Inside Man

A member of the Seahawks front office since 1976 and now vice president for administration, Wright is also passionate about soccer.
When Don Garber arrived for his first day on the job as Major League soccer commissioner, he got a congratulatory call from longtime associate Gary Wright. A member of the Seahawks front office since 1976 and now vice president for administration, Wright is also passionate about soccer. The gist of Wright’s call: Seattle was promised an expansion team by Garber’s predecessor; don’t forget us. And since the team was announced, Wright has been involved with the ownership group as it moves forward with creating the team’s identity and business plan.

Tuesday, November 13, the countdown began.

MLS in Seattle.  Beckham, Blanco, Angel.  

The color and pageantry of the world's game.  The excitement of a game winner in extra time.  The spectacular individual play combined with precision and teamwork.

It was two months ago that MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced the 15th franchise had been awarded to Seattle and a group headed by Joe Roth and his partners Adrian Hanauer and Vulcan Sports & Entertainment. 

In that time, the club has received more than 11,000 season ticket deposits.

A team without a name, without a crest and without colors.

The business side of the Seattle franchise has been working hard and diligently on a number of items but name, crest and colors are certainly at the forefront.  The public has weighed in through www.MLSinSeattle.com. 

The club has held focus groups.  Committees formed.  Experts asked.  Social networks listened to.  But still no clear-cut winner.

Seattle is an international city with international commerce, and our goal has been to make the name ring true throughout the soccer world.

But not all names work. 

No on Atletico Seattle.  No on Sporting Club Seattle.  No on Partizan Seattle.  No on Seattle Wednesday, Seattle Rovers or Seattle Juniors. The list of submitted names has been winnowed, but there still remain many options.

So the debate goes on.

But while it does, other work is being carried out.   While waiting on final colors, adidas is working on a uniform design.   Drew Carey is finalizing plans for the "club" modeled after FC Barcelona.  Sponsorship and broadcast packages are being worked on, along with ticketing packages being planned.  

It's an exciting time.  For us, certainly. For you, the fans, it must seem like prolonged silence.  Be assured that none of these decisions are taken lightly nor without the long term interests of everyone involved.        

We want to have a club that is community oriented yet known through the country and the world.  It is a lofty goal, but unless you dream big you never have a chance. 

There is no reason why Seattle can not earn the reputation as the capital of soccer in the United States.  There is no reason why MLS Seattle can not travel and carry its banner to Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and Europe.  And there is no reason not to strive to be the best in our domestic league–MLS.