Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has brought in a high powered trial lawyer, Mikal Watts, to help the county determine its next step after yesterday's snub by Major League Soccer, but divisions are developing at the Courthouse over the next step to take, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Wolff says Bexar County was misled by Major League Soccer when the county was assured that San Antonio 'had a clear path' to obtaining a franchise in the current round of expansion. He says it was based on that assurance that the county used taxpayer money to purchase Toyota Field.
But he says he was never told that the owners of the Columbus Ohio soccer team had already told MLS that it planned to move that franchise to Austin, which would effectively kill San Antonio's chances of landing a franchise. The league would not want two franchises within 70 miles of each other.
"I am working with the District Attorney as they have looked into these things, whether we have any legal rights, and what the consequences are," Wolff said.
Wolff says he will meet with Watts and officials from the District Attorney's office today to determine whether a lawsuit against the MLS is a possibility. He says had MLS officials told him about the planned Columbus move, the County would never have purchased Toyota Field.
But not everybody on Commissioners Court is good with legal action.
"Even in a litigious society, it is doubtful that an investigation from the criminal district attorney is going to find any true monetary or criminal codes that can recoup funds expended thus far," said Commissioner Tommy Calvert. "That being said, our community wants major league sports including soccer and football."
Calvert questions whether bringing a lawsuit against one of the major sports leagues is the best way to attract a big league franchise to the city.
"When MLS allows us to combine our television market across the state of Texas and into Latin America, as the Spurs television market currently does, the Spurs, San Antonio and Bexar County MLS is at the top of the competing cities from a revenue, elevision ratings share, and brand image improvement standpoint," Calvert said.
Unlike Wolff, Calvert says MLS has been 'open and transparent' with Bexar County and officials of Spurs Sports and Entertainment, which would manage a San Antonio MLS franchise.
But he says MLS should make Bexar County good on the Toyota Field deal.
"I look forward to recovering the investment the Commissioner Court and City Council made in purchasing Toyota Field for MLS expansion."
The MLS announced Wednesday that four cities, Sacramento, Cincinnati, Detroit and Nashville are the finalists for the two franchises which will be announced this year. But the MLS said San Antonio, the two of the four finalits who do not win franchises, and seven other cities which applied will still be considered for two more franchises to be awarded in the near future.