Is This The Same Brent Coralli?

4-3-3 wrote:

Lawnboy wrote:

Uncle Numanga wrote:What if it's found that he was using Sting to launder money?

I can see the ECNL (and Nike via association) being very concerned about this and paying close attention to the particulars of the investigation.

If there is any validity to the notion that the ECNL feels they over-extended in North Texas and wanted to pare back a club, well... if there was any mingling of cash flows between the club's accounts and illicit gains, there's the perfect "out" to invalidate a contract.

Doubtful. My opinion...again no facts just opinion....but based on who all was saying it, I think  the main club wanting NTX to lose an  ECNL spot was sting. They want to snag or at least compete for  a national championship every year and  for whatever reason they haven't been able to snag all the top talent recently due to the # of other choices. From what I was told Sting was one of the charter members getting ECNL off the ground and KM has a  prominent position.  Doubt seriously ECNL would pull Sting unless the club had already imploded.

Perfect!  This would make it a classic case of "...careful what you wish for."  

KM is a great coach.  I am sure he would have no problem migrating to one of the other founding member clubs (D'Feeters, FCD, Solar) not affiliated with organized crime.  

jsullivan81 wrote:This was just reported widespread as of a few days ago, but it has been out there for quite some time. If you search, you will see it dates back to 2012 sometime. If anything was going to happen, it would of already. Do you guys really think it was just discovered and all 18 of those people plead guilty overnight?

It depends on how long ago it was that he pleaded guilty.  Most organizations don't move on anything like this until the dust has settled.  If there are appeals, etc. often organizations will wait until the end of those to do anything.  The only exceptions are types of crimes, (such as suspected sex crimes) or the level of publicity.

I wonder if he will get his watch back?

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/IRS-North-Texas-Gambling-Ring-Collected-1-Billion-in-One-Year-160435105.html

So it looks like Coralli is awaiting sentencing.  If Sting property was involved, wondering if forfeiture statute would come into play.

4-3-3 wrote: Sting's brand is about winning and the lure of access to college coaches. The marketing machine is well-oiled and already in place. The pyramid has a big,wide base feeding up to the top, and those on the bottom probably have no idea who this guy is anyway.

If this were a smaller club this thread might bounce with activity, but it's big blue and the sound of crickets is well enforced.

I agree with everything you say here. The interesting thing for me is that I always hear Sting lauded for its focus on moral character development of its players - it's in the first bullet of their mission statement. Isn't volunteer work required for its older players (that contradiction of terms always cracks me up, btw)? Difficult to reconcile this as a goal for its players while the head guy is being busted by the Feds for criminal activity. And what I know of illegal gambling operations (which isn't much, admittedly), the difficulty is always in laundering the money. As someone said, here's to hoping that none of that money mixed with Sting financial operations.

I am curious - if this was Hasan at the Texans, would the sound of crickets would be equally enforced? He at least make no bones about only being in the business of soccer.

bwgophers wrote:

4-3-3 wrote:
I made a bet on how long gopher's post would remain on the forum...it made it a couple hours longer than I thought would.

Pulled it on my own. No outside input. Not unheard of for me to go back and delete a post where my fingers moved faster than my brain.

I don't recall anything inflammatory nor controversial in your original post. What do you now think is unacceptable or incorrect? I only ask because I don't think you said anything that warranted removal. It was a fair and honest assessment of your feelings.

4-3-3 wrote:
Sting's brand is about winning and the lure of access to college coaches.  The marketing machine is well-oiled and already in place. The pyramid has a big,wide base feeding up to the top, and those on the bottom probably have no idea who this guy is anyway.  

Agree, however, at one time the Sting brand stood for that, and much more.

Never been a fan of the leader of the Evil Big Red Empire, but Big Blue has no room to criticize them anymore.

Coralli's actions shouldn't taint the reputation of the coaches and players throughout the club. They barely interact with the guy if at all. If Sting were to suffer adverse effects due to this, then I'd say that they would be the victims. Those coaches and players worked very hard to get the club where it is today. He's probably the only guy they can't fire.

aTmAg wrote:Coralli's actions shouldn't taint the reputation of the coaches and players throughout the club.  They barely interact with the guy if at all.  If Sting were to suffer adverse effects due to this,  then I'd say that they would be the victims.  Those coaches and players worked very hard to get the club where it is today.  He's probably the only guy they can't fire.

It's never been any secret how he made his money. He's been on the grift with his father for 30 years. People will accept anything as long as youth soccer teams win. Hasn't bothered anybody in the past, won't bother them much going forward.

aTmAg wrote:Coralli's actions shouldn't taint the reputation of the coaches and players throughout the club.  They barely interact with the guy if at all.  If Sting were to suffer adverse effects due to this,  then I'd say that they would be the victims.  Those coaches and players worked very hard to get the club where it is today.  He's probably the only guy they can't fire.

