MLS | Comedian Carey has stake in new Seattle franchise

Drew Carey hasn't been a soccer fan his whole life. But one voyage to soccer-mad Spain changed that, and helped him add yet another title to his list of accomplishments -- minority owner of a Major League Soccer franchise.

That team would be the Seattle franchise, scheduled to open play in 2009. Carey was in town Monday to help promote the new team, and the actor/comedian/game show host/lifelong sports fan made Monday Night Football his show along with the Seahawks and 49ers.

The crew-cut, bespectacled Carey, 49, worked the local media. He raised the 12th Man flag, a former Marine being celebrated with other veterans on Veterans Day. He appeared on the national Monday night telecast and heralded the arrival of big-league soccer in Seattle.

"It's a great market," Carey said. "It's kind of a no-brainer."

Carey got involved during a lunch meeting with Joe Roth, a leading entertainment executive. Roth had already joined Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer as Seattle MLS majority ownership partners (Hanauer will be GM of the new team). They offered Carey part ownership, but Carey had two conditions before he agreed to invest.

"One of them was that we have a membership program like they do in Barcelona," he said. "They have about 160,000 members, and every four years the members get to vote on whether the president of the club gets to keep his job or not. That's what we're going to bring to Seattle."

Barcelona's innovative mix of fans and franchise intrigued Carey.

"We're going to mix politics and sports and bring democracy to sports in America, and I think it's about time," Carey said. "We're also going to have a marching band."

He meant that about the band, which was his second condition.

"If there's any part of the country where they would embrace this idea, a real say-so in what happens, I think Seattle would be the place," Carey said. "It's a futuristic-looking city, a modern city. They're kind of European in their thinking around here.

"Especially after what happened with the SuperSonics. We'll be like a white knight coming in."

In 2002, Carey attended a Los Angeles Galaxy match at the Home Depot Center. He enjoyed himself so much that he decided to learn more about the game, which led him to Barcelona.