Lots of news both locally and nationally to get you caught up on. The impetus? Apparently Seattle has been awarded a new franchise

SBI has learned that MLS has chosen Seattle as the home for the next MLS expansion team. Sources with knowledge of the deal have confirmed that Seattle will join MLS for the 2009 season, a year after San Jose is set to join MLS as its 14th team. An official announcement will be made in two weeks.

This on the heels of the St Louis Soccer United announcement that the City of Collinsville has approved their proposal and will begin annexation negotiations, the next step in building the complex that includes a 20,000 seat stadium.

Mike at My Soccer Blog had recently pointed to the Las Vegas Sun and their pick of Seattle as the odd-on leader to get a new franchise, with St Louis having the second best chance. So far so good.

And how about our friends in Kansas City? What is the status of their soccer specific stadium? The developers have pitched the proposal

Developers pitched the plan to the TIF commission because they want $267 million to help tear down the old Bannister Mall and replace it with the stadium and complex. Wizards co-owner Cliff Illig said it’s the way to make soccer grow.

and the owners have a European stadium tour planned. With several malls in the area in need of refurbishing, it would seem there should be a good opportunity.

But they’ve been down this road once before and run into difficulties.

That said, Major League Soccer’s business model is pretty shameless. As I’ve written, the league essentially exploits children to get what it wants. In a number of MLS cities, the league has nudged taxpayers to pony up for new soccer stadiums by bundling them with youth fields (“Here, Kiddie, Kiddie,”). MLS is kind of like teachers’ unions in the way it attaches its needs to people’s impulses to do what’s best for the children.

Johnson County voters saw through the ploy and, last fall, turned down a proposal to build a soccer stadium and youth soccer fields in Overland Park. So the Wizards turned their attention to Bannister Road and Interstate 435.

Oh, and there are others who feel that $267 million in TIF money could be used for small-business incubators