Ives Galarcep kicked it off with a column, citing unnamed sources, which claimed the Red Bull lost $14 million last year. Ives then blogged about the rather obtuse response from Red Bull Managing Director Marc de Grandpre. Soccernet chipped in with their version of de Grandpre's comments. as did Big Apple Soccer, who managed to get the Red Bull Front Office Honcho to correspond via email. Big Apple Soccer also reported the Red Bull thought its TV broadcasts of road games didn't actually need announcers at the match, but could be handled via monitors back home in New York. Not good.
Two points:
1) Ives and Michael Lewis have been doing great work on the local soccer beat for a very long time. It's their job to cover both on the field and off the field news, and the exposure of bad news or shady dealings is good for the Red Bull and Major League Soccer. Justice Brandeis was correct. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. These guys bring it.
2) The Red Bull Corporation in general and de Grandpre in particular (all that's missing with this guy is the twirling moustache) came in last year and basically blew the whole place up. That inevitably results in hard feelings. But feelings aside, let's see how the season shakes out and the move to Red Bull Park in Harrison, NJ progresses before getting hysterical. The arrival of Bruce Arena, the construction of a terrific new soccer-specific stadium and the infusion of capital (how many other MLS owners have voluntarily splashed out $14 Mil in one year?) could very well result in The Rise of the Red Bull.
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