Sorry but Sting was a highly successful and respected organization before all of the current players, 90%+ of the current coaches and the current owners were involved.

I agree that anyone's affiliation until yesterday, or even through the remainder of this contract year should not be tainted or questioned. After that everyone has a choice of what kind of ownership and leadership they choose to affiliate themselves with.

I never heard of it until now. Not to mention that is terrible logic. If a CEO has an affair or does something else scandalous, do we expect every employee and customer to leave otherwise they become complicit?

aTmAg wrote:I never heard of it until now.  Not to mention that is terrible logic.  If a CEO has  an affair or does something else scandalous, do we expect every employee and customer to  leave otherwise they become complicit?

Two differences. Corporate officers get fired by the board when they are caught in something scandalous. (most of the time) The owner won't fire himself. Second, this is a criminal conviction. In the case of Sting, the employees (coaches) have to weigh whether staying at an organization that is run by someone with a criminal conviction is in their best interests. If they decide that it is not, the only real choices they have are to move on, or possibly buy the club as a group (if that is even feasible).

Players/parents may have a similar choice, if they believe that wearing the Sting uniform taints them as well.

As to the reputation of the person at the top of the club, most parents are going to be oblivious to that. Most don't go beyond their own assessment coaches. If you were to ask for a show of hands among the parents on any given team, how many do you think have made even the simplest attempt at researching the background of the coach, let alone the club officers?

I agree that anyone's affiliation until yesterday, or even through the remainder of this contract year should not be tainted or questioned. After that everyone has a choice of what kind of ownership and leadership they choose to affiliate themselves with.

You ever buy a Ford? Henry Ford was a anti-semite. You buy anything from IBM, Kodak, Chase bank, Siemans, Bayer, or Volkswagen? They were Nazi collaborators or otherwise used Jewish slave labor. Those things are far worse than running a gambling ring. At least people who gave money to him for gambling did it by their own choice. If it comes out that he forced teams to throw games or something for gambling, then that would be something, but who in the heck bets on girls select soccer?

I understand that Coralli is grade A jackass. But to say that coaches who have been working for a decade or more to make Sting what it is, and that players who have been together with their friends since they were little should abandon their teams because a guy they never met, nor had any influence on them in any way was a part of a gambling ring is ridiculous. If you are so opposed to gambling then I assume you are up in arms about the Texas Lottery? I also assume that you have left Texas because you don't want to affiliate with a state that imposes it's own monopolized gambling.

Two differences. Corporate officers get fired by the board when they are caught in something scandalous. (most of the time) The owner won't fire himself. Second, this is a criminal conviction.

Far more companies are privately owned by a single or few individuals than have boards. In addition a speeding conviction is a criminal conviction as well. Surely you won't leave a club because your coach or president gets caught speeding. So you might draw the line a felony. In some states, flashing your headlights to warn of a speed trap is obstruction of justice and therefore a felony. Surely you wouldn't yank your daughter if Coralli did that? Even further, what if Coralli was convicted of murder? Should we yank our kids then? I don't see why. He'd be thrown in jail and somebody else would be running the club.

Now lets say that Sting was caught cheeting. For example, paying off refs or LHGCL board members to get better calls in games. Now THAT would taint all the coaches and the players. And I think anybody would leave. As long as Coralli doesn't interact with the players, then I don't see a problem.

I would imagine less than 5-10% of parents that pay Sting dues read this board. I would also imagine, of the 90% or so that is left, very few know the owner's name. This will have zero impact on the club unless it is deemed something fishy happened there, with the club. And since they are already on the sentencing phase, it is highly doubtful.

It is refreshing to know that Mr. Coralli is NOT an "anti-semite" nor is he a "Nazi collaborator!"
However, he does drive a German Car...
Coincidence?

I agree with aTMAg. Like if a Sting parent forged a birth certificate - that would be bad - this Club has seen better days. Perhaps the church solution should be used - make all the Sting coaches and parents take ethics classes. I'm kidding ...
Like jsullivan81 - really low impact and really just an opportunity to make Sting great.

aTmAg wrote:

Two differences. Corporate officers get fired by the board when they are caught in something scandalous. (most of the time) The owner won't fire himself. Second, this is a criminal conviction.

Far more companies are privately owned by a single or few individuals than have boards.  In addition a speeding conviction is a criminal conviction as well.  Surely you won't leave a club because your coach or president gets caught speeding.  So you might draw the line a felony.  In some states, flashing your headlights to warn of a speed trap is obstruction of justice and therefore a felony.  Surely you wouldn't yank your daughter if Coralli did that?  Even further, what if Coralli was convicted of murder?  Should we yank our kids then?  I don't see why.  He'd be thrown in jail and somebody else would be running the club.

Now lets say that Sting was caught cheeting.  For example, paying off refs or LHGCL board members to get better calls in games.  Now THAT would taint all the coaches and the players.  And I think anybody would leave.  As long as Coralli doesn't interact with the players, then I don't see a problem.

True most companies are privately owned. that is why what the owner does is more likely to force you into a decision whether to stay or go. He won't go away. Even if Coralli were to go to jail, he still owns (at least part of) the club, and can direct who is employed and how the club operates.

So you think that he going to direct his coaches and players to establish their own gambling rings?

Ted Lasso wrote:So it looks like Coralli is awaiting sentencing.  If Sting property was involved, wondering if forfeiture statute would come into play.

This is really the big threat in all of this to the club. If it turns out that Coralli used illegal funds to make improvements or pay bills for the Sting Complex, there could be a danger of property forfeiture. I don't think what he did on his own time necessarily jeopardizes the club in terms of "image". But losing the Richardson complex might be a big problem. Look how it worked out for Andromeda (had to completely start over) and TFC (dissolved).

Are the others getting big fines? All I see is probation. Other than that what creditors would they owe? It's not like this is a bankruptcy filing or anything.

Valjoux13 wrote:

Ted Lasso wrote:So it looks like Coralli is awaiting sentencing.  If Sting property was involved, wondering if forfeiture statute would come into play.

This is really the big threat in all of this to the club.  If it turns out that Coralli used illegal funds to make improvements or pay bills for the Sting Complex, there could be a danger of property forfeiture.  I don't think what he did on his own time necessarily jeopardizes the club in terms of "image".  But losing the Richardson complex might be a big problem.  Look how it worked out for Andromeda (had to completely start over) and TFC (dissolved).    

Could this had any impact on TGPL moving?

Valjoux13 wrote:

Ted Lasso wrote:So it looks like Coralli is awaiting sentencing.  If Sting property was involved, wondering if forfeiture statute would come into play.

This is really the big threat in all of this to the club.  If it turns out that Coralli used illegal funds to make improvements or pay bills for the Sting Complex, there could be a danger of property forfeiture.  I don't think what he did on his own time necessarily jeopardizes the club in terms of "image".  But losing the Richardson complex might be a big problem.  Look how it worked out for Andromeda (had to completely start over) and TFC (dissolved).    

Not trying to be the moral police but I do think leadership matters and leaders have a bit of a higher plain to strive to achieve. Isn't part of our issue as a country is leadership that feels no obligation to behave in a way the inspires and "raises the bar" but simply acts any way they want, gets away with it and a consumer who's complacency allows it. I think to be arrested by the US Attorney and pleading guilty to a federal racketeering criminal charge is a some what big deal.

Without going into the politics of why our country is going down the tubes... I do think that integrity matters. I took my son off of a really good team because the coach was dishonest (btw.. my son never came out of the game.. so it's not because of that). I did so because I didn't want my son to learn from a bad example. Likewise, if Coralli's character is trickling down to the coaches, then I'd expect coaches and/or players to leave. However, that doesn't seem to have happened, and doesn't seem likely to happen.

aTmAg wrote:So you think that he going to direct his coaches and players to establish their own gambling rings?

The point is that unless the guy dies, he will influence the club, whether we can see it overtly or not.

As far as I know, Sting has not introduced a single aspect of gambling into their game plans or coaching strategy. If they hadn't done it after all of this time when the CEO was running a gambling ring, then I doubt they will now that he had been caught.

Would NTX Soccer, USYSA or ECNL get involved?

OK, seriously, the guy was just an agent for a book. He wasn't doing anything below board with kids, there is no assault, nothing physical - he just gave the players access to the book. How many people on this board bet on sports, or play texas hold em with buddies for money - you are breaking the same laws. The guy wasn't the leader, he was just an agent that allowed players access to the book, which does get him a cut of what his players lose, but any idea that he was sitting on billions and bilking innocents is absurd. Players seek out these guys, not the other way around, and the money he makes is from the bets adults make on their own, not anything he was doing anything to make them bet.

Also, I guarantee you the people that were betting with him, are still doing it, just with someone else. I get that it is against the law, but my take is that it is an absurd law. In most of the world, you can walk right up to a site in a strip mall and make bets. You can do it in Grand Prarie, right now, but that is horses - which is a way dirter business then pro sports.

Also, he has been convicted, so if they were going to do any seizures, it would have already been done.

I really think this is a non-story as far as the soccer world goes. Obviously, this guy was doing things on the side that weren't completely above board, but on a larger scale, who cares. It wasn't effecting any of us - unless he owed you on your plays when they froze the book.