The Rapids yesterday officially introduced USMNT G Tim Howard, the "highest-paid and most recognizable player in franchise history," according to Daniel Boniface of the DENVER POST. While Howard "acknowledged some tough conversations with the team’s front office in finalizing the deal," in the end he "decided to make the leap of faith to Colorado." Howard said, "I didn’t feel like they were selling me a bill of goods. It felt genuine, and so that was the biggest part of it for me." He will make his Rapids debut on Monday and "will lead the Supporters’ Shield leaders in front of an expected sellout crowd on America’s birthday." After the match, the Rapids will "ignite the largest public fireworks display in Colorado," in what is shaping up to be the "biggest night in the 20-plus-year history of the franchise." Rapids VP/Soccer Operations & Technical Dir Paul Bravo said that he "didn’t have any concerns paying Howard a sum more than 10 times what the average MLS starting goalkeeper earns." The "instant name recognition and credibility factor into" Howard's $2.57M price tag (DENVER POST, 6/29). Howard's annual salary is equal to nearly 65% of what the "other 19 starting MLS goalkeepers make combined," while the average salary of the other 19 MLS starting goalkeepers is about 8% "of what Howard earns annually" (DENVER POST, 6/29).
AN OFFER HE COULDN'T REFUSE: In Denver, Mark Kiszla notes the inside story of how the Rapids landed the biggest signing in franchise history "began in the dead of winter." Bad weather threatened to stop Rapids President Tim Hinchey, Alternate Gov. Josh Kroenke and Bravo "from getting a face-to-face meeting with Howard that was necessary if Colorado was to have any realistic hope of closing the deal." Kroenke: "We’re flying from Denver to Jersey and on over to England. But that was when a big, icy winter storm hit the East Coast. We get to Newark and our flight gets canceled. So we rebook, rebook, rebook. We finally figure out that by the time we get to England, we’re only going to have 30 minutes to meet with Tim, and we might not even have that much time. So I tell our guys, ‘Even if we have to sleep in this airport, we’re getting over there to meet Tim, even if it’s only for half an hour.’ And I think Tim Howard knew the level of commitment when he found out we were willing to sleep in an airport to come talk with him about the Rapids" (DENVER POST, 6/29).
