th and K streets in Sacramento. 

The public events will continue on Friday when MLS officials will hold a press conference at the Sacramento railyard area, a possible site for an MLS stadium.  

In between Friday's news conference and a visit to Republic FC's facilities at Bonney Field, the Sacramento Business Journal reports that the MLS delegation will meet with Elk Grove's representatives at an unspecified location.     

The City of Elk Grove has not announced any information regarding their meeting with the MLS delegation or if a tour of the city's recently purchased land for a proposed stadium will be included on the tour.

UPDATED 11:45 a.m. - According to an interview on KXJZ's Insight program, Vice Mayor Jim Cooper said the city will meet with the MLS delegation from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Friday morning. A tour of the property and a PowerPoint show will be part of the city's presentation to the MLS delegation.      

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23 comments

Anonymous said...

Of course most of us know that we are NOT even in the running. Probably best to stay away from that property anyway..wouldn't be good for them to see those Propane Tanks anyway, maybe even some low flying plane from the airfield close by flying over them. Nunez will be making his speal, Mayor Davis probably shaved & gelled his hair, Detrick will tell about his sons ski career & standings and Cooper & Gill will tell about their experiences in visiting Frisco. We are sooo out of our league, most likely why they're trying to squeeze us in somewhere.

What About the Children! said...

This morning Cooper talked about Elk Grove having 7,000 kids playing soccer. That line is so tired - can some one tell me how many of these kids stay around Elk Grove once they grow up. Furthermore, kids are not the audience that MLS is seeking. Give it a break, PLEASE, PLEASE!

http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/sacramento-ready-to-welcome-mls-officials-12773648/

Anonymous said...

Whoops...forgot about Trigg & Hume. Trigg will have a library quiz ready and Hume....weeell he's business minded so he will let the others have their say & then shake their hands and head to the nearest port for some R & R, glad that's over. Maybe even head for Sacto & the big boys event.

Anonymous said...

"What About the Children"....how true!

Our Council just does NOT get it! All the kids want is some soccer or sports fields to play on that they have been promised for years. It's all sooo simple and YES Cooper, give it a break!

Anonymous said...

So why is it the Mayor and his crony Fabian Nunez will fill up the council chamber with kids when it serves their purposes, but we only find out about what their plans are with the MLS from media interviews? All this BS talk about being transparent is just that, Bullsh#t.

Al Davis said...

There was no talk about MLS until Nunez rolled into town. Now Nunez is talking to the Sac folks about working together and making a regional pitch. Care to bet that Nunez is playing both sides and will have a hand ($$$) in either one when the dust finally settles. And why is it Sac released the names of its investors and pledged no public subsidy and Nunez won't release the name of his investors? Why does EG have to subsidize its stadium, plus buy the land?

EG, you have been played.

Anonymous said...

I've posted numerous times and have even spoken at council meetings about the difference between participation in soccer, baseball, swimming, etc. and paying money to attend professional sporting events. I suspect the middle class families here in Elk Grove that are paying money and spending a lot of time to have their kids participate in sports don't have the time or money to attend MLS or NBA games. I'm sure the Republic and Kings keep data on where their season ticket holders reside. I don't know for sure but doubt very many are from Elk Grove.

Then if the point is to get people from out of town to spend money here that's not going to happen given the location of the newly purchased property at Waterman and Grantline. However, that property is a great spot for a sports complex with soccer and baseball/softball fields minus a MLS stadium.

SteveB6509 said...

I wish I was in town for their visit so I could wear my Sacramento Republic jersey to EG City Hall.

Anonymous said...

This is another scam!!! This land will become a housing project with a couple of parks that double as a soccer fields. How much money does Nunez have in his pocket - none - he is a film flam man with big ideals and uses other suckers money and makes them feel like they are in control.
Look at the City Council and how many pie in the sky ideals they have presented over the years that wasted the tax payers money. Splash Park cost taxpayers $700,000 -- SOI $1,000,000 plus with nothing to show. Shame on you, members of the City Council, for being so wasteful with the city's tax dollar.

Mad Hatter said...

For all the rhetoric coming from Cooper, Davis and Detrick about their care for youth sports, they have basically allowed themselves to be held hostage to the likes of Don Gerber and Fabian Nunez.

Gerber, who comes to MSL from the NFL is simply stroking the Three Stooges' (apologies to Mr. Fine and the Howard brothers) massive egos. A great way to extract more for his league. Meanwhile, with each passing day the youth in our city is getting short changed.

Bob L said...

Sacramento is having public functions for the MLS not once, but at three separate locations while they're here. What a great way to show support for MLS: public gatherings at the railyard, Bonney Field and at a downtown rally to kick off the playoffs. KJ, and all the big wigs with the bulging pocket books ready to show MLS a great time and a solid plan.

