of course, is Malcolm Glazer. But that's not the topic here. The issue is his business plan for ManU to return a profit on his investment. It stinks. It hinges on a separate tv contract from the FA premier league existing one. and increased merchandising returns from global marketing. The last first: How can ManU's profile and recognition factor around the world actually improve? I dont think it can in an appreciable manner. And to do so, it would have to come up with another David Beckham or two and leverage off that star draw. Evidence: Michael Jordan or the Chicago Bulls; NY Yankees or Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle... Hint: Rooney aint gonna do it ( I dont have to explain why, do I)... and someone like Henry wont either. And picking a young starlet - like Szetela or Adu is really rolling the dice. And there's not much magic left in mono-monikered Brazilians. As to the TV contract; I'd like to point out University of Notre Dame's separate national TV contract for college football. For a few years it went great, then reality set in. And the quality of product began to decline. Now it's fairly certain that there wont be another singular contract, at least at the same kind of money. I mean there are only so many ND Alumni to draw from. The only PRACTICAL way to do this would be to set global TV rights as a separate entity. While keeping the European rights in the same FA/UEFA format. I might take it more seriously if Glazer had made any headway in making the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into "America's Team"... he hasnt, and they are still the same old fairly good team they always were, destined to flop out somewhere in the Playoffs. One SuperBowl doesnt make a Super Team. Naw...ManU is near the apex of success at the moment and nothing Glazer can do will put them back into the ascendency. All he might do is make ANOTHER team into a world recognized entity and he cant avoid that, can he... he actually has to show games.
