San Antonio judge could slow MLS’ roll

MLS’ wide-open approach to growing its business could backfire, as a Brexar County, Texas, judge has opened an investigation.

A judge in San Antonio has asked the county’s district attorney to investigate MLS for possible deceptive tactics. Even if the investigation turns up no shady activity, it still should be a reminder that taking too many shots on goal is a terrible offensive game plan.

According to R.J. Marquez of KSAT-TV, Judge Nelson Wolff has sent a letter to MLS in which he raises questions about the intentions of the league to expand to San Antonio after it surfaced that Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt has designs on moving his franchise to Austin.

In the letter, Wolff explains his fears. Wolff says that the county purchased Toyota Field for the sole purpose of attracting an MLS franchise to San Antonio, and received assurances from the league that it would not house franchises in both that city and Austin. The announcement that Precourt is seeking a new stadium for his team in Austin came as a surpise, Wolff says, and not a welcome one.

Wolff goes on to say that not only is Precourt a member of MLS’ expansion committee, but that Precourt has already secured a temporary home for his franchise while a prospective new arena is being built and that MLS has registered trademarks in Austin as well. All of that has led Wolff to state that had all this information been known prior to the county’s purchase of Toyota Field, the purchase would not have happened.

Additionally, because of all this, Wolff has asked the Brexar County district attorney to investigate MLS.

It’s unclear what correspondence or documents that Wolff might issue subpoenas for in the course of this investigation, or if it will even come to that. A statement from MLS shows that the league seeks to avoid that circumstance.

It’s a bad look for an owner who wants to move his existing franchise into essentially the same market to be one of the people who will vote on whether or not San Antonio will get an expansion franchise. If MLS has indeed registered trademarks in Austin after assuring Brexar County officials that it wouldn’t put a team in both markets, that’s a further bad look.

At the same time, finding a “smoking gun” in correspondence or documents from MLS that state something to the effect of “hey, let’s screw San Antonio over” is probably unlikely. Even if no serious negative consequences result from this potential investigation, there is a lesson to be learned for MLS.

If the investigation does reveal that MLS essentially lied to Brexar County officials when they discussed purchasing Toyota Field and expansion plans with the league, the county could sue for extortion to recoup some of the cost of the facility purchase.

For months as it has sought to build its business through aggressive expansion, MLS has been like a striker sprinting toward the opponent’s goal. The problem, however, is that the number of defenders looking to launch the ball across the pitch is dwindling.

Charlotte already looks to be out indefinitely, and if the results of this circumstance alienate San Antonio, that’s yet another potential market that will have given MLS a red card.

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It may be too late for San Antonio to completely backpedal, however, as its investment in Toyota Field is complete. It’s because that $21 million has already been put into a prospective MLS franchise that this matter has arisen. For both parties, this could be a costly reminder to not celebrate a goal until the ball hits the back of the net.