MSL PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK : Crow Has Differing Opinions on His Future With the Sockers

Socker defender Kevin Crow is giving mixed signals about his future with the team.

Last season Crow said he likely would retire. He never did, and after Oscar Ancira’s group kept the team from going under, Crow signed a one-year contract.

That contract expires after the championship series, in which the Sockers lead the Dallas Sidekicks, 3-1.

After Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime victory in Game 3, Crow, a nine-year veteran, sounded as if he was planning on another year with the Sockers when he was asked about Jimmy McGeough’s performance.

“We’ve seen glimpses of his skill, his composure and his foot work,” Crow said, adding he wasn’t surprised that McGeough, who rarely steps up on offense, scored the winning goal. “I’ll be real surprised if he’s not here next year. At least I hope they sign him for next season.”

Crow then was asked if he plans to return.

“I’ll address that when it’s all over,” he said. “Let’s concentrate on (the championship) first.”

Moving up a notch: Crow’s performance in the championship series has improved drastically from his play during the season. Not that he played poorly earlier--he was defender of the year.

At this point, Crow and Thompson Usiyan are the two most likely choices for championship series’ MVP.

Usiyan’s contributions have been tangible (five goals, one assist), while Crow’s have been less so.

“He (Crow) has been brilliant,” Socker Coach Ron Newman said. “He is so steady at the back. His timing is so good, whoever goes up against him, Tatu, Jan Goossens, or whoever, he can undress them, and it doesn’t matter what kind of player it is, fast, crafty, bulky. Kevin can defend against them all.”

When asked about his performance, Crow discussed the team’s play.

“My philosophy,” he said, “and I don’t consciously do this during the season, but you’ve got to play a notch better in the playoffs, and then another notch higher in the championship series. So far we’ve accomplished that.”

Check is in the mail: The April 15 deadline for letters of credit came and went 22 days ago with no word on who was in next year and who wasn’t.

Several teams, including the Sockers, have made known their intentions to file, but there is a legal sticking point. This year’s letters do not expire until June 30, and they cannot be rolled over until that date. So teams filing another $350,000 letter will have $700,000 stashed away that thy cannot touch.

“We’re trying to avoid having to put up $700,000 of credit,” Commissioner Earl Foreman said. “That’s not our intention. Our intention is to put up $350,000. So we’re having some mechanical problems.”

Foreman also has at least two fires to put out, one in St. Louis where Milan Mandaric is trying to sell the Storm to local investors, and another in Tacoma where despite an announcement to the contrary last month, ownership still is not set for next season.

According to a league executive, Mandaric, citing the team’s robust average attendance (over 10,000), has valued his club at $750,000, or three times the cost of an expansion team.

Neither Mandaric nor Abe Hawatmeh, who heads the St. Louis investor group, would return phone calls the past couple days. And Foreman would not confirm or deny Mandaric’s asking price.

“They are still negotiating, and they are still talking on a daily basis,” Foreman said. “It’s no different than any other negotiation--if there wasn’t a sticking point, they would have cut their deal a long time ago.”

In Tacoma, vice president Stan Naccarato met with owners Tuesday night and came away not knowing if there was commitment from everyone for the coming season.

“We’re fighting through some stuff with our ownership,” Naccarato said. “We’re still trying to get everybody on board. . . . We’re proceeding with caution. (Folding the team) would be the worst-case scenario, but our intention is to go forward.”

Guests of Honor: Bob and Mindy Rich, who are considering buying an expansion team for Buffalo, as well as Jim May, who already has been hired as the team’s general manager, will be here Friday for Game 4 to study the MSL operation further.

The three already visited Detroit during the championship series of the National Professional Soccer League. They will buy into one of the two leagues.

“We’re looking into both and we’re getting pretty close (to a decision),” May said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. There are pluses and minuses to both leagues, though I would rather not get into them.”

Whatever the decision, time is running out. Sports franchises need to use the entire off-season to sell season tickets and sponsorships. So time already is running out.

“Sure it is,” May said. “But a lot is taking place that people don’t know about. We’ll announce something in about two weeks.”