Something that the Seattle Sounders do has been percolating in the background. It is a thing for which I have been quite involved. Democracy in Sports is part of the core of this organization, but has been a very nebulous term. The Alliance Council is looking to change that. Last Saturday we met with many representatives from ownership, briefly discussed the proposed Constitution, ratified both unanimously and now await the club to vet it legally as well as provide some clear direction as to what exactly we can do. SoundersFC.com reported on the event.
Among those in attendance for the Sounders FC were owner Drew Carey, owner/general manager Adrian Hanauer, vice president of business operations Gary Wright, vice president of business development Bill Chapin, COO John Rizzardini and director of business development Bart Wiley.
One thing that was quite clear is that everyone in that room was unsatisfied with where things are right now, and all are working towards improved communication between the club and fans, better systems of voting and clearer definitions as to what votes can be held in the future. Retention of the General Manager, a Drew Carey idea, will remain as part of our Democracy.
The Council received a commitment from the club that they would have their portion of vetting and approval done by August 15th, when the Constitution will be presented in full to the entirety of the Alliance for a full vote of ratification. As someone who was active on the Council Committee to write the Constitution it was impressive to see so much progress, but this is still a very new thing that tries to incorporate Democracy into the single-entity model of MLS.