Is The Simon Family The MLS Ownership Group That Joe Hogsett Has Been Dealing With?

Tony Katz:

The Pacers certainly do seem committed to making their run now. Obi Toppin, 4 years, $60 million deal. This is I assume this makes fans very, very happy. This is what you wanna say. You’ve got Pascal Siakam. You’re now securing Obi Toppin. You’re saying these are the guys. We did not go this far in the playoffs by accident. We can win with them. Let’s go win.

Indiana Pacers v New York Knicks - Game Seven

Source: Elsa / Getty

Tony Katz:

Do I like the idea that the Simon family. Maybe involved in this Major League Soccer deal and maybe they’re the ones who initiated the madness. No, I think it should have been much more transparent than that, but transparency is not what we’re getting. It’s not what we’re getting when it comes to this conversation Major League Soccer in Indianapolis. I saw that the IBJ, Mickey Shuey does great work, “What’s the deal with the potential Indianapolis MLS ownership group and some frequently asked questions?”

FAQ: What’s the deal with a potential Indianapolis MLS ownership group? – Indianapolis Business Journal (ibj.com)

Tony Katz:

With all due respect, I I think I’m done discussing it. I watched what the city did. I watched how they acted. I watched how this thug Dan Parker acted. I watched how Joe Hogsett acted.

Source: CQ Archive / Getty

Tony Katz:

I watched how this city, County Council, far too many of them lied to their constituents and to their fellow board members. Councilor Dan Boots said Major League Soccer will not play at Diamond Chain, which is the original site for a stadium. He had no proof of that. I called that a lie. If you ever has a problem with it, I’m an easy guy to find. But I’m gonna say it very directly. It’s a lie. Show proof, show your work. It’s all I ever asked. But there’s no more discussion here. The city did what it did. And. I do not know what the Indy Eleven will do from here. I have not been told and I haven’t asked. Will the city get Major League Soccer? I have absolutely no clue if the city is going to get Major League Soccer. I’ve always wanted the growth of the sport here. I still do, I enjoy it. No one has been more vocal supporter in in media of the Indy Eleven than me. That much is fact. But it’s hard to be a fan of the city in how they act. I want to cheer the swim trials and all these things that happen here the way this leadership acts. I don’t know how one could be a fan of that. So, what’s gonna happen? I don’t know.

Tony Katz:

No idea if the Simons are involved. If you ask me to take a bet, I would say 50/50, they’re involved. And to act like this and in the shadows. I think that absolutely does something to their legacy. But what if they’re not involved? Then what am I going after legacy for? Here’s what I know. You can’t trust the city. I don’t know how that’s not the takeaway you want to do business in the city. How do you trust them? How do you even think of trusting them? The answer is I don’t know. I have no idea. So, let’s leave the story. OK, you did it. You are the thugs. You are the tough guys. You did it. I don’t know if you’re gonna get a team or not. But if you ask me, if anyone would ask me, “could you trust the city to make a deal?” No. Great city, just can’t be trusted with these elected officials and somehow Indianapolis keeps voting for them.