Kevin Payne has moved up in the American soccer hierarchy but he won't be out of sight.
With five MLS teams in tow, AEG has hired the former D.C. United president to oversee its soccer operations.
This is the man who went into the stands to quiet rowdy fans at RFK Stadium, who unleashed tirades at referees he felt had robbed his team and who attended hundreds of D.C. United practices and games.
“There are aspects of running a single team I'm sure I'll miss,” says Payne, who will continue to work out of Washington, D.C. The AEG offices are in Los Angeles.
“The competition portion will be the biggest part. But I'll get over that.”
Payne reports to AEG President Tim Leiweke, who was general manager of the Major Indoor Soccer League's Baltimore Blast at the age of 24 and later was the president of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.
Also in the highest ranks of AEG are former U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive officer Scott Blackmun, who joined AEG in January as chief operating officer, and Bill Peterson, who joined the organization 18 months ago from NFL Europe and handled some soccer details prior to Payne's arrival.
“There's a real entrepreneurial spirit to the whole company,” says Peterson, senior vice president of sports. “The vision for taking this company to where Tim wants it to go is an extraordinary challenge.”
As managing director of AEG Soccer, Payne will implement long-range projects, such as stadium development.
“My role is simple,” says Payne. “Our single biggest investment as a company is soccer. We have five teams, and we're looking to do stadiums in a few of those markets. We're looking at doing other kinds of soccer business that will fit strategically into what we're trying to do in this country.”
AEG not only buys rights to events – it also builds places to see them. The crown jewel in the AEG empire is the $400 million Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
The resources of AEG, which employs more than 300 people, include a real estate division, for which MetroStars general manager Nick Sakiewicz is grateful.
AEG's purchase of the Metros from Metromedia last November has resuscitated a stadium project in Harrison, N.J.
“I was chief cook and bottle-washer with the stadium before,” he says. “We have such a greater focus and intensity in sports and live entertainment than we did under the Metromedia umbrella.”
Former Metros operator-investor Stuart Subotnik wasn't willing to commit substantial funds toward a stadium. With AEG, it's all systems go.
Says Payne, “This is our business. It's what we do: sports teams and sports facilities. It fits in very nicely.”
by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney