Haslams Hope Deal For Crew Closes Fairly Quickly

Browns co-Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are seeking to buy the Crew for civic reasons and hope to close the transaction very quickly. “We have realized that sports are really valuable to the community, and (with) the Crew maybe leaving Ohio, we just felt compelled to start the conversation,” Dee Haslam said as she arrived at the NFL owners’ meetings in N.Y. She said she contacted MLS Commissioner Don Garber within the last month and talks proceeded very quickly. Haslam said she and her husband had not decided which one of them would be in MLS meeting rooms, meaning which one is to be control owner and have a vote. “Jimmy and I will own it together, and we haven’t really discussed who would be the person in the meeting rooms,” she said. She declined to comment on terms but said to expect more developments soon. The Crew are owned by Anthony Precourt, who has been seeking to relocate the MLS team to Austin. The Haslams will likely to buy the Columbus rights from MLS and PSV will relocate its equity to Austin