Findlay goes all in for soccer facility

Justin Findlay loves soccer. Really, really loves it.

Listen to him for even a few minutes, and you’ll be convinced that, next to his own family and shiny new automobiles, soccer is just about the most important thing in his life.

His kids play the game. He takes his family to Major League Soccer matches in Los Angeles and other cities. To hear him tell it, he can’t get enough of the game, which is supremely popular in many countries but has struggled for wide acceptance in the United States.

But it’s certainly won over Findlay. He’s the managing partner and public face of Findlay Sports &Entertainment, which is working to bring an MLS franchise to a downtown soccer stadium the city would help create.

Findlay this past week led a Las Vegas contingent that included Mayor Carolyn Goodman to court the MLS, which has said it will issue one franchise for a team that needs to be ready in time for the 2017 season. Findlay Sports, in cooperation with exclusive stadium developer The Cordish Cos., is trying to make sure his love of soccer isn’t unrequited.

During a recent editorial board meeting with the Review-Journal, Findlay’s excitement for the possibilities of a professional franchise was undeniable. What was harder to grasp, at least from my perspective, was how he planned to imbue his affection for an MLS franchise with a public that so far hasn’t exactly been marching in the streets for a team of its own.

He’s also trying to persuade some Las Vegas City Council members who don’t begrudge Findlay his love of the game but want taxpayers protected from signing onto a $200 million stadium project in the name of a professional sport that’s hardly the hottest ticket in town.

“Right now, it stands at a place where we’re trying to come to an agreement that works for the council members, and works for the community, and works for us as a business,” Findlay said. “As has been pointed out in many articles, it’s a business that we need to make sure that we have a solid plan in place.”

That solid plan includes a calculus that calls for an average game attendance of 19,000 fans — the official league average — at $28 per ticket.

Demographically, Findlay hopes to draw from a soccer-enthused Latino community, a young generation of downtown denizens who grew up playing soccer, families, other locals, and tourists. In other words, just about anyone with $28 in his pocket.

That 19,000 figure is about what the Runnin’ Rebels basketball team drew during the heyday of coach Jerry Tarkanian.

Findlay knows all about the fortunes of the basketball team. His father, Cliff Findlay, is not only a former player but also has been one of the program’s biggest boosters.

Now back to Justin Findlay’s love. He’s also inspired by The Smith Center, downtown’s stunning performing arts venue. If built, the soccer stadium will be a short stroll from Smith Center.

After contributing to The Smith Center’s creation and attending performances there, Findlay said he fell in love again with downtown as an ideal location for that soccer team. It’s easy to get to and figures to be a great place for fans to play before and after matches.

“This is just kind of the evolution of why we think that location is so great, and why we think that location ensures our success, where any other location in town is a bit of a challenge,” Findlay said, discounting the thought of a team playing its home games at open-and-available Sam Boyd Stadium.

No, it’s downtown or bust, and Findlay Sports is willing to wager $100 million that an MLS franchise will fly here in the land of 24-hour entertainment. He’s not intimidated by the elephant graveyard of defunct sports franchises, most of them minor league. They’re not Major League Soccer, he said.

And, as you already know, Justin Findlay loves soccer.

Love is wonderful, but business is business.

The financial figures continue to float, but the deal is getting more interesting. The Review-Journal recently reported the city was considering using up to $25 million to pay for infrastructure and parking.

We’ll see if city residents learn to love soccer, too.

John L. Smith’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Email him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. Follow @jlnevadasmith on Twitter.