EG: an hour and a half to show them our weed-saturated future mall, and an empty field in the God-forsaken corner of the county next to the largest above ground propane tanks in the US! ...and don't forget VM Cooper and our impeccable city manager (who leads this venture with zero experience in these types of presentations and negotiations)to show them that Hooterville is ready for the major leagues.

We cannot match what Sacramento has to offer in money, experience, expertise, show, real estate, amenities, culture and of course $$$$.

This will be totally embarrassing, our leaders just can't see it. We have no funding, no investors, no public gathering to show support, just a small block of time to give them some grins on their flight back east afterward.

Hopefully, by Saturday morning, we can all turn our efforts towards our citizens and our kids and get them the playing fields they deserve and put away these silly plans of a "destination city."

Anonymous said...

While I agree with most of what has been said, there is another problem which is hugh, IMO. That is our city spending thousands of dollars on Feasibility Studies which includes this MLS mess, knowing that we do not have the funds for most of them without committing the taxpayers to some hugh Revenue Bonds that we will pay on for years to come. This is never relayed to the people, leaving them to think there must be money for all these projects or we wouldn't be pursuing them. Some who do attend meetings and read all the info know this, therefore the reason for much of the negative discussions. The latest being the Animal Shelter...have they told the people there is no money for this project in the near future? NO...it's forward with false hope for many. It's time to look forward to projects that can maybe be finished. We couldn't even buy land without borrowing the money from another fund. Where do you think the money will come from for the MLS Stadium...what, maybe $85.M+. That won't be lost on the visiting MLS team either...finances not there, cross their name off! Could save our lives I would say. Our council lives in the Land of OZ and all you/us hard working stiffs mean little to them. It's about their egos and a lot about them having no business knowledge. We have to start holding them accountable for their bad decisions. Most likely talking to the wind and I get that too.

Thomas A. Anderson said...

Anon 16:12. I agree with your general financial analysis. Your make a much more important point though and that is general apathy.

If we are really generous in our estimates, there are maybe a few dozen people who attend more than two or three city council meetings throughout the year. Between this blog, EGO and the Elk Grove-Laguna Forum, there might a thousand people who really have the pulse of what is actually happening in Elk Grove.

For all the talk elected officials toss around about wanting citizens feedback, it is nothing but a Red Herring. They really don't want your participation, they just want you to think you are part of the process. But you're not!

They got us just where they want us and it is not by accident.

Lynn said...

Bob L I agree with your comments! Stated well. Personally, our city has such a short term ADHD vision the monies will be gone before anything can be done or completed and our city history since incorporation could be a bookcase full of feasibility study binders. We need leaders not about themselves but about the residents of this city. We need "volunteers" to serve on city council. I know unrealistic and a dream; the spending on campaigns and the belief(rightly so) that one needs lots of money to win keeps the true "volunteers' from considering the position. Can't seem to get campaign finance reform here; how about a write in campaign. We had many good candidates for district 4 who are not currently "running". Could we choose one of them?? How about it; right in candidates for District 2, 4 and Mayor. I think as a democracy we ought to have choices....now is the time! Can you imagine an individual who receives votes...and no monies spent???

Anonymous said...

Had those write-in votes ready a month ago. Now this just seals the deal for us...only way we can have change on the dias.

Anonymous said...

Anyone want to make suggestions for who to vote for? I might suggest Jeff Owen as a start for district 4.

Anonymous said...

Wonder who is gonna be the scapegoat for this FLOP.

EG voter said...

Jeff Owen as a write in candidate sounds good to me. But do I put him down for District 4 or Mayor? Has impressed me with his common sense approach so from what i have seen at the council meetings. hope to see more of this guy in the near future.

Laguna Pete said...

dITTO! Lynn Wheat for Mayor, Jeff Owen for Dist 4. Done!

Everyone, get the word out! - Really! Let's do this!

Anonymous said...

Don't forget about District 2. Why should Pat Hume get a pass here? Look at the voting for his last two election cycles. 4,000 write in votes for one person and he is out as well.

Anonymous said...

So where do we go from here? There needs to be few people willing to take the leed and get things rolling. Any suggestions or ideas? Perhaps one of us can set up an email account to organize and directly talk with one another.

Anonymous said...

"the MLS delegation will meet with Elk Grove's representatives at an unspecified location. A tour of the property and a PowerPoint show will be part of the city's presentation to the MLS delegation."

Now doesn't that just tell the whole story of how our electeds view this community? The MLS will not miss that...doors locking the people out. That alone should scare the h--- out of everyone of us taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

Looks like EG isn't being given much of the MLS executives time since they plan on a Friday morning trip to Bonney Field, Republic FC's current home at Cal Expo. Most likely just drive through EG and wave, if they have time. We must have really impressed them...lol
Most likely that
Monopoly money didn't do it. Or maybe it was all those emails I heard the residents sent to them about being left out of the game. Never underestimate the people of EG when you make them mad.

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