Storm Owner Delays Decision; MISL Owners to Talk Monday

A decision that could have a major impact on the future of the MISL was put off Friday until Monday.

The league is awaiting word from San Jose’s Milan Mandaric, owner of the St. Louis Storm, who has said he expects to fold the team because he cannot find St. Louis investors. In its first season, the Storm reportedly lost $1.5 million.

Mandaric had said he would make the decision by Friday, but two owners--including the Sockers’ Ron Fowler--said it now looked as if Mandaric would wait until a scheduled conference call between the owners Monday at 9 a.m. (PDT).

If the Storm were to fold, it might just be the first to go. The MISL would then be down to seven franchises, and Fowler has said in the past that he did not want to go on funding the Sockers if the league does not field at least eight teams.

But hope remains on two fronts.

First, other owners could talk Mandaric into continuing. A source at the league office said Mandaric’s decision is not a financial one, but rather “more emotional. He’s just disappointed in the resolve of the St. Louis area. He could continue . . . but obviously he can’t go on losing $2 million forever.”

Phil Cobb, Dallas Sidekicks’ owner, agreed that Mandaric is not considering folding the team for financial reasons.

“Perhaps it’s not the money,” Cobb said. “Milan came into the league just before the season last year and really didn’t have any time to put together a front office or a season-ticket sales staff. And he lives in San Jose, so he’s a little bummed out about commuting back and forth. He was just looking for a sign from the St. Louis business community, and I don’t believe he’s got the support he was looking for.”

Mandaric, a native of Yugoslavia who made his fortune in Silicon Valley, was looking for 20 investors to help save the franchise. Published reports have said two have stepped forward.

Commissioner Earl Foreman is expected to lobby Mandaric over the weekend.

Neither Foreman nor Mandaric returned phone calls Friday.

The second area of hope concerns two proposals submitted to Foreman by Fowler.

Fowler would not discuss the proposals other than to say that one had to do with his maintaining ownership of the Sockers if the league operates with just six other franchises. That proposal, he said, “includes significant stipulations.”

He would not elaborate.

MISL sources said they had heard Mandaric might become a partial owner of the Sockers if the Storm folds. Fowler did not rule out the possibility but said he had not discussed it with Mandaric.

“Milan and I are friends,” Fowler said. “And at this point, I would say anything is possible.”

But that arrangement might not go over well with other owners.

“I’ve heard that rumor,” Cobb said. “but I don’t know what that accomplishes other than it helps Ron Fowler. I think we all lose a little bit if we go to a seven-team league. Our league expenses (dues paid to the MISL, currently $160,000 per team per year) go up, it’s less entertainment for our fans, and I think it makes it more difficult for the commissioner to do what he does best, which is solicit a TV contract and make way for expansion.”

One ominous sign: Storm Coach Don Popovic has coached five other indoor soccer teams. All have folded.