Ah, rumours.
Rumour walked the night on Monday that MLS commissioner Don Garber was about to anoint Montreal as the league’s 19th franchise.
Instead, he announced next year’s all-star game in going to be played in Houston.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Whiff!
The story blew up in my e-mail inbox on Sunday. I wasn’t buying it.
I have sources who are gold, and everything they tell me happens. I have others who mean well, but aren’t quite well-enough connected to know for certain what’s coming next. Sometimes, they score. For me, a lead from them means it’s worth my while to ask around.
Then, there are the folks who contacted me on Sunday. I’m not going to publicly out anyone, but these are folks I never, ever, ever trust.
I was, therefore, never in any mood to buy this particular Montreal story.
But MLS Rumors certainly was. I’m not trying to trash these guys. They are exactly what they say they are – a one-stop clearing house for every juicy MLS rumour out there – true, false, neither or both.
They led with an anonymous source (natch!) saying Montreal was very likely to be announced as a front-runner at Garber’s Monday presser.
Well, hold the phone. Where’s the news angle? We all know Montreal’s a front-runner. They have been ever since the Province of Quebec agreed to pony up legal tender towards the expansion of Stade Saputo.
The story gets vaguer as it goes along. What is actually suggested is that Montreal is giving the league a progress report in or around the all-star break.
Um … so what’s really being said is that all the MLS bigwigs are convening in Utah for a couple of days, and wouldn’t that be a good time for possible expansion candidates to drop them a line?
Yes. Obviously. No way I’d bore you with that one.
How this got from common-sense backroom obviousness to a rolling, rippling rumour of Montreal expansion is down – mostly – to the misguided enthusiasm of a few easily excited – and honestly never accurate – fans.
Folks, Montreal has a chance. So does St. Louis. So does a possible second team in New York (or even a first team in New York, if you check the current league standings).
The anonymous MLSR source even predicted that Garber would say much work remains to be done in Montreal, but that things are looking good.
How can anyone interpret that as the granting of a franchise? And that’s how the story starts!
Again, I’m not trashing MLSR. They’ve been good, loyal friends of “It’s Called Football,” and the site certainly has its uses. But when even the main anonymous source undercuts the headline in the opening paragraphs, I think most discerning observers would pop that particular bit of soccer sensationalism into the “false” category.
The less-discerning ones – well, my in-box was buzzing, but these bees were sorely out of honey.
Don’t despair, Montreal. You’re in great shape here – as long as Riverboat Slim Saputo doesn’t try to show off anymore of his fancy “never-fail” poker tricks at Dealer Don’s table.
I’ll let you know Montreal’s in, the second my best sources start e-mailing me the high sign.
Onward!