Over the past few years, Major League Soccer has been growing exponentially in the United States and athletes from other sports have been taking notice. For instance, James Harden recently announced he would become part-owner of the Houston Dynamo and their minor league affiliate. Now, some Seattle celebrities are getting involved with the growing league as it was announced today that Macklemore, Ciara, and Russell Wilson would all be joining the ownership group of the Seattle Sounders. Macklemore is from Seattle, while Ciara and Wilson live in the city, so the partnership only makes sense. They are among 11 families to join the ownership team.
In a statement of the team's website, Wilson explained why it was important for him to get involved with the team and the community at large.
“Seattle means so much to me and Ciara. We’re fired up about being part of the Sounders for a long, long time, having ownership in the Sounders and continuing to build that winning culture,” Wilson explained. “When I got here in 2012, Seattle was a place that I felt I could call home forever. And obviously because of the Seahawks, and now because of the Sounders, it makes that really come to life. This city is a special place. The Pacific Northwest is a place we love and we get to raise our kids here and have a lot of fun while doing it. We want to bring the best soccer players in the world right here to Seattle.”
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how this investment works out for all of the parties involved as Seattle develops into one of the mainstays of the MLS.