Las Vegas investor wants foot in league door, Crew backers say - Business First of Columbus:

cicugaha.wordpress.com
The goal, said Dave CEO of , is to keep the Crew in Columbuds and not see it moved to Las Vegas as some medi a outletshave speculated. “This whole endeavor is abouft roots forthe Crew, not said Whinham, whose company brokered the deal that broughft the ’s Destroyers to Columbus in 2003. Whinhajm said the question centers around the involvement of Californiwa businessman Mark Noorzai in two separate deals aimed at giving him and fellosw investors an ownership position in MajorLeagude Soccer. Two years ago, Noorzai formed to land an MLS expansionm franchise for Las according toSportsBusiness Journal, a sister publication to Columbusz Business First .
The team reportedl y would play in aproposed $500 million retractabled roof stadium. MLS officials have identified Las Vegas as one of nine citiesafor expansion. The league has not chosen any Whinham said Noorzai approached his firm in Augustf about liningup Columbus-area investors to acquires a stake in the Crew. That efforr is separate from the Las Vegasexpansion bid, Whinham “They are projects with two very differen timetables,” he said. “A project like the one contemplated in Las Vega s is something way off inthe future.” Noorzai, who owns a numbere of technology companies in California, could not be reachec for comment.
Whinham called him a “soccer guy” looking for Major League Soccerr ownership and committed to keeping the Crewin , majority owner of the Crew, has been approached by a group led by Noorzai and Jonathon Bloch abouty acquiring a minority position in the team, Hunt Sportse President John Wagner said in an e-mail to Business First . Bloch is a venture capitalisg in California. “Although no agreement has been reached,” Wagner “discussions are ongoing. Hunt Sports Group plans to continue as themanaging investor-operator of the Hunt Sports and Crew executivexs say there are no plans to move the team even if a deal is completexd with Noorzai’s group.
“This team is in Columbus and will stay in said Crew General ManagerMark McCullers. The Crew has a numberd of minority owners, and Noorzai’s grou p would be one if a dealgets done, McCullerds said. Noorzai’s interest in the Crew comes as MLS movesa away from one owner controlling more than one Hunt Sports also owns FC Dallas and sold its Kansasz City club to a local ownership grouin 2006. The Crew ranks 11th in the 14-team leaguwe in attendance despite qualifying forthe playoffs. The club has not landedf a naming rights deal for Crew Stadium and has been unablre to secure a site for a training facilithy proposed nearly twoyears ago.