MLS CONFIDENTIAL: The Beckham Rule, Expansion, Quakes Question

Former Fire GM Peter Wilt is in town to bolster Milwaukee's bid although he doesn't foresee the city as a candidate for 2007. The next round of expansion is his objective.

Oliver Luck, head of the Houston Sports Authority, is on hand. His city is still rumored as a possible destination for either Kansas City or San Jose but there is speculation that an expansion team in 2007 or later is a greater possibility. Club America has failed to come through with the money to purchase the Quakes as has been rumored for more than two years.

STAYING PUT? AEG, investor-operator of the Quakes, has researched the possibility of moving the team to play in a new Houston high school facility to be completed by March. It features artificial turf and would seat between 12,000 and 14,000.

''What we have in San Jose is a team that has shown it can draw fans at the end of the year but can't consistently draw fans for most of the year,'' says Commissioner Don Graber. He reiterated that the first objective of MLS is to keep San Jose and Kansas City where they are.

According to a source, discussions of moving the Wizards to Seattle petered out about a month ago. Tod Leiweke, brother of AEG president Tim Leiweke, directs the company that operates Seahawks Stadium. Seattle was not mentioned by Garber as an expansion possibility.

Adidas, which will outfit all 12 teams starting next season, has circulated a brochure showing the uniforms to be worn in 2006. Prominently featured in the brochure is San Jose.

''The uniform is godawful ugly,'' said the source, who didn't know if a Kansas City uniform is also shown. ''But [the uniform] does say 'San Jose.'''

Last week, Tim Leiweke said the chances of the team playing in San Jose next season are ''50-50.'' While that triggered headlines and speculation of an impending move, the franchise has actually gained traction. Last year, Leiweke and AEG executive Scott Blackmun said the team would definitely move if local ownership wasn't found.

Yet the bottom line is bleak. The team is at or near the bottom in most financial terms: Ticket revenue, local sponsorships, etc. Leiweke said AEG has put ''$20 million'' into the team. Its loss in the four years the team has been either partially or wholly operated by AEG isn't believed to be that high, but is supposedly about one-half of that.

PLAYER MOVES. Also on the agenda is a pair of player mechanisms. The so-called ''Beckham Rule'' would permit each team to field one high-salaried, marquee player, and another proposal would greatly expand the league's efforts to sign young players by forming youth clubs or academies and retaining rights to the players it signs.