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Miami group takes out ad to oppose David Beckham's waterfront stadium


As New York City FC faces struggles to find a brand new home for its club in the Big Apple, there are forces aligning in Miami to oppose David Beckham's plans to build a soccer-specific joint on the waterfront.


The Miami Seaport Alliance, a music group featuring Gloria Estefan and Billy Ocean group of businesses with other desires for the waterfront, has gone public with a full-page ad in the Miami Herald denouncing Beckham's ideas.


From SkySports:


"We cannot jeopardise well-paying jobs, like crane operators, longshore workers, and mechanics, for low-paying stadium jobs, such as concession sales," the Miami Seaport Alliance said in a full-page ad in the Miami Herald.


The opposing group is led by John Fox, former head of governmental affairs at Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and high-profile car dealer Norman Braman, the one-time owner of Philadelphia Eagles.


There's certainly a feel of requested pay-offs here, and all reports have been that the civic backing is on Beckham's side here (given his desire to pay for the stadium with private money). It'll also be interesting to see where the backlash falls here, not to mention whether these big dollars are enough to fight Beckham's big dollars.


However, the included quote from someone in Beckham's camp does seem to fit into common sense as to how a stadium fits into the scheme of Miami's financial future (though undoubtedly it's not black and white):


"The plan doesn't interfere with port operations. It will likely generate more revenue for the port in the shorter term than other concepts that have been discussed."


The key word for opponents is short-term.


Follow @nicholasmendola